A Not So Silent Night

So I decided yesterday at the Grocery Store, probably because I was a slacker and hadn't planned anything else, that the kids and I would put together a Gingerbread House for Family Home Evening. Ryan had to work and I thought that it would be fun, easy, and a creative project for the kids. Well, it was creative! Ok, it was pretty fun, too. And, it wasn't too hard. It was a good thing that I have a little cake decorating kit with different little tips to do some fun stuff with the icing. The kit only came with the Gingerbread, the icing and a little piping bag that I guess you'd cut the tip off of and try to decorate with that. So, anyway, I did all the icing. It just seemed easier (and a lot cleaner)that way.


Zack and Maycee did all of the candy decorating. They put gumdrops on the roof and by the front door, and these little tiny colorful candies around the edges like Christmas lights. I was pretty impressed with them at this point. I guess they have grown out of the "throw everything on anywhere" kind of stage.
Which, I will admit, I'm kind of glad about because I tend to be a little obsessive/compulsive about stuff like this.

Now, remember how I said that Zack and Maycee did the candy decorating?Well, Avery was there, but all she did was sit and lick the frosting off of everything; out of the bowl, off of the beaters, taking little swipes with little fingers at the Gingerbread House. You can't tell very well from this picture, but Avery's face is covered with white icing and a little chocolate from the peanut M&Ms the neighbors brought over.

Aahhh! The finished masterpiece. We did pretty good, right? There was only minimal yelling, "Don't move it, I'm trying to do the windows." "Quit eating the candy!" "Keep your hands to yourself!" But, it was worth it. It really was a fun project. I think we'll do it again next year. Hey, did you notice the cool icicles? Yeah, I did those! :)