The blog in which Shout! takes a devastating fall.

It was an accident.  Really.  I, of all people, completely respect the rules, and honestly, it was like watching it happen in slow motion.  I have been sick all week, and, hold your knees, but I didn't fold TWO loads of laundry this week!  The movie of the night was "The Santa Clause," with Tim Allen.  After everyone nestled up on the couches, I found a prime viewing area- on the landing on top of our stairs, and surrounded with mounds of clothes, I enjoyed the movie as I separated and folded Hello Kitty panties and little boy's socks that are forever, inside out.

I came to the end of the pile, and found a jacket that needed to make it's way down to the coat closet.  So, not unheard of in the Ahrens's home, I chucked it over the banister to make it's descent to the lower level for someone to hang it up for me.  And that's when it happened.

Shout! and his crew, Ariel and Scott, the deer, were all knocked over by the coat I threw.  I saw it happening in slow motion, and not until the jacket left my fingers, did I remember that Shout! and the gang were perched on top of a piece of furniture in the living room, below me.  The horror!  The screams!  ELF DOWN!  ELF DOWN!!! Well, that's how it happened.

The "crew" hanging out on top of a piece of furniture in the living room.  Here are the kids finding him on Saturday morning.  Before- "IT" happened.  

Luckily, by the law of the "Elf on the Shelf," technically, he had not been touched by human hands, therefore, his flying powers had not been diminished, but by all accounts, he was rendered useless behind a couch, face down, unable to help himself.  It was a pathetic sight.

Here is the photographic evidence of THE accident.  

Shay was not particularly pleased with the circumstances.  She took it up on herself to notify Santa of the event.  She wrote him a note, and then, a diagram, outlining the specifics.  I think she did a fantastic job.  (Luckily for Shay, EVERY time she has written a note to the North Pole, it suddenly disappears from her room, the table, or her desk.  She knows that Shout! must be grabbing the notes and taking them back home to Santa.)  One day, I will introduce them to the North Pole in my closet- a bag that will always been known as the "North Pole."

The diagram has everything from me on top of the stairs, down to her and Charlie's location on the sofa.  She even wrote a note.  It's phonetically spelled, so I will interpret for you-

     "Dear Santa   Mommy accidentally knocked Shout from where he was.  Merry Christmas.  To Santa.  Love Shayna."

The note.

The diagram.  

Need to go hide by the door so that the migits can answer the door .

Eeks.   Heartbreaking.  Well, last night, Shout! managed to save himself, and make a little mess with some fake Jenga blocks, and even write a note with them in Chaz's room.  This morning, he is noticeably absent.  I think he has a plan though.  He wants to surprise the migits by showing up at the door later on this morning- with his two partners in crime- shoved in the game container, so that we can safely carry him into the house ;o)

Shay's room.

Charlie's bed.  

Wait for it...

WHOA!  They're ba'ack!