Today was finally the day to build the gingerbread village.  I like doing this better than gingerbread cookies.  Maybe there's more variety to it.  Nevertheless, I was reminded of how agonizing this can be, getting the icing into the piping bag, the mess, keeping the walls stable until the "cement" hardens, the mess, adding elements to the houses so that the walls do not cave in, the mess...

Anyway, I talked with my husband today about recently learned information from his mom.  As much as he insists we decorate cookies every year, he is never available when we decorate.  Apparently this was not something he enjoyed as a child.  His sisters are the same way.  Yet he always insists we decorate.  He did not believe this so the dc and I reminded him of all the past incidents until we are laughing too hard.  He now admits he does not like the tediousness or mess or the extreme need for patience.  Finally, honesty!  lol  I can relate and we commiserated as we all teased him about how he can really tease us unmercifully.  Speechless, my husband grinned and said, "It's the quiet ones you need to worry about."  He was talking about me!  My dd and I are the quiet ones in the family.  The guys are the chatty, noisy ones.  Actually, my son has moments of quietness where you can just see the wheels in his brain turning and you know something funny or brilliant or extremely difficult to answer will pop out of his mouth.  This was one of those moments.  "That's because they are thinking!" he innocently replied.  He thought he hit upon something insightful and brilliant.  We all just died laughing (you should have been there) as now everyone is waiting for us quiet ones to pull a big practical joke!

Well, I didn't really know how to capture that moment in words, so lets move on to the gingerbread village.  I helped them a little with the first houses...

DD had an awful time, bless her heart.  Her walls kept caving in.

The creative wheels in my son's head started turning and we had to have him stop by dinner, or else he'd be working on this until next Christmas!

They made a couple of houses, a barn and a silo.

He even made snowmen...

Well, ds and I been sick with a cold and are feeling tired.  We are about to settle in front of a cozy movie, "The Christmas Wish" with Neal Patrick Harris (Doogie Houser) and Debbie Reynolds.  This is one of my favorites. Last night we watched "The Christmas Box" with Richard Thomas (John Boy) and Maureen O'Hara.  Before the movie we had been out watching lights and it was too late for a fire in the fireplace.  We woke up to a bitter 27 degrees!  We are headed for another freeze tonight, and we are starting the movie early enough to have a fire!  Kitty will love that!  She gets so excited when she sees my lap.  She gets up from her cozy blanket as soon as she sees me.  Then I lay on the couch and lay the blanket on me and she lays in my lap.  What could be more cozy?

Merry Christmas!