Elegant? Excited? Elated? Eighteen!

Though she plans to pretend that she is "sweet sixteen" this year, SS really turned eighteen today. She was a little disappointed that I don't let her have the day off of school on her birthday like the boys do, but such are the disadvantages of traditional school - the whole school just doesn't close for your birthday! However, she was pleasantly surprised to find that some of her friends had brought in a cake and a balloon, and her ESL teachers had given her cards and candy.

Here are the kids horsing around after SS opened her gifts.
SS decided that she wanted to go out for Chinese food for her birthday dinner. Rather than go to a traditional restaurant, she wanted to try a buffet. Oma and Opa and Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner, and we all had fun figuring out which animal we were. SS wasn't so thrilled to discover that she was a monkey, so she tried to trick her brothers into thinking that she was one of the more interesting animals - the tiger. (Actually my animal!)

The Dragon (the boys were soooo jealous!) and the Rabbit.

The Rat and the Boar. (Too funny!)

Here is our birthday girl with some cake. (I forgot to bring candles.) She was so stuffed that she couldn't eat any of it. Don't worry, there were lots of people to help her out!