Lessons in gingerbread

The requests started about a month ago. AJ saw a gingerbread house kit at the grocery store and wanted to make one. I said no - it was ridiculously expensive.

Then he saw a kit at a different store. Again I said no. Who has time to decorate a gingerbread house?

But then I noticed how the kids are wanting to be much more involved in Christmas traditions this year. They're at such a fun age. And I found a kit on clearance for just $5, and it was right at the start of a weekend when we just might have the time to put it together. And so I bought it.

AJ's interest held for... oh... about 90 seconds. Just long enough for him to look at the pieces and ask when he could eat them. I explained that you don't eat gingerbread houses. They're more for decoration. And so off he went to play while I finished decorating it myself.

AJ then figured out that what he really wanted to make was gingerbread men - cookies he could actually eat. And so I found a recipe and bought some molasses and attempted to make gingerbread cookies for the first time.

I was somewhere between step 2 and step 3 when I realized I'd mis-read the recipe. I needed more flour, and so off I headed to the store. Ultimately I finished mixing it all together and allowed it to chill in the fridge.

For the next steps, both kids wanted to help, and so I had them take turns. Sydney started. First I showed her how to roll out the dough and pat it to be about a quarter-inch thick.

Then it was AJ's turn. I let them choose from four cookie cutter shapes. I tried to teach him to strategically place the cookie cutters to create the most cookies, but he was far too excited to listen.

After baking and allowing them to cool, it was at last time for the most exciting part: decorating! I helped them put frosting on the cookies, to act as adhesive for the candy decorations, and they took it from there. M&Ms, chocolate chips, candy sprinkles, sugar sprinkles and marshmallows. They had so much fun!

At last, Sydney couldn't wait any longer. "Can I have a cookie, Mommy?"

"Of course you can," I told her.

She licked off the frosting and candy, and then at last took a bite of the gingerbread.

"I don't like this cookie," she said, putting it down. "Can I get down?"

AJ, meanwhile, decided he was going to save the cookies for Daddy, who was at work. And so he never even ate one.

Several days passed. The cookies have sat uneaten where we left them. Last night I decided to throw out the ones that hadn't been decorated. I managed to tip the tray just wrong, and down the cookies slid, crashing to the floor. None of them broke. They now are about as hard as hockey pucks.

This sure was a great project! While I enjoyed the process (other than the last minute trip to the grocery store) and am glad to have given the kids the experience, I think the ultimate lesson for me is - next time - I'm making sugar cookies.