sugarhouses in the sugarhood

Yesterday Grace greeted me at the door and took me straight into the kitchen to show me her gingerbread house from preschool: a green frosted tree, (made out of a cone) covered in Fruitloops, Cheerios and Teddy Grahams. It was all very orderly for a three year old.

We made gingerbread houses tonight at The Nook. Steph made the royal icing, the kind that's like glue and makes all the candy stick. We all sat at a long table in the front room and shared chairs when there were more people than seats. The middle of the table was topped with treats of all varieties, even black beans, thanks to Larrie. And, thanks to Mern, I got to hear "Susie Snowflake" on repeat. I don't know that I've ever loved her more.

I surveyed the landscape that was my paper plate and made a site plan in my head. I started with a miniature forest, a la Grace. My winter scene ended up looking more like a tiny campground, two tents pitched one right next to the other. Steph's house was tall tall tall, with candy canes all about the eaves. Mern covered her roof in Pez shingles and Whit's had candy ribbon landscaping. The menfolk took post as the judges. BJ said my house was the winner. However, with Santa making his list and checking it twice, (finding out who's naughty and nice, etc., etc.) I think he was being extra generous with his niceness. I thanked him all the same. It would have been naughty not to.

When the frosting bags ran empty, we took pictures of our little sugar-housed neighborhood, standing on stools for the birds-eye-view. Like passengers in Santa's sleigh we gazed down on our candy town creation, snapping shots from above.