Gingerbread Houses and Our Shopping Story

At 5 and 7, my girls are pretty good shoppers.  I have learned that MY attitude dictates our shopping experience.  If I am rushing and fussing, they are going to be more slow and uncooperative.  If I am considerate that they want to look at things too, they are considerate as I look for things.  It's a win-win!

So yesterday, we went shopping for the millionth time for Christmas presents.  We started at the mall, then made a quick run to Office Depot, and ended the night at Target.  Overall, it was an extremely successful shopping trip.

We did have a little incident with the shopping cart, though.  I'm not sure how it happened--like I said, the girls were actually being calm and not running wild for once.  But it happened.  One second, we were walking along checking out the scarves and gloves.  The next second, the cart had flipped over sideways on top of not one, but TWO West girls.  We all just stood there stunned for a few seconds.  The girls were not injured in this incident-- the fountain drink I had purchased at the concession area did not fair so well.  (Sorry Target workers, that Dr. Pepper spill was us.  I looked for one of you to clean up the spill, but had no luck!)

After cleaning up the spill as best I could, we walked on around toward the toy section.  I sent the girls with an item to the price scanner at the end of the aisle.  A few seconds later, Libby came running back, leaned over, and covertly whispered "Ca-caw! Ca-caw!"  Apparently, she was warning me, in code of course, that Kyndall was coming back.  That girl is hilarious, I tell you!

In other news, we made Gingerbread houses tonight.  (The kits were a purchase from Target.)  I don't know if any of you have tried the kits before, but they are not nearly as easy as they look.

One minute we were like this.....

and the next, we were like this.

Yes, those are real tears.  That house just collapsed!  Maybe we didn't have enough icing on there or something?  I'm no gingerbread house expert, but these weren't nearly as easy for us as the old fashioned milk-carton-and-graham-cracker houses.  They are much cuter though.

It worked, and that's all that matters.  Here's the finished job (s):

Christmas tradition #5 is now checked off our list.  Only ten more to go :)

Have you ever flipped a cart while shopping?

Gingerbread houses---old fashioned or with a kit?