This time next week will be my dreaded birthday. It's not a really significantly awful age or anything, it is just that my birthdays are traditionally so awful in and of themselves, pretty much ever since I became an adult ,(I think it has something to do with moving to the Northern hemisphere and it falling in deepest darkest winter), that it is now a day I actively dread every year. (Stay with me here people, you will be glad you did, this is not my usual whiny birthday post).
Now I loathe my birthday not because I do not have a dear, lovely husband who tries. Oh how he tries. Poor man. I'm sure my birthday conjures up all sorts of anxiety in his gentle heart. I have told the sweet man to please just pretend it is NOT my birthday but he is unable to do that, and if he ever were to manage that, I am sure that I would feel very sad. Somebody is sure to remember it after all, and I then would be reminded of it, and then it would just be lame that my husband was ignoring it. Even though he was told to. And I would be bitter and resentful rather then depressed and forlorn, which is my general b-day mood. Can you tell what a party it is being married to me? It's not that I don't want to be excited, I try I really do, for his sake, but every time he asks me what I want or what I want to do, I experience a faint wave of nausea and a swell of despair. I have never professed to be low-maintenance and issue-free.
So listen peeps, I think I have figured out the problem. It's not good for me to think about myself too much. Not that I am not ordinarily a complete narcissist. Hello, have you met my blog where I write about myself daily? There's just something about a day that is supposed to be all about me and me having a non-stop good time, that is just bound to put me in a bad mood. I think it is because life and the world as we know it, does not exactly revolve around my birthday and so when things that would be a mere annoyance on an ordinary day occur on my birthday, I take it as a personal affront from the universe. Soooo.. I've been thinking and today I thought to myself, SELF! What can we do to make this a less horrific day for us all? And Self replied. I know! I know! Why don't you make it not so much all about YOU??! Brilliant! No?
SO! Since it is indeed better to give then to receive, I have a plan. I will give a pretty little something (no, never you mind what it is, that is a birthday surprise, but rest assured that I am quite a good gift giver. Ok fine, I do not know but that is only because I will tailor the gift to the winner, I don't like to be all generic about these things,) ..where was I? Ok yes, I will give this lovely thing to the person who comes up with the best/most creative/most heartfelt and genuine/funny/makes me cry/or whatever...way to make their little slice of the world (or maybe someone else's slice far away) a little bit better on February 6, 2009. That gives you almost 7 days to think about it and prepare yourself. Here are the............druuuumroolllllll.........
Very Official Rules: (Cos every good contest has very official rules)
1. You must post your resolve on this website before that day.
2. On February 6th if you come back and report back on the follow-through before midnight, you might well be a lucky winner.
Although c',mon! You will be a winner either way! Super duper party not-pooper! I'm so excited! I just can't hide it! Do not let me down here people and be all lame and non-participatory. Can you imagine how bummed I would be about my birthday if that happened??! Can you EVEN IMAGINE???
Rest assured that you don't have to provide drinking water for sub-Saharan Africa at large. It can be as small as getting through a morning without snapping at your kids (this is considered a major feat in my world), or calling your granny if you don't do so regularly, or volunteering somewhere, or getting to the gym if you don't ordinarily (trust me, this improves your health and your sense of well-being and that totally improves the world around you). Be creative! Be genuine! Or whatever! Just do something positive that you would not do on the average day! So let's recap: as long as you can tell me how you think it will improve the world in some way (before Feb 6), and you follow through , and tell me about that too (on Feb 6), you are eligible to win and win big. Ok maybe not big, but pleasant. It will definitely be a pleasant win. Cool? YAY!!! I can't WAIT for my birthday now!
Those of you who follow anonymously, and have yet be introduced, this is the perfect time to reveal yourself. I am so excited to meet you. Those of you who are my friends (if you have ever commented here I consider you a soul mate) and you do not participate..so help me.....(*insert the scary, staring, quivery with rage face I do to my kids when they are misbehaving while I am on the phone, here.)
