A Place I Never Thought We Would Be...

I admit, I never really got the whole Build a Bear Workshop concept.  I mean, I get the choosing your bear, stuffing him, and making him your own part, but my frugalness (and good sense) would not allow me to get past the fact that you also had to purchase clothing for your creation. Clothing and accessories that can cost as much I would pay for an outfit for my boys.  Or more.  People really do that for a stuffed animal?  Ouch!  It just went against my very nature, convictions toward stewardship, and budgeting savviness.

And I thought the whole thing was a bit cheesy, too.  Yep, I said it.  Maybe all of the testosterone in my home has made me less sensitive to the frillies of life.

But thanks to Papaw Larry and Mrs. Sheila, the gift card they sent Seth for his birthday, and the coupon from Aunt B, we were able to give it a go for the first time.

Wow!  The choices.

Seth  knew that he wanted an Army bear before we even got there, so when his eyes befell the camo bear, it was a match made in heaven.

Stuffing time!  Seth opted to make his bear firm and strong verses soft and fluffy.  He had so much fun with the stuffing machine and the girl who assisted us did such a great job. 






Then he had to give him a "bath."

There were SO MANY choices when it came time to dress him.  Seth is not known for being the most decisive kid on the block, so this could have been a very long and arduous process.  Thankfully, he eyed the karate outfit right away and his decision was instantly made.  Whew! 

Yep, he had made for himself a Karate Army bear.

Together we dressed him.  It actually took a couple of tries.  I guess all of these years of dressing boys got me a little confused.  I couldn't figure out why there was a flap in the bottoms, so I utilized my little boy experience and put the flap in the front.  Oops!  The flap was for the tail...of course.  So, we flipped those babies around and Karate Army Bear was on his way. 

And Seth was so very happy!

Once I saw the experience as more of an event than simply a purchase, I understood it a little better. And  that helped me swallow the $35 price tag for a teddy bear and his accessories (which was totally covered by his gift card and coupon with $1.88 to spare).   And when I saw how excited my five-year-old was and how much he was enjoying buiding his bear, the whole cheesiness argument flew right out of the window.

What a great gift!

Before heading back to Kentucky, Pepaw and Memaw met up with us at the mall to see Seth's new friend.