As you might well imagine from my loud sense of self-entitlement, I am an only child. However, I have two adorable twin cousins named Aunna and Lilly, who are about to turn 12, and who have rather been adopted as surrogate sisters by myself. I do all the sorts of things expected of big brothers, including regularly threatening to lock them in the basement for misbehaving, throwing them in the garbage can and beating the crap out of the pervy little pre-pubescent punk down the street who dared suggest they play 'doctor.'

Their birthday is coming up and I've been giving some thought as to what to give them. They both like horses and have liked them for years, but I'm sick to death of giving them horsey-paraphenelia. I thought of giving them a gift that was horse-related, like heroin, in the hopes of expanding their interests. But my obnoxious aunt stamped down on that idea pretty hard, although Lilly — due to having to give herself a shot every day for an endocrinological disorder — is already a pretty mean hand with a syringe.

Lacking ideas, I decided that I may as well just fling aside their own interests with the contempt that the ideas, obsessions and passions of little children deserve. Instead, I will use this opportunity to buy them something that I really like... which is video games!

So I'm going to buy them two DS Lites: a pink and a white one, I think, although Aunna is probably going to go goth any day now. But as far as games are concerned, I'm stymied, and could use some input.

I want to buy them two games each. I thought maybe both would get a copy of Nintendogs, which seems like a safe bet. I'd like to buy each of them, then, a separate game, so they could trade. Animal Crossing seemed like a good bet, but outside of that, I have no ideas. Anyone have any suggestions for DS games for little girls? I want them to be good games with a lot of replay value, not just the standard bullshit regurgitated on the system to appeal to girls.

Danke, my little poppets. Florian Eckhardt