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Rest assured that you don't have to provide drinking water for sub-Saharan Africa at large. It can be as small as getting through a morning without snapping at your kids (this is considered a major feat in my world), or calling your granny if you don't do so regularly, or volunteering somewhere, or getting to the gym if you don't ordinarily (trust me, this improves your health and your sense of well-being and that totally improves the world around you). Be creative! Be genuine! Or whatever! Just do something positive that you would not do on the average day! So let's recap: as long as you can tell me how you think it will improve the world in some way (before Feb 6), and you follow through , and tell me about that too (on Feb 6), you are eligible to win and win big. Ok maybe not big, but pleasant. It will definitely be a pleasant win. Cool? YAY!!! I can't WAIT for my birthday now!
Those of you who follow anonymously, and have yet be introduced, this is the perfect time to reveal yourself. I am so excited to meet you. Those of you who are my friends (if you have ever commented here I consider you a soul mate) and you do not participate..so help me.....(*insert the scary, staring, quivery with rage face I do to my kids when they are misbehaving while I am on the phone, here.)
45 comments:
I know, I know. If I win, you come to SF to celebrate my birthday with me :) March 23rd, baby.
I guess, I'd have to come up with a kick-a resolve though, no?
I will have the most amazing suggestion ever.
Just you wait.
Well, this is a resolve I made to myself last month and intend to follow through in the next month. I have a friend, she is a single mother to a difficult and somewhat special child. Her mother has cancer. Her child's father is not in the picture, for all intents and purposes. My friend never takes the day off, her mother can't baby-sit (hardly at all, anyhow). My resolve is to try and lighten her load. I would do this once a week, if I could, but we live an hour and a half away. So I want to try and get to her place once every couple of months and visit. Not with her, but her son, and allow her time to shop, get her nails done, anything where she can be alone. She desperately needs it. Thank you for this post, it reminds me that I will need to force her to choose a date.
Tell you what - in honor of your birthday, I will not snap at BBJ on February 6. Umm...I'll ytu my best!
Oh the pressure the pressure. I want you to have the best b-day ever so I am going to think really hard and let you know what wonderful thing I will do on your special day.
All right. You better just feel the love with this one. On your birthday Feb. 6th I promise to...
* eat healthy alllll daaaay loooong (meaning no krispy kremes) and I might even eat some Kashi (gag)
* I've had my eye on a Zumba class at the YMCA for over a year. I have made excuse after excuse not to go. I WILL go for you.
* And I will find one nasty disorganized mess in my house and clean it, with before and after pictures.
Do you feel loved?
Jen: it's a deal. Make it good baby, make it GOOD. I want to come to SF in the worst way (second only to how much I want to see you of course.
Soxy: Intrigued, can't wait. But wait..suggestion? You can't just suggest something you have to DO something fella.
LOLO: May the force be with you. That's a good one.
Nyn: :) xo Can't wait to hear.
Missy: Holy crap, dude you may not survive to see next Saturday. But oh my YES I feel loved!!! I know you are combining 3 of your most detested things here: not eating donuts, exercising and cleaning. And I am deeply, DEEPLY touched.
PS: Go with the Kashi Go Lean Crunch, the high protein/fiber one might put you over the edge.
Tooj-didn't mean to leave you out. You are a good friend. I think that just knowing you care enough to even want to give her a real break will give her a lot of strength. Let us know!
Okay Kirsty, I think I am finally ready to share my resolve. It has taken me a long time to decide and this is what I have come up with: Before I can go out and change the world I need to make sure that my family and I are where we need to be first. Because of this, my resolve is to create a more loving atmosphere in my home (playing with my boys instead of being so caught up in everything, using a nicer tone of voice, making sure to show my love to my family . . .) I know this isn't a lot bit I think if I can accomplish it, it will help out a lot.
Oh crap...I misread.
I thought you wanted us to suggest something for YOU to do that would make life wonderful...
Since I have to do it, I will...
...make a Republican cry every day.
