@Antiqua - Since no money trees are allowed, I would think that perhaps not purchasing the lottery ticket should be added to the challenge rules, too. I had a lucky sim in another challenge who won the lottery, so you just never know! lol
@Antiqua - Since no money trees are allowed, I would think that perhaps not purchasing the lottery ticket should be added to the challenge rules, too. I had a lucky sim in another challenge who won the lottery, so you just never know! lol
Good point. I've never had a sim win the lottery. So I kind of forgot about it - Edited the rules!
Our family of eight has gotten back to the routines.
Grant makes sure the boys are doing their homework every evening. Gil, Kirk and Samir really look up to him and never question his guidance.
Greyson has been struggling with his emotions. He has mood swings all the time. Grant once again stepped up and had a talk with him. Whatever Grant said to him, it seemed to have worked. Well, mostly. After that talk Greyson has been more modest with showing his violent mood swings in the open, but I've still heard him sob in the toddler room while he was potty training Jose.
Amira needs a lot of attention and I've been diligent to play with her and teach her everything I can.
Jose likes to play with toys and is curios about the specters floating around the house.
I did some repairs on the wind turbines when the toddlers were asleep and rest of the family at school or work. Grant was not happy about it. He gave me a lecture about the dangers. Well, it's dangerous for him too, not just me. Too bad we can't afford to hire someone to repair the turbines. Grant is hoping he'll be able to upgrade the turbines some day, so they won't break down as much. He has the drive to reach the necessary knowledge and experience to do that. He wants to make me proud. I'm already proud of him.
The last time I went to the market to sell the produce, I took some time off from family duties and spent a few hours at the pub. I had a good chat with some of the locals, but was still eager to get home eventually.
Vlad showed up. I was in a pleasant mood and was willing to chat with him. He seems to be a nervous man, and a bit unpleasant. He insisted on helping me cook, but didn't really do much to help. Our haunted house terrified Vlad to the bones (Vlad is a vampire to my understanding so that reaction was surprising to me).
That night I had a beautiful dream about Gabriel and throughout the night I felt his presence.
I feel at ease about my family. The kids are all doing so well.
If anything should happen to me, then Grant and Greyson will take over and make sure Amira grows up as studious and strong as her older brothers. I'll be leaving everything to her. I hope the boys will understand.
The Haas Family Tree (made in the Plum Tree App).
I'll be updating it as the story progresses, so ... possible spoilers for the next chapters ahead!!
Susumu moved in right after the wedding and with a nooboo on the way, we needed to expand the house. Susumu arranged for some fellow homeless friends to help with this. Taking out a wall seemed to disturb a spider's nest, and Susumu was promptly bitten by a spider, but thankfully he didn't get sick. That was a rather scary day!
The renovations took a few days, and before we knew it, the house was larger. Susumu even put an old tub in the small bathroom. But it was all about saving simoleons, and, once, when it was raining, Susumu even showered in the rain to save on the water bill. He never talked much about his childhood, but he said he never wanted to be without a home again.
Life as newlyweds was a bit of a challenge. Almost as soon as we moved in, a parade of cats and dogs seemed to move in, too. We don't know where they all came from, but they seemed to like to just hang around the lot. Some of the cats even came in the house and got up on the kitchen counter. Knowing what it was like to be homeless ourselves, we didn't have the heart to shoo them away. We even named them, and just co-existed with them.
While the renovation was going on, we moved the whole garden to the side yard. It was an exhausting day of transplanting and afterwards both Susumu and I were just so tired, we just collapsed into bed. There were still chores to do in the garden, but it would have to wait until the morning. But I could have sworn that someone helped during the night, and those plants I still had to spray for bugs had all been done.
Susumu decided to get a job as a dishwasher at a place he used to frequent for some free meals. He was a hard worker and wanted to get a promotion to become a cook. He would cook all the meals at the house, but he was rather limited in what he could make. We ate a lot of fruit salad and forager's stew. One day, when Susumu was trying to make a new recipe of mushroom soup, a fire broke out! The stove didn't make it and was too burned to be used anymore. But I'm sure glad that Susumu was alright. Susumu moved the charred stove out back and thought that he might be able to salvage it. But the sad news is that we now have to save up for a new stove.
