Uncle Michael Fills In: #4's Birthday

Somebody around here had a birthday not too long ago and nobody posted pictures of that blessed event (except me, on Facebook, so if you don't have Facebook, you missed it). So I'm here to do the job using the photos from Susan's camera. The Elusive Uncle Michael will make an appearance (in disguise) in these photos, so pay attention.

I thought this picture was taken in the morning but I just checked and it wasn't. This is the evening of that actual day, November 8th.
You might recognize this image from two posts ago.

Now here's the reason I thought that picture was from the morning. There are a whole set of pictures soon after that where our young star looks like this:

Investigating this mystery, I believe I have found the missing link. You see, the picture that appears "on the roll", so to speak, between the clothed and not-clothed picture is this one:
Know what that is? That's a close-up on a whole pile of cupcakes. And you know what happens between cupcakes and newly-minted one-year-olds, don't you?

That's exactly right.

Apparently, the whole "get naked" thing caught on, because look at Shea!

Here are the other siblings patiently awaiting their cupcakes.
Greeley in her "retro 70s" shirt.

Atlee being contemplative after some kind of fall or possibly a lip balm incident.

Chubs was very happy with his cupcake.
"Ah, cupcake, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways."

"Uh...it's ok that I'm totally making a mess of myself, right?"

"Dude, are these things laced with something?"

"Dude I am SO HIGH right now!!"

"Ok, that was fun while it lasted. Where are the presents?"

Now check this out: a little more than an hour later -
Poof! The original Emerson is back!

Still in party mode.

Quick quiz: Is Emerson happy or upset in this photo?
I'll give it to you: he's happy. But often times - or at least in the past - you could see a face like this, here a hitching noise similar to laughing and then BAM! - totally wailing.

We interrupt this blog post for a brief jam session by local beatniks "Nature Girl and the Princess":
Yeahhh...get down with that conga beat!

Ladies and Gentleman, another big hand for "Nature Girl and the Princess," local coffeehouse staples and performance artists!

Returning to our regularly scheduled programming, we come to the main event
Emerson's Public Birthday

When Rich saw, he said to me: "Did you see this? I almost fell down laughing!"
(Surely by now you know that his nickname is Chubs.)

There's Chubs now, in his place of honor, ready to receive the cake - wait a minute. Does he look upset to you?

He is upset! Aww, Chubs, what's the matter, buddy? Are you already upset that you're one year older? Do you dislike being called Chubs? Is it - oh, wait. I see. I see what it is.

It's me.

My brother and aunt were supposed to come to this party but they cancelled because the kids were "sniffly," according to Richard. Now, the whole family had been schedule to come to my house the week before to have dinner with my aunt (who was in town from Louisiana) but they cancelled because the kids were sick. The week before that was Halloween and Rich and I were on the phone when he told me Greeley would probably stay home that night because she had been sick. So this was the THIRD WEEK of people puking and such in this household (Sue the morning of the party). So I decided it was some kind of virus "hot zone" and that I should take appropriate precautions. Hence the mask and (I'm sure you can't tell) swim goggles under my glasses. What you also can't see is the latex gloves I'm wearing. Want to hear something funny? You can't really buy one pair of latex gloves. So I've got 99 pair of spare latex gloves for want of a joke. Emerson of course saw me and burst into tears.

This is me taking a picture of Greeley. I was told to take "close ups" of all the kids, so I made sure to get shots of their faces close up. Here I'm telling Greeley to hold really still (because the camera's flash wouldn't go off because of the sunlight streaming in behind her).

Also, see that jig that Atlee seems to be dancing on the side? When I explained that their house was so full of germs I couldn't come in without protection, Atlee reacted immediately, saying "I puked on Thursday!" and rubbing her hands on me like some kind of zombie. The girl is hilarious.

Uncle Michael, the biological warfare, camera-wielding terrorist. (Actually, I look like some kind of researcher documenting a plague, don't I?)

"Mommy, who's that scary man?"
[I apologize for the fact that this photo is skewed. I have tried to upload it six times now and it always comes out the wrong way. I want to throttle someone.]

He was soon mollified by a cupcake. (Aren't they always?)

Gree looks like she's enjoying hers as well. (Uncle Michael would like to boast here that the shirt she is wearing comes from KEXP, a hip internet radio station out of Seattle he listens to and supports.)

There are no more pictures from that day but there is this one from the next morning (8:58am, it's time-stamped) that shows dancing in the living room. Perhaps the party went all night??!!