11.27.2007

how many times do I have to say it... they are SEPARATE holidays

The hubs doesn't mess up much, but he blew it the other day. Big time. We were driving to Thanksgiving dinner, discussing the upcoming holiday season, and ideating about gifts for our friends and family. Then, he dropped the bomb. He dared utter, "So, what do you want for your birthday/Christmas?" Yes, he said birthday slash Christmas. The road got hazy in front of me, I turned my venomous eyes toward him (endangering other lives on the road) and seethed, "WHAT did you just say? Did you say birthday SLASH Christmas like they are ONE?"

Before I launch into the rant I delivered to him, I feel like I should preface it with the fact that my birthday is January 7th. A mere 12 days separate my special day from the colossal holiday. Yes, I have always been snotty about it being near Christmas. Yes, I realize I am a full grown adult acting like a whiny five year old (but you can’t ground me, nah nahnahnahpoopoo). Yes, I used to accuse my parents of holding back some of my Christmas presents for my birthday (I can’t believe they ever gave me ANY presents after that one). Yes, my sister is rolling her eyes right now about my constant complaining that my birthday is right after Christmas (she has a lovely birthday in August – birthday parties outside, on picnic tables, with balloons flying free against a beautiful blue sky). Yes, I do appreciate that my mother did her damndest to get my birthday as far away from December 25th as humanly possible (thanks mom) – 12 days is better than 2 – or none!

Now that you are all well informed about the facts (or, at least the dates in question), we can continue with my attack…
"How long have you known me? (Rhetorical – I couldn't possibly do math that quickly.) Have I not made myself clear that my birthday is NOT associated with Christmas? (I have.) Great, next you are going to just withhold some of my Christmas presents and use them for my birthday. (Even though it was horrible to accuse my parents of this, it somehow still didn't stop me from repurposing this accusation.) And while you’re at it, why don’t you just wrap it in Christmas paper, too? (The WORST! If you are out of birthday paper, just use newspaper – don’t wrap it in leftover Christmas paper.)" Harumph…

Okay, I’m off to do some growing up… May or may not happen by December 25th. Or my birthday. Which are SEPARATE. Sigh...

5 comments:

Suzanne said...

"Ideating?" I would have challenged you in Scrabble, but you would have won. Learn something new all the time. It reminds me of eating in Idaho. ID(eating). Anyways....

I have a stack of gifts for Abigail that have yet to be split up for birthday vs. Christmas, so now I feel bad.

nro said...

suzanne - you had me laughing that you are splitting abigail's gifts... you send her my way when she figures you out, and i will create a monster out of her...

ideating - i learned it from a commercial. :) see, you can get smarter by watching tv!

Alisa Hamilton said...

Um. I believe that ideating comes from an IBM commercial...ironic, isn't it?

nro said...

alisa - yes, it does come from an IBM commercial. i also am in love with their "buzzword bingo" commercials. they make me laugh because they are funny, and because they are the exact experiences I had there. sweet, sweet irony.

Anonymous said...

Nikki, I can totally identify with your feelings. Not only is my birthday just 3 days before Christmas, but it is also on my brother's birthday! (just what a 14 yr old boy wants for his birthday is a baby sister!) Our parents always tried to make the birthday separate from Christmas, but sometimes presents did blur. I too long for a summer birthday. A birthday where you aren't already sickened out on sweets. A birthday where you a guaranteed a birthday candle. A birthday NOT on the shortest day of the year - that used to really bum me out as a kid.