My hatred of the Damn Elf™ is pretty well documented around these parts. Somewhere someone is reading the first half of that sentence and thinking, "You don't have to do it, you know" to which I say YOU ARE CORRECT HOWEVER.
However.
There is magic to be found in the Damn Elf™ and if there is one thing I enjoy doing more than anything this time of year, it's squeezing every drop of magic possible. So, I tolerate the middle-of-the-night panic attacks because somehow Britney the Elf forgot to move her butt to some other part of the house. I suffer through the endless wardrobe changes. I even put up with the constant burden of figuring out what the next shelf is that should be honored by the presence of Britney the Damn Elf™.
That's all that happens here, by the way. Britney sits on shelves like the good little Elf on the Shelf that she is. I love that some people enjoy having their elves partake in shenanigans; I just can't help coordinate shenanigans myself.
ANYWAY.
I figure there's probably two years of Elf Magic left in this house. So, I'll squeeeeeze what I can because HOOBOY is Mila going out of her way to make her own magic.
So. Britney went to her summer vacation home fully donned for all things COVID19 as we knew it in late 2020. She had on a mask, for example. There was a whole search and rescue party that was required to find her this year, so she didn't change her clothes or even really ponder whether the mask should still be there or not. It just was.
And it stayed there for the whole first week.
Thinking nothing of it, I allowed her to take off her mask last night. It wasn't really a conscious decision. It sort of fell off during the wardrobe change and just stayed off. No big deal.
BEHOLD THE THINGS THAT CAUSE MAGIC.
Mila was full of squeals and glee this morning upon learning that Britney was no longer wearing a mask. It became a theme of the day. Mila seriously told me about that fact at least 4000 times. I didn't understand why it was such a notable thing until late this evening when Mila explained, "Yesterday I told Britney that we're all fully vaccinated and today she wasn't wearing her mask! She feels safe here! I'm so happy!"
I can't purposely make that level of magic, but I will take the win when Mila makes it for herself.