Hi Kirsty...I am going to finish purging my house and take everything worth recycling to the Goodwill. I will also finish up the newborn hat I'm doing right now (today) and will take the ones I've got done to the hospital to donate to the delivery unit before I have to provide lead-free statements for them. I will clean out my house and help someone else fill theirs up...how's that? I guess I can try to not yell at my kids that day, maybe even dh but I think that might be stretching myself a little too much! ;-)
hmmm.. Next Wednesday.. ok this is what I will do
I will get off my butt and go for my very first run.. not the kind of run where I run a few steps then walk, but an actual run. I've been wanting to do it, to start, but I've been lazy and frankly, a bit scared to try something I've never done. So for your birthday, I will run! Then, I will complain to you all day about how bad I hurt.. all the while, feeling accomplished and ego boosted, which in turn will put me in a great mood, therefore making me a smiling, happy, mommy to my four kiddos, which in turn will make THEM have the best Kirsty's birthday EVER! :)
Hmmm...does trying to keep two kids happily entertained for 12 hours in the car that day w/o losing my patience or raise my voice count? Seems pretty labor intensive to me.
Also, having a piece of chocolate in honor of my mom and you, of course. (Or maybe 33 pieces - depends how the drive is going.) :D
Steph
As your biggest and most adoring fan I resolve to read good books to our kiddies each night(or most nights) and I will put them to bed with a hug and kiss instead of a threat ;-).
Most important, I resolve to go to the gym most mornings so that I improve my health and general feeling of wellness. Love you sooo much - and wishing you a wonderul B-day.
I already had this planned, but I will enter it into your contest as if it just came to me.
I have a co-worker who had a total hysterectomy yesterday. Her husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had his bladder removed last week. He is scheduled to start radiation treatment next week. They have a 6-year-old son.
I am going to provide dinner for them on February 6th and maybe stick around to help with some chores around the house.
Great Idea Kirsty!!
I WILL have a positive attitude about my children starting skiing lessons and I will NOT roll my eyes at the whole misguided adventure. Promise.
For you on your birthday, I will rise before the rest of the family. I will enjoy a quiet moment to myself. I will resist complaining about the incessant winter weather. I will compliment 3 total strangers. I will not lose my mind with my children since dad is out of town again. AND I will not curse the school parking lot while collecting the girl child.
I'm in. Not sure what yet, but it'll come to me.
For your birthday I will be celebrating my Abigail's 11th birthday by taking the 3 of us out for breakfast as we are done too late in the day to have a nice dinner. Otherwise I will be doing what I do everyday at work....I encourage and show support to other people's kids for learning new gymnastics tricks and dance moves. I even cheer on kids whose mothers are in the building waiting for them, meaning kids not in my program.
In recognition of Go Red for Women (Wear Red Day) which happens to fall on Friday I plan to pass out red flowers--or perhaps dark chocolate red hearts to people that I work with. Just a fun reminder to us all to take care of our hearts.
I voluteered to work in Carson's classroom since there is a new
teacher who started this week after his teacehr had to leave due to health reasons. I also arranged to let my boys have the rare treat of friends sleeping over. It makes them super happy and me a little :crazy:
From: Carly
Just for you sweet Kirsty. I will buy a birthday gift in honor of you and give it to my sister. My sister is going through weekly rounds of chemo due to cancer and she has been staying with me for the last couple of weeks. Its bringing us much closer since we werent fortunate to be raised together. We have made a vow to get our butts in better shape and we are each others cheerleaders. Together we have been doing workout videos, weights and treadmill activity. She would like to bump up her treadmill time with some running/jogging. But she doesnt have the proper shoes that she feels comfortable enough to do that kinda of running. She is not very fortunate to have lots of money. So I would like to go out and get her a pair of running shoes as a birthday gift for you. Because I know how you love to run and I know this is something that you too would do for someone who is trying to better themselves (physically and emotionally and financially).
So Cheers to you, and may your birthday be as bright and special as you already are.
