“The last thing any suburban middle class child needs is another stuffed animal.” — Me
Meet our two new stuffed animals, Jenny Dee and Onion. That’s right, Onion…in a cowboy hat.
What? I’m weak, don’t judge.
I’ve been traveling a lot over the course of the past few months, far too much it finally occurred to me as the clang of another 4am wake-up call pushed me out the door to catch another plane headed west. It’s like I’ve been watching and listening to my kids grow up from coach class, seat 20D, some 30,000 miles above the Texas panhandle.
While away somewhere, I got an email from a PR firm on behalf of Build-a-Bear Workshop, and, more specifically, relating to their new line of Horses and Hearts Riding Club stuffies and accessories. The question essentially was “do you want to head to the mall with your kids to get some new stuffed animal horses and gear for said horses?” and despite my quote at the top of this post, I replied, in essence, “hells yeah we do” because I’m now that part-time dad who showers his kids with presents to make up for all of his failings. Okay, not really, not even close, but damn did it seem like I was nearing that cliff.
After I returned home from the Mom 2.0 Summit and the Iris Awards on Saturday afternoon, I scooped up my daughters and headed to Build-a-Bear. This outing was a surprise for them, and having been schooled in my position on the volume of stuffed animal best friends in our home, it was even more of a surprise when we rolled into the land of plush and stuff.
Mouse gravitated immediately toward the palomino, while the Bear opted for the thoroughbred. They helped to stuff, chose a scent, kissed and put inside a heart and a mechanism for horse-y sounds, brushed manes, then picked shoes (high top sneakers for the thoroughbred, naturally) and saddles. In short, they had a grand time making and customizing their newest (and last, I swear!) best stuffed animal friends.
It was the last thing the needed but it was exactly what we needed to do together.
I hear a Black Stallion variety will soon be added to the Build-a-Bear wall o’ stuffed animal options. We will not be getting that.
Probably.
Find your local Build-a-Bear and head in for a horse, bunny, bear, Ewok or Iron Man of your own.
*The daughters of OWTK were each provided with a horse and horse-related accessories. The opinions above are honest and unbiased, as always. I really have been away too much and they really do have too many stuffed animals.
