Summer '12 FT - Build A Bear

This summer my goal is to take the kids on a "field trip" every other week.  We are more homebody-ish then normal this summer thanks to having a newborn that seems to be eating every two hours and is extra susceptible to respiratory infections.  So I don't have the kids enrolled in the typical classes, nor are we doing a lot of play dates.  I thought that it would be fun to look back on this summer and remember a few special things that we did together.

We kicked off with our first field trip on July 6th - an excursion to Build A Bear Workshop.  If there are two things that I know about my kids, it is that they love their stuffed friends and they are obsessed with building things.  What better place to combine these two passions?  We talked about our trip for about two weeks before we went.  Charlie was very excited, Ephram was excited (but tentative) and Macie smiled when we talked about it simply because I was smiling at her.

Being realistic about my abilities to keep Charlie on track, grab Ephram when he runs away (a new favorite for him) and keep Macie happy at the same time... I invited our nanny to come along.  She was excited to be able to go to Build A Bear as part of her work, and the kids were excited she would be there.  I also decided to leave the camera at home, I knew it would be too big to wield.  So instead, I have some cell phone pictures of our trip.

We started by choosing which bears we wanted to build.  Charlie chose a bunny for himself.  Ephram chose a colorful "celebration" bear and together we chose a nice brown bear for Macie.

Then, because there was already a line at the fluff machine, we were directed to head over to the computers to name our new friends.  I didn't know that a computer task would be part of the package.  I think Ephram was as excited about this as he was about fluffing his bear.  He named his new friend Hearts.  Charlie went through several name ideas, naming friends is one of his favorite occupations, and settled with Goldylocks.  We all decided to name Macie's Peanut, which is one of our nicknames for her.

Then it was our turn for the fluff machine.  Ephram had a grand time lighting up all of the heart buttons on the front of the machine while Charlie operated the pedal to fill Goldylocks up.  Then Ephram took his place at the pedal, very enthusiastically.  It always amazes me how effortlessly he picks up what is expected of him to do a task.  Charlie was fixated on figuring out how the fluff got from the machine, through the little tube and into the bear.

Then the boys and Macie participated in a heart ceremony.  They each selected a heart from the bin on the fluff machine.  Ephram held onto Macie's for her.  They rubbed it in their hands to make it warm so that it would always feel happy.  They touched it to their hearts so that it would love them.  They touched it to their nose so that it would know them.  They rubbed it on their heads so that it would be smart like them.  They rubbed it on their knee so that it would always need them.  They rubbed it on their ears so that it would listen to them.  They jumped up and down so that their friend would have energy and play with them.  Finally they kissed the heart to bring it to life and placed it in the center of their friend.  Then they watched them be sewn shut.  Ephram was not going to let go of Hearts after he was all stuffed!

Next we took the new animals over to be bathed.  Ephram pushed the pedal while Charlie brushed them down.

Then it was time to pick out some clothes.  Charlie saw some Lightening McQueen pajamas right away and showed them to Ephram.  Ephram thought they were perfect.  Charlie wanted his bunny to have a cute dress, so he looked through all of them until he settled on the red and pink one in the picture.  And then we all worked together to find a dress for Peanut.    The employee helped us get our new friends dressed at the changing tables, and Charlie picked out bows for Goldylocks and Peanut.  Then, they each received a little home and were tucked away inside.

This is the closest that I got to grabbing a picture of all three kids in front of the store.  Oh well, it is a good representation of them.  Ephram was super busy during our whole trip.

Once we were home and full of McDonald's for lunch, I grabbed my big camera and took some pictures of the kids and their new best friends.

Opening the homes and taking their friends out to show them our house.

Watching Meet the Robinsons with them.  Both of the boys instantly started treating their friends like little babies.  It was so cute.

A few posed pictures after Macie's nap.

Ephram, after dinner and before bed time, crashed out on the couch with Hearts in his arms.

Field trip #1 of Summer 2012 was a huge hit.  Hopefully the remaining ones will be too!