Monday, December 23, 2013

Gingerbread Housing

I have never, in my life (as I recall), made homemade gingerbread.

I don't think I ever decorated a gingerbread house in my home growing up.

But.

I have wanted to do them with my kids.  I was planning on doing it last year in December, but then our sweet babe came and we ended up spending lots and lots of time at the hospital with the surgery that ensued...and it never happened.

Friday was gingerbread day at our house.  

I made that the only real goal of the day -- and it's a good thing, cuz it's all we got done.  

But, oh! What fun we had!
 We lit the tree up and turned on holiday music and
 started mixing gingerbread.
 I bought a ridiculous amount of sugar.
 We made three individual houses, so they could each decorate their own.
Here are the cutouts for one house, fresh from the oven.
 We let them cool while we made icing, and then did the initial construction, letting the icing set up the basic structure.
Then, that evening, after dinner, we turned on holiday tunes again and all of us gathered at the table while they went to town.
Mr. C. and I were the "icing extraordinaires," helping the kids by piping it out of ziplock bags while they merrily set to designing.
 Here is Scott, helping Mia on her house...
 And the boys, working on theirs...


 And all three of them, working away.
 That evening, when the house was quiet, the finished products sat on the kitchen counter amid the glow of twinkle lights from the Christmas tree.


 I think it's a tradition we'll keep.

Today, I am preparing for Christmas Eve brunch tomorrow morning at my house.
Lots to do.
The children are happily playing.
I am going to make a huge vat of a pot of Russian tea.
And, it looks like this outside, which I'm pretty much loving.
Merry December 23rd!

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