Build A Bear

We did a super cool and special thing today. Mike took the girls to Build A Bear workshop and they made "daddy bears". These bears have a special recording device inside so the girls can squeeze the foot of the bear and hear a special message to them from their Dad. We are keeping these bears put up until he leaves and will bring them down at night when I tuck them into bed while he is deployed. The messages are simple just "Hi (Jessica or Katie), it's Daddy. I want you to have a good night and I'm so glad you are bringing me to bed to snuggle you. I love you!" Each one is a little bit different but that is the basic idea. They picked out "daddy clothes" for their bear which out of all the choices of jeans/Tshirts, doctor outfit, suit and tie...they picked the same camouflage military uniform their dad wears to work everyday. When he gets home at night they unlace his combat boots as soon as he sits down. It's like it's their little official jobs. I guess they really associate that uniform with their dad so that's what they picked. I think all three of them had a really good time and I think the bears will come to mean a lot to the girls. I was really emotional about it because I understand that in a few days all the girls will have of their Dad are pictures and these bears so I left the Bear store and let them have special time just the 3 of them together. Because I was feeling blue, I went and blew a shameful amount of cash at Sephora on makeup and skin care products while the girls and Mike built the bears. Then I came at the end and took some more pictures.

At the beginning, the bears are flat and don't have any stuffing. The girls made a wish and inserted a small red heart inside the shell of the bear. (it's called a wish heart) Then, Mike inserted his recorded message into the foot. And off they went to the stuffing machine where the girls could step on a button to activate the machine and watch all the soft fluffy stuffing go into their bear. Then, after the bear is "born", they took them to the bathing area and gave them a "bath" to wash off any extra stuffing pieces and to brush their hair all pretty so they could be all clean and ready to get dressed. Then, they and their Dad dressed them in the clothes they picked out. Finally, they got an official birth certificate for their bear and a little carrier house so they could take their bear home.
Giving Daddy kisses with our new bears.

Katie helping Daddy dress her bear.

Katie with her still naked bear.

Katie and Daddy and bear almost dressed.

Jessica and Daddy getting her bear dressed.

Katie giving her "just born" teddy bear a bath before getting him dressed.

Jessica cleaning up her brand new baby bear who was just born. You have to give him a bath before you can put on his new clothes and take him home.

Outside Build a Bear - Mike, Katie & Jessica