The Gingerbread House Fiasco

A couple of weeks ago, I saw and bought a Gingerbread House kit for Josie and me to work on together. In my mind, I imagined it as this wondrous moment of mommy/daughter bonding time in which we smile lovingly at each other and take turns putting candy on our beautiful gingerbread house. It's what our favorite Christmas memories are made of, right?
WRONG! This "experience" totally did not meet my expectations (which, as usual, were probably set a little hight). In hind's sight, I don't know what I was thinking. I know it's ludicrous to place a 3 year old at a table surrounded by sugar and expect her to 1.) decorate the house in compliance with my OCD standards and 2.) not eat it. I wouldn't mind if she had some, but she just kept on pushing my buttons. Needless to say, my "happy memory making time" turned into me yelling at her to STOP EATING IT!!! (It was by far NOT my greatest parenting moment.) When she swiped her finger across the roof of our house and licked the icing off her finger, I'd had enough. She sat in the time-out chair while I finished the house. I guess I'll chalk this one up as a FAIL. Maybe we'll try again when she's 10 instead of 3.
On a positive note, we did complete the house and it is beautiful. :-)

Do you see the mischievous look on her face??????
She KNEW she was getting on my nerves and she was doing it on purpose!!!

Christmas at Opryland

Tonight we went with some church friends to eat dinner at Cock of the Walk and then on to the Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas lights. For my Texas friends who have never been to Opryland: let me just say that the pictures do NOT do it justice. The hotel has 3 different "conservatory" type indoor garden areas that in and of themselves are spectacular with water falls and plants and hidden pathways. It's like a fairytale world. But at Christmas....it's extra special. We had a great time walking around looking at all the lights. There must have been a million poinsettias planted throughout the hotel. It was absolutely beautiful! What a fun night with new friends. We are so blessed! Merry Christmas!!!!!

Josie and Rachel in the giant rocking chair at Cock of the Walk

Rachel, Josie and Jonah

"Wow!!!!"

It's an elephant! Roll Tide!!

A giraffe! My favorite!!!

Our group at the Poinsettia Tree

Outside the hotel