Gingerbread houses and Spore critters

Back from visiting Kate and the cousins. The tree was bought; the gingerbread house was a triumphant and yet oddly tame victory; and the dog was (briefly) decked with bells and ribbons.




Here's some comparison photo from last year, to explain what I mean:



Two hours of battling bad gingerbread architecture, paste, bonbons and gravity.... The second photo shows our expressions only 20 min into it. Needless to say, the fate of the gingerbread house was doomed, as you can tell from the closeup of the house and its already gently tilting wall.

Since this year's gingerbread house is in fact decorating the dining room, as opposed to getting thrown off the deck, I suppose it wins in something.



And here is the dog.





Also, Alex showed me how to mess around in "Spore". Below is the critter I designed.












Here, the larger creature is playing around with its young. Or... Her young? Since the larger creature laid an egg?