Oct
08
UPDATE: Hugely Pregnant and Adorable Mary just called me from her hospital bed in TX. She’s 5 cm. dilated and waiting for her epidural. We chatted and laughed and prayed, then I sent her on her Mary way to push baby Jake into the Big Wide World. Love you, Mary! Baby Jake update in the morn!
My hugely pregnant friend Mary (is it okay if I call you that, Mare?) wrote a post last week that struck a chord deep, deep within me. She asserted that people with October birthdays have been hoodwinked, bamboozled, shafted.
Just look at the calendar hanging on your wall. Provided you remembered to flip the page a week ago, more likely than not, you’re staring at a hideous picture of goblins or jack-o-lanterns (or a puppy dressed as a witch).
Mary (who turns 26 on the 10th) is married to Seth (who is just four days her junior), and they’re expecting baby Jake sometime before Hideous Calendar Page Month comes to an end.
That poor family.
As a girl who was born on Halloween, I told Miss Mary she had nothin’ on me. And it only gets worse with age. As my birthday nears, my darling children aren’t plotting sweet surprises for their mama’s special day so much as they’re plotting how many different Beggars’ Nights they can go to in one week.
Call me the Trick-or-Treat Martyr.
I’m thinking from now on, all October calendar pages should be adorned with something like this.
I don’t know who to petition about this injustice, but I’m not just going to lie down and take it.
Okay, so maybe I am.
Anyway. I’m curious.
1. What’s your Birthday Month?
2. And where do you think it ranks among the other 11 as far as Cool Calendar Pages go? (1 being the awesomest, 12 the lamest)?
3. And why?
I’m a January baby, specifically the 11th, and that’s too close to Christmas. I was always jealous of summer birthdays because their gifts are spread out in the year (like my husband in July). Then, in high school, my birthday was always during exam week and easily forgotten. I went to a small school where they read birthdays during morning PA announcements… except during exam week!
I don’t understand the complaints about calendar pages though. I mean, aren’t you in control of which calendar you buy? I am very much enjoying my October image of a beautiful flowering tree in the middle of a typical Brooklyn backyard (reminds me of the wonderful book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn). And I love Mel’s idea about DIY photo calendars!
I do believe that kids born in December get the worst shaft. They never get as many presents because it’s so close to Christmas, but I do think that my birthday in August is pretty rotten. I don’t know about what the calendar picture would be because Dad always had up a tractor calendar, but for timing, it has to be an 11. My birthday is the 28th, so it was always just before or just after the first day of school, which was too soon in the year to be bringing cupcakes. I never had a fun birthday party, because they just included cousins and neighbors, or kids of my mom’s friends. August kids get ripped!
June is my birth month, so there is always a pretty summer picture on the calendar! However, I have a “Friendly Kritters Inspirational Calendar” which is give to us McGill girls every Christmas by our wonderful Mother-in-law/grandma. This calendar is chock-full of really cute drawings by Tom Allen, with whimsical animals every month, and a great scripture verse each month too! I love these calendars and the giver! It has become quite a tradition for us. This month is a picture of a cat, and two dogs playing in beautiful fall leaves. The scripture? Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
I have a November Birthday.
November is the best month of the year. Pumpkin Pie. Apple Cider. Corn Mazes. Orange, Red and Yellow Leaves. Crisp, cool air. Jackets and scarves. Thanksgiving. Time with Family. Anticipating Christmas.
Need I say more?
I was born Sept. 12 and I give it a 12 of lame – though I have calandars that have nature on them too…but still…eh september is when school starts, fall starts.
February 16th. Tacky red and pink hearts and cheap chocolates. But you know, I kind of love my birthday month despite all the hideous decorations. Valentines Day, my birthday, Presidents Day… It sort of makes my b-day seem like a national holiday. But right now February sounds really, really depressing. :/
It occurred to me while reading your blog today that I haven’t bought an old-fashioned picture calendar in several years. I have become entirely dependent on Outlook, and on the rare occassions where I need to put a calendar on the wall for family purusal (for those busy weeks or months when there’s just too much going on), I print out that month from Outlook.
My advice to you, Marla, since you have some many great pictures, is to take them to Staples (or Walmart or wherever you prefer) and have them print you your very own custom calendar for next year. And while you’re at it, print some extras so give out to family and friends at Christmas. Then you can choose what goes on October and make it your favorite picture!
I’m a June baby and I have to say, I think we June-ers are pretty much Top Five in calendar pages. Roses, pastoral picnics, strawberries . . . all of these are quite common for those born under that (mostly) Gemini sign! In fact, all four of us have pretty good calendar months (we’ve got January, August, and September, too).
Fun post! I’ve never, ever thought about that before. I need to grow in my calendar page compassion.
