On most days, Red Vines slathered in Betty Crocker frosting
isn’t the food of choice for Windsor parents feeding their
children.
Conventional wisdom went right out the window last Thursday at
the Windsor Library’s Once Upon a Gingerbread House event as
youngsters ages 2 and up crowded into the event room to turn graham
crackers, frosting and candies into works of art. Most of the
artists sampled the building materials–some nibbled frequently.
“I wouldn’t recommend it, normally,” said mom Kellie
Villalpande, laughing as her daughter Natalie, 3, chewed on
licorice coated in white frosting. “She just turned 3 last weekend
so this is a special occasion.”
Natalie was one of more than 50 children given an empty milk
carton, graham crackers, frosting, red vines, assorted candies,
Fruit Loops, Mini-Wheats and marshmallows. Plastic knives in hand,
the youngsters used the frosting as glue. They attached the carton
to a plate, then attached graham cracker walls and roofing. And
then came the candies.
For many of the school-age children, the gingerbread house
activity was the kick-off to winter break. The Windsor Unified
School District let out for the break just hours before, and many
arrived at the Windsor Library wearing uniforms from Cali Calmécac
Language Academy. Brooks Elementary School Principal Shannyn
Vehmeyer was also there with her daughter and son.
Parents at the event said they were planning a mellow winter
break with lots of family and time indoors. “We really don’t have
much planned,” said Davida Elsbree, who brought her 6-year-old
daughter Rose to build a gingerbread house. “We are going ice
skating.”
Brenda Villalpande, Kellie’s sister-in-law and mother of two
Cali Calmécac girls at the event, said her family was going to
stick close to home and gather in front of the television. “We are
going to go to the mall tomorrow to take pictures,” she said.
Windsor Children’s Librarian Laura Wright loves attracting
parents like the Villalpandes and Elsbree. She prides herself in
the library’s popularity among young people—Windsor checks out more
children’s books than adult books, which is unique to the county
library system—and says that special events serve as an
introduction to many parents and children.
“Even doing events that aren’t book related, we’re getting
children to come into the library,” she said. “If they come into
the library, they’ll come back.”
The Library held numerous children’s events in the past month
for parents looking for indoor activities during the cold, winter
months. In November the Very Hungry Caterpillar visited Windsor for
a birthday party and reading, Too Many Tamales came on Dec. 4—in
English and Spanish—and on Tuesday the Fratello Marionettes
performed “The North Pole Review.”
Wright said these are some of the many professional shows and
homegrown shows offered each year.
She reminded parents at the event that the library will be
closed from 2 p.m. on Dec. 24 to Jan. 4 at 10 a.m. Patrons worried
about late fees have nothing to fret about, according to Wright.
“The book drops will be closed, and nothing is due,” she said. “We
won’t be charging fines.”
