Tuesday, December 13

*holiday traditions

These two pictures are from one of the candy houses he made 4 or 5 years ago.  I am pretty sure this one was a boxed kit that we purchased from the grocery store.


This is a fun holiday tradition that Henry has done since he was a little boy, he is not a little boy any more, but somehow I don't think he knows how to stop doing certain things. It holds a lot of fun memories for him and he desires to do it each year and each year I wonder if he is going to ask when we are going to start baking the gingerbread. This year he did not disappoint. Although, I guess I shouldn't say that, because a day will come when he no longer has an interest and that is going to be fine. I will just sit in the corner and suck on my thumb and rub my blankie to comfort myself!

We do not have any hard and fast rules on how, what, where or when we make the candy creation. We have used cardboard frames and put graham crackers on the outsides, we have bought kits and we have done all the work ourselves. This year we chose the all work method, so I got out our Gingerbread recipe and baked for several days until I had four large walls ready for Henry.

Baked gingerbread ready for the construction to begin!


Several days  prior to Henry starting the construction process I mixed some green food color into some dry coconut flakes so we could make some trees. Our small local grocery store had the ice cream cones for a $1 a box, voila.. trees!
The Ramen Noodle soup to the left was not a candy house item, Henry was eating a snack in the midst of the process!





We had a great time working on the Candy Mansion this year. Henry does most of the design and construction then I step in and help him mostly nearing the end when he is tired of squeezing Royal Icing out of the bag or choosing candies to place on the house. 








So another Christmas Season has come and our Candy Mansion is almost completed!  We will be making some sugar cookies with the Royal Icing decorating later this week and at that time I am in charge of finishing up the windows on the candy house. Those details ran short of icing the last time we worked on the candy house.  To date, there are just a few pieces of candy missing, we will see what it looks like come end of January!

What kind of traditional things do your kiddos, young and older like to participate in?

7 comments:

  1. WOW! Now, that is a gingerbread house. I love your trees. What a great idea. Don't you just love traditions?!

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  2. Hi Lynnie
    I tried to email you but don't know if it went though. you won the giveaway over at my blog!!!! yeah! I just need your address so I can send you the necklace. Can you email me at angelastatzer@att.net? Thanks so much and loveee that gingerbread house!
    lots of love
    Angela

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  3. Thanks and yes I love traditions, it gives us something to hang our memories on!

    Angela!!! WOOT!!! Thanks!! I just saw it on your blog!

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  4. I love seeing this post about making gingerbread houses. When my boys were young we made gingerbread houses one Christmas season along with 3 other children, sisters and brothers that were friends with my sons. One of the sisters sent me a recipe request for the gingerbread house so she can now make them with her sons. I will have to share your blog link with her. This brought back some good memories!

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  5. What a blessing to see how much Henry has enjoyed this Christmas tradition from a young age until present. Not only has Henry grown, but so has the size of his gingerbread house! Somehow I have a feeling that one day he will be carrying on this tradition with your grandchildren.

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  6. Wow!! I am very impressed with Henry's Gingerbread Mansion! That is the prettiest gingerbread house I've ever seen!

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