One of my favorite holiday traditions is building the gingerbread houses. I love the sticky mess, fighting the frosting to pour out of that tiny hole in the frosting bag, the bickering of what candy is supposed to be where, the frustration when the walls cave in as we did now allow frosting to set for 2-3 hours as recommended, and of course the negotiating that goes on to decide who gets to put the wreath over the door. Maybe it is just the feeling of abandonment when the kids bail out leaving us moms to finish because they get bored.
Ok truthfully, I love everything about it; the smell of the gingerbread, the laughing, seeing the kids be creative, licking our fingers of all that sticky icing, being together with friends and family, and the final outcome. I love the creative process and the pictures that come from it. (thanks Jim for grabbing my camera so I could be included).
I also love that we don't eat them and they sit on my table to stale up for three weeks. Gotta admit, I just love the overall holiday tradition of getting together to build them. I can bet you that Janine and I will still be getting together at my house to build those darn things when our kids are all grown up. Can you imagine us with our grey hair reminiscing and missing all that bickering? We won't be able to lick the sticky frosting because our dentures can't take it. But you can rest assured that I will still fight her to put that wreath over the door.