Gingerbread is such a fun, good-smelling, hands-on, social, time-consuming tradition. But I couldn't justify all the time it took (3 days!) to get ready without any link to the reason we celebrate Christ's birth. So last year I came up with the gingerbread Bethlehem idea. The kids all pick out what part of Bethlehem they will create, design it on paper and then cut out their patterns in gingerbread. Hey, does that count as an architectural lesson too? The whole season we have a wonderful smell wafting through the house coming from Bethlehem. Shari always has an annual gingerbread house party where we all decorate our houses together. Good thing we remembered to start making the gingerbread two days before!
Dada helped the little kids make the dough this year, on the 10th, the day after the musical.
On the 11th, the kids cut out their patterns and we baked them.
The kids even made themselves with the leftover dough. Then they ate them right away.
That night I went over to the Schocks to assemble them at their house, remembering the time consuming trips back and forth to the van loading and unloading them, hoping they wouldn't fall apart. This way was much simpler and everything fit together! Actually, only two patterns were new from last year. Jasper decided to make Joseph's house that they move into after the stable and I made a flower shop for Berg. Eben did his gates of Bethlehem again, Kivi did the inn this year and Opal made the stable.
A fun time was had by all at the decorating party on the 12th. They piled on a ton of candy!
Berg ate a ton of candy. Although he did put candy all over his shop too, which I was quite surprised by. I didn't know if any would get on there. Opal was so exact about were every piece went.
The whole crazy gingerbread making clan! They might be just a little hyped up on sugar at this point. I did remember to feed them lunch first this time.
Sweet little gingerbread Jesus, lying in a manger. I love the candy cane cross Opal put inside!
Good smelling gingerbread! Great reminder of Christ!
3 comments:
What a great idea to make a gingerbread Bethlehem. They must love decorating with candy. They get to be creative and they know that they will get to eat it eventually. Win -win! I especially like the black and white picture of Berg. So cute!
I love you,
Momacita
Look at that cute apron you are wearing ;-) He he he he he! HUGS!
Oh and was it really just last year that you thought of that? I feel like it was the December of 2010?!!!
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