Last time we were in Vegas my Mother in Law took us to Build a Bear. I was naive enough to think that it was okay if my husband stayed behind to play with his brothers. Let me just say, I will not make that mistake again. We had 2 nieces and my 3 boys, and every child needs their own personal assistant to survive this place! Did I also mention it was Christmas time and someone was doing a 12 kid birthday party?
The bathing station was by far the favorite! Griffin carefully brushed and bathed each animal with pride. I was quite surprised! Who knows maybe he will want to take an active role with the new baby, the next time I am crazy enough to brave 8 months of puking.
The novelty of this experience had definitely worn off for the Build a Bear employees. They skipped right over hearts, and just started cramming stuffing as quickly as possible. I started to wish I was an expert so that I could ensure my children did not miss out on any of the little joys this adventure had to offer.
Initially, Lincoln was only mildly interested in his new bear. However, once he was all pimped out with skater wear, Lincoln was in love! He caught Griffin giving him a bath and had to rescue him. Brian named his football loving Dinosaur something that involved Rex. I came up with names I considered fantastic for the youngest animals. In the end Lincoln's bear is affectionately called, "Bear,Bear," and Griffin calls his penguin, "Happy Feet."
Although 2 sister in laws have sworn off having children for several more years, and Brenda and I grew gray hairs, we all survived the experience. Each boy loves their Build a Bear creation. I love that their grandmother thought of a special way for them to remember her. It is precious that Lincoln hugs his Bear Bear and sleeps with him every night. Many nights after putting Lincoln to bed I hear his bear singing "You are My Sunshine" in a distorted version of my voice. Each morning Lincoln ensures all special items are removed from his crib and he cuddles with them on the couch. 
.JPG)
