"Good times." That mantra, spoken in unison by the bemused hosts of "Delicious Dish," an NPR radio show spoof on Saturday Night Live, is one of Patrick's and my favorite code phrases.

We've had good times aplenty in preparation for Christmas this year. A highlight was our annual Gingerbread Construction Night, usually held the last Monday before Christmas.

We use graham crackers instead of gingerbread. This way I don't stress out over broken or eaten pieces that ideally would have been used as structural material. I've experienced the joys of working with real gingergread in the past, the most famous example being the year we made the Chrysler Building complete with internal lighting system. Also, for my kids, authenticity is eschewed for the finer pleasure of eating and building with as much candy as possible. It's all about the candy.

What did we use? Two batches of buttercream icing; two boxes of Honey Grahams; one box of Frosted Shredded Wheet (great for snow-covered thatch); one cardboard box, cut into six pieces and covered with aluminum foil; and pounds and pounds of candy. Mini marshmallows are great for internal buttressing, by the way. And buy twice as many Crunchy Gummi Bears as you think you'll need. Not only are they tasty, they are also excellent for representing anyone from Santa to members of the Holy Family.

Sometimes we go for theme with our buildings. This year I made an a-frame creche; James favored a rendering of a house damaged in a California mudslide. In years past, we've had models with such diverse inspirations as Stonehenge, the Provo Temple, and Fallingwater.

After construction was completed, we did some dancing. I treasure this image of Hope and James cavorting, and I'm sure I'll be blackmailing them with it for years to come.