Kids These Days....

It is an absolutely beautiful day today in Georgia.  Temps are in the 60s.  I slept with my windows open last night....and they have been open all day today too.

After school, the kids went outside to play. 

They played on the swingset, ran around in the woods, rode their bikes.

I went out after I got a few things done and sat on my porch swing.  Love that thing.

I noticed the kids had the neighbors little pup tent set up between our houses.  The tent was gyrating and moving around.  I envisioned them playing some sort of game of pretend in there and just being silly.

A few minutes into my porch sitting, V-girl starts heading towards home holding her eye and crying.

She came up and snuggled with me on the swing.  From her weeping and wailing, I got that she had been hit in the eye with a stick.

I asked how it had happened.  (You know, the usual 20 questions):

Did you swing it around and get yourself?

No.

Did someone else swing it around and hit you?

No.

Were you sword fighting?

No.

Did you step on one and it came up and hit you?

No.

You get the idea.....anyway, I pieced it together.....when she was getting into or out of the tent....(still couldn't understand her through the tears).....she went too close to the bush and got hit in the eye.

She then went on to say she was just trying to see the iPad.

"The iPad?"  I said.

"What do you mean, iPad?"  (Go ahead an imagine my tone of voice as incredulously as you would like.)

She went on to explain that they were in the tent watching shows on Netflix.

"What?"

So, I shouted to the remaining tent occupiers (2 of my kids and 2 neighbor kids) for confirmation that they were actually in a tent on a beautiful day like today.....watching t.v.  Yup....they were.

I told them to return the iPad to the rightful owners....(the neighbors/neighbor children).....and actually "play" outside.  V-girl dutifully explained that it was all S-girl's idea. 

I then explained to V-girl that you do not, under any circumstance that I can think of, watch t.v. in a tent. 

She said, "We were just trying to camp."

I told her camping does not involve iPads.  Camping is playing games, telling stories, singing songs, and having bonfires and eating camp food.

She exclaimed, "We were going to play games! On the iPad, when the show was over!"


Then I went on to explain that was NOT the kind of games I was talking about.



Can I shake my head and say,  "Kids these days!" without totally sounding like a curmudgeon???