This is the third or fourth year we have made a gingerbread house. For the last two years we even entered it in a contest at Ferry Farm (George Washington's Birthplace). The first year we entered, we got a blue ribbon. I kept telling the kids it didn't matter if we won or not- then when we got first place ribbon I was so thrilled I was jumping up and down! Later we found out we were the only entry in the family division, so we won by default... how humiliating!
Last year there were far more entries. We didn't place, but we were happy to have been a part of the contest again. This year, we didn't make the deadline for the contest, but we decided to take our time and not get stressed out about finishing it before the cut off date. I was much more relaxed about letting the kids have creative control too. If you've never made a gingerbread house by hand- it is quite an undertaking! We started before Thanksgiving and we finished last week. It helps us use up the Halloween candy and I bring it in to school to show the kindergarten kids when I read The Gingerbread Boy" and other variations.
Patrick gets started mixing the dough...
The kids thought they'd make their own houses this year, but we ended up working as a team and decorating one together since a few of the extra sides collasped when we were constructing the house.
Abby got into the action and made things very interesting...
Abby stealing one of the gingerbread balls...
Abby got into the action and made things very interesting...We have a tradition to "kiss" the gingerbread ball before we roll out the dough to make the sides and roof. It's good luck for the whole family to kiss it.
Abby stealing one of the gingerbread balls...
Holding up the sides with some soup cans! All three kids decorating from either side. (The girls are wearing the Christmas coats I made for them last year. Luckily, I made them large and they still fit- although Margaret's was a bit tight on her this year).
