Power to the people

I'd like to think of myself as a pretty empathetic guy. I have a well-traveled imagination and I like putting myself in the shoes of others so I can get a better read of their wants/needs/obligations. However, putting myself in the shoes of a turning-7-year-old girl is stretching things just a bit.

I don't really get her:

















but I love her dearly.






And it's her birthday today!

So, for the whopping two or so people that read this (but much appreciated you are!), I'm going to throw out some suggestions and leave it to vote. Or if all my ideas blow, well you can tell me that I'm a fool and I'll happily take any other suggestions.

She's a girl so I imagine that she likes things like stickers and glitter and unicorns? whatever... I'm going to basically go to toys r us and shovel a bunch of small things into the cart and then move on to...


Bucket 1: Activity orientated
She's really skinny for her age, but I want to be sure that she stays active. I loathe the idea of kids sitting on their a all day instead of being outdoors and roughhousing a bit.

Option 1: Field Hockey


Now, this may be more about me than her, but this looks like a ton of fun. Running around, developing her motor skills, get her into sports a bit more. Of course the thought of me firing a shot too hard at her or her flailing with the stick and accidentally widening the gap between my expectations of children in the future and a possible reality makes this a curious option.





Option 2: Trampoline


I know for a fact that she wants this. She was supposed to get one for Christmas, but my brother procrastinated a little too long and they were sold out throughout the state. How secure can that net be? The horrors of what could go wrong for her and her friends is strong with this one.






Option 3: Softball equipment


Baseball/softball is a great game. You can always play catch. If she was into it she could conceivably play all through high school....








Then again, I kinda had a thing for a few of the girls on my high school softball team... and I definitely want her to stay away from guys like me... so that might be out.

Bucket 2: Educational - Gotta be done.



(a photo for my lady friends)


Is the first Twilight book pretty racy?? She loves the first two movies. Eh, even if it's not, I'm not sure I can push her towards the vampire phase she's surely going to hit.







There has to be another book series out there for young girls... ideas?



The Princess Bride is one of my favorite books when I was growing up, and the movie is fantastic.

I've been waiting for her attention span to increase and I think she's at the point where she'll follow a long story. I'm going to give her my copy and I'll go over to see her once a week and read it to her when she goes to sleep. There's only a few more years left that she'll still let me do that, so I should take advantage of it.



Bucket 3: Entertainment

Option 1:




She's my blood so she's really into herself... Absolutely loves to dance and sing, so a Karaoke game for my brother's Xbox?










Option 2:


Or I can coordinate with my brother and get her a Wii plus a Band hero game which would let her and her friends play music together... AND...









a kinda creepy Taylor Swift is in Band Hero (but she's a little interesting looking in real life, isn't she??) which, when she discovers this, will make me the best person in her life for at least a 3 minute span.

(that hand up/out thing is a go-to move for the female singers, huh?)








Any additional ideas? Am I close? Totally off?

Oh, Taylor Lautner, if only your abs could speak and show me the way to this young girl's happiness.