Monday, August 06, 2007

Next Year: Nunchucks and Fireworks

My nephew's eighth birthday was a few weeks ago. H was going to visit his brother (the nephew's dad) the weekend before the nephew's birthday, so H said he would stop on the way and pick up a birthday present. This seemed like a good idea.

The next week, I got a call from my brother-in-law. H had bought our nephew a video game, which I already knew about. What H had failed to mention was that the video game in question was Resident Evil 4. My brother-in-law hadn't really paid any attention to the video game until my nephew started playing it and my brother-in-law noticed that the point of the game was to kill people. With chainsaws.

"H!" I said. "I can't believe you thought Resident Evil 4 was an ok game to give an eight-year-old!"

H laughed. "I just remembered it being a cool game. I didn't think about the killing. And the chainsaws. And the cursing."

As you may have guessed, the nephew LOVED the game and thought H was super cool for giving it to him. My brother-in-law and his wife looked like the mean ones for not letting him play with the game.

Note to self: The status of best aunt and uncle has been retained. Also, do not let H buy presents by himself ever again.

P.S. We exchanged Resident Evil 4 for a Lego Star Wars video game. It seemed to go over well with parents and nephew alike.

11 comments:

3carnations said...

Yes, a Lego game definitely seems more appropriate. I'm surprised the store let you return it...I thought once you opened those things you were out of luck.

KM said...

At least you could exchange it and keep your best aunt/uncle status!

We had the reverse problem once--D and BIL#1 bought their neice a 3-6 month baby toy, only she was 2!! Oops.

Stefanie said...

I didn't think you could exchange something once opened, either, which begs the question... does "exchange" actually mean you bought a new video game for the nephew and you and H are now the proud owners of Resident Evil 4?

-R- said...

Stefanie is correct. I meant we exchanged games with the parents. H is going to sell a bunch of games back to the store soon, so RE 4 may be one of those.

L Sass said...

Being Best Uncle & Aunt ever is the greatest! We are fortunate that AS's brother and sister-in-law are super strict, no-fun parents... so basically anything we do for his niece and nephews is exciting and new!

Anonymous said...

My grandmother is famous for giving gifts that are completely inappropriate for the recipient's age.

On year, she gave my brother a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare, because "he likes to read". He was 4 at the time.

When I was 12, she gave me a Kermit the Frog stuffed animal... then the next year she gave me another Kermit the Frog. Except, this one was plastic. And it squeaked. Yes. She gave me DOG TOY.

Noelle said...

I saw an ad for a final fantasy game over the weekend, and I'm pretty sure the ad was porn. Bad porn. I'm kind of okay with the fact that I'm out of the video game loop these days, although I wish that there had been a lego game when I was a kid

AuntieAnn said...

When my DD was about 8, my dad gave her a book of Tolstoy's short stories, I suppose on the same theory used by One Smart Cookie's grandmother. I read a couple of them, and someone dies a bleak death in each one. DD has never cracked it open, partly because I haven't given it back to her yet.

Whiskeymarie said...

If it's any consolation, my husband is obsessed with the Lego game- I guess it's fun, or something.

Anonymous said...

Hee!! As I seem to recall telling you, your day is coming!! Yes, and when you have wee ones of your own, all this aunt and uncle frivolity comes back to bite you.

Yes, my Dear; I AM the voice of experience, and I am SO paying now for all the stuff I gave my nephews before I had Bethany.

Anonymous said...

Heh, C loves Resident Evil as well, but it makes me ill to watch him playing it.

The important thing is keeping the Best Aunt status. And the Lego Star Wars is way more fun, anyway. :)