The month of December is exceptionally chaotic in the Stibbs-Wilson household.
Every morning, stepbrothers Dayton, 12, Brayden, 11, Porter, 4, and Keillor, 2, wake up to find something has magically moved, been altered or outright destroyed overnight.
There was once a monster truck sleigh taking off from the coffee table, graffiti all over the bathroom mirror and a massive DJ party with several toys in the living room 鈥� all courtesy of the boys鈥� Christmas elves, Stephen and Orlando.
The two Elf on the Shelf characters come to the boys鈥� home in 91原创 from Dec. 1 to 24 each year to watch over them, and many times, pull off some wicked stunts along the way.
鈥淚t just happened that we got a really mischievous, nasty little elf,鈥� said dad Sheldon Stibbs, the mastermind behind the elves鈥� antics.
鈥淎nd he鈥檚 kind of corrupted his sibling Orlando to going over to the dark side.鈥�
For the last four years, Stibbs 鈥� who is better known as 鈥楽heldon the Bailiff鈥� from the reality TV show The Liquidator 鈥� has spent hours building destructive little scenes that take Elf on the Shelf to a whole new level.
In the game, based on the children鈥檚 picture book The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, Scout Elves are placed in homes to help Santa make his naughty and nice lists.
These mystical elves fly to the North Pole each night to report back to Santa, and in the morning, sit in a different part of the house to watch over the children.
But in the Stibbs-Wilson home, the elves do far more than that.
鈥淭he first day this year they took a whole box of holiday edition Rice Krispies and wrote 鈥榳e鈥檙e back鈥� on the table in gigantic letters and were doing snow angels. Orlando had crawled half in the box, and had just his legs sticking out with stuff all behind him,鈥� Stibbs said.
鈥淥ne night they were at the clothes steamer and Orlando had the steamer and he was steaming Stephen.
鈥淗e had Stephen hanging upside down, a duct tape X on his mouth, hands behind his back.
鈥淏ut at least Stephen came out wrinkle-free.鈥�
| In anticipation of their big interview, Sheldon Stibbs' elves Stephen and Orlando were reading a miniature copy of the 91原创 Times. Miranda Gathercole 91原创 Times. |
DOUBLE TROUBLE
The madness started with just one elf, Stephen, who lived in Stibbs鈥� home with his son, Brayden. Stephen was very good at causing trouble on his own, so when Stibbs and Brayden moved in with Stibbs鈥� girlfriend, Holly Wilson, her three young boys and their elf, Orlando, the fun doubled.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e best of friends like stepbrothers and then they hate each other some days like stepbrothers. They love to hate each other,鈥� Wilson said.
The elves have inherited most of their mischief from Stibbs, who is determined to keep Stephen and Orlando a cut above Santa鈥檚 other elves.
鈥淚 was watching people posting pictures online of the elves moving from here, and then moving over here, and now he鈥檚 on top of the Christmas tree, and like, that elf can do way more than that,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 like the fun little regular postings, I want to see what kind of trouble they can get into. Elves are mischievous, and every night when the kids go to bed, they want to see, what have they wrecked? What have they destroyed? What 鈥榮tuffies鈥� are fighting who? Who are they after?鈥�
Inspiration for an elf scene can come up at any time.
Some nights, Stibbs tweaks something he鈥檚 seen on Facebook or Pinterest and is done in five minutes, while other times he鈥檚 up at 2 a.m., wandering around the house and rummaging through toy bins to try and come up with an idea. On one occasion, his imagination was sparked by a Ghostbusters pack he saw while shopping.
鈥淭he next thing you know, the elves were Ghostbusters that night and they鈥檙e (shooting) across the TV with their little lasers,鈥� Wilson laughed.
Another time, food was the catalyst.
鈥淥ne of my all time favourites was probably the snowball fight with the marshmallow snowmen,鈥� Stibbs said. 鈥淚 actually went and bought three bunches of fresh, natural carrots. They鈥檝e all got twisted ends on them, and I cut them off and shoved them into the marshmallows, and then used edible markers and pipe cleaner arms. Some of them had swirly eyes (drawn on) because they had been knocked out by the snowballs.鈥�
鈥楧ENY, DENY, DENY鈥�
Stibbs also posts pictures of his elves on his Facebook page, so there鈥檚 now an expectation from his kids 鈥� and all of his Facebook friends 鈥� to create something bigger and better each day.
Many of his elf fans are clients with brain injuries or cerebral palsy from Wilson鈥檚 business, Fraser Valley Aquatic Rehabilitation, and his posts help 鈥渒eep their spirits up鈥� through the holiday season, Wilson added.
Despite all of the work involved in maintaining the magic, Stibbs says the excitement from the kids keeps him coming up with new ideas each night.
鈥淔irst thing they do (in the morning), they come out looking for the elves. 鈥榃here are they?鈥� And then they come running into the bedroom, 鈥楳om, Dad, you won鈥檛 believe what the elves did,鈥欌�� Stibbs said.
鈥淚 think the kids鈥� reactions, just that they鈥檙e so excited to get up. Like our one 12-year-old, he would sleep in all day everyday if you give him the opportunity. But since Dec. 1, as soon as he hears his two little brothers up going, 鈥榃here are the elves?鈥� Boom, he鈥檚 up out of bed.鈥�
鈥淚 think, too, knowing that it鈥檚 just throughout December makes it very 鈥楥hristmasy,鈥欌�� Wilson added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the Christmas spirit with all of the clients and our kids, it鈥檚 really neat, we really enjoy it.鈥�
With all of the antics happening in their home, the two older children have started to catch on. This year Dayton and Brayden have set up cameras and recording devices to try to catch their parents moving the elves, and so far have been unsuccessful.
For other parents facing the same problem, Stibbs has some advice:
鈥淣o matter how much the kids think it鈥檚 you, deny, deny, deny,鈥� he laughed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about having fun at Christmas, whether it鈥檚 doing the elves or decorating your tree, putting up lights outside 鈥� anything you鈥檙e doing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about having fun and spending time with your family and enjoying yourselves.鈥�
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