School Supplies!

Is it me or have the lists for school supplies gotten completely ridiculous??? We took Cortlyn last weekend to Walmart for the annual school supply buy, we find her list...at first glance, not to bad. Then I start to look for things on the list and I realize how absurd this list is....being brand specific on things like yellow pencils! Excuse me! What does Eagle Brand #2 yellow pencils have over Papermate??? By the end of the trip I was completely peeved off, by the list and by the fact that IF schools are going to be so "Brand Specific" lets at least make sure that our local stores carry them!
After we got home with half our list bought, I realized that many of the supplies on the list are merely there just to stock the classroom (which let me add I fault government budgeting, not teachers) so my rage continued. So $25 buck later...that's just half the list...I'm mad, frustrated, and annoyed and then I see the kicker, at the bottom of the list there is this small but poignant statement, "Your child's teacher will send home a list of additional supplies when school begins." Oh I'll bet on it!