Thank you Uncle Scott, Aunt Char, Ashley, Hayley, Travis

As I mentioned, Carolyn was not all that impressed with the birthday gift from the Uncle Scott and Aunt Char at first.  It was a gift certificate to go to the Build-a-Bear Workshop.  Howewver, when we went today and she got to redeem her gift certificate for her new friend "Sparkle Star," she decided it was a great gift afterall.  Cute place.

First, you choose your animal.  Carolyn chose a dog.  She also chose to put a sound in it.  She really liked the monkey sound and thought it would be funny if her dog sounded like a monkey, but the "girl talk" soundtrack really got her attention because she liked dancing to it.  So, her dog has some sort of pop music coming from it when you press the paw.

Then, you take your floppy dog to the stuffing machine.  She stepped on the pedal, while the worker helped bring the puppy to life. 

After you give it the Hug Test to make sure it is not too soft or too hard, but just right .... you have to give it a heart.  You pick out which heart you want, then rub it on your head, so the puppy can be smart.  You rub it on your ear, so it will always listen to you.  You hold it close to your heart, so it will always love you.  And, then you hold it tight in your hands and make a special wish.  After that, you stuff the heart deep inside your bear and sew him up. 

Next, you take your bear to the spa so you can give it a bath and brush its hair. 

She even had enough money on her gift certificate to pick out an outfit.  Oh my.  This was a difficult decision.  She ended up with a pink and green mermaid costume. 



Before you leave, you take your bear to the computer and answer some questions about him, such as his name, so they can print out a birth certificate.  The bear is stuffed inside a cardboard dog house to take home.  Welcome home "Sparkle Star" -- the great mermaid dog.