64/365: Gingerbread 101

I'll probably catch grief for telling this story, but here it goes.

A couple of weeks ago, Boo brought home a sheet requesting parent volunteers to help build gingerbread houses. (Again, Christmas and public schools, but I'm not going there this year.) I would normally be all over this, but the two days they needed help I was booked at work so I mentioned it to Klucker. He checked his schedule and emailed Mrs. S via the school website to volunteer to help. He got no response and several days later sent an email directly from his email account. After receiving no response, he wrote a note and put it in Boo's folder. He finally got an email response, but alas, Mrs. S had all her volunteer spots filled. Klucker called me at work to tell me he didn't get to help. I was shocked at the disappointment in his voice. It was very sweet and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Klucker being Klucker did not let that stop though. Since I was going to be out of town, he decided he and the wee ones would build their own gingerbread house, to heck with the school one. And buying a gingerbread house kit from Target or Costco just wouldn't do for Klucker. No, they were baking their own house from scratch. So throughout the day on Saturday, I was able to keep up with the progress through his Facebook posts and pictures. Here they are if you missed him or aren't friends:

• In an attempt to keep the kids happy while mom is in Dallas this weekend we will begin construction of a gingerbread house today, dough mixing has begun!
• Phase 1 complete ginger slabs in the oven with no loss time accidents!
• Architectural approval has just come back, first issue is a revise and resubmit with use of candy canes! Due to high demand in China no candy canes were figured into the original design due to supply issues!! Am checking the local past Christmas supply scrap yards for an left overs . . . .
• Just finished the first jobsite precon meeting. Had to bribe the architects with apple juice to go along with the idea of making ginger canes, since all the local supply of candy canes are out.
• All the panels in the lay down area prior to assembly.
• First set of panels has just arrived from the precast yard . . . and the leftovers are yummy!
• Ginger canes just arrived from precast.
• Waiting for the roof.
• Roofers just finished.
• Who would have thought, icing porn . . . the harder and faster you beat it the stiffer it gets.
• Build complete
• Does candy that fell on the the floor prior to install count as pre consumer recycled content for my LEED application?

I'm secretly glad I wasn't home to witness the chaos and ensuing mess. Clean up was complete by the time I saw the finished project above. I also think it's probably a good thing the volunteer spots were full. With status updates like that, I can only imagine what phrases Boo's classmates would have carried home.