Life continued and my belly was getting swollen fast. I was already in my third trimester. We knew it wouldn't be long before the nooboo was born. Susumu would often ask me to feel the nooboo, and his eyes would light up when he felt a kick. We both didn't know anything about parenting, but I sensed that Susumu would be a good father.
I got to know the owners of the Grocery Shop and the Garden Shop in Finchwick, really well, and they became my closest friends. Kim Goldbloom, the grocery shop owner, sometimes asked me to help her with a few errands. Agnes Crumplebottom, the Garden Shop owner, needed some help, too, but I haven't been able to help her as yet and she understood, since I was expecting. Kim usually paid me for helping her run errands with food, and one day she even gave me a cottage pie casserole. I was so excited! Susumu and I had a wonderful feast together that night!
With Susumu's salary as a dishwasher and my selling fish and produce at the market, we were able to save for a table to have a yard sale. And it was rather successful. Susumu was really good at making sales pitches to wandering sims, and even the celebrity Judith Ward made an appearance and bought a snowglobe! Wow! Maybe she's a snowglobe collector.
We furnished the nooboo's room with a small bed and a night table. We also bought a potty for when they were older. I hung a few posters and we thought it looked rather nice. Everything was ready...
...and not a moment too soon, because that night I went into labor.
Susumu and I rushed to the hospital and after several hours in labor, I gave birth to...twins! Ella. a girl, was the firstborn, followed by Eli, a boy. Because of the difficulty of the birth, Susumu stayed in the waiting room, but as soon as the twins were born, he was right there by my side. The doctor snapped a photo of us and we both looked rather tired but happy. We swaddled Ella and Eli in blankets and headed home.
Because of our...um...financial situation...the hospital provided us with some free bassinettes and supplies, like diapers, for the nooboos. The little room we had prepared for one nooboo suddenly felt crowded, and we realized we would need another bed in there. But for now, we were just so excited that we had two healthy little ones to care for.
Luckily, the day before, our new stove was delivered, because suddenly there were bottles to sterilize and formula to heat up. It was a learning experience, but we somehow muddled through it. And Susumu was definitely a good father, and was always the first one to get up and change a diaper or just stand there and coo at Eli and Ella. He adored both of his children.
The next day, Susumu took a day of Family Leave from his job. He would get paid for the day, so he thought it would be a good idea to help with the twins, at least for the first day. While the twins were down for a nap, we...uh...well...we celebrated their birth and our love for each other...and...oh gosh...I found out that I was expecting. Again.
I told Susumu right away, and he took the news the same way he did with my first pregnancy. He just looked at me perplexed. He then turned and gave one of the twins their bottle. When he came back, he motioned for me to sit on the bed because he wanted to talk to me. Suddenly, I was nervous with how Susumu looked at me.
When we sat down he told me first that he loved me, and that no matter what, he always would. That helped to ease my worries somewhat, but he continued talking. He told me how happy he was to have this little house to live in, but that our family was expanding, and we needed a bigger house. In fact, he said he had a dream. He didn't just want a house...he wanted a home. A place to share memories and holidays together. A home where generations of their family could live and expand on what they started. He was hoping for a home that had a real kitchen with a large table where they could all sit and have a meal together, a bathroom with a door on it, and a family room where they could all sit and watch tv or play some games together. This was his dream, and now that I was pregnant again, he wanted to start making it a reality...with me.
I nodded my head and told him that is what I wanted, too, to have a home. I told him that I would start looking at some more houses on-line. There were some really nice pre-fab houses that could be delivered and built by a construction crew on-site. Susumu also said he had been looking at some wind turbines and some other eco-products to help with the bills. We smiled at each other, and Susumu said that he was so happy that he had met me, because he knew that we were both hard workers and could achieve anything together. And that, no matter how many nooboos I would have, he would always love me and be here for me and the children. And then he did the sweetest thing...he serenaded me. I always go weak in the knees when he sings.
