Birthday Wishes

Several times a year I am asked by relatives, and therefore have to ask my kids, what they want for their birthdays. I am thankful that they don't give answers like, "An iPad."  They know better than that, because then, without a doubt, they will be forced to suffer through a mini-lecture on iPads and children, and being grateful for what they have, and some kids would be happy to have a meal made from the layer of cast-off crumbs that we find under the kitchen table every night after dinner.  So they would never ask for an iPad. Or anything like that. Especially since they know the passwords to ours, and in the wee hours of the morning, when we are weak-willed and sleepy, they already use this to their advantage.

Instead, my kids come up with these great, imaginative, if not slightly depressing birthday wish lists. Allison turned 6 last year, and asked for the following items: 

• a blue lampshade (because she just got tired of her purple one)
• art supplies (because the twins get into her markers, etc., and mess everything up)
• a new swimsuit (many of her swimsuits are hand-me downs and well-worn by now)
• eczema cream (she's almost out)
• a birthday hug (she never gets enough hugs)

Michael turned double digits.  He asked for:

• a pork pie hat (because he already has a fedora)
• book 3 from the Eragon series (he has books 1, 2, and 4)
• a lock for his bedroom door (the twins keep getting in to his room and messing everything up)
• a birthday hug (because Allison got birthday hugs)

I'm sure this will all change once they become tweens and teens, or when we decide to upgrade to the next version and suddenly have an older iPad just sitting around.  I imagine their sense of entitlement will deepen, and they see the other kids at school with all of their iToys, but we will still fight it. In the meantime, I am happy for them to get their new lampshade, pork pie hat, and of course, plenty of hugs.