Build a Bear

Picking out just the right bear

Taking him from the stuffing station

Giving the newly stuffed bear a bath

Putting Bear's Helmet on

Maybe it fits Emily better

A well dressed cycling bear

Showing Daddy

Looking inside the box at home

Taking the bear and box down the hall

Our adventure at Build a Bear began over the summer when we decided that Emily should have a bear to ride in the bike trailer with her. Not just a bear, but a special cycling bear. I ended up looking online and Build a Bear had a special edition cycling jersey, shorts, and helmet online. You couldn't get it in the stores by us, since it was from the Tour de Missouri, so we ordered it. It was near the end of the summer so we figured it would be a good wintertime activity when it was too cold for parks and playgrounds and bike rides! We finally took Emily last weekend to build her bear. We gave her 2 bear choices and she chose one of them. We watched the girl in front of us get her bear stuffed and then helped Emily choose a heart, put it on her forehead and give it a kiss to put inside her bear. She didn't like the loud noise of the stuffing machine, but then it was on to the bath! It is a neat plastic tub that has shower heads that blow air. She thought the tub part was cool, but was a little unsure about air blowing out of the top! Emily really liked getting the bear dressed and especially putting the helmet on him. When it was time to name her bear, we took over and decided we should name him Lance.

Emily was not pleased to give the bear to the person working there to check out. When we got it back, Lance was in a build a bear box. Emily wanted to carry the box and tried dragging it behind her through the mall. We vetoed that idea pretty quickly, so she finally settled for me carrying the box, as long as I walked next to her so she could see it. At home, she has continued to have a great time with the box. She loves to put Lance in and out of it and then drag it from the living room to the bedrooms and back. A couple of times she has put Molly (her monkey that she sleeps with) in it, but Lance has to come out first. Apparently in her mind, both Lance and tiny Molly can't fit together!