On Love Day, Ella and Eli aged up to toddlers during a thunderstorm while Susumu was at work. It all just happened rather suddenly. The poor tots were quite scared during the storm, but I comforted them and they seemed to settle down.
Eli is such an independent toddler and was the first to go potty by himself. I was so proud of him.
And Ella is just such an angelic toddler, who rarely complained. She just loved to play with the blocks that Susumu had bought. I might be a bit biased, but I thought that Eli and Ella were just the most wonderful toddlers.
The husband of one of Susumu's co-workers, Bjorn Bjergson, stopped by unexpectedly with a gift. He had brought over an apple pie, which his wife had made, to congratulate us on the birth of the twins. I thought that was so nice.
When Susumu came home from work, he spent some time with the twins and then he told me that he had arranged for the twins to have a babysitter for a few hours, as he wanted to take me out on a date. Afterall, it was Love Day. Before I had a chance to protest, he took a rose from his pocket and handed it to me. How could I say no?
We went to a bar in Oasis Springs called Rattlesnake Juice, and we ordered some water and grabbed some chips. Both were free, and perhaps the water was different in Oasis Springs, but it tasted so good and refreshing. We had a wonderful date and even watched a movie together on the tv they had there. There was quite a crowd at the bar since it was Friday night, and Susumu took out his violin and played some tunes. He even got some nice tips from the patrons. When the date ended, we were anxious to get back home to check on the toddlers, but not before Susumu gave me a lingering kiss outside. When we arrived home, we found Eli and Ella fast asleep in their beds. Ahhh...they were so adorable!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The days continued and Susumu and I discovered that toddlers were quite a handful. They were always making messes or wanting something, and we found out that Eli could be rather defiant. It was a good thing that we were both still young and had the energy to keep up with Eli and Ella. But it was still rather exhausting.
But Eli and Ella had their good sides, too. Eli had really taken to all the stray animals around the lot, and even made friends with some of the dogs. He was quite a brave little fellow and would just go right up to a doggo and start petting them. And the dogs didn't seem to mind at all.
Ella was a sweet toddler and had such an imagination. We had bought them a dollhouse, and Ella would spend hours and hours just playing and talking to those dolls. Both Eli and Ella's skills were just moving along, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were proficient in everything by the time the new baby arrived.
I had found a reliable daycare center in the neighborhood, where Ella and Eli could go for a few hours while I travelled to the market to sell items. It was a co-op run by Moms, and it was free. I just had to take a shift once in awhile. This was indeed a lifesaver. I was even able to pick up a few more errands for the Garden Center, and Agatha Crumplebottom was rather pleased when I brought her some blueberries from my garden.
Susumu worked hard at his job, but couldn't seem to get a promotion. I often wondered why, and then discovered something about my husband that I didn't know. He was a kleptomaniac, and often brought home items from work that weren't his. At first I discovered a book, then some dirty dishes, and then a pear (I planted this unknowingly). We had a talk and he told me that he had a problem, and that having lived on the streets since he was a teen, he sometimes had to steal to survive. I told him that this was not the way we were going to live. He agreed and said he would try to curb these "urges", and promptly returned the book and the dirty dishes to his work. There was nothing I could do about the pear. But then, he seemed to become even more determined to get a promotion, and maxed the cooking skill at home. I was very proud of him.
Susumu had invested some of our simoleons in eco-products to help with the bills, a wind turbine, solar panel and a dew collector. He even bought a recycler and was finally able to get rid of that old burned out stove we had sitting in the back yard. Unfortunately, the wind turbine broke a lot, and needed to be repaired. And even though Susumu didn't have a lot of handiness skill, he insisted on repairing things himself. We received our first bills, which were $99 simoleons, which we promptly paid.
Sometimes things around the house would break when Susumu was at work, so I would take out the toolbox and fix things myself, too. I was becoming quite good at it, because...well...things were always breaking.
