Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Voicelessness and Emotional Survival => Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board => Topic started by: tayana on December 12, 2007, 11:23:06 PM
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I was piping icing for M's gingerbread house and thinking, "My mom would be irritated over how childish it looks." She'd always been going to make one of these with him, but never did. I've never done it before either. So here are some photos, sans roof, of the very imperfect gingerbread house and our equally imperfect Christmas tree.
I wasn't sure how to put the pics in the post, so here's a link.
http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/few-christmas-pics.html (http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/few-christmas-pics.html)
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And one more, this is our dog and rat.
http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/hammy-and-dunken.html (http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/hammy-and-dunken.html)
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I'm doing a gingerbread project at my youngest dd's school on Friday. Little baby milk cartons covered in graham crackers, dont'cha know, lol?
Last year.... I went to my the 6yo's school to work on larger milk cartons covered in graham crackers.
It was interesting to see the parents take over basically, come up with what you would consider 'perfect' gingerbread houses.'
There was one perfect wife on display, some perfect pec muscles (not on display) lots of perfectly dressed children.....
covered in icing.
My daughter had a LOT of fun... I do know that.
She'd met her own personal goal, you see... to get ALL THE CANDY ALLOTTED TO HER ON THE HOUSE.
Looked to both of us that she'd WON. ::nodding:: Her effort's photo was NOT represented in the schools yearbook, lol.
This year, as last year, my job is to hand my child whatever she asks for, (sous chef to her CHEF) make suggestions for sticking it ON in a sturdy fashion then praise her creativity....
I though M's house looked absolutely perfect, btw.
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I am not a rat fan (I've got the rats without tails lol), but I have to say he is adorable. Is he still a baby? Your dog is gorgeous. Is he a Boston Terrier? How sweet.
As for the gingerbread house... It's not what it looks like, it's the act of doing it togehter. Just have fun with it. We made Frankenhouses last year, but it was so much fun.
Love, Beth
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Thanks for sharing the real beauty of christmas.
((( tayana and Michael )))
seasons :)
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Lighter, in the past my mother always intervened so that things looked perfect and they weren't a "waste of money." The gingerbread kit was $8. I had to buy more icing because we didn't have enough, and I had so much fun last night trying to get the thing together. He's had a lot of fund making it, even if it doesn't look like the picture on the box.
Beth, the rat is actually a dwarf hamster, and she's just about full grown. She might get a little bigger, but not much. The dog is a Boston. We call him brat dog.
Here's a couple more pics:
http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/more-pictures.html (http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/more-pictures.html)
That's from our trip to the lake where both dog and kid had to come home and be de-mudded. My mother would have been horrified. :)
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tayana,
The photos are precious. Did you read my post about our first Christmas tree? Your son's eyes are probably popping the way mine did when my mom put up that tree. Giving love and making good memories...it doesn't get much better than that.
tt
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TT, he picked out and put up the tree by himself mostly. It's the first time he's ever gotten to do most of the decorating himself. I remember last year at Christmas I'd bought this snowflake garland, and I was trying to get it on the tree (my parents have a 7 foot tree). My mom was criticizing the way the garland looked while I was trying to get it on. I got mad and yanked it all off, and then she said, "Is that any way to act?" Then she stormed off.
Putting up the tree this year was very different. Very peaceful. No fights. No "Oh you need more stuff here." No, it doesn't have a lot of ornaments, but it looks fine. I'm afraid the picture doesn't capture the "glow" from the lights though. I kept trying to get that, and it didn't work.
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t,
I'm happy for you. The tree is beautiful. Your son did a great job. The gingerbread house is darling.
tt
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I'm going to attempt to put the roof on it tonight. Last night putting the sides together I had icing on me, on the table, on the fruit bowl in the middle of the table, on the gingerbread, etc.
It was a mess.
I like our sad little tree (we call it that), and I'm actually looking forward to a holiday. This will be the first year M gets to open his Christmas presents as soon as he gets up, in his pajamas, without looking nice for the camera. We're going to open presents as soon as he's up. Even if that's at 3 am. Of course, I might have only been in bed for an hour, but we're going to do it.
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Christmas morning at your house sounds very relaxed, warm and enjoyable, Tay.
Enjoy this first Christmas in your new home..... on to better days for you and M.
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That is just about the most wonderful gingerbread house I've ever laid eyes on.
:D
((((((((((((((((((((Tay and Michael)))))))))))))))))))))
Hops
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Hee, hee, Hops. It is pretty cute. I'm going to put the roof on tonight. Wonder how much of a mess that'll be? :D
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Tayana,
The gingerbread house is perfect, the tree is perfect, M is perfect, and your pets are perfect...because they're YOURS. You can appreciate them, just as they are (without your mother's interference).
Janet
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I didn't see the tree when I peeked at the G house.
I gotta tell ya.... my heart about stopped.
It looks a lot like the trees I had as a happy child.... blue ornaments and all: )
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I wish the lights would show up in the picture. M picked out the ornaments. He had to have the "turquoise" ornaments.
