Gingerbread Memories

On Saturday we went to a House Party.

It was just for kids.

At a very lovely place.

WonderBoy and Sweetie were given a chance to go to town and be creative on their own.

They had lots of containers of candies for decorating

(and eating along the way)

and oodles of royal icing.

They served eggnog, hot chocolate and donuts to fill

the tummies of the young gingerbread house decorators.

Though they love hot chocolate, my kids REALLY love

Shirley Temples and they each just had to have one to keep their energy up!

The relationship with Shirley goes WAY back to my own childhood with my brother.

He and I slurped down our share of of them in

in that very dining room where my children now sit.

Little has changed at that place despite the 30+ years that have come and gone.

It still feels like home there and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to share the experience with my own children.

These are the memories that last a lifetime.


WonderBoy did his best to help his little sister but she wasn't havin' any of it.
She cried and howled when he so much as moved a gumdrop or worse; stole one of her candies from her basket for his own gingerbread house.

I guess doing a While You Were Out makeover for her would be out of the question.

I watched them together and took comfort in knowing that

long after those gingerbread houses are gone, they will still have one other.

And the sweet memories of Christmas' past will live forever in their hearts.