No Shingles on the Roof

Around Christmastime many of us see our waistlines expand with the plethora of food and goodies and yet it seems just natural to give in to our temptations each and every year. Last year around this time Gusi was just starting finger foods so sweets were easy to conceal and keep from him. Not so this year.

My mom brought this incredible kit to make gingerbread houses and this morning we set about to making one. Mom also brought all the gumdrops, marshmallows, candy canes and chocolates that one uses to decorate a gingerbread house. We had made the dough, cut the pieces, baked them and put them together while Gusi played outside and then napped. While he napped mom tried, in vain, to get the house decorated. She told me she wanted to wait for Gusi to decorate it; I advised against that so she began without him.

Of course, what happened when the child woke up from his nap? He wanted his grandma. So I take him out of his crib and walk over to see his father who was working on the computer. Uh-uh was all I got from Gusi. He didn't want his father; where's grandma? So, with great hesitation I took him to the kitchen to see his grandmother. And there my mom was, sitting with a shoe box full of candies to decorate the gingerbread house. I knew this would not turn out well. Immediately Gusi wanted to sit in his grandmother's lap. She was happy to have him there.

What occurred afterwards was videotaped for posterity. There my mother sat, trying to put icing on the roof with a butter knife with her arms reaching around Gusi. The icing acts as a paste that holds the gum drops, candy canes and other decorations in place. Mom would put a gumdrop on the roof, Gusi would take it off and put it in his mouth. Mom would put a candy cane around the door and Gusi would snag it. Mom would put the marshmallows and coconut flakes to look like snow and Gusi would be the snow plow. For every three candies that went on the house, Gusi managed to take two off. Gee, I wonder why he wasn't hungry at lunch time?

I knew his father would not be pleased, but it isn't very often that Gusi has his grandmother around these days. He's allowed to be spoiled I suppose. Our gingerbread house has little finger imprints here and there but it is something I will remember for many years to come.