once upon a time we made a gingerbread house

I've been seeing a whole lot of festive happening all around, on blogs and instagram and pinterest.
I'm feeling like a miserly mama that I'm not indulging in all this with my little ones. Just not feeling it this year, for a few reasons.

And mainly, we won't be at home for Christmas. And mainly our house is so tiny that any extra 'decorations' simply become mess. And mainly we have no time to stop and do making. And mainly my mind is thinking about how wonderful our new home might look with all those lovely festive decorations - when our new house might be built is a whole 'nother something. And mainly I'm feeling sad and low when I think too much about some things. And the festive cheer isn't creeping in.

I have not done any baking at all in the past months. Except for little cakes I made for Ari's birthday for school class. I didn't bake his at home birthday cake. And I haven't baked anything for the kids at all, or us or...... Baking is festive isn't it.

This morning Ari decided he wanted to make rocky road for his teacher gifts, and for our bus driver. So he searched for recipes, mainly so we knew quantities (how much chocolate makes enough rocky road for one person's gift?). While searching through our celebration and baking books we found a picture of a gingerbread house. And so, I decided that we'll make gingerbread houses again this year.

The kids will take them into school for their end-of-year parties. Ari is excited - he wants it to be the best. He wants to show it off. That makes me happy. That even though I haven't baked for months, we will bake gingerbread and build houses and decorate them (with lots of lollies and sugary icing. oh yes. oh yes).

Two years ago we made gingerbread houses. We were house sitting, and had a beautiful kitchen to work in. I feel like I never showed those pictures to you back then - so here; our funny tumble down gingerbread house, that had so many construction (and possibly baking) issues, but was wonderful all the same! The kids smashed it in with spoons and laughed and gobbled it all up (of course it was shared with all the cousins). Oh - my baby ones, they look exactly the same, and totally different.

What festive making and baking is happening in your home?
What's your best gingerbread recipe?
Have you ever built a house?