Sweet Memories

Run, run as fast as you can!

Come build a gingerbread house

with your gingerbread friends!

And.....he's off!
We had a great little group of friends over today for our 2nd annual Gingerbread House building party!  Last year was SO much fun that we had to do it again.  As with anything, once you iron out the kinks, it's not hard at all to organize.  I have been collecting ideas all year long and putting supplies in my "gingerbread box", and after Thanksgiving we started planning.

Lauren & Hanna, in sugar shock.

 Last year's icing recipe "held up" really, really well.  I'm telling you, it's like mortar.  So, to ensure a no-fuss, low-frustration party, we pre-glued our graham cracker houses together last night.  I whipped up a batch of gingerbread house icing this morning and spooned it into icing bags so they were ready to go when the kids got here after school today.  

Brandon, in concentration mode.

 This year, I was much wiser and set up the scene in my kitchen rather than my dining room.  We'll just say it was a "sticky situation" after last year!  Let's face it, when kids are into something, when they are concentrating, they don't think about the mess.  They're kids!  But my white dining room rug wouldn't agree.  

I wanted them to be able to move around and not have to remain stationery.  So, I removed most of the chairs from the kitchen (except Brandon's), set up round card table next to the kitchen table, covered them both up, and set out the candy.  A tile floor is much easier to clean up than a white rug!  

Max, albeit a bit fuzzy.

Kiera, our littlest gingerbread house builder.

 After demonstrating how to pipe the icing on with the bags, they were off.  I couldn't believe how long these 11 kids remained focused on this activity!  They range in age from 4 to 9 years old, so that is saying something.  For 25 minutes, they decorated and helped each other and made comments on each other's work, and my mom friends and I did little to nothing to help.  It was such fun to watch, and for me especially, to have little girls in my house of testosterone!  I love my boys, but the contrast between having boys and girls is so interesting to me.

Little men, ready for frosting, and white chocolate covered "snow"

 After decorating ceased, the kids had hot cocoa, decorated a gingerbread cookie for snack and enjoyed some white chocolate "snow" (thank you, Pinterest, for this cute, easy treat!).  

Hanna, evaluating her work

And, she's DONE!  Hanna's house before "the collapse".

Breanna's amazing cookie!

 After snacking up a storm (cookie-decorating really works up an appetite!), most of the boys headed upstairs to play X-box and LEGOs while the girls + Brandon (love that crafty guy!) got their craft on downstairs in the dining room.  Little girls and little boys are different, so I was glad I hit up Michael's earlier in the week.  I scored some pre-packaged gingerbread boy/girl ornament crafts as well as some gingerbread stickers and smelly markers for coloring pictures if they wanted to.

Lauren, Kaylee and Breanna at the craft table.

Brandon, Hanna, Kiera, and Maddie, making a gingerbread man ornament.

Sweet Maddie, figuring it all out.

An introduction to Tacky Glue.

 I should have taken a picture of it, but I didn't.  I loved it when the crafting was over and the little girls settled into their drawing and sticker pictures, laying all over my kitchen floor carrying on their sweet little girl conversations.  

L to R -- Benjamin's and Thomas' gingerbread houses.

I'm not sure how long my boys will want to do fun stuff like this, so today's party was extra fun for me.  I am so glad to have a great group of girlfriends whose kids my own kids get along so well with.  It's fun to make these memories!