Hale Family Gingerbread House, 2009 Edition

The first batch of frosting was impossible (luckily the second—we made it desperation halfway through the activity-- was quite good), the hand-cut house parts didn’t really fit together, and our friends’ house underwent a total collapse (I wish I had a picture).  Our friends were good sports, though, and I think Susanna may have preferred her house with the one inch gap between the roof and the wall it was supposed to meet: it was the only place the gingerbread men could get in and out of their home.

Another first: Swinging!

The sky was clear yesterday, so I suggested we walk to Laurelhurst park.  A short walk from our place, but it has some steep hills on the way (I think it has both the steepest the second steepest paved hills I have ever seen).  Poor Andrew’s sleeping head was drooping pretty low as we trudged up the hills (my body was basically at a 45 degree angle), but we made it.  Before we left, Susanna said “Andrew and I can swing!” realizing she was right (as opposed to other times when she suggests, say, that I go to the store to get more bananas and leave her home with Andrew “don’t worry mom, I’ll give him Pup (his stuffed dog) if he starts to cry”).  Here are some photos.  

In other news, we got our tree the day after Thanksgiving and it is up and decorated.  I love Christmas trees.  We got a grand fir this year and it smells lovely (I’m a grand girl now; no more nobles for me).  Here’s a picture of the tree Susanna liked best.  And here’s a family-minus-the-photographer shot from the tree farm.