Love...Build a Bear Style...

Grace and I had the opportunity to sneak away to the mall while the "big" kids were at school.  I am starting to freak out a little when I realize that I only have a couple more months of one-on-one time with Grace left...full day kindergarten starts in the fall, and with the other kids home for the summer, our days together will be gone in a flash.  We decided to use a (long forgotten about) gift card for Build A Bear that Grace received as a Christmas gift.  It was a fun surprise since she had no idea that she possessed such a treasure.

So, off we went to the mall to have some "fun."  I mentally psyched myself up for the outing.  I promised myself I would let her choose whichever bear (or animal) she wanted.  I was even planning to let her pick out the clothes she wanted for her new friend.  It is SO incredibly hard for me to let go of the control - after all, I know how to MATCH the outfits and I know which animals are really going to get played with (really? you think the hamster is a cute little friend for you Grace?  Ugh).

It turns out that we could BOTH be satisfied with the choices.  After all, it is REALLY easy to "help" a child choose when you ask a few questions...for example..."Grace, I will hold up the three animals you are choosing between...Do you want the (weird looking) hamster (flashed at her quickly), the (weird looking) dog (shown to her for a quick second), OR the (super cute) cuddly, soft, white bear (presented last with more emphasis)?"  The choice was easy FOR GRACE, the white bear it was!

In case you haven't been to a (ridiculously appealing) Build A Bear store for awhile, they now have the coolest little hearts that can be put into your bear when you are "making" them. 

Grace choose one of these new hearts for her bear.

The heart BEATS.  It is a little freaky.  When you hug your bear, the heart starts BEATING!  It feels pretty realistic too.  

 Grace made a wish before sticking in the heart...I wonder what she wished for (probably for her mom to stop trying to interfere with the building  process).

 After giving her bear a bath, we  she choose some cute clothes for the bear.  She named her new friend "Sparkle" - now she calls her "Glitter."  The bear was lucky enough to come home in an adorable pink, white and lavender dress that did, in fact, have a lot of "sparkle" to it.  And to top things off, when the pushy  nice saleslady asked if Grace needed shoes for the bear, Grace said no.  Instead, Grace asked for ORANGE hair bows for the bear.  Ugh.  Let it go mom...who cares if the bear has on orange bows, right?  Luckily the sales lady must have seen my eyes roll around my head a bit, and she threw the matching pink bows in the box too.

 Before heading home, Grace wanted to be a model at Old Navy.   She looks a lot like the girl on the left, doesn't she?

 Grace and her new friend "Sparkle Glitter."  

Oh yeah, Grace lost another tooth.  I told her she must stop wiggling them now.  I am so sad that her perfect little teeth are changing.  She has been warned that the Tooth Fairy won't come again if she takes out any teeth before they are ready to fall out on their own...Hoping we still have a long time before the crazy days of missing top teeth!!!!