Gingerbread dreams

I think I got the shaft when I was a kid. Until yesterday, I had never, ever decorated a gingerbread house.

In fact, I don't think I was aware of the gingerbread house decorating concept until I was in college. One day before the Christmas holidays, one of my rez acquaintances mentioned she was going to decorate a gingerbread house.

After years of debate, I finally bought a gingerbread kit this year. After yesterday afternoon's step class, I made an an emergency stop to the Bulk Barn to get some extra peppermint swirls, Christmas Smarties and gum drops, before racing home to decorate with darling daughter.

Although darling daughter didn't do much decorating (she tried to shake off the icing on her hand), I had a great time, sticking peppermint swirls on the roof, edging the roof with gum drops and sticking Smarties on the windows. It was so much fun, which begs the question, why the hell didn't I do this when I was a kid? When I posed that exact question to my mother, she pish poshed me, saying it is a Christmas tradition that I can start with my own kids. (Apparently, she didn't decorate gingerbread houses when she was a kid either). It is definitely a Christmas tradition that I want to continue to do. It's so much fun. And yummy too. I can't wait to break into that gingerbread house.