Under Construction

What do you get when you combine gingerbread cookies, icing and lots of candy and children? Lots of fun! Our family has a Christmas tradition of having all the children in our family and friends over for a gingerbread house decorating party. We eat pizza together and then the real fun begins. Icing everywhere and candy being used creatively to adorn the creations. Everyone has fun visiting together and creating together and have a wonderful keepsake from the time. I usually deliver the houses in the days that follow the party so that the houses can dry. I love to hear everyone's comments when they see their houses again. This time is one of my favorite things that we do during the Christmas holidays. This year my dear friend and I were able to meet the week before our get together and pre-assemble the houses so the children were able to use all the icing on the roofs of the houses that they wanted to. Making memories with the children and their friends is priceless to me. I love to take time to spend with the kids doing the little things, or in this case not so little, to help make memories for them that eventually turn into traditions. So what if I am cleaning icing up for several days after the party and sucking up little candies in the vacuum cleaner for awhile. Thankfully the memories of the good times last a lot longer than the mess and we our building those bonds that will tie all of us together.