Huge Hugs, Stef
(i feel kinda bad cuz you will now know what your getting for your bday...I thought you liked surprises LOL)
I am going to celebrate LAME DUCK day which also happens to fall on Kirstys birthday ... oh and a shout out to Bob Marley, Babe Ruth and Ronald Reagan who also share the same birth day ... but not year LOL ... I am also going to appropriately acknowledge the LAME DUCK winner of the day which I believe should be Kirsty's childs school ... and their exceptional handling of testing ;)
For those of you that don't know what Lame Duck day is here ya go:
((( Disclaimer: Kirsty is NOT a Lame Duck ... but the holiday is real ... so I will be sure to make the world a better place by doing SOMETHING to right the wrongs of Lame Ducks across the world ... )))
When : Always February 6th
Hey, today is everything it's quacked up to be. Lame Duck Day is set aside to give recognition to people whose tenure in a position is running out.
Okay, so you are probably thinking that a "lame duck" is a duck with some sort of injury. If only that were the reason for toady! Rather, a "Lame Duck" by human, definition is a person who is in a position of some kind, and will soon be "shown the door". The best example is an incumbent politician who lost in the November elections. They usually remain in office until the beginning of January. It also applies to leaders, managers, etc, who are retiring or whose term of office is up.
During the interim period, a Lame Duck is usually far less effective, and frequently ineffective. After all, loyalties will soon shift. It's impossible to rally the troops to one more cause or project.
On Lame Duck Day...
If you are a Lame Duck: Enjoy those final days. Reflect upon you successes, and the joys and rewards the position provided to you. Kick back a little and have some fun today, and in the remaining days.
If you know a Lame Duck: Supporters should provide recognition and support. Non-supporters can cut the Lame Duck a little slack today. They will soon be gone.
If you are a duck and you are lame, seek medical attention.
Origin of Lame Duck Day:
On February 6, 1933, the 20th amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect. This amendment addressed presidential succession. Now there's a lame duck issue.
Perhaps I will write a letter to a local, political Lame Duck ... :)
Jo aka Thelma Jo
In honor of your birthday, along with my daily "do a good deed", I will pledge money and offer my time to our Jump Rope for Heart program which benefits the American Heart Association. In all honesty I was going to skip it this year (pardon the pun) but you have inspired me to join in.
In honor of your big day I will call a very old friend whom I have not spoken to in a long time. She lives near by and we worked together but have since moved on to other things (children, mostly). I don't know if she needs another (old) friend (I doubt it as she was always very social) but I do and besides, I need to tell her about my girl baby so we can laugh about how I'll handle it if she turns out to be a girly-girl.
I love that you are doing this and I truly hope it makes your birthday the best one ever! You are a very special person Kirsty Sayer!
We will be going to my small group study at my friend Judi's house and it is also her birthday tomorrow so we are bringing cake. I vow to make her go sit down while I take care of cleaning up her kitchen after dinner. :)
My neighbor has this awful disorder that requires she be on formula so she can get the nutrients she needs. she is in her first tri. o' pregnancy and even though she was sick as a dog before (with two kids under 3), now she is SICKER than a dog-- can't even take care of her family. She sent a mass email about writing to our state reps to ask them to vote that private insurances be required to cover the cost for this "formula" and i knew i should -- seriously thought about it, then when it became too hard to do and know exactly what to say -- i put it off. (you know when you put things off, sometimes . . .they don't happen) well, i'm going to write my Rep on your birthday. it may be confusing and frustrating, but it will be doing good for my neighbor and the other people of the world who have this disorder. Have a Happy Day!
I am going to the Community Center! Really I am. On your Birthday I am going to the CC for the first time since I paid for the memebership back in September to walk. It is in my planner, I have written it to you, I am going. I will walk at least once around the track and then find out what else I can do for myself.
I have clothes upon clothes upon clothes to get to variouse people. I will take the totes of clothes to these people and get them out of my very cluttered house. I have some things to take to Goodwill that are at the moment fire hazords. I WILL tak them to Goodwill.
I am making those brownies you talked about tonight. I will bring my favorite neighbor some on her Birthday (for this I should win hands down) and wish her a very happy birthday.
I might even get one surface cleaned in my house.
In honor of your birthday Kirsty, I will tackle the clutter on my kitchen table & counters.
