Chloe, Sophie and Grammy made this year’s gingerbread house in record time. My mom thought she’d need at least a couple of sessions to finish its construction.

What she didn’t take into account was the fact that this is their 4th year assembling the kit. The girls are older and they’re pros at it now. No broken pieces, no crooked walls, no stray candy.

Our living room looks lovely this year, thanks to the tree, the lights, the gingerbread house and most important, the recent paint job that transformed the space from being a cold uninviting room into a cozy haven where we are all spending more time. It took us 7 years to paint the damn room and now that it’s finished, I can’t believe it took us so long to get it done.