December

It sucks to have a birthday in December. It really does. Besides getting your typical combo birthday/Christmas presents, the whole day is just overshadowed by Christmas. How dare Jesus's birthday be in the same month as mine.

Not only is Jesus's brithday in the same month, but so is my mother's birthday (December 10th), and my sister's (December 6th). How dare they! Mine is December 14th. So, growing up not only did I get combo Birthday/Christmas presents but I also had a combo birthday party with my sister. And what's worse is often friends didn't come anyway because their parents were making them go to some boring Christmas party at their work or something. At least that was what they told me. I remember when I was 10 my very best friend in the whole wide world didn't show to my party because her dad got her tickets to the Nutcracker. Humph. I would have run across the room on my toes if that's what she wanted.

My mom tried. She thought it would be fun to always get the Christmas decorations out on one of our birthdays. To make it sort of a tradition. And on another birthday we would make Christmas cookies. I guess she never really cared that her birthday was overshadowed, too, by Christmas.

When your birthday is 11 days before Christmas you also always end up with lots of sweaters and winter clothes, because you get them as gifts, but your summer wardrobe is a little lacking. At least that's the excuse I use for never being in style in the summer. Now that I'm a mom, though, I get my first summertime gift giving occassion this year with Mother's day. It better be good. (I wonder if my husband is still reading my blog?)

As adults my mom, sister, and I have made it a tradition to get together in the middle of our birthdays and go shopping. The problem is the malls are so crowded with holiday shoppers we can barely squeeze down the isle. This year we're going to go ahead and make the Christmas Cookies, too, if we can muster up the strength from fighting off old ladies in the perfume isle.

Then of course is New Years. But by the time we celebrate three birthdays and Christmas, forget New Years. We're going to bed at 9 p.m.

Now, please someone tell my WHY I got married on January 2nd? That screws another gift giving day for me and by then we're REALLY celebrated out from three birthdays, Christmas and New Years. We go to bed at 7 p.m. (Ok, Ok, on your anniversary going to bed at 7 p.m. IS celebrating).

You know, though, who I REALLY feel sorry for? My dad. After we spend December celebrating three birthdays, Christmas, New Years and our Anniversary on January 2nd, he has his birthday on January 9th. He is lucky to get a card.