Candy Houses...It's just not Christmas without them. Don't even mention decorating them to Billy, though. Due to the Great Candy House Fiasco of 1997 its just not so fun for him anymore. The fiasco involved my incredibly detail oriented/perfectionist grandfather hovering over Billy and I as we shaved millimeters off of chex cereal to meet my Grandfather's standards for hours. Hours, I tell you! He barked out orders while standing directly behind us. It was like he thought those candy houses were going to have demanding little Smurfs living in them; 'Yer gettin' off center' 'Move it to the right a millimeter.'
"Well, I reckon it's about time to teach these kids how to build an accurately scaled roof."
We hadn't quite started dating yet but my Grandad was making poor Billy sweat over that roof.
Most people think of gingerbread houses when they thing of decorating but that is WAY too much trouble for us. We use little wooden houses made out of a lightweight plywood. Or something like that. My Dad makes them every year - so really who they are a lot of trouble for is him. I once had my Dad make 300 of those suckers. It's true! 300.
Cute, huh?
Any sort of candy will do. Gumdrops, M & M's, Mike & Ikes...Whatever.
A word to the wise: if you are going to save the candy from last year year to use let the kids know they aren't allowed to eat it. Because for the kids, eating the candy is half the fun.
Sure, kid. Go ahead and eat it straight from the tub. What's that you say, Aunt Carol? These have been in your basement since last year? Spit it out kid. SPIT IT OUT.
Alright, fess up lady. How many gumdrops is that?
"It's better not to ask those type questions"
Some people go a little more...um...freestyle than others.
And some people spend hours getting it just right.
Usually I'm too busy wrangling a toddler or jetting off to another Thanksgiving to sit and make a house. This year I was determined to take my time and enjoy it. Enter Operation Love Gift. Ya know how there are some things you do in marriage not because you enjoy them but because you want to 'gift' the other person with it? Well, here's how I set it up this year:
'Billy, it would be a HUGE love gift to me if you would take Stella home after lunch so I could make my candy house in peace.' Poor Billy...no leftover turkey, no small talk with the cousins, and no tossing the football. All so I could make a candy house without Stella being all up in my business.
"And then I heard her tell Daddy that she wanted him to take me home and make me take a nap!"
Oh, the humanity. I made the heck out of that candy house though! 
"Can you believe how much my Mom is bragging about her candy house."
Love Gift accomplished. My candy house rocked it.
