2nd Annual Gingerbread Houses

This morning was our 2nd Annual Gingerbread House party at my house. We joked last year that we would have to rotate houses every year because of the mess we made. This year was MUCH better than last in terms of "long term" mess. Jill offered to coat down my kitchen chairs with towels before the "icing" began but we lived on the wild side and survived.

We began with breakfast and this year opted for group pictures in front of the tree BEFORE we made the houses... see, we're learning!

Leslie's sister, Emily, agreed to come again this year to take "real" pictures and capture more memories. Thank you so much Emily! She is SO good with children and does such great work... check her out at estprints.com.

Abby, Jack, Ethan, and Trace (Bless Ethan, he was very patient with the "huggy" little neighbor to his left)

Let the games begin...
We (the moms) iced down the milk cartons with frosting and applied the graham crackers before letting the kiddos go to town with the candy.

I couldn't help but think about last year and how they sat in our laps while they decorated their houses and this year they were big enough to sit by themselves and reach the table... time marches on (sniff, sniff). Next year, maybe we'll just let um at it while we sit, chatting on the couch, drinking coffee and eating bon bons. ha!

They loved the candy and NEVER missed an opportunity to partake. This is pretty much how the "decorating" went...

- one on the house, one in your mouth

- one on the house, four in your mouth

- one half eaten on the house, other half in your mouth

- one completed chewed and spit out of your mouth and onto the house


Jack and Leslie
Jill and Ethan
Leslie got up (to get a wet paper towel I'm sure) and Jack took the opportunity to grab a handful! Caught ya cutie!!

Ethan's masterpiece
Total concentration...
This is how all the mom's looked at the end of the morning... just kidding (kinda)!
Sadly, by 5:15, Trace's beautifully decorated gingerbread house turned back into a pumpkin... a soured milk carton, with broken graham crackers, and fingerprinted icing. About 10 minutes after awaking from his nap, he devoured the remaining candy by picking it piece by piece off of his house.

Oh well, nothing lasts forever... and truth be told, it would have gone in the garbage in about 48 hours anyway. Who wants ants for Christmas???