Build-a-Friend

Okay, so I admit it. We do a lot of things for and with our kids that we always wanted to do when we were kids. I did one of those things just the other weekend. Ever since there was a 'plus' mark on the pregnancy test; I knew Build-a-Bear was in our future.

So Mama(me), G-Mommy, Elijah, and Aubrey spent nearly $4/gallon of gas to haul our silver bullet, AKA our new-to-us minivan, and hour away to the Mall of Georgia. We got out and battled the throngs of recession-riddled souls lined up at the Auntie Anne's pretzel stores and Abercrombie. While there, searching for an elevator to get our massive tandem stroller to the second level of the mall proved as elusive as searching for the Loch Ness Monster. I mean we'd see the signs, pursue the lead, and then there it wasn't.

When we finally made it to our destination the magical store beckoned us with a warm, golden glow and the promise of over-paying for a stuffed animal made in China that we could have just as easily purchased at Wally World for a fraction of the price. What kind of scrapbooking opportunity would that be though? Our first step in the fast-food build-a-friend franchise was to pick our furry carcass. So I guided Elijah to the wall to make his choice. Obviously overwhelmed with the options, he quickly pointed to a floppy-eared pink bunny with delicate yellow flowers covering it. Figuring that Daddy would not appreciate the feminine hare, I speedily imposed a second choice on him. So his second choice was a camouflaged bear. "Atta, boy son!" Assured that Daddy would be okay with this new friendship, we proceeded to the next steps.

The next stop in building a friend was helping to fluff it. The 'stuffing employee' guided us to picking a small heart to kiss and place in our bear. Of course, Elijah quickly grabbed his small, gingham heart and shoved it to the bear without the kiss. He then helped press the foot pedal to help stuff him. We then went to the brushing and fluffing station. He appeared slightly more enamored with this process as it allowed for self-guided fun-with blasts of air.

Then it was time to name and retrieve our birth certificate, a la Cabbage Patch style, for our new friend. G-Mommy and Elijah sat down at the 'records' department and proceeded to fill our their paperwork. However, one incorrect keystroke by Elijah led us back to the main page. So Mama stepped in and finished the work. I even named our new friend, Gillem, an army base my dad works at. Figured it went well with the camouflaged motif.

Finally, we had to accessorize and pay for the guy. He left with some camouflaged undies (hoping to inspire his friend Elijah to potty training success) and a little hat. So G-Mommy being so kind paid for Gillem and he made his way into his Cub Condo box for the car ride home.

Gillem ate lunch with us at Chick-fil-A that day, has made his way to the potty (successfully getting jelly beans for his number 1 in the potty), and slept with his pal Elijah every night since then. So there you have it. Now, if only I could figure out how to get a power wheel for me, I mean Elijah.