Your birthday parties are one of those few events that seem to get less fantastic as the years progress, for me, anyway.  As a duckling, I couldn't wait until I was two and allowed to cross the pond by myself.  At four, I was permitted to spend the night alone (in a cage, but it's a step in the right direction).  By 14, I advanced to become the chief executive officer of my own company.  It just gets better and better, eh?

My 15th Birthday (2002) - Hardly a gala event, but a comfortable gathering of subordinates and soon-to-be-fired subordinates alike.

My 16th Birthday (2003) - Sweet 16. Drivers license, the power to ride, drive, and leave on day trips. Not a big party by any means, but a good one.

My 17th Birthday (2004) - We're beyond pin-the-tail games, and no longer have messy ice cream. But what could be better than a steak-and-cheesecake birthday? So far, nothing!

My 18th Birthday (2005) - Finally, hurrah, yippee! To teach a lesson between my being a duck and what a stuffed animal is, I hosted my party at Build-a-Bear. (And Chelsea and Lindsay were super duper in making it quite the event!)