I came home to a very upset Bennett the other day.  He said, very serioulsy, "Mom.  I gotta talk to you. Alone.  Ummmm.... I found something in your dresser drawer."  Oh boy.  He grabbed my hand, lead me up the stairs, and gently pulled open the drawer.  And... there was Freddie.  (Not what you were expecting, right?) Freddie our Scout elf.  The elf that Santa sends to our home every year. Bennett was perplexed. What's Freddie doing in your sock drawer?  But more than the confusion, he was upset because he touched Freddie.  And, he knew that touch takes the magic away.

He didn't know what to do.  I said "Well, number one - QUIT DIGGING IN MY DRESSER DRAWERS, BENNETT."  And, then I told him it was "going to be fine", and that Freddie was "probably taking a nap".

The Boy slumped away - and twenty minutes later said, "Go look in your drawer, Mom.  I tried to fix it."  In my drawer, right next to the napping elf, was a 3 paragraph letter to Freddie - apologizing for the possible magic stealing.  Bennett explained that he was "just looking for stockings for a Paul Revere costume" (yeah, that's an entirely different story) and he "promised to not make a habit of digging through his mother's drawers".  He hoped Freddie would be able to return to the north pole - but questioned why he was even there in the first place.  Bennett went to bed that night, still feeling sad...

And he awoke to find my sock drawer empty, and socks strewn about the basement.  Resting delicately on the overturned drawer, was a note from Freddie - typed in teeny tiny elf sized print.  It said something like this:

Dear Bennett, thank you for the note.  I think you are old enough now to know a secret.  I make surprise visits to your house throughout the year - just to check in on you and your sister.  I hide myself away, and listen and observe.  I check to make sure you are speaking kindly, helping around the house - WITHOUT BEING ASKED (The Big Guy loves that one.), keeping your room clean and doing your studies.  I was doing one of my random checks, and snuggled up in your Mother's cozy drawer, and I fell right asleep!  Actually, I'm so glad you found me, because had you not, I am not certain I would have made in back in time for curfew.  Please know that I did not lose my magic.  And, I will be back - even if you don't see me!  So far, you and your sister are on the NICE LIST.  Keep it up, Kid.  Oh - and stay out of your Mother's drawers.  
                             Your favorite elf, 
                                          FREDDIE

Our super methodical, logical, scientific boy was relieved to know that the magic remained.  So was his Mother.