One of my favorite memories at Thanksgiving time involves a tradition my sister started when her kids were toddlers. On the day after Thanksgiving we make gingerbread houses. Usually the participants include my sister (Tami), her two kids (Ashley and Chris), me (biggest kid of all), my daughter (Angie), and sometimes our youngest brother (Pat). Angie flies back for Thanksgiving, and again for Christmas. I think sometimes she would be okay without this traditional time of making a HUGE mess, but she tolerates it because the rest of us love it.
Personally, I'm glad this tradition is also traditionally done at my sister's house. When we started this amazingly messy annual project, Tami used to make all of the gingerbread and Pat, Angie and I would cut the pieces. Then, if we were really lucky, the pieces would bake without burning and we would get them to the table without breaking them...at least too many of them. The last few years we've moved on to buying the kits. Although we only use pieces of the kits. We add a ton of candy and other stuff not included. Basically, we still make a huge mess.
But, mess or not, we have a great time doing this. There are smiles all around, good-natured teasing, and just a lot of love shared. We've thought about stopping now that Tami's "kids" are 13 and 15...but they keep wanting to do it. And I certainly don't want to grow up and stop having all this fun.
The photo included is from 9 years ago. Ashley is the round-faced redhead. The blonde is my pride and joy, Angie. Oh, I forget...now that she is grown up and a professional career person, she goes by Angela. Except to her mother, who refuses to adapt.
7 comments:
What a great memory, Starla. I've never made a gingerbread house but I'd like too. What do you do with them when you're finished?
My sister puts them out on display in her house until after Christmas.
Dallas, older daughter, would not rest until we made a gingerbread house. We did it three years in a row and then she never mentioned it again. We constructed them on Pizza Pans and had them around for several weeks. Only last year I asked her if she was going to bake them with her daughter and she said not likely. I asked her if she didn't really have fun when we did it. She didn't remember them at all. Not one. Such is the memory of childhood. Spotty. On the other hand, hey, hey, I have PICTURES!!! Wait until it is time for the next visit home....
One thing we did do is make cookies. I'm talking the kind that take cookie cutters and flour every where. That was memorable.
What a super memory! I've never made gingerbread houses with the kids but we used to make cookies of all sorts including decorated sugar cookies. I wish I had taken pics. These days Jennifer and I get together to do Christmas baking on a Sat. after Thanksgiving and it's still fun!
I used to make decorated sugar cookies, from cut-out designs, with my daughter when she was little. What a mess we made! What fun we had! Unfortunately, I didn't think about taking pictures back then. But I can see it all still in my mind.
What a wonderful tradition. I'm so glad you keep it going. Mess or no mess, these be memory makers.
What fun, Starla! I've never made a gingerbread house. I saw a commercial about a gingerbread village somewhere here in town. I bet that'd be fun. May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with even more wonderful memories.
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