My mom had a ceramic elf that she would move for us in December, well before Elf on the Shelf became popular. I apparently missed out on a great business opportunity!
I have that ceramic elf, now, and have tortured my own kids with it. They're too old for it now, they say, and they know how/who moves it, so the morning excitement is gone.
The morning excitement will certainly rebound Christmas morning; they are still always up at 3:00am Christmas morning. Ugh. But, it is the one day of the year where they will make me coffee.
Love that comment and hearing about your old traditions and your family. I just read about the history of Elf on the Shelf and it turns out it was a family in America back in the 1970s, which is pretty cool. Or I wonder did your Mum have this going on with her folks, and maybe she came up with it!?