Birthday challenge

All the portends were good, schedules came together, and we had money in the bank--so today we met Amber and the girls, and treated them to lunch at McDonalds ( the one with the BIG playland), and then a trip to "Build a Bear". Both girls had gift certificates from Day Care, and Grandma and Grandpa added a bit. This is a store where the bodies are already made. You choose wich bear you want, and what extras you want with your bear ( noise thing-y's in a paw, or maybe music). There are three or four types of hearts to put in your bear. Then you run the machine to blow as much stuffing as you want in, and a helper stitches up the back ( the lacing is already in place and she just has to draw it up and tie it off) Then you take your bear to a special "massage" table where you can run a machine to blow off any extra stuffing and there are brushes to give your bear a brushing. Then you get to choose clothing including footwear, and hats and underwear--all at prices comparable to adult clothes. I was blown away with what was available. You the register the birth via a computer,-- so that when it comes time to pay you don't notice grandparents collapsing in price shock--as the clerk gives you a birth certificate with both your name and the bear's. Samantha actually picked out a green frog, instead of a typical teddy bear, and refused to have any clothes, although she spent some time considering boys undershorts. Jessica picked a multi-coloured pink bear, but had been warned that there was a budget, so all she took home for her bear was a purse--with pink sequins. But now Grand parents have a real good idea of what would work for Christmas--along with the required pyjamas, of course. The trouble is that Amber has a strong views of what is acceptable as the girls.

Needless to say, we both came home and collapsed. When it came time to leave McDonalds, Samantha refused to get out of the play structure--one of those things with towers and tubes etc--somewhat like a maze they have for gerbils--I'm sure you've both seen them. So Amber ended up climbing up into the structure and actually having to crawl through one of the tunnels--high in the air--to catch the little monkey. She is as stubborn as both of my children put together. When she doesn't want to do something, she just holds her ground and refuses to move. Amber says that she can walk away and disappear from view and it doesn't make any difference--scare'y!!

But that is one thing to stroke off the "To Do" list.