Evil Genius

Among the "why didn't I think of that" ideas in the world, Build A Bear ranks right there at the top. You pick out a stuffed animal shell, put a heart in it with all your little kid wishes and love, stuff the thing by putting a large tube in its backside (which was traumatic for the little ones to watch), give it a fake bath and then, when you can choose from 3 million or so accessories for your new friend, the fun really starts. Your animal gets a birth certificate, and the company gets your mailing address, so the fun can begin anew every time you dare to set foot into your local mall.

So my little darling chose this place for her recent celebration of turning 6. I won't go into the discussion of our birthday parties back in the day. Cake, ice cream, pin some body part on some animal, open presents and go home. But this is what she wanted (why not? she's already been a guest at 2 parties here) and this is what she got. I have to say it was adorable. 7 or so little girls, most of whom hadn't seen each other since school got out. A couple of 3 year olds and a funny 6 year old boy rounded out the cuteness quotient. These kids got so serious about picking out just the right animal and making sure to accessorize properly, all while staying within their spending limit. There were lots of hugs going around and pretty soon quiet but happy Julia was giggling along with the rest of them.

The brilliant evil minds at B.A.B. figured out that there was no money to be made by serving bad pizza and sticky juice, so no facilities for food. Off we traipsed to our mall's McDonald's, where we served Happy Meals and birthday cake (fat, salt, and sugar: all the food groups were covered). More giggling and highjinks ensued and soon enough, the party was over. Everyone was so happy: the guests got these amazing super-sized party favors, each in its own special little house; the birthday girl got exactly what she wanted (even though we offered to have lunch at Johnny Rocket's, she insisted on McD's (barf) and she got that too); Mom didn't have to have the party at home and do much other than send out invitations and show up with cake. And even though he was a few hundred dollars lighter in the pocket, Dad was beyond happy because this crazy party was even less expensive than last year's crazy bash. Why, oh why, didn't I think of this?