Christmas Season has Begun

Some scenes from Christmases past....

2007~ This was the first year EVER that we put up lights. (Can you tell what humbugs and scrooges we are?). K found the reindeer relatively cheap at BiMart, on sale before Christmas!! So we put one with his front feet on the tree, like he was eating it, as deer (and horses) do. 2004~ This is Joe Kitty hiding under the tree. She would hide and every time we walked by, she would attack our ankles.

My favorite Santa and Elf.

G's favorite elf. ------->

Our favorite poodle and the Grandbeagle.

But for the creative baker in our family, K, the REAL tradition (besides lights and presents and tree and ritual cartoons like the Grinch and Frosty and Shrek the Halls and..and...and...) is our homeschool group's annual gingerbread house decorating party. Where we all come with our undecorated creations and pool our candies, make giant batches of frosting, and get loaded up on sugar. Fifty kids high on sugar. Football in the parking lot afterwards!!

2006~

I think if you click on these, you might get bigger images. Notice the K on the roof and the pretzel fence...Not for the faint of heart or unsteady of hand!

2007~ Anyone who knows K, knows how he loves trains, so this was a natural.
We got the idea from Family Fun Magazine. We learned a lot and hope to improve still this year!




2008~ (photo coming soon). K and I actually designed our own creation this year. (Not saying what it is, lest the cat get out of the bag and spoil the surprise for Friday!) I had K actually build his creation out of paper, then explained to him that gingerbread doesn't bend like paper, so we then made his creation out of cardboard, altering it slightly where the paper wanted to bend and imagining how we could make it out of flat pieces. Hoping it actually works...no one to copy....no magazine patterns...We made three batches of gingerbread dough and tomorrow mornng we roll and bake....Will post pictures later, assuming anyone is actually interested....

Notice the gold "treasure", the cannon and the pile of cannon balls, the sharks in the water with the guy overboard (don't know why K threw him both an anchor AND a life preserver, the fruit roll-up sail (gotta work on that aspect), and the snow on the deck--It IS Christmas after all! We definitely know where to improve next year!

2008~ All of our cats have been showing their kitten sides, ambushing one another around the tree, batting the bell, chasing ormanents all over the house and, of course, leaving a mess of needles that needs to be swept several times per day. What fun that the humans brought a tree in the house! Now, where is the nest? It's gotta be in there somewhere!


And just for fun...

Christmas 1965~ The REAL Santa.

Christmas 1966~ He's not the real one, he must be one of Santa's helpers.......