I, myself, had also become quite frugal, and even found ways to save simoleons on fertilizer for the garden. Since there were so many strays around, they...um...well...let's just say they left some free fertilizer on the lot. I also discovered another stray on the lot. One day I was working in the garden and saw a fox looking at me. He was quite a fascinating animal and we have come to appreciate each other. The funny thing is he seems to like me singing to him, and he sings along, too.
We also had some other animals visit, but they weren't too friendly. Somehow bats had flown into the house, and I was bitten. Thankfully, the children weren't harmed and I didn't become sick.
Life went on, and before I knew it, it was the first day of summer...and it was time to go to the hospital. Again.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
I was very lucky with this random roll of the toddler traits. For the next toddlers, if these are rolled again, I will re-roll to get different traits, just so they are all different. I have also decided that whatever outfits the game gives when they age up, I am going to keep them in. I did this for Susumu and didn't change anything about him. Whoever the heir will be, I may have to go into CAS to give them a make-over or add a few new outfits, if they really need it.
lol - well Susumu is a random townie and he has the erratic trait! But, yes, they have a bathroom with no door on it right now! I guess it's better than a pee bush! teehee I hope to see Clarence again soon. He's a funny character.
Grant is such a helpful son. I know that you are doing the female as an heir, but Grant, in my opinion, is like the #1son. I hope he has a happy life.
A question: What happens to all the other kids when the heir becomes a YA? Do they stay in the house, or move out at that time when they become YAs? Just didn't know how that worked.
The other kids can stay in the household, they don't have to move away. I'll decide as I go, maybe some of the kids will move out and have families of their own, and some stay in the household.
My plan is to keep 1 or 2 other kids in the household as a "safe guard" in case something happens to the heir before they've started a family or produced the next heir. I've included this option to the rules, so there's a way I can continue the challenge in case a legal heir dies before the next one is ready. It seems like a good strategy.
I seriously thought I'd loose my own challenge in the very first generation, because Gita only gave birth to boys and I had picked matriarchal line for inheritance .
The time at the hospital was rather scary for poor Susumu, who had stayed in the waiting room during the last birth. And the things he saw during the birth just freaked him out. At one point, he thought he saw me levitating! I love Susumu dearly, but sometimes...well...he sees things...
But whatever happened during that delivery, I managed to give birth to...twins...again! This time, two little girls, Bridgette was the first and Belinda was the second. And the moment Susumu saw his new daughters, all thoughts of what he had seen before were forgotten.
And when we brought Bridgette and Belinda home, both Ella and Eli were so excited to meet their new siblings. That made us very happy.
I never realized how small our house was until we couldn't even place Bridgette and Belinda's bassinettes in the same room. We had to put one beside our bed, and the other at the base of Eli's bed. It was almost impossible to get around.
It was a good thing that Susumu and I had looked at some house plans, and had ordered our house. All the plans looked lovely, but we had a budget and we had to stick to it. We finally decided on one that had a wonderful large kitchen. When I saw Susumu looking fondly at the photos, I knew that was the house for us. Of course, it would be unfurnished because we would be using the furniture we had, and had to buy even more! But, with my gardening and fishing and Susumu's salary, we knew we could afford it. There was a lot of work to do before the crew came to take the old house away and then construct the new house. They told us it would all be done in a day. The very same day that Bridgette and Belinda were to age up to toddlers.
The days passed and I actually took up a new hobby. Knitting. I had found this lovely rocker, too. Of course, it had to be outside because there was no room in the house for it. But it was very relaxing just rocking and knitting. Susumu liked to rock in it, too. He said it was a good investment. I knitted some items, two beanies and some socks, and listed my beanie on-line on plopsy and sold it! Of course, I would have to be a full-time knitter to make as much as I do from gardening, but it was a nice hobby.
