This is the House That Sean Built

This was our day to go to the local library for a free Gingerbread House activity sponsored by Friends of the Library. So I tried to get Sean settled down and in bed at a decent hour last night, but for some reason this kid has become a night owl. He got up really well this morning, but everything seems to take longer when you have to be somewhere at a specific time. I thought we were going to be late. We were 30 minutes early--only because I thought it started at 10 a.m. and it wasn't until 10:30, and because the clock on our stove is about five minutes fast.

Sean devoured this Curious George book in the few minutes we had before "Story Time" began prior to our Gingerbread House activity.

So we looked around the library and Sean chose a few books, and then a few more, until I said, "We don't have our book bag today and we have to carry all of these." He read a book while we waited for everyone to arrive. Then the Children's Librarian read a cute book about a Gingerbread Man who became a toy pirate. When she finished reading the book, she demonstrated for the kids how to spread icing onto the bottom of a box and "glue" it to the tray, and proceed to glue on the graham crackers to make the house.

The Children's area was decorated nicely and the kids enjoyed the book.

We all filed into the room where there were long tables set up with everything we needed right in front of us. A styrofoam tray, the white box, graham crackers, a Dixie cup of white frosting with a popsicle stick for spreading, and a baggie filled with cookies, peppermint candies, candy canes, and jolly ranchers. I helped spackle a bit, but it was all Sean's design. Of course some of those candies had to be saved for a snack.

The finished product, complete with a window upstairs, front door to match, and beautiful red and white pillars at the front;-)

A side view of the Gingerbread Mansion.

 I took one picture during construction, but I'm having a lot of trouble with the camera these days and it didn't turn out. After that one picture, Sean didn't want me to take any more of him working. He carefully chose where everything would be, and I helped with the frosting.

This was a lot of fun, and we even ran into some of Sean's old schoolmates.

It was the first time I've ever made a Gingerbread House and I've always heard they are very difficult. I remember an in-law (in the late '80s) saying she watched Martha Stewart do it and she made it look easy. She tried the same thing and it was a disaster. She used an expletive to refer to Martha after that.

This one was pretty simple, and I think this would make a wonderful activity for a winter birthday party, or a children's Christmas party.