Downtown Gingerbread Houses

I try to cram as much Christmas Vacation fun into the two weeks we have with Steve while he's off and one of the things I love to do is visit the Gingerbread Houses at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Seattle. I did this several times with my Aunt and Grandma and always remember loving it. What I don't remember is standing in line, I guess I glossed over that one in my fond remembering.
The last time I went was the year before last, I was very pregnant and it was just Steve and I. I already felt like a ticking time bomb, I figured my water was going to burst any second and they would rush me to some lame hospital and I wouldn't get the birth I wanted and Steve would get lost in the mix. So I was already on edge and blend that in with the fact that I despise downtown driving, it was a very stressful trip. I lost the car and cried.
We didn't go last year partly because it snuck up on us and partly because I was afraid of losing the car again and crying in the parking garage.
This year I was determined to go and I decided to drag my faithful ride or die with me.

Steve woke up with a headache and was looking rather pale. I kept asking him if he was up for a ride to the city and a long time waiting in the car.
"I just don't know!"
"Well, I need an answer, I don't know isn't telling me how you feel."
I said this rather briskly, and then felt like an asshole.
But really, I don't know is not answer and the sooner he figures that out the better.
Doing him a favor, really.
I gave him some Tylenol and told him that we were going to pick up Jamie and that she had presents for them.
He perked up a bit after that.
We finally got in the car and I went to go get coffee at my favorite drive up in town.
I was chatting with the barista about our day when I noticed that she was looking up and around me, I looked over my shoulder and the lady that was on the other side had circled around me and was shouting.
"Oh! She says your tabs are expired and your tail light is out!"
"Super!" I gave the lady a thumbs up and I was going for a smile, but that pissed  me off so Im sure it was a sour face.
Thinking about how I was going to spring this on Jamie and make her drive, I drove extra good into Everett hoping no one would pull me over.
We got there and they opened their presents and were absolutely delighted at the new toys, Summer and Jamie both wanted to bring Summers stroller. I had to bring both of them back to reality.
"Were going to be in line for like 2 hours and I don't think she could handle driving the city streets with it either."
I heard a collective sigh from both of them and Im sure Summer rolled her eyes too.
Driving down there was the best. The most pleasant drive ever. Probably because I wasn't driving my smelly, mom car. The kids were good and we chatted animatedly as only the 2 of us can, until we got off the exit. Its all business once you get off the exit.
"Ok, here it is!"
"Look for parking!"
"That's a loading dock!"
"No its parking!"
"Circle the block! Circle again!"
After circling the block several times and getting shunted down underground in a terrifying parking garage, I was determined not to get lost.
"Im just going to take a few pictures so we know which one it is."
I may have taken 12 pictures of all the angles from our car.
The next horrific part of our adventure, my nemesis.
The elevator.

Outside the elevators was a huge green wall with a dragonfly.
"Oh hey! You don't have to panic! We can just think of you and your foot! Pea green dragonfly!"
I never knew the dragonfly tattoo on my foot would be more than just a horrible mistake, thanks tattoo.
Steve was very excited about the elevator.
"Can I push it? Please!?"
As the doors to a potential Speed like disaster opened I took a deep breath (as I often do before entering the depths of Hell) and shoved the kids in, as nonchalant as I could because I really don't think that my unsuspecting friend of 20 years knows the severity of this phobia.
Steve pushed the button and leapt up, in joy, at how exciting it all was.
"STOP!"
Steve stopped mid-action jump.
We made it to the top, I held my breath the entire time and shoved the kids out again.
We had almost made it to our final destination.
It was a really shitty Seattle day and we had to walk a few blocks in pouring down rain.
I hadn't really mentioned it to Jamie and I looked down at her leopard print flats and apologized for not telling her to wear proper foot wear, she shrugged and we were off.
We hoofed it until we reached our destination.
Jamie and Steve raced up the steps, and I was slow walking with Summer who refuses to let me pick her up for things like this.
I looked up just in time to see a Rocky victory dance at the top and Steve standing defeated next to her.
We walked in circular door, and I looked up to see what I was expecting. A huge line.
Just as I was about to say "Hey its not that bad."

I turned around to see the actual line.
Which was way longer.
We went to the back and watched every person entering make the same mistake.
I came prepared with a back pack full of snacks for 2 little people that were surely to get restless.
"Applesauce? Oh hey, this box is poking me in the back can you go throw it away?"
"Isn't this recycle? Do you want me to get lost!"
"Yes it is recycle but I don't want it to stab me in the back anymore and no I can see the trash can from here!"
I made sure I had eyes on him the whole 20 feet away from me in the slowly moving line.
We waited and snacked and waited and snacked some more.
We dealt with people cutting in line and watching people step out of line.
We told each other to just deal with the cutting in line because of the Christmas Spirit we were supposed to spreading.
It was hard to actively spread Christmas cheer after the 3rd time we saw people cutting in line.
"Were ALL waiting people!" We angry hissed at each other.
But not to anyone else of course.
That would be rude.
Finally, finally after roughly an hour of waiting, we could see the Gingerbread Houses.
Summer was starting to get extremely restless at this point.
Jamie busted out a mini brush so she brushed our hair for a few minutes.
Then she wanted her coat off.
Then she wanted Jamie to carry her.
Then me.
Then she just openly started to cry.
At this point we were at the freaking Gingerbread Houses.
The theme this year was Star Wars and even though I haven't seen them in years and really don't know which one is which, It was pretty cool.

All of the houses are huge and made entirely (mostly) of candy and gingerbread.
The detail work on some of these things was amazing.
And some of them weren't.
But most of them were a confectionary marvel.
I shunted Summer along with my knees while she dry cried the whole time.
They had a big cut out you could stick your face in and Steve went and crouched behind it and I put Summers face in.
Steve was having a great time and clearly Summer couldn't handle it.
After screaming for the picture, she got down and punched Steve on the shoulder.

"Jeeze, Summer! What's your problem!"
I made Summer deliver a tearful apology.
She was not happy.
We briefly talked about lunch.
I imagined Summer screaming and throwing her food.
We found our way uneventfully back to the car.
And Summer was asleep in minutes.
Jamie bought us pizza and we played Steves new favorite game, Headbandz, for the remainder of the afternoon.
Jamie was unimpressed with the Gingerbread Houses but I'll make her come next year.

                                                                          Cheers.