Building Memories

Here's the Christmas-card-worthy version of gingerbread house building. 

 

And here's how it was behind the scenes! (Don't worry. No one but Brooke will eat her gingerbread house!)

Somehow, they didn't turn out quite like the cover on the box. However, we were building memories - not picture-perfect cottages.

My logic for purchasing that particular brand was the advertised "link and lock" building feature. Any help with construction is a bonus, so Mommy and Daddy helped put them together the first night to give the "mortar" plenty of time to set up. Then our interior (well ... more accurately, exterior) decorators completed the project the next morning.

While there were some candies in the box, we supplemented with sugar snowflakes I purchased separately, along with Jill's stash of sprinkles and a few packages of Halloween treats.

Sometimes, you have to hold your mouth just right to get everything in place.

They may not have been ready for their closeup when it comes to perfectly-appointed snow drips and strategically-placed candies to entice buyers on a store shelf. 

 

But that's what made them special, don't you think?

 

Perfection is overrated (or so I hear).

 = 

Kinley was ready for a close-up of each side of her creation. (She had the same request after last year's build.)

I've been watching the Holiday Gingerbread competition on Food Network this month. I don't think we're quite ready for that. But the girls were happy. And that made this Grandma happy.

 

House construction wasn't our only building project.

 

Kinley and Brooke also made several Christmas ornaments. Their tree got some additional bling and I brought some home for mine, too.

Kudos to Hobby Lobby kits! We put together ornaments and stockings. The girls will share the extras with their cousins when they come for Christmas.

 

We also made a couple of gifts for their mommy and daddy. But we can't be giving any previews of those. Secrets are part of Christmas, you know! (We'll see whether Brooke can keep from sharing before Christmas morning.)

 

The day ended with Frozen Junior, a musical at Topeka Civic Theater.

It was the perfect length for young audience members, even though Kinley did say they left out some key elements of the movie version. And I got a scene-by-scene synopsis of Frozen 2 on the way back to their house. Eric says I won't have to see the actual movie.

As they used to say in the newspaper society columns, "A good time was had by all" (including their parents who got away for the day for Christmas shopping and time with friends).

How Sweet It Is!

Here's the Christmas-card-worthy version of gingerbread house building. 

And here's how it was behind the scenes! (Don't worry. No one but Brooke ate her gingerbread house!)

OK.The girls' houses looked a bit different from the version on the perfectly-appointed Wilton kit photo.

But that's what made them special, don't you think? Perfection is overrated (or so I hear).

Before the girls visited in November, Grandpa and I perused the gingerbread house aisle. Since both girls love animals, we decided on Wilton's gingerbread dog house.

Their love of dogs was just one factor in the decision. The others were:

• It appeared there were fewer pieces, a positive for the first gingerbread house building project for the girls AND for us. Architects we are not!
• Each kit was around $5 - an economical price sure to yield a fun activity for part of an afternoon (or part of two afternoons, as it turned out.)
• I knew that even though the kit came with only two colors of icing and the candy was limited to a sugar puppy and dog bones, I could pull out my arsenal of sprinkles from the kitchen cupboard. I also had M & Ms, chocolate stars, several different colored chocolate discs and gummy bears on hand. (You could also use dry cereal or crackers for shingles, etc.)

We constructed our houses in two sessions. The first day was a building day. I have one big piece of advice for you grandmas out there: Have another set of adult hands during this part of the process. It took both Randy and me to apply the royal icing supplied in the kit to the different components and hold them together while they dried. (I thought I could do it myself, but I was sure glad to see Grandpa walk in the door at just the right time.) I don't have photos of that process. My hands were a little busy at the time.

We set the houses aside on plates and left them to dry overnight. The next day was the fun part for the girls. I asked them what color of icing they'd like me to make to go along with the red and white that came in the kit. Predictably, they chose purple and pink.

Then it was time to let their creativity shine. It takes a lot of concentration to provide the perfect decor for a home.

Just ask HGTV ... or Brooke.

Kinley is a typical first-born child who likes things done precisely, as you can tell from her neatly-arranged M & M shingles.

And when her little sister needed a little help to get it all done, Kinley was glad to pitch in.

Teamwork makes the dream work.

Wilton may not be calling to use our versions for their holiday marketing, but we sure had a good time being architects for the day! (Check out the frosting on Brooke's face!)

Kinley wanted photos of every side of her masterpiece, and she couldn't wait to take it home so Mommy and Daddy could see her creation.

I've been watching the Holiday Gingerbread competition on Food Network this month. I don't think we're ready for that. 

But, if you have grandchildren coming for Christmas and are looking for a fun project to do, we recommend a gingerbread kit. (Bonus: The kits may even be on sale right about now.)

Kinley and Brooke thought the houses tasted good, too. (I cannot vouch for that. And I don't think they ate any more after their first tasting when they "raised the roof.")