lucky for me, there are 12 days of Christmas

So there's this book, with this picture that I'm sure has inspired, tempted and excited children for many generations. Do you know it?

My oldest child is among you.  He pleads that we make it together and I agree that it could be a fun Christmas craft. I finally got to the grocery store on the 23rd to pick up some things to make it happen. I didn't go all out. I mean, I like children with teeth so I skipped the store brand vanilla wafers and chocolate covered cookies. We can only absorb so much sugar here before this house becomes a psych ward.
I did however make some pink frosting "cement" and buy gum drops and strawberry wafer cookies.  Now, Christmas came and went and we still hadn't created this candy house. I also served a few of the wafer cookies at our small family gathering to ease my own holiday cookie obligation. I couldn't help it. They looked too cute on a glass serving tray given to me by my Grandma. In fact, it looked just like something she would have at her house at holiday time.
But it's important to keep promises. Saying I'll do something and not doing it won't seem like a matter of poor scheduling to a four year old. It seems like a lie. So, in our brand new family tradition of considering Christmas for at least twelve days, I present, The Candy House (or gingerbread house, as my kid calls it, even though there isn't a spicy baked cooky on it).

An odd shaped mix of graham cracker walls

wafer roof tops and gumdrop fences

and rainbow snow. All on a bed of Christmas sweatshirt box top.

Now, this doesn't look EXACTLY like the picture. But lucky for me, it's so hideous that it's wonderful.
Two days later, my child is still talking about how much fun he had making it.