Alexander's First Birthday

No birthday celebration is complete without guests, gifts, cake, and strange cone-shaped hats. In something of a departure from tradition, Alexander's birthday party featured guests, gifts, cake, and strange cone-shaped hats.

The Guests Arrive

Alexander's birthday party was replete with aunts and ancestors. (For the record, two aunts, one great aunt, and six ancestors: two parents; three grandparents; and one great grandmother. There was also one first cousin once removed, and one future first cousin, in the form of a fetus.)

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this gathering set a record for most blood relatives (ten) ever gathered in Alexander's presence. This edged the previous record of nine set earlier in the year in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Photographic highlights of this gathering of genetic material, the congregation of chromosomes, can be seen above and below, as Alex interacts with his many guests.

Alexander with his great grandmother Alex, his grandma, and his aunt

Gifts!

Alex was showered with gifts on his special day. He received clothing, such as overalls and pajamas. He also received books and toys. Among the toys was a sack of water filled with plastic fish. When the sack of water is smacked, a smacking sound can be heard.

Watching the gifts being opened The gift-giving ritual is, by nature, a solemn one. The gift-givers don their cone-shaped hats, and somberly observe the unwrapping of the brightly-colored packages.

Alex was a bit dazed by his many gifts. He received toys and articles of clothing. And a yellow bow to wear on his head. The bow symbolizes the abundance of gifts, the eternal struggle of mankind against the forces of nature, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Birthday gifts

Alexander reads his books Alex received a six-volume set of classic literature: Richard Scarry's Little Treasury of Things That Go. Here we see Alex reading the volume entitled A Trip By Plane, in which Father, Mother, and Huckle Cat fly via Swissair to visit Grandma Cat. The book contains the oft-quoted passage "The Flight Attendant serves the passengers a hot meal. 'Ummm, this is delicious,' says Huckle. Soon it is time to land."