Tale of Two Gingerbread Houses

 Once upon a time there lived a plump little woman, her carpenter husband and their three little munchkins. Christmas was nearing and the woman pondered aloud what traditions could they begin to be a special part of each year. It was decided they would build a gingerbread house as a family.
  Stores boasted Reduced Prices on Gingerbread house kits. Husband suggested getting one, but Wife countered that gingerbread is easy to make..a bit like cookies. She went home and looked at pictures of beautiful houses, lovely churches, and grand castles dripping with frosting, expertly crafted and decorated with  a tempting variety of sweets. She watched you-tube demos and it Looked Simple.
 Visions danced in her head of a perfect little house being assemble with Husband's help and the little munchkins joyously working with their parents to make a cute edible memory.
  She set to work. Her kitchen her workshop, Her girls her assistants and soon a big bowl of brown sweetness was firming up in the refridgerator. Cream Puffs and Cinnamon Rolls made their appearance before Gingerbread was retrieved. And slowly Stress made her appearance. The dough didn't want to be workable.
   Carpenter Husband calls home. He is going to town before coming home. Wife meekly suggests he pick up a Gingerbread House kit...kind of as a backup, you know.
   The kitchen looks stressed out, the living room looks like Hurricane Munchkin hit, (though the blanket house still stands), Fast Moves and Vaccum come to the rescue. Till Husband arrives, all is Calm and all is Bright. Pizza is in the oven and candlelight flickers a welcome.
   After supper, Husband helps wick away the dishes and the Time Highly Anticipated, arrives.  Gingerbread Family Tradition Year One !
  Well, maybe it will be Daddy and Daughter Tradition. Baby Munchkin plays with candy wrappers in his highchair while the Plump Little Woman trys valiantly to salvage Her Gingerbread house..to no avail. The foremost thought in her mind is; " I think this is why my Husband is the Carpenter and not me!..and If I would have listened to his suggestion in the first place I would've saved myself time, energy, stress and mess to say nothing of all those ingredients." But yet, there's just something much more special about home-made ones..so maybe till another year.

House Disaster !

The girls Loved doing this with Daddy !