our secret weapon ...

this afternoon the kids and i put together our gingerbread house .. 

while we were getting ready we were talking about the gingerbread houses of the past ..

like last years house that collapsed right after we got it together and poor cash .. he just lost it .. 

ohhhhh .. he was sad .. 

http://lifewithabq.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-to-do-with-all-that-left-over.html

and the year before that when we made our own icing because the icing that came with the house was like "glue" and we didn't like the way that it tasted .. and again our little house collapsed ..

again resulting in disappointed children .. 

so this afternoon we started on a project that has yet to bring smiles to the

 faces of my little elves ..

not this year .. there will be no collapsing gingerbread houses this year .. no more sad faces 

i have a secret weapon .. 

so we got organized .. 

cash worked the glue-like icing that tastes gross ..

ellie gave it a squeeze or two just to make sure .. while cash taste-tested the decorations ..

gum drops ..

small very hard candies that will break your tooth which will then result in a crown that will cost a small fortune .. 

smarties ..

 gumballs ..

sprees ..

so we worked and decorated all afternoon .. look how great it looks .. and the best part is it is still together .. 

how you ask .. how did i accomplish this amazing and totally unbelievable feat ..

i glued the silly thing down to the tray and then glued it together ..

there will be no sad faces at our house this year ..

you just can't eat it ..

not only because it is glued together but because some of the candy fell on the floor and ellie picked it up with her stinky toes .. gross ..

and

cash "taste-tested" some of the candy .. which is a nice way to say he put the candy in his mouth .. sucked on it a bit and then put it back into the candy cup all slobbery ..

to there you have it  ..

a glued together gingerbread house with sticky feet and slobbered on candy ..

HO HO HO !!!!