Imagine the surprise that Landon and Connor Thrash experienced when they learned that their scout elf, Snoodle, had flown all the way to Washington D.C. last week to keep safe watch over their mom, Dana, while she was attending a business meeting.

Snoodle is the brother’s Elf of the Shelf who comes from the North Pole every Christmas season to help Santa Claus manage his naughty and nice list.

When a family adopts an elf and gives it a name, the elf receives its Christmas magic so it can fly to the North Pole each night to give Santa its up to the minute scouting report. The elf returns the next day to keep watch.

But there are a couple of rules that must be followed when an Elf on the Shelf is in the house. The elf cannot be touched or it will lose its magical powers. And, the elf cannot speak or move while anyone is awake. It must be quiet and look and listen.

Landon said that the first thing he and Connor do as soon as they wake up every morning is look for Snoodle.

“He hides all over the house and we have to look for him every morning,” Landon said. “The morning that Mama left, we couldn’t find him anywhere. He likes to hide in the Christmas tree but he wasn’t there. He wasn’t anywhere,”

Connor said that he knew nobody had moved Snoodle.

“If somebody touched him, he would have lost his magic and couldn’t fly,” he said. “We knew he had flown somewhere but we couldn’t find him. Daddy said he might be with Mama.”

And, indeed he was. Snoodle had flown to Washington.

Dana called Landon and Conner and said that, when she got to the hotel, guess who was sitting on the towel rack? Snoodle.

“She sent us pictures of Snoodle and told us all the things he was doing,” Landon said.

But Snoodle was being a good elf.

“Some elves get in trouble but Snoodle’s a good elf,” Connor said.

But Snoodle did give their mom a few anxious moments.

He got in the ice bucket but didn’t stay too long. It was cold in there.

“One morning, I couldn’t find Snoodle and looked everywhere,” Dana said. “I finally found him in the big Christmas tree in the hotel lobby. He loves Christmas decorations and he was right in there among them.”

Knowing that Snoodle was in the Christmas tree in the busy hotel lobby, Landon and Connor got a little worried.

“If somebody had touched him, he would have lost his magic,” Connor said.

But their mom assured them that Snoodle could take care of himself.

“I went downtown to see the National Christmas Tree and Snoodle went along,” Dana said. “He brought back Christmas ornaments for the boys that he got in Washington and they were excited about those. When it was time to leave for home, Dana left Snoodle sitting on the windowsill looking out at the city.

“He had a good time but I think he missed being home,” Dana said.

Snoodle kept Dana Thrash from being lonely while she was away from home. But Landon and Connor missed them both.

Snoodle has been an annual Christmas guest in the Thrash home since 2008. And each Christmas Eve when Santa Claus comes to see Landon and Connor, Snoodle hops on Santa’s sleigh and goes back to his home at the North Pole.

The brothers said they are always sad for Snoodle to leave but they know that, next year on the day after Thanksgiving, Snoodle will be back on the “shelf” at the Thrash home and, boy, will Landon and Connor be glad to see that little elf that is a good as good can be.

Editor’s Note: The Messenger will feature an elf story each day until Christmas. Those who have scout elves visiting this Christmas season are invited to send their story and a photo to jaine.treadwell@troymessenger.com so it can be shared for others to enjoy.