I spent a lot of time in the garden, and looking after the children. I rarely had time for fishing anymore. I still did my regular runs to the market, but that was all I had time for. Helping Eli and Ella with all the skills they needed was rather time consuming, and then the babies needed my attention, too. There were hardly enough hours in the day to do anything.
But, all my time in the garden paid off, and I maxed the gardening skill. Who knew that to get this, I had to grow this mysterious plant. I didn't know much about it, but it sort of looked like a cow, so I guess it's a cowplant. I had caught the seed one day, and just planted it, not knowing what it would become. And now I know.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And suddenly, it was the day when our new house would arrive. I could hardly believe it! It was such a beautiful summer day and I snapped this photo of the street trolley going by.
But before that happened, we had another house fire. Thankfully, everyone was safe, because Susumu had bought a "fire sale" clearance on fire extinguishers from the local fire department. So, we were prepared! Because we had installed a smoke detector, we did get some simoleons from the insurance company, but it didn't cover the full cost of a stove replacement.
After Susumu had left for work, I wanted to make a special breakfast for our last day in this house. Just some eggs and toast. I knew I should have made fruit salad...and...I hate to even tell you this, but there was another house fire.
I somehow managed to put out the fire by myself and get all the children out of the house. It was so traumatic and little Eli had been going potty when it happened, and he just wailed so loudly. My heart went out to the little tyke. Afterwards, I finished packing for the move and we just had leftovers. It was really all I could manage.
And here we are, the last photo of the old house as they hauled it away. And, wouldn't you know it? At that precise moment, Bridgette and Belinda aged up to toddlers. Yes, right there on the sidewalk! No cake or anything. I felt like such a terrible mother, but they were happy and didn't seem to notice that anything was wrong.
And here are Bridgette (on the right) and Belinda on the left. I couldn't believe how alike they looked. In fact, I believe they are identical twins! They both have red hair, just like Ella and I do. We decided to take a walk around the neighborhood while they finished our house, and when we came back, it was done! I was speechless!
Of course, I still have my garden to plant, but isn't it gorgeous? It has 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, a living room and a huge eat-in kitchen. Well, I have to go now. I have to unpack some boxes and get the children settled and Susumu will be coming home soon. He's going to be making us all dinner in the new house. I can hardly wait!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Many thanks to this simmer for the house I used.
This is the house I downloaded from the gallery, unfurnished. I did some renovations before they moved in. This is a basegame house, so I changed all the interior doors in the house to less expensive ones, and added the door to the garage, knocked down the wall between the living room and kitchen, and changed a single archway to a double archway. Also, changed some wall coverings. For some reason, it only had a concrete floor, so added the cheapest flooring. I expanded the deck outback and added a terrain tools patio. There are a lot of debug items (all the landscaping), so it looks more expensive than it really is. It cost $10,138 unfurnished with the changes.
That moment when you're trying to enjoy a piece of cake but there's a cat in it
Clarence did manage to teach Yogi a very important skill for living with Slacklaters!
Clarence is working harder than he wants to right now. Just until he gets a roof over the head of his bride. He doesn't want her to regret joining the family. In addition to the Shrieking Llama in his own neighborhood and the Gnome's Arms next to where he sells his vegetables, he is playing regularly in the Evergreen Harbor bar now. That has the advantage of allowing him to dumpster dive after he finishes his set. He's found all kinds of interesting things in there-- some he keeps and some he recycles. Clarence's friend Maaike Haas came to support him, but she spent all night making eyes at Dominic Fyres. Hmm.
Clarence held a casual fruit salad get-together to introduce Becca to his friends.
But he was so exhausted that he fell asleep still holding his bowl.
Hard at work together. Clarence is fixing up a stove he found in the dumpster. It needed a repair and a good cleaning, but it works! Or, it will work, once they have enough power to power it.
Clarence does not find this fun but he is doing it anyway.
Okay, so if you don't pay your bills on an off-the-grid lot, you don't have to worry about the utilities at all... but then this happens.
Becca argued with the repo man but he wouldn't be deterred. She kept him from taking a couple of particularly useful objects, but he did take the candles Clarence had bought for the proposal dinner.
