Today is my eldest grandson’s 18th birthday, and in honor of the occasion I thought I’d share a family birthday tradition with you. Thirteen years ago, on that first grandson’s 5th birthday, I decided on a new way to celebrate. All kids like teddy bears, right? So when each grandchild turned 5, we would take them out lunch and then visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop. No parents. Just Grammie and Grandpa and the birthday kidlet… and whatever new critter the kidlet chose to create.
Naturally, I expected teddy bears. Boy, was I wrong! As we were driving to the mall for that first adventure, I asked Grandson #1 if he liked bears, and was told, “No!” (Rather emphatically *lol*) I feared for the success of our outing, but fortunately, the store has lots of other choices.
Grandson #1 chose a husky dog, which he named Balto. (Yes. He was a fan of that animated film.)
A few years later, Granddaughter #1 did not disappoint. She chose a bear, and even ended up with a matching princess gown!
When his turn came, Grandson #2 also chose a dog, but was more interested in the corn dog he had for lunch *lol*
Grandson #3 also chose a dog. No, they’re not all brothers! But they do all appreciate a good dog!
And last, but far from least, Granddaughter #2 chose… not a bear… not a dog… but a cat!
So, nine years after the tradition began, it ended. But to this day I have fond memories of the kidlets’ Build-A-Bear birthdays, and the critters they chose to create!
