The Gingerbread House, 2008

I guess we can say that Christmastime gingerbread houses are now a tradition at our house as this is the third year in a row that that we've made one, the perpetuation of the tradition being completely attributed to the two youngest members of the family, Artist Son and Tayta.

This year these two constructed the entire gingerbread house by themselves, perusing the internet for design ideas, baking and cutting the gingerbread, making multiple trips to the corner store for eggs and and powdered sugar, and convincing Dear Husband to spring for expensive imported candy canes at our You-Can-Buy-Your-Favorite-American- Foods-Here- If-You-Are-Willing-To-Pay-The-Price-Store. ("I'm supporting the arts," he justified.)

This year's house features a marshmallow/chewing gum chimney, "snow" covered Golden Graham shingles, chocolate stone facing on the bottom part of the house, an Oreo cookie path, a chocolate covered pretzel stick fence, a gingerbread tree covered with gobs of icing and miniature M&Ms, and a marshmallow snowman. And just so you can appreciate their perseverance, know that the wreath took four attempts to get the icing to just the right consistency. Oh, and a new tip they gleaned from watching a Martha Stewart internet video on making gingerbread houses: Use straight pins to hold the walls together so that you don't have to sit and hold them for half an hour while the icing dries. "Martha Stewart is so smart!" an awe-filled Tayta exclaimed. Yes, she is.

And so is Tayta. I noticed a folded piece of paper inside the house. Thinking that the kids accidentally left it there I called their attention to it. No, it was there purposefully; Tayta had written a reminder to the future eaters of the house: "Remember to take out pins. There are 4 in all."