Being crap with dates

Monday was the one month anniversay of starting my blog and I missed it.

Oops.

I mean, I could have gone and bought something celebratory couldn't I? A nice top to congratulate myself on being out there and interesting (to myself at least), baring my soul to the world for a whole month ...A pair of pants for designing quite a styley blog which is eye catching but not too busy (again, in my own humble opinion) ...the possibilities are endless. I don't think it's really the same (ie. successfully explaining to the husband the reason behind the 'celebration' when the VISA bill has reached astounding new heights this month ...probably courtesy of all the other celebrating that has been going on) if you do it retrospectively.

I don't know why I am so crap with dates. To be a bit sexist for a moment, aren't girls supposed to be good at that sort of thing? I suppose what I should do is note the dates in my diary once and for all (instead of relying on my own dysfunctional memory), and then transfer them on an annual basis from one diary to the next. It would eliminate so many panic attacks. Birthdays, anniversaries, you name it. I always think 'I'll do it later' and for whatever reason, I actually believe that in a week or two, next month or next year, I will remember, and I'll get it right. Perhaps I revel too much in the sense of satisfaction when I do actually get one right (maybe there is a deeper psychological issue at play here, but that's too much to think about at this hour of the morning...).

For example, my favourite set of twins in the world were born either on January 19 or January 17 (I think... Bugger. The more I look at those two dates, I'm starting to wonder). Right now, I can't remember which, but I do know that I got the date right this year for the first time in ...10 years? Thereabouts anyway.

My parents' wedding anniversary is at the end of this month. It's either the 28th or 29th of March (I'm certain that the date is in the twenties, and these two are the only ones that seem to ring right) ...so I usually send them a gift in the last week of March to cover my bases. Or, I ring Dad and ask what the date is again (most years), so that I can ring Mum and say 'Happy Anniversary!' and she thinks I've remembered. Well, I sort of did.

My youngest brother's birthday is 10th February. I know I definitely have this one right, for at least the next year, because he's crap with dates too, and so set his next-February wedding date for his birthday so he wouldn't forget. Having two things on the same day helps the date stick.

My mother and law's birthday is on the 5th or 6th of November, and my sister-in-law's birthday is on the 5th or 6th of May (I think). That's just evil to someone who is crap with dates. I'm pretty sure that one is on one date and one is on the other (as in MIL is 6th November and SIL is 5th May, or it's 5th November and 6th May. One of the two), and I get them around the wrong way every. single. year. Again with the bi-annual (one for each birthday) sneaky phone call to someone who can provide confirmation.

I got married at labour weekend thinking that this would help me remember my wedding anniversary. It does help me remember the general time of year, so kudos to me ...just not the exact date. It would probably be slightly more special if I didn't remember after that fact (eg. on 22nd October that my anniversary was two days earlier), but you get that on the big jobs. And before you think that I am an unsentimental freak, AL isn't much better, and we think we're quite clever getting the general time of year right when we lost the wedding photos somewhere around our second anniversary.

I completely forgot one brother and sister in law's anniversary in February, and I'm not entirely sure I ever actually knew the other brother and sister in law's wedding date (they eloped, saved on wedding drama, kudos to them).

Thankfully, my first niece was born two days before my birthday, so that one sticks. 15th April. Any subsequent nieces and nephews hopefully will be so considerate as to pick dates that will ring bells when they're approaching.

I remember my own birthday because of the influx of presents, and a really good excuse to go and get my hair done or something (and if all else fails, I just have to remember that it's two days after my niece's). I think I've only forgotten it once, and that was years ago. And it's not as bad as it sounds, I didn't completely forget ...I remembered when I got the 'It was a stinking hot day and they were painting the outside of the hospital so all the windows were closed' phone call from my Mum. And something about cheerios. Or perhaps the cheerios is one of my brothers' phone calls?

So, I probably shouldn't be surprised that I missed celebrating the first month of my blog being up and running. Maybe I should write the anniversary in my diary, so at least I don't miss the first year ...?

There's a good idea. Smart. Forward thinking.

I'll do it later.

I will.