We have two, as I mentioned, because my kids fight over everything and I wanted them to each feel like they had someone watching them personally. LOL Seriously though, if I had 3 kids, I wouldn't go get another elf... 2 is enough. I love having 2 though because there are more possibilities for mischief. Mine wrapped each other up in toilet paper one day, for example. Mine are sibling elves that like to prank one another too.
Our elves are pretty complex to tell the truth. They have a facebook page and they post pretty much every night to facebook, telling about their adventures. They also post now and then during the rest of the year to check in with the kids. They have lots of elf friends on facebook too and my kids think that is totally cool. The elves bring the kids little treats from the North Pole occasionally. They also leave a special gift for the kids on Christmas Eve that is just from them. Santa brings 3 gifts for each child in our family and only 3. The first year the kids found 4 under the tree they about freaked out. There was a note on it saying it was from Ivy and Jolly and they got so excited. Ivy and Jolly are also friends with Noel.
Noel is our Christmas angel. She has been visiting for 10 years now, so long before 'elf on a shelf' was even on my radar. She came straight from my heart.
I love Christmas and I love all those holiday themed things that are all around us that time of year. I don't, however, like to drag Christmas on past Christmas. When Christmas is over, it is over. I put away the baubles and trinkets, the dvds, the music, etc. So, buying the kids some Christmas themed toy, for example, and giving it to them on Christmas or in their stocking, etc. was fruitless because, while cute, it was put away the next day. I also felt like I wanted to stress the biblical reason for the holiday season too... thus Noel was born. She comes every few days all December (sometimes every day, sometimes she'll skip several days, depends on how organized she is!). She ALWAYS leaves a note talking about Jesus being the reason for the season and she encourages the kids to give of themselves and do good deeds for others. With her message she brings those Christmas trinkets that I love so much. She'll bring Christmas cookie cutters with an oven mitt one day and a Christmas movie the next. She brings holiday lip balm and bubble bath and fun Christmas socks or slippers, etc. She also brings them pajamas every year to wear on Christmas Eve. She brings them early though so they can wear them lots. If not they only get worn once, and that's a waste. LOL She doesn't pull pranks or do anything fun or silly, she just leaves a letter with a gift.
Well, now that Ivy and Jolly come and they are friends with Noel... it gets fun. Ivy and Jolly will get in to the gifts Noel leaves. They will try to wrap or unwrap stuff, hide stuff and make scavenger hunts, etc. They are the fun aspect, the pure imagination aspect.
Noel is always there to remind the kids that it isn't all about Santa and elves, that we are celebrating the birth of Christ.