What year did you start playing your first The Sims game?

I was in high school when TS1 came out. A friend had it, and we stayed up all night playing it. I got a new computer for my birthday in 2001, and I used some of my birthday money to buy TS1.

Fast forward almost 20 years, and now I'm at a point in my life when I can relax with a game like The Sims. I'm a husband and a dad, and our daughter is almost old enough to play The Sims herself. I have TS3 and TS4, and I'm enjoying them both for different reasons. My wife and daughter enjoy following along, and they'll sometimes suggest things for my Sim to do (or not do).