Sugar, Sugar

So last week (pre-buggies), Brad and I planned to decorate sugar cookies... just because.

We wanted to do it with Noah, so we weren't planning on giving them away (because, ew, nobody wants cookies that've been handled by a toddler). Knowing it was going to be a total mess, I went into it prepared. The vacuum was ready, wax paper was on the table to catch most of the mess, and "I don't care if it stains" shirts were in place. So what did Noah think?

Well...

He didn't quite get into the decorating...

He got one lick of that icing, and that's all he wanted.

Brad moved the bowls away, and he just dipped his fingers into the cookies and ate it off of those.

When Brad took it away, you would've thought we'd told him they cancelled Curious George. He got all boo-hooey and pointed for more.

And since I'm all trying to keep my baby as sugar free as I can for as long as possible*, I was a little nervous to see him so crazed over it. I mean, I shouldn't be shocked. He's ALL Brad on the outside... but on the inside? Lots of ME. I reminded my husband of my Krispy Kreme frenzy when I was about 3 months pregnant and explained that I wasn't being a total fatty and taking advantage... Noah needed doughnuts!

In my husband's family, it's always been a tradition to make gingerbread houses. His mom used to have all of the little kids over (Noah's older cousins), and we'd make them together. She'd bake it all from scratch and have little bowls full of different candies. Brad's mom suffers from pretty severe diabetes (among other things), and it's just gotten to be too much for her to host it anymore. But I didn't want to lose that particular family tradition. I've been doing this with their family for years, so it's kind of like my tradition as well. I love that woman, and she got so much joy from it. I figured I owe that much to her to keep it going, at least in our little family.

Well, we're kinda lazy in this home. I didn't really get around to making it from scratch, but Brad found these kits on sale. We decided Noah could sit this one out, and we'd make them together while he played nearby. Brad turned on Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and we got to decorating.

(OH, Lookie there! My unmailed Christmas cards!)

I had some issues with mine.
I'm just not quite the veteran decorater that he is.

My icing was too thick and broke the piping bag. I forgot to decorate the sides before I set it up. And I also placed mine a little too far back (I like making a front yard), so the back was hanging off.

My last issue?

Noah got to my house.

As in, he ate some of it. I have a nice little bite mark on my roof... but I think it adds character, don't you?

I had to fool him with a graham cracker so he'd give it back to me without a fuss.

Bribery. Great parenting trick tool.

Is it normal for your husband to be this talented at decorating gingerbread houses?

I mean, he even thought of a chimney.

We've totally had our fill of sugar this week. It was enough to (almost) cure me of my sugar addiction. :)

 

*(btw, I'm not limiting all sugar from Noah... but I'm pretty sure if he gets too much, he's going to stop asking for peas and lima beans and start asking for cookies. Just trying to hold that off for as long as I can, and I'm pretty sure most peds would agree with me. Just sayin.)