Christmas preparations have been extra fun this year because Monkey is old enough to really pay attention to what’s going on and enjoy it. He dances to the holiday tunes (Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song is his personal favorite), sneaks candy canes off the tree and today got to decorate his first gingerbread house.
We got off to a really great start. I assembled the walls and roof then gave him the candy to decorate. His chubby fingers managed to place a few round candies on the roof without smearing icing everywhere.
About five minutes in though, it clicked in his head that this stuff was edible. He popped a candy in his mouth and then it became, “One for the roof, one for my belly.”
That lasted for another couple of minutes until I broke out the gum drops and then it was, “Screw the house, gimme ALL THE CANDY.” I shut that down pretty quick and managed to decorate the rest of the house myself.
While I was taking pictures of our final product, a little fat arm shot into frame, plucked a peppermint off the back of the house and shoved it into a little mouth that was already full of gummy spice leaves.
I got one more picture before the ravenous look on my kid’s face convinced me that it was best to slowly back away from the house before someone huffed and puffed and swallowed it whole.
What holiday fun are you having? Link up your camera phone photos with Greta and me at #iPPP!
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When you say “I assembled it”, you make it sound so easy. We made those at my MIL’s house last year and I almost pulled my hair out in frustration trying to get it to stay together.
Those pictures are ADORABLE. What a sneak.
Maybe I’m always prepared to really suck at things like this so when it goes well, I’m pleasantly surprised? At least, that’s how parenthood has been…
Seriously LOVED doing this with my kiddos last year and can’t wait to do it this year!
It was more fun than I thought! Still, can’t wait until he’s learned enough self control to not eat it before we can decorate it!
hahah. as you were taking a pic of the final product a fat little arm shot into the frame. best line ever. And if we were building a gingerbread house….actually scratch that…they’d have eaten it ALL before we ever started.
I can’t imagine crafting with food with four ravenous little ones around! You’d be lucky to not lose a finger!
Cool house! He did a great job.
I just listened to the Adam Sandler Hanukkah song! I personally love the Schweddy Balls during Christmas time, but I guess that’s not quite appropriate for Monkey
He already knows so many inappropriate words, I guess balls is coming up soon.
Oh my gosh! That face in the last pic is so awesome. It looks like he is about to tear that house apart! One for the roof, one for my belly! LOL!
He’s calculating the required fat arm velocity to snatch another gum drop before mom can catch him!
First of all I LOVE the last pic. His face is awesome! Second,how did you get your house to be so cute? Ours was so bad one year I finally had to say dorothys tornato hit it. The boys gave me a “yeah right mom” look and proceeded to eat the candy. I gave up on gingerbread houses. Ours always turn out looking like the projects. Lol
I cut the opening to the icing really small, let the house “sit” for about 15 minutes before decorating and only had “help” from little hands when it came time to eat candy. He didn’t really want to do much decorating after the first five minutes!
OMG that looks awesome! And delicious!! Come to my belly, Gingerbread House.
It makes me sad to think about taking it down and eating it! HA!
I love the look on his face. We did one last year for the first time- and it was such drama with B always wanting to eat the house. I haven’t seen them here so doubt we will do one
sad face big time.
I bet you could make one using graham crackers and homemade icing!
That last picture is my favorite! It reminds me of “What you talking about, Willis?” I think I would’ve backed away from the house too…slowly!
That one gets printed out and put in an album for sure.
Wow Julie. Yours looks better than any of ours through the years. I have a box waiting to decorate with my kids hopefully when I get back to Georgia. Am in Florida with my parents. It is pretty tempting when they figure out they can eat the candy.
Beginner’s luck I guess!
And not having any “help” probably helped too.
So cute. The house came out really nice. I remember the first time we decorated a gingerbread house. I think, more candy ended up in the kids’ bellies then on the house, too!!!!
There’s NO candy on the back of the house – he ate it all!
Oh my gosh, the look on his face in that last pic, HILARIOUS!!! He wants that house, bad!! HAHAHAHA!!!
Hahaha! Those pics are hysterical. I really love the look on his face in the last one, so comtemplative and conflicted. Should I swallow it whole? Hmmm…
Oh, that last pic is PRICELESS!! You might have inspired me to pick up a kit grocery shopping tomorrow – let the mayhem begin!! (Great, great post!)
Holy cow he’s cute! I hate the mess of making gingerbread houses w the girls but I do it every year and continue to love to hate it!