Ding Dong, the Turkey is Soup!

Yesterday I turned the Thanksgiving turkey into soup and stew (meals for a couple days -- hooray!), and the leftover sweet potatoes are now sweet potato (with chocolate chips) bread. And with the turkey all accounted for.... the deck is clear for the Advent/Christmas fun to begin!

I started playing Christmas music yesterday, and today Ed got out some decorations and strung up some lights in the school room for me! It looks so cheerful! 

As promised, the kids put the last of the paper mache stuff on their "piggy" bank projects today (a fine project, but very time consuming and messy!), and then they made gingerbread constructions (we've moved beyond "houses"). I've decided that they are at the perfect age for gingerbread houses. I made the gingerbread and the "glue," but they took care of the rest of it. All I had to do was admire!

Here, Katie is spreading frosting for her swamp.

 (Travis's bank is a Tepig, a character from Pokemon.)

Here Harry is, doing what he does best. Following the warmth.

Katie made an oriental pagoda. Inexplicably located in an alligator infested swamp.

 Her little oriental dude is actually sitting! Or maybe kneeling. I'm not sure. The alligators are definitely circling him, though, so he may be considering a move to the pagoda roof.

 And here Travis is, building. He originally thought he would do a modern style building, but then his plans changed.

The Swedish Fish (on snowmobiles) are attacking (and destroying) Santa Claus's fort. Notice the Ninja Fish Warrior battling one of Santa's elves on the roof on the left.

I think it has a certain unique charm.