Guilt?

My Daughter's 11th birthday is next week.  Over the past few days she has started rattling off things she wants for her birthday.  Yet, as so often happens, as soon as she is asked by someone what it is she wants, she inevitably cannot remember anything.  Finally she said, "I need to make a list!"  She is my list maker.  My maker of lists.  Always lists with that child.  She is the one who develops my grocery lists, keeps track of them and always checks them off.  She keeps me organized, or at the very least she tries really hard.

Pad in one hand, pencil in the other, she wondered off to compose her list.  She was gone a while, then would pop back up saying things such as, "Do you remember yesterday at the store?  I said I wanted .... what exactly?"  Then she would flutter off to write whatever it was on her list.  It took a while but she managed.  Finally, it was time for the "Big Reveal."

"Okay," she said, "here it is." (she cleared her throat her for affect.) " First I want to say, I have divided my list into 2 categories: Things I want.  & Things I want that I know I'll never be allowed to have.

She is either very good at making realistic lists or very, very good at mommy guilt.