What {NOT} to get your 10-year-old for her birthday

So, I learned a very important lesson this last week as we begin the steady approach to a couple of our daughters encroaching on teenagerdom. 

It was Alicia's 10th birthday last Saturday. 

I know she doesn't look uber excited here, but trust me when I say, she was counting down the days to her birthday.

Now begins the story of my complete lack of knowledge when it comes to CD buying, this coming from the gal who didn't even know who Michael Jackson was when I was the ripe-old age of 12 in 1988.  I had a lot of catching up to do in Junior High, believe me.

In fact, most of our CD collection comes from John, who knows every artist out there, what genre they sing, and always knows exactly what to buy at the music store.  I usually just go along for the ride and enjoy whatever album he picks up, and then think - oh, that's who sings that song.

You see, I am one of those that just happily listens to what's on the radio with nary a clue as to who is singing, though in this case, when Alicia mentioned awhile back that she liked Katy Perry, I excitedly thought, "Yes!  I know that one!  She sings the firework song, or something like that, but yes, I am familiar with her, and that would be a great CD to buy as one of Alicia's birthday gifts."

eh-hem.  Give me a chance to explain, oh you readers that know exactly where this is going.  I had no clue what her other songs were.  Really...I didn't.  It wasn't until I had the CD sitting on our dresser that I noticed the 2-part imagery on the front of the case that shows her scantily-clad lying on a bed.  (that wasn't the picture I saw at the store - it's one of those illusion pictures that you get when you move it slightly, you see a second picture - not sure what the exact term is for that, but you get the idea) - at which point, I began to go...hmm, this may not have been a good idea.

Enter John a few minutes later who noticed it sitting there too and asked me in a rather shocked voice, "You bought a Katy Perry CD for Alicia?"  I told him she's the gal who sings the famous firework song, and what's wrong with that?  He informed me that the firework song was indeed, a decent song, but shouldn't I take a moment to hear the lyrics to some of her other songs?

He began giving me a run-down of the lyrics for the other songs listed on the CD, and to my chagrin, EIGHT of the ten songs had inappropriate words and/or topics.  Cryminy!!  Then when he set the CD back down, he noticed the small black box in the lower corner (the black box I obviously failed to notice in my rush at the store) that says, Parents Advisory:  Explicit Content.

By this point, John and I were rolling in laughter at the gift I had thought would be appropriate for our 10-year-old (and admittedly, laughing at some of the explicit songs - I could not believe how painfully explicit some of them were - and again, just laughing at how much I don't clue into in the music world).  I will most certainly be getting her a different CD, and will be consulting the music pro around here before investing in any other CDs for the girls.

To be honest, I am still chuckling over my blunder.  I may have musical talents, but knowing anything about the music industry is not my forte.  Thankfully Alicia has a new bike she is riding around the block while she waits for me to replace her CD with a more appropriate one, I'm thinking something along the lines of Kids Bop.