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Against his better judgement, Santa gave both of my kids a Nintendo DS for Christmas. He really struggled with this decision because Wixi is only 4 years-old – maybe he would enjoy a Leapster more than a DS? Trouble is, if 7 year-old Mimi were to get the DS, Wixi might think the Leapster too babyish. Santa consulted the elves, who all agreed that the Leapster was a better match for the 4 year-old, but that’s really irrelevant because he will want whatever his sister has, even if it’s just a big pile of reindeer poop. IT’S ONLY FAIR. Elves are nothing if not fair, did you know that?
Both kids love the DS, but as Santa feared, Wixi is having a hard time with the games. What I need now are suggestions. I need ideas for games that Wixi would like, but that are also APPROPRIATE. I think I’ll do a quick round-up and post them here just in case Santa stuck you in the same boat. If you have ideas to add, let me know and I’ll include them in my list (which I fear is going to be quite small)….
I never know what to get my niece and nephew for Christmas. Or their birthdays. They’re 13 and 14, so pretty much anything I think of is stupid. My sister-in-law is smart, so when she suggested we just get them gift cards for clothes, I did not argue. Mimi and I went straight to Abercrombie and Fitch. How did we know to go there? Because every article of clothing they’ve ever worn has had the A&F logo embroidered across the front or down the leg or OVER THE BUTT. No brainer.
We went to the counter and grabbed a couple of gift card holders. When I opened the holder to make sure the card was in there, I was shocked (SHOCKED I tell you) to find a picture of a naked boy staring me in the face. His abnormally defined abs were sticking out and pointing down to his nether regions that were just barely cropped out of the photo. I don’t know WHY I was shocked, considering that I had to shield Mimi’s eyes from this boy’s gigantic naked cousin who greeted us at the entrance of the store, but I guess I thought that the A&F marketers would realize that ADULTS would be making the gift card purchase. The kids they’re targeting with their ads in general will spend 6 months worth of allowance on the shrunken hoody themselves, but they aren’t buying gift cards for their friends. It’s the old farts like me they should be catering to with their gift cards, no?
I asked the guy at the counter if he had any others with kids actually WEARING the clothes they’re trying to sell, and he looked at me like I might as well be 90 years old. I am not a prude, I said. I get it, I said. But, I cannot give this to my 14 year-old niece. I just can’t. He suggested that I go the the younger Abercrombie store down the hall to see what their gift cards look like. But these kids won’t fit in those clothes, I whined. He promised that the card could be used at either store, so I went to the younger one to check it out. Sure enough, these “baby” cards had a handsome young boy from the naked shoulders up, smiling at me with a look that I guess was supposed to convey pure innocence.
I’m ashamed to say that I bought the cards. I was desperate! They were coming that night for early Christmas! I want them to think of me as the COOL Auntie! Arghhh….
