The Christmas madness has begun at our house. The Glover annual Gingerbread House Contest was held this weekend. Thankfully, this year the library, GREC, and the Glover Fire Dept., all teamed up to hold their events together on the same night instead of on two consecutive weekends prior to Christmas.
Wayne had a small mishap with the mixer and flour while making the dough for our gingerbread house. He ended up with flour all over him and tried to flee the scene, but my camera and I proved to be faster than he is.
Heather, carefully and meticulously, cutting our reindeer shapes with a cardboard template I had drawn. She did such a good job.
Cutting out more shapes for our scene.
Royal icing in every color.
Can you believe that this mess will actually end up as something to be entered in a contest?
Cole is wearing pj's because his class had had a Polar Express party that day. They wear pj's to school, watch the movie, have hot cocoa and snacks. Heather was very busy decorating and took the whole project very seriously. She would not stop decorating until practically every inch of gingerbread was covered with icing and candy.
Cole is making Santa's workshop.
Wayne made Santa' house and Heather was responsible for the sleigh, some trees and some snowmen.
Everyone decorated a couple of the reindeer.
Here they are at the contest. Every child who enters gets a little bag with pencils, stickers, some little chocolates, and a little plastic game.
In addition to the little bag, Wayne, Cole, and Heather also won first prize. I should probably mention here that we were one of only two entries this year.( However, one of the activities of the evening is that children get to decorate premade graham cracker houses which are then also put on display.) Their prize is a gift certificate to Parker Pie. I'll be glad we have that some night soon when I don't feel like making dinner.
There were also rides with Santa on the fire engine. Not Wes this year as he was home not feeling well - feverish, tired and achy.
Between gingerbread decorating and sick kids, we did manage to get our tree up.
Now to tackle Heather's birthday tomorrow. I have to do some last minute gift shopping and bake a cake. For her "special" birthday dinner she has put in a request for mac and cheese from a box, sardines, and broccoli. I'm not sure that will agree with everyone in our family, especially those recovering from the tummy flu, so I might just give her that for lunch and come up with something different for dinner!
