Gingerbread Houses

Last night was the annual decorating of the Gingerbread Graham Cracker houses.

In years past I have made the Gingerbread walls made from a template The Mister draws out, but every year I feel so awful throwing out the equivalent of a pound of butter and all the ingredients (not to mention elbow grease) that goes into the houses. In the December 2006 issue of Martha Stewart there is a very lengthy article for these houses that I had remembered so we did crackers instead. These were really fun because there was minimal prep time and we could get down to the fun part: the candy.

Although I have to say, The Mister has both the patience and a way with a serrated knife, because cutting graham crackers into the right shape (without crumblage) take both. (I just totally made up that word, crumblage).

Above is The Misters houses.
Below is The Girls house. She preferred to have a lined walkway to her home in lieu of two home cramped on tiny lots. The Girl likes her decorating space.
Pictured below, is The Boy's houses. I am particularly amazed by his candy people. An idea he came up with entirely on his own. So creative are the people I live with. (I will explain why that last sentence sound a bit Yoda-ish.)

Since The Boy was running a high fever all weekend, we watched 5 out of the 6 Star Wars movies in a 48 hour period. The Boy, very sick was he. Gatorade and Star Wars makes better it does.

Also, since we are talking about Star Wars, can I tell you how irritating it is when the young people in this household say they want to watch the third Star Wars, but they are not talking about Return of the Jedi, which is the third movie made, but the sixth in the trilogy. I wish I could have ten dollars for the number of times we have had this conversation:

"I 'm in the mood to watch Star Wars, Mom"

"OK, which one are you in the mood for?"

"The second one"

"OK, Empires Strikes back it is!"

"NO!!! MOM!! Empire Strikes Back is the 5th one! Attack of the Clones is the second one."

AUUGGGHHHH!!!

However, being a mature and responsible parent in this household, I am here-and-ever-more declaring that THE first movie is, and always will be Star Wars. So there.

OK. I'm glad that I have that off my chest.

Back to houses...

The Boy really wants me to say that The Animal in your left is a penguin, one of his favorite animals. The animal on the right is actually "not and animal , Mom. It a snow man." Oh, sorry. There is also a creature on the top but he didn't make the cut in this picture. That's Blogbiz for you.

This last house is the back side of my house. My theme started out as "The Griswold's Buy Property Next to Martha Stewart". What I ended up with was, "Gingerbread Houses Are Not Your Element, Your Kids Are More Talented Than You"