In honor of your "make this birthday suck less than before" birthday I promise to put my family first tomorrow over blogging! When hubby calls and I'm right in the middle of reading someone's blog post, I will turn my eyes away from the computer and so nicely say, "hunny...what is it that I can do for you today?"
And when Blake comes and pulls on my arm sleeve for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at 2:00 pm because he is starving because he didn't eat his lunch at 12:00...I will turn to him and in the sweetest voice ever say, "hunny, its ok that you didn't eat at noon...I am happy to make you another sandwich at 2:00. Here come help me....you can lick the spoon." {even though I will be using a knife...knife just didn't rhyme...spoon went with noon.}
And tomorrow I will make the handmade Valentine card that I have planned to make for Dave {which I plan to do each year, but never follow through with and a store bought card is purchased last minute}. It is going to say, "I love you more than my blog...promise I do."
So in honor of your birthday and blogs {which is what has brought us all together}....I will put my family first tomorrow...over my blog and all the blogs I read! Oh and I will do something fantastic to make someone's day brighter besides my family...but I like working off of im promptu thoughts for that one. I will return and report! Happy Birthday Blogging Queen!
Firstly - whadya mean "at least SOMEBODY remembers my birthday" - I have never forgotten it EVER. After all it is burned in my memory forever as the day I finally got the sister that I prayed into existence !
In honour of your birthday I will sign up as a sponsor for Amanda de Lange's Starfish Foster Home in Xian China which has just expanded to include a special section for cleft palate babies.
As you know Amanda takes children from other orphanages who have spina bifida, heart problems and cleft palates, raises money for their surgery and then prepares their files for the Chinese Adoption Authority.
Not only does she help children who would probably not otherwise survive in the orphanages, but she also helps to create families. She's my new heroine.
Mommy
For your birthday tomorrow I am going to help Finny learn the letters of the alphabet. And I am going to clear my cereal bowl without being asked.
I love you! You are the best mommy in the whole world.
Love
Gabe
I am going to smile at every kid I walk by in the hallway at school and try to make friends with someone who doesn't have a lot of friends tomorrow.
You're the best mommy ever. Even though you are turning 33 you still look like a 25 year old and you've never had a kid.
Love
Beej
I am going to make lots of friends at school and be nice to my friends and be really kind to Michele when she babysits.
I love you very much so much I can't even handle it and you are the most beautiful mommy in the whole wide world.
I love you to the moon and back and the moon and back and the moon and back.
Finny
Tomorrow at school I will say hello to everybody that says Hi to me and smile and I will be good for mommy tomorrow cos you are the awesomest person in the world and you don't look like you are old even though you are.
And you are awesome.
Love Gracie
Just for you my favorite Pink Lady I will try my best not to make any children at Kenwood cry when I am volunteering at the library. I will also call the doctor and make my follow-up appointment even though I know they are probably going to do more heinously evil things to me. I will go out of my way to be pleasant and smile at people that look like they need a boost. It is amazing how much just getting a smile from a complete non-creepy stranger can make your day better (as long as they don't start stalking you). I will do my best to not banish any of my children to the dungeon for minor misdeeds or leave them out overnight in the freezing weather. Pink Ladies rock!
So sweet that your kids and hubby wrote! Awwww!
I wish for your birthday that I could give you a warm, sunny spring day, 3 hours (x4) of each of your kids being a baby again (on their best cuddly baby day... not a day when they screamed or puked or whatever, and with their nappies being magically changed at the appropriate times), a lovely run with the best music on your iPod and Balega socks and new running shoes on your feet, perfect poses on the first try for your family photos, Obama being re-elected every hour, spiritual peace, a clean house (but you get to steam mop your floors if you want), no laundry, a vase of fresh flowers that never wilt in every room, cookies that always turn out when you make them, and good health.
What I will give me instead, is being vegan for a day. But it helps the world too (for environmental and humane reasons).
And since it is already your birthday in both South Africa and Ohio, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope I'm not too late to enter... it's only 9:45 pm the day before your birthday here!
