Mom busted in and said "What's that noise?"

Party success! The Monika-as-a-surprise-guest surprise went off without a hitch, and Mom really turned on the waterworks. Of course, if one of us (and by us I mean: me, Mom, Catherine, and Monika) starts it's pretty much a guarantee that the others will follow suit. I'm sure Nick has like 18 pictures of Mom crying and hugging Monika, of Monika trying not to cry, and of Catherine (and me!) with our backs turned to Mom also trying not to cry. Yeah, I just spilled the crying beans. We're criers. I mean, we're Nicolais. It's one of the basic prerequisites for officially becoming one of us (aside from marrying into the family, I guess. But none of us have been the marrying kind thus far. {N.B. to Barrett: we prefer that you've cried in front of a group of 20 or more people at least.} Good luck.) And before you turn all indignant, like one of us? Who do they think they are? I need you to check yourself and know that people want to get down with this (and by this, I mean us). Recognize.

I put a little party bitch on that, which makes it extra special. And now for some blurry pictures--what I lack in quality, I'll make up for in quantity. But not too much quantity...just enough for you to get the gist of it (and by it I mean: the part of the evening when almost everyone had gone home and the food table had been thoroughly decimated).

As I was taking this picture, I thought: I need to remember what
Catherine's talking about. And did I remember? Nope.

Whatever the subject was, she's getting into
it with Jesse at this point.

Food, food, food. You'll have to rely on Catherine and Nick for
pictures of the gorgeous cupcakes, which Nick made!

Monika might be thinking about dancing.

Tyler blows a party horn.

And let me mention that if anyone in these pictures thinks anything along the lines of: Oh God, why am I on here?, let me know and I'll remove those pictures. Then when someone reads this post a second time and you're not part of it, that reader will know what a prima-donna you are. Just saying.

P.S. Alternate titles for this post:
1. It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to (total no-brainer)

2. Get this party started on a Saturday night (That's right, Pink.)
3. Berenstain Bears: Too Much Birthday (which is actually one of my favorite non sequitur references. As in: Then it turned into Berenstain Bears: Too Much Birthday. Some of you {Catherine} have probably heard me say this a lot. A LOT. Too much, maybe? No way. Try not enough on for size.)