Gingerbread, the annual tradition of super loading a cookie into an extreme sugar bomb.

This year we stuck to the simpler version and decorated cookies rather then stretching our structural engineering skills.

The children can do this much more independently and the end goal of actually eating everything is achieved much sooner.

Diya’s words, before we even got close to starting, “This is the best day for a hi hundred years!”

Nerf gun wars, fingerboard and hanging out with friends – good times and a great way to start the holidays.

We continued our annual tradition of friends and gingerbread house building today and had a great time together.

I love this bunch of brilliant kids, and how they get along so well

Time to get some houses built

This is how it is done kiddos

Aunty Mel comes all the way from England for this (and for things like her brother’s wedding, but I’m sure it is really just to hang out with us all). So lovely to have her around again

Get your hands in there

Cuddles and gingerbread houses with her special boy

Drennan-ville

Mel-ville

Bradshaw-ville with the clock tower and hunchback of ginger dame

Parker-ville

Swim-ville

Supper and happy children

We’ve built a tradition of having a friends get together and building gingerbread houses which has normally just been the mommies and the children, but this year we decided to make it a whole day, whole family Christmas party and gingerbread construction event….starting with brunch and ending at bed time. Eating, playing, building, swimming and talking ruled the day, and a great day it was.

Breakfast (which was preceded and followed by swimming)

While the little ones slept John had organised for the rest of us to make garden darts

After collecting sticks, spray painting them, taping on feathers and adding embellishments it was time for a game of garden darts.

Me first!

Surveying the playing field

Taking aim

Tea interlude while the children collect the darts. Thanks John for the perfect filler between breakfast and gingerbread building

The friends of Duminy Street

Preparing the building materials

The gingerbread queen! Thanks for all the hard work preparing the houses Karen

Yummmm….I think I’ll just have some of these

Sweets, sweets, sweets…I love sweets

Do I get one of those houses??

Construction instructions…

…and focussed building

I just woke up, what’s happening down here?

Gingerbread village (which had some construction issues), starting front left:

• Jack’s house, with an assist from Master Builder Michael
• Diya & John, featuring a loft room
• Asher’s house
• Grace & Duncan, with gingerbread man inside the house [back left]
• Eli, Donné and Aunty Mel’s gingerbread tent
• Caleb & Michael’s sturdy masterpiece

Christmas crackers after supper

Thank you to Aunty Mel for the giant eggs and the humongous trifles. Thank you to Parkers for the super yummy gingerbread, and thank you to the Bradshaws for the entertainment.

Grace, Jack, and Caleb have built gingerbread houses every year since Grace was two, and the tradition (and sweet eating) continues…

The construction area

This is the house that Jack built

Diya (who for some reason didn’t get a ginger bread house, even though she has crossed the two mark), surveys and judges the outcome, “Hmmm, which one should I eat first?”

(nearly) All the children