Field
"Why do you want to do this again?" Sam asked as Freddie dumped a huge pile of different colored frosting tubes, assorted candies and other colorful items onto to the kitchen table.
"Because, it will be a fun, family activity," Freddie said.
"So would watching the MMA Very Merry Christmas special," Sam said.
"Ha, ha," Freddie said, rolling his eyes. "Did you bake the gingerbread?"
"You know, why do I have to be the one to bake the gingerbread?" Sam asked.
"Do you really want to eat cookies I bake?" Freddie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Eh, good point," Sam said. "And don't worry; they're in the oven right now."
"Good," Freddie said. "So now we have everything to make the perfect Benson family gingerbread house."
"Okay, seriously, what's up with this sudden urge to make a big family gingerbread house?" Sam asked.
"I told you, it's something fun we can all do together," Freddie said. "I mean, I've been thinking…the kids are really growing up, Sam. Jason's already in college, the girls just turned fifteen a few months ago…heck, even Tyler's growing up! He's in middle school! I just think it'd be nice to make as many family memories as possible before it's too late."
"Okay, for the last time, will you stop reading those parenting magazines in line at the grocery store," Sam said. "It's annoying having you spurting our little parental wisdoms all day."
"Come on, Sam, you have to agree that it's a good idea to spend more time with the kids all together," Freddie said.
"We spend time with them," Sam said. "Just last night we went to Tyler's football game, didn't we?"
"Yeah, but that was just you and me with Tyler," Freddie pointed out. "Jason was out visiting his friends that just got home from college for the holidays, and Emma and Ashton were out with Clarissa at the mall. It seems like the only thing we have time to do together as a family anymore with the kids always going out is eat dinner every night."
Sam sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Nope."
"Well…" Sam said. "I guess this is a good excuse to eat a bunch of icing."
"There you go," Freddie said. "Okay, you take the cookies out, I'll go get the kids." Freddie headed into the living room, where him and Sam's four children were sitting on the couch, watching T.V.
"Hey guys, what are you watching?" Freddie asked.
"I dunno, something," Emma shrugged.
"Well how about you turn it off then," Freddie said.
"What? No way!" Tyler frowned.
"You guys just said you don't even know what you're watching!"
"Yeah, but it's cool," Jason said.
"Just go into the kitchen," Freddie said, taking the remote and turning off the television.
"Why? Dinner's over," Ashton said.
"I know, but we're going to spend some quality family time together," Freddie said.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Emma said.
"Come on, it'll be fun," Freddie said.
"But daddy, it's Friday night," Ashton said. "Clarissa and I were going to go hang out at the movies."
"You see Clarissa everyday, Ash," Freddie pointed out.
"Yeah, but you and mom saw Clarissa's mom every day when you were my age," Ashton said. "I'm just trying to follow in my parents footsteps."
"And dad, the Cobras game starts soon," Tyler said. "They're finally playing a team they have a chance of beating; I can't miss that!"
"You can catch the highlights online," Freddie said.
"What are we even doing?" Jason asked as him and his siblings followed Freddie into the kitchen.
"We," Freddie said. "Are going to make an authentic, delicious, perfect gingerbread house that we'll be able to-Sam! Stop eating the gingerbread making materials!"
"You took too long!" Sam snapped, popping a few more gumdrops in her mouth.
"A gingerbread house?" Jason repeated.
"Yeah!" Freddie said. "Sounds fun, huh?"
"Fun's not exactly the word I would use," Emma mumbled under her breath.
"Hey, you get to eat it when we're done," Sam said.
"I'm in," Emma said at once.
"Can I lick the bowl from the dough?" Tyler asked.
"Well I finished half of it, but there's some still left in the bowl in the sink," Sam said. "Knock yourself out."
"Sweet!" Tyler said, running over to the sink.
"That's two in," Freddie said. He turned to Jason and Ashton.
"We're going to be guilted into this somehow, aren't we?" Jason sighed.
"I was," Sam said.
