Gingerbread, Royal Icing, and Santa on a Fire Engine

First of all, just a cute picture of Cole and Spike. Cole was home sick a week or so ago, and Spike proved to have a very good "bedside" manner. Therapy dog in the making?
So this is what we've been up to all week - our gingerbread house for the annual contest hosted by the library. Here's Wayne cutting some pieces.

Cole makes...something - I don't know what, but Heather is very interested. This is a good view of her self-inflicted haircut.

Heather thinks it's play dough.

The next day we make royal icing.

Heather plays with leftover dough. Turns out it IS a good substitute for play dough.

Cole makes cookies.

The decorating of the gingerbread house. Can you tell what house it's modelled after?

Heather made her own little graham cracker house.

Here's the finished product. It must be the worst looking gingerbread house in history.

The other side.

All kids who enter the contest get a little stocking filled with little toys and candy canes. Heather got one for her graham cracker house. She was very proud. She thinks she won the whole contest.

Unfortunately there were not very many entries this year - only four in all and we won third place. This bottle of syrup is our prize. I reserve the right to regift.

Before the contest, we went on a fire engine ride with Santa (Frank Daigneault). I have no idea who this kid is, but none of my kids would get anywhere near Santa so this is the only pic I could get.

Inside the fire house there were snacks and hot cocoa. Cole was in heaven.

A shot of the engine from the outside. Yes, we were riding on TOP of it. It didn't feel as dangerous as it looks.

So that's what we've been up to this week. Now to get ready for Heather's birthday and a possible trip to Gramma and Grampa's next weekend...