goody goody gumdrops

SO, today was build-a-gingerbread-house day on our advent calendar.  Jude has been eyeballing the gingerbread kit I bought a few days ago and has had many questions.  He was super excited when I picked him up from school today and he found out that today was the glorious day we open the box!

Unfortunately someone had a bad attitude at lunch and earned himself a time-out in my room, which turned in to 2 hours of this...

Next thing I knew he was awake and stumbling out of my room asking if his 10 minutes were up.  Two hours did the body and the mind good.  He was in much better humor and ready to have some ginger fun.

Here is our first attempt at a ginger bread house.  It was hard...that frosting is like paste and dries really very quickly.  AND it tastes gross...so I hear.

Rhett just wanted to eat everything.  

We are all ready for Christmas around here.  Tree is up.  We bought our "first" tree this year.  We had a charlie brown tree that we have used since we got married, but I wanted something a little more husky and grown up feeling this year....I am 30 after-all, and that does classify me as a grown up.  We went ahead and put up charlie brown and the new tree.  Jude insists on moving decorations around daily until they are just right.  I let him because that is a small battle to lose :).  He has fun with it and it's not hurting anything.  We are definitely in need of some new ornaments for next year.

Dallas strung lights on the front of the house a few weekends ago and all of the gifts are bought.  We are set! I am so excited to be visiting my grandparents in southern Indiana this Christmas.  My kids have never been to the "farm" or "up on the hill" as we say.  We had some fabulous four-wheeling fun on the hill over the years.  I'm excited to show them what country living is like.  

Rhett has been running around saying, "Merry Mismas!", and talking about how he saw Santa at church. He doesn't mention throwing a kicking screaming fit when asked to sit on Santa's lap, but that's another story for another day.    

Question...does anyone have any good volunteer ideas for kids?  I really want my boys to know what giving is all about.  I think Christmas is a special time to highlight giving.  We want them to see it all year round, but needs are great this time of year and we want our kids to learn to love others this time of year and not just to love gifts.  We are doing angel tree and working in the food pantry, but have any of you heard of any other good kid-specific ideas?  Let me know.  

Everyone else ready for Christmas?  It's coming and it is my favorite time of the year!