Christmas Cracker and Ginger Bread Polar Express

In preperation for Christmas 2014 we have spent a lot of time today making our giant Christmas cracker and a ginger bread train. The cracker has become a annual event for boxing day where all the family gather round to rip it to shreads in hope of finding sweets, secret santa presents and lots of other goodies. I often ask myself why we spend hours creating this masterpiece just to see it destroyed in about 3 seconds flat, but thats all part of the fun. The two boys thoroughly enjoy making the cracker and I can't wait until we can start to get Holly involved as well.

 

For this years cracker theme Joshua picked blue card for one end, Brandon picked red for the other end, and then we picked pink card for Holy's middle section.

 

Stickers everywhere as the boys decorate our 2014 giant cracker.

 

Joshua gets hard to work decorating his blue end of the cracker.

Brandon being more systematic and linear with the decorating of his end of the cracker.

Our finished masterpiece for 2014. All ready for Santa to come and fill.

Me, the boys and Holly with our giant cracker. You can barely see little Holly.

Me and the kiddies. I had to move Holly away from the cracker as she just wanted to smash it!

Our ginger bread train came out pretty amazing and whilst I did help the boys this year, I was actually amazed at just how creative and independant they could be when left on their own. So whilst I helped them construct the actual train, they pretty much decorated it and piped the icing all on thier own. Joshua made the actual train and Brandon made the trailer. As with the cracker, Brandon was very methodical, linear and patterned with his decorating of the trailer. Joshua on the other hand was completely random and in true "Bas boy" style, he blinged up the train such that it would look perfect cruising up Southend Sea front on a Saturday night!!

Me helping Joshua with the construction of the train.

Joshua gets to work piping the icing and decorating the panels of the train with various sweets.

Joshua;s completed train before he went OTT with the icing and bling.

Looks good, seems a shame to have to smash it and eat it.

Brandon starting work on the trailer for the train.

Methodically alternating the colours of the sweets to make specific patterns.

Brandon concentrating hard on his trailer.

Brandon even put his initials on the back of the trailer.

Brandon proudly shows his completed trailer.

My two boys with their beautiful Polar Express ginger bread train. Great job.