In our younger days, my sister and I would institute daily Christmas Appreciation events the week preceding the big day. Wise beyond our years, we'd lament that the holiday festivities came without being properly appreciated. Keep in mind this is the same sisterly pair that would put ridiculously potent guilt trips on the other for neglecting certain slightly disfigured stuffed animals. Oh, pound puppy, I DO love you... despite your profound micrognathia...

That being said, I decided that I should pass on my holiday pathos tradition to Elle, so we embarked on a week of Christmas Appreciation of our very own.

Nothing says Ho Ho Ho like homemade Gingerbread Men. Apparently nothing also says Gigantic Kitchen Mess like Baking With A 2-year-old.

Nonetheless, we embarked on our jolly mission, complete with the Veggie Tales Christmas CD blaring in the background. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a cucumber in a sombrero singing Feliz Navidad.

The dough was mixed, chilled, rolled out, and cut into GingerPeople in a very gender equitable distribution.

Decorations were applied.

Some of us were more judicious with our button placement than others.

There is an inverse correlation between the tastiness and aesthetics of the gingerbread men. So you can only imagine how delicious these guys were.

Creating icing faces was a bit challenging. Meet Melancholy GingerMan.

But no matter how peaceful they may look,

The tree can be a dangerous place for unsuspecting GingerPeople when a certain 2 year old decides to nibble appendages when Mommy isn't looking.

See? Still smiling. Now that's Christmas appreciation.