I have to tell you how cool I think this is! You're great! I'm going to make my Grandmother's day (hopefully) by calling to chat with her, a thing that she loves to do but most of her grandkids don't! I'm also going to write a much deserved thank you letter to someone who touched my life greatly. And I am also going to do research on a couple charities and pick one that I feel passionate about this year! And then I will donate to it. I've been meaning to do this and I'm grateful for the motivation to do it! Happy Birthday to you!
-Bethany
I have thought long and hard about this one. As you well know, we moved from SA when Gemma was only 3 months old. In this last year all my energy has gone into sorting out our new life and just adjusting. Gemma is now 18 months and with shock and horror and noticed last week that I don't have a single photo of her up in the house ANYWHERE. Don't get me wrong, it is not that I don't care to put some up, it is just that this year has unbelievably gone by too fast and I have realized that instead of just making my house a home I have preferred to moan about stuff I don't have or miss. What is one photo. It certainly doesn't take long to buy a frame and hang it up. And that is what I will do for your birthday. Put up a photo of my baby!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
OK...so I'm late, but I am still doing this for you, today. Today we are having a 'positive' today. We are starting it out by giving Lexi's bus driver a cup of hot chocolate. I will not think about, talk to, or deal with in any way...the people who bring negative into my life, and the lives of my kids.
Today is about having a positive attitude, dealing with people who warm our hearts.
Happy Birthday Kirsty!!
xoxoxoxo
Hapyy Birthday Kirsty! Leave it up to my Boy to make me have to change my plans. So for you Birthday I will be taking care of him! SORRY! I will still bring a treat!
Happy Birthday, Kirsty! I'm ridiculously late but in honor of your birthday I'm going to give my grandma a call. I haven't spoken to her since Christmas day. Far too long. :(
xoxo
Janet
Today in honor of the day of your birth I went to visit my friends. This may sound selfish and maybe in a way it is but let me tell you about them. My friend is 24. When she was 18 she was assigned as me to visit Teach. I was her first and only person to visit. We had such a wonderful time and built a great friend ship. One year into our friendship she was going to nursing school. She was on the way home when she was broadsided by someone who ran a red light. For five years now she has been a quadrapalecic (like Christopher Reeves). After her accident she was still my visiting teacher but i would go to her house for the lessons. I have since moved from the area that she lives in. I still try to make a visit every few months or so but time gets away and well...we know how busy life gets. I went today and visited her. She is able to get out of her house but the hour drive to see me and the fact that my home isn't condusive to a wheelchair makes it hard. We had a nice visit and I had a good lunch with her Mom, who is also a dear friend. I am glad that your birthday has been such a wonderful excuse to remember others I love in my life. Love you and hope it has been a wonderful day.
First, I want to wish you a Happy Birthday! I also wanted to thank you for the resolutions. I actually did it two days in a row and have learned so much about me as a mom and how much influence I have on the atmosphere in the home. Hopefully I can continue to try to keep the wonderful feeling that we've had in our home the past two days. Thanx!
I'm looking forward to reading how everyone's day turned out (including yours, K!).
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to commit to a trial run of being vegan... I've been thinking about it for a while, but was having trouble committing. Today, I was vegan for a day and learned that being vegan would take a bit more planning for meals than I'm used to, but it was quite doable. Normally on Friday night, since we're tired from the work week, J and I have pizza (frozen or take-and-bake from Costco). But, tonight I actually had to cook and found a lovely Red Beans and Rice recipe online. Much healthier than pizza, and really tasty! That recipe will be a keeper. I think I may start designating 2-3 days a week to be vegan now... work my way into it slowly (or maybe stop there, at part vegan, part vegetarian). Oh! I hadn't told J that I have been thinking about being vegan, because I don't think I could get him to go that way, but because I had to tell him about my plans today, now we've had a discussion about how things could work if I wanted to get more into it. So that opened up a line of communication :-)
I did pull some paper out of a garbage can and put it into the recycling bin at work today, and I also tidied around the dumpster in our apartment complex this morning. So those were my bonus "help the world" activities.
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