"Alright, alright, I'll help out with this gingerbread house," Jason said. "I mean, since I'm in college now, it's not like I have a curfew. I can just go out after this and have some fun."
"You'll be back at two," Sam said.
"I'll be back at two."
"Okay, I guess I can give up one Friday night," Ashton said. "Besides, I have been looking for some way to try out all these interior designing tips I picked up from Fashionista T.V, and I guess I can try and make them work for a gingerbread house."
"Yes!" Freddie said happily. "And operation Benson-Gingerbread House is a go!"
"Oh my God," Sam said, shaking her head. "That did not just come out of your mouth."
"I have the blueprint for this all drawn out," Freddie said. "It took me three days of planning, but I think it's just about perfect."
"Three days?" Emma frowned. "You've been planning the for three days?"
"Yes I have," Freddie said. "Now, what we have here is going to be a two story gingerbread house, complete with a fine peppermint border with gumdrop shingles. I think I can get it where the door really opens, too, with the proper amount of frosting, of course. And then we'll surround the whole house by a lovely open field, made with green frosting and candy cane trees. See? Isn't this going to be a blast? Okay, let's get started!"
"How do we even make one of these things?" Jason asked, picking up two flat squares of gingerbread. "Just stick them together with frosting?"
"You're the engineering major, genius," Emma said. "Shouldn't you know how build a simple gingerbread house?"
"Come on, it can't be that hard," Freddie said. "See you just stand these two things up, slap a little frosting on it-"
"You know, maybe we should make different colored frosting with some food coloring," Ashton said. "That way we could color-coordinate this whole thing. We can make pink frosting to hold together the roof-"
"I'm not going to be a part of making the most girly, daffodilly gingerbread house ever, Ashton," Emma said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, we don't want pink!" Tyler agreed.
"Well!" Ashton said indignantly.
"Hey, I think I got one wall to stand!" Jason said happily.
"Yeah, but you have about ten pounds of icing on it," Sam smiled.
"It's up, isn't it?" Jason pointed out.
"Um, yeah, it is," Freddie agreed. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I bought so much frosting at the store. Between all that you just used and all that your moms' been eating-"
"Hey, that's your own fault for putting it in front of me," Sam said, spooning another dollop of frosting into her mouth.
"Yeah, you'd think I'd know better," Freddie grinned. "Well, know that we've finally got one wall of this thing up, let's keep going people! This isn't going to build itself!"
…
"Well," Sam said, looking at the finished product of two hours of work. "There it is…your family gingerbread house that you wanted so much."
Her and Freddie were staring at the pile of gingerbread and frosting and a variety of candies that barely resembled a house of any sort.
"Yup," Freddie nodded.
"Didn't turn out too much like your little blueprint, huh?" Sam said.
"Eh, that's okay," Freddie said, pulling out his pearphone to snap a pic of the misshaped gingerbread house. "I still think it looks pretty great. Besides, it was a fun time, don't you think?"
"You know what, Frednub," Sam said. "I have to say; that wasn't as lame as I thought. And the kids actually seemed to enjoy it too. Plus, now that the whole building thing's over, we get to finally eat this baby!"
"That is the best part, isn't it?" Freddie chuckled. "Hey, kids! Who's ready to see if the gingerbread house tastes as good as it looks?"
"About time," Emma said, hurrying over and scooping up some icing.
"Can we make a gingerbread house tomorrow night too?" Tyler asked as him, Ashton and Jason joined the family around the gingerbread house.
"I don't think we can handle you this hopped on sugar two days in a row, kiddo," Sam said.
"I can't believe we never did this before," Ashton said, taking a bite of gingerbread.
"Yeah, we should do it again sometime," Jason agreed. "Hey, why don't we make this one of those dorky little family traditions?"
"Yeah, we can do it every December," Emma nodded.
"You kids really want to do that?" Freddie asked.
All four of them nodded.
"Well alright then," Freddie said, beaming. "Gingerbread making is now officially a Benson family tradition!"