My birthday is in November, which I love, so I give it a #1. It’s in the fall, my favorite season, and it’s far enough away from Thanksgiving that I don’t have to share my special day with a holiday. When we were trying to get pregnant with Jake, I calculated and if I got pregnant in January, my due date would have been October 31st. So we waited a month and he was born on November 20th! My g’ma’s birthday was October 30, but most of us think it was actually October 31st and she changed it so it wasn’t on Halloween. We never knew her true birthday. Just an idea:)
I’ve been thinking about you a ton! I’m clearly behind on all things computer-related, but you’re at the top of my list to re-connect with. Love you! Can you believe it’s been 6 months since you were here?!
My birthday is in August. When I was in school I was always a little sad that I didn’t get to have the “birthday celebration” in class like everyone else. When I became a teacher, I took all the summer birthdays and we assigned a day during the school year to celebrate their birthday. I don’t mind it now so much. I am a single mom of three and they usually forget that it is my birthday until half way through the day! So I have kind of given up on celebrating it! Which is fine with me…as I scoot over the fourty yard line!
I think that creating your own calendar with pictures of your family would be a great fight back tool to those lame commercial calendars.
I have a September birthday and love it! It had cooled down a little but still warm enough to have an outdoor party. There is also a tradition in my family to take a birthday horse ride. September works well because the weather is nice and hunting season does not start until later.
Not sure that I’ve ever commented on your site, but I just had to say having a birthday in Dec. (2) STINKS. Okay, I’m over it.
My family has always done well with recognizing my birthday, but as I’ve gotten older (I’ll be 30 this year — gasp!) I have gotten the occasional Christmas dish towel… Then to make matters worse my husband’s birthday is Dec. 27, we got married Dec. 28 and have a little boy who will be 1 Dec. 16. In defense of getting married in Dec. it was between semesters in school and we had waited long enough! Thankfully our daughter’s birthday is in April, which has to be close to the perfect birthday month!
P.S. LOVED your book Changing the World One Diaper at a Time Needed it badly at the moment! God bless!
answering your questions wouldn’t be that exciting. BUT i have always felt bad for my sister and her December birthday…I mean how do you compete with our Savior’s birthday?? and my husband’s grandmother’s birthday is 9/11, I feel bad for her… I mean are you allowed to celebrate?
I’m a September kid. I love the birthstone (sapphire). Sometimes my birthday falls on Labor Day, which is fine by me because that just means I get a day off work to celebrate!
One really cool thing about my birthday is my mom had to have an emergency c-section with me and I was born at 11:59 PM. The doctor asked my mom which day she wanted my birthday to be on.
I also know a set of twins with different birthdays because a similar thing happened. Their mom had to have an emergency c-section and one was born at 11:53 PM and the other born at 12:08 AM the next morning.
My birth month is December. It’s a given that my calendar page will have something to do with Christmas. I love Christmas. It makes for a happy, pretty, festive page, but it’s always Christmas. So I’d rate it high for aesthetic beauty but low for originality.
Do nature or animal calendars have ugly October pages? How about a nice Marjolein Bastin calendar?
My birthday is in January (so is Savannah’s). I always thought January birthday’s were bad because everyone has just celebrated Christmas and little thought goes to your birthday. But now that I’m a parent and older birthday’s just aren’t the same as they were when I was little. Savannah’s birthday is 5 days before mine…so her birthday will always overshadow mine. Which is fine because like I said, now that I’m older it seems like just another day
December, ug:( In fact 3 of us have Dec. birthdays, more ug:(
Have always said I changed it myself to the 4th of July, and like it so much better:) Of course my siblings are sweet enough that they now recognize both of them. Think they feel sorry for me (ha), being a middle child and having a late December birthday just isn’t fair, right??!!
Blessings today and always,
Kaye
Matthew 21:22
I am an April baby! I like my birthday month, I would say it is around a 12. (Only because it is my month)
I think that every month has it’s good and bad points when it comes to calendar pages. However, in our house I usually make a big deal, all month long, about the person having the birthday that month. After all it is about celebrating their birth right?! We all count down to the person’s B-day! (10 days until your birthday! woohoo!) Then count down after too! (2 days past your b-day! Woohoo!)
22 Days Until your Birthday Marla!!! WooHoo!
My bday is November 30. November has it’s disadvantages already listed (UGLY birthstone!! I used the MARCH birthstone in my high school ring because it was just SO MUCH prettier) … and turkeys, pilgrims, etc are on the calendar page. Weather is transitioning between the “chill” of Fall & the “freeze your butt off” of winter.
My favorite thing about my bday is it’s the LAST DAY of the month which makes a lot of people remember !!
The calendar page/bday month is about #10 for me.
November…. the 4th to be exact… I think it ranks pretty high… the weather is normally very pleasant… it is in the middle of fall and who doesn’t love fall…. it has been on election day on occassion, but overall I think November is a 1 on the scale! Which is why I got married in November too. It is flat out my favorite month of the year!