Christmasing

Hello! It's feeling like Christmas over here. Other than the 50/60 degree weather that is. CO needs some snow! Though I'm not complaining too much. Our walks to and from school are much more pleasant in mild weather.

This weekend our family made our first gingerbread houses! I've been wanting to do this for years, literally. My mom gave me a gingerbread house mold by Pampered Chef years ago and I finally pulled it out and used it. We just have had too many fall babies! I've declared this year as my year though. I'm making Christmas gifts and making a gingerbread house! House, check. Christmas gifts, started...so I'm hopeful. My plan has been to do all the prep work and then have two or three crazy blissful nights of sewing. It'll be a good time :).

Back to the gingerbread houses. Day 1: First step, view a life size gingerbread house at a local Embassy Suites to scout out some inspiration and ideas. Step two, take a little family trip to the store to buy your decorating supplies. Step three, explain to kids that it is now too late to start making and decorating a gingerbread house and that we'll do it tomorrow. Tell them to stop their whining, no they can't have any candy, now go to bed! Step four, frazzled exhausted parents relax on the couch by the light of the Christmas tree :). After a good nights sleep and some good teaching from the pulpit to refresh your mood and perspective it's time to tackle Day 2!

 I started making the gingerbread dough around 12:30 after we ate lunch. The plan was to make two houses, which meant the mold must be filled and baked four times. I finished baking the houses around 3:00, then realized I didn't have any cream of tartar for the royal incing (mortar), nor did I have anything to make for dinner. Back to the store I went, and because of great deals on produce and the practical thought of buying food for a couple more meals while I was there I didn't get back home til close to five. We took a gingerbread break for dinner and then were back at it around 6:30. I tell you I did not expect this to be an all day ordeal! After laying down the rules and reprimanding small quarrels and greedy little fingers we finally put the houses together and then SLOWLY decorated them. Gingerbread house decorating is not a speedy process. Even so the kids did pretty great and their house looks pretty great too! And I don't think they gorged themselves too badly on the trimmings. Everybody got their teeth brushed extra well and were tucked into bed on time. Overall success. I've satisfied the desire to make a gingerbread house for the holidays and I'm confident that desire will be sustained in full until next year, or maybe the year after. Perhaps it's a good every other year tradition :).

This is the kid's house, with help of course. I like the coconut snow.

This is the parent's house with our four little brats, I mean angels. Don't worry, they know they are very much loved.