And... a tree, for some reason.
I guess we'll pay the bills in the future.
Poor Yogi got sick and it took Clarence and Becca a couple of days to save up enough to take her to the vet. Here she is looking pathetic afterward.
Harvestfest came! And Clarence and Becca have been trying for a baby. Clarence has a lot of stuff stored out back for the baby already.
I was very pleased to find out that the garden shop will purchase gnomes. The income from selling the gnomes and the contents of the seed packets was very helpful. Although, without much in the way of interior floor tiles, the gnomes didn't really leave many seed packets.
A quiet night studying while life is under construction all around
Becca got a job. She rolled Babysitter from the part-time jobs. She got promoted to Nanny after a couple of days. She only works Saturdays and Sundays so it coordinates well with the university schedule.
Clarence and Becca went out to a restaurant for the first time ever to celebrate his birthday! Wow, short lifespan is short.
It happened to be Night on the Town but they still had to pay for the cake.
And then there was some big news... Clarence and Becca are going to be parents!
The kitchen is coming together. (Some of the stink is coming from the plate in this picture, and some of the stink is coming from the cook...) That is a vintage icebox that Clarence saved up for and acquired. I was delighted to discover that if you "Add Ice," the icebox will work for a day or two even if you have no power.
Lots of hardship here but lots of love too
Finally, a roof! It has solar shingles. Clarence now is very motivated to put a roof over not only his bride's head, but the baby's too. Somewhere to bathe a toddler that isn't outside in the snow might be a good idea too. Once that happens he can get back to slacking
Some interesting plants grew out of some trash piles next to the trash can. They bear funny little fruits that smell bad and look like trash bags. The fruits sell for only 1 simoleon each-- Clarence is testing them out as fertilizer, since lots of smelly stuff makes good fertilizer.
Clarence got annoyed at this flirty fellow who plopped down next to Becca at the bar. Clarence got him to leave after a few insults were exchanged. Meanwhile, Sara Scott's face says "Men are such idiots."
"Was that really necessary?" asks Becca. Let's hope Mr. Shirt back there doesn't try the same thing.
Becca went over to talk to Rahmi Watson who has a particularly incredible cold weather outfit.
Becca joined the Avant Gardes. They love reading and homework, so it's perfect for her. Maaike and Clarence are now officially best friends.
Hugo Villareal living his best life: fantasy novel in one hand, coffee in the other
Clarence and Becca eloped in the Bramblewood. Weddings are expensive and all the hubbub can make you lose sight of the important stuff. A slacker's dream wedding: the sky for a church, the trees for a wedding arch, the ducks for guests. Wish them well. All three of them as you can see
Yeah! A new chapter! That is a good thing to learn Yogi - as Clarence is a slacker - don't disturb my sleep! lol haha! Love the glitch of the hand with the fruit salad, and the fruit salad party! hehehe Good idea about the dumpster diving. I had thought about that, too, as you can find some really great stuff, but I think the eco bit might be for another generation. I also have the solar roof on the house (I replaced it) because I know it can save on the bills. And congrats to Clarence for completing a little house. I like the simpleness of elopement, plus weddings are so expensive. It looked like a very nice wedding indeed. And the big news...Becca is expecting, so a little nooboo on the way. Woot! Wonderful chapter!
I just wanted to give a bit of a house tour of their new house before I headed to the next chapter. All the landscaping is debug, except the harvestables. From the Cottage Living Pack, I love the stool with the flower pot and lantern on it. You can purchase these, but they are also available in debug for free. Great for outdoor lights. There are also debug lanterns from the same pack, one which is placed near the selling table. The gnome with the flowers and the barrel near the selling table are also debug items.
As you enter the house, there is a little hallway. Not much here yet, but there are a few of Cece's photos that I hung. The plant is a debug item from Jungle Adventure. Just filler right now. The lantern is from Outdoor Retreat and works off-the-grid. I find that this is brighter than some of the candles. The hallway to the backdoor is narrow