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T,
What a perfect house and wonderful tree............ so happy you and M are going to have YOUR FAMILY Christmas
axa
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Dear Tay,
Just wanted to say thank you for allowing me to share with your warm home comforts
The Christmas Tree is sweet and speaks clearly of love and fun - the best kind.
As for the Gingerbread House - it is beautiful, pure and lovely, a craft of love and fun.
All seems happily perfect to me.
Thanks again.
Love to You and your dear M
Leah
PS. Not forgetting hammy and dunken :)
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He's going to look back at this Christmas with wonder and amazement.....
there's no stronger magic than involving a child in happy Holiday festivities.
Reminds me of a story... I;ll abbreviate.
Man goes through trunk in attic... finds his grown son's journal from when he was 10yo.
He also finds his own calendar/journal from that same period.
He looks up a day... there was a fishing trip. His cryptic notes indicate they didn't catch much, the trip wasn't a good one.
He then looks up the same day in his son's journal and finds this entry....
"dad and I went fishing... it was the best day of my life."
Sweet and I really do think there's magic involved in mindful attention to the moments we spend with our wee ones.
Glad to see you;ve found the Holiday spirit, Tay.
I put all my Halloween decorations away too :)
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Lighter, I loved that story. M has some stories like that. One of his best days was the day I took him to the lake where he'd been to camp. He had a blast. I'm afraid I sat and watched and took pictures.
The finished product. I added a little more decoration around the roof. That's my contribution, besides the icing holding the thing together, gotta love Pilsbury.
http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/finished-product.html (http://tayana.blogspot.com/2007/12/finished-product.html)
Thanks Axa and Leah. It really has been sort of fun, even if I don't like icing and I got it all over me putting the house together.
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Hey Tay,
Looks like a great imperfect christmas to me. Loved the picture of M in the mud - reminds me of when I take my kids to the creek for some crawfish hunting!!
Peace
PS - Lighter, I am disappointed to hear that you put your Halloween decorations away. I was so hoping Santa had been strung up in a spider web and left to dangle from the chandelier in the entryway. :lol: (course might scare the wee ones).
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Well, Peace..... lol.
It just sort'a worked out that way.
Christmas spirit landed and Halloween Santa in a Web had to go nighty night, lol; )
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Lighter, I was sort of looking forward to Santa in a web with a giant spider about to eat him. What a Christmas special that could make.
This morning I woke up to discover one side of the gingerbread house's roof had slid off. Guess I'm going to play with the icing again tonight. Arrrgh.
I'm calling this my imperfect Christmas because the holiday has always had to be perfect before. Cards out at a certain time, tree up at a certain time and decorated a certain way, etc. This year I'm going for peace, relaxation, and fun.
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oops - Sorry Tay (going back to edit my post).
It looks like the best Christmas! And I hope it is a wonderful for you and M!
(Hear ya on it had to be a perfect Christmas :roll: )
Peace
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Dear Tay,
I'm calling this my imperfect Christmas because the holiday has always had to be perfect before. Cards out at a certain time, tree up at a certain time and decorated a certain way, etc. This year I'm going for peace, relaxation, and fun.
What you have said has truly resonated with me -- that used to be me, as I used to have to have everything just so, and would be worn out and frazzled on Christmas day.
Last few years have been in more of a 'chill out' mode.
This year is simple, peaceful, and sure to be relaxing.
You have inspired me to bake a small cake (was not going to bother) and have a go at icing it in a flat smooth (ish) style instead of peaked up, as I am never been any good at icing. So that's my tomorrow afternoon sorted, baking, and have a go at flat icing during mid-week.
So love and enjoy this thread and appreciate the sharing.
Love to you and M (and hammy and dunken too!)
Leah
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My 5yo and I had the best time decorating little mini G houses in her class today.
I think we won for the sheer amount of stuff perched atop the little thing.... it surprised everyone by remaining in tact till were out of sight.... waving goodbye for the weekend.
About a block away..... one side of the roof began sliiiiiiiiding off but I just kept picking things up and sticking them back on, lol.
If you have any leftover sugar ice cream cones you can flip them upside down and cover them with green icing. They look really good and the squirt icing in a can makes lovely swirl draped around.
I feel a bit dodgey from eating handfulls of m&m's, red hots and the icing was soooo good. The green anyway. The white stuff was the glue and had egg whites in it so I steered clear :shock:
Have fun and hug M for me. I'll be thinking of you two tonight when I find a place of honor for J's little G house: )
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Apparently the icing wasn't as tough as the first can I used. Should have bought two things of "classic white" intead of vanilla. It was still very gummy to the touch, so I'm going to have to find some more classic white. Going to the grocery tonight, so I can get it there.
I don't like icing, so I didn't eat any of it. :) And we have green, black, and yellow squiggle, spray things . . . they've already been used.
Hmm, maybe I could just leave one side of the roof off and we could put furniture inside with the gingerbread men . . . hmmmm.
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Dear Tay-
How perfect for you to have done all of the hard work it took to create a lovely and loving home for yourself and precious M, and a perfect imperfect Christmas for your son to remember the warmth, love, acceptance and sense of family that you have fostered there. Merry Christmas Tayana and M!
Love,
Changing