Away

I drove down to see my sister and the kiddos this past weekend, yes, for a visit, but for more than that. Things have been rather heavy of late and I have been taking opportunities to leave my to-do lists and other domestic responsibilities behind. Literally and figuratively, I needed to get away. There was some soccer game watching, pool time, play time and game time. I am switching jobs and am very excited for this change. I'm ready for a new set of challenges and want to work towards putting my mark on something different and quasi yet-to-be-determined. I won't be taking my traditional time off in August, but I'll settle for some additional weekend getaways. Breathe deeply, be excited for what's to come, and enjoy the fleeting days of summer.

Out of touch with america's youth

So, a few days ago I was at Target trying to find a little nugget to send to my nieces for their birthdays. I have come to the conclusion that 1) I'm proabably not the "cool" aunt and perhaps haven't been for some time and 2) the reason I am not cool is I don't have a clue about the pulse of 3-12 year-olds. It's too young for gift cards, right? Because I completely get that once you're in junior high/high school you wouldn't be caught dead in anything that a relative over the age of 20 would buy you. So I'm in the checkout line at Target and I ask a young girl if she would like (insert gift) if she were 10. I think I totally freaked her out because I'm of course a stranger; if I had kids and some random lady started talking to them, I would be freaked out. She replied with a meek "I guess," which left me uncertain. Does your older-but-clueless auntie get a gold star because she meant well but had no clue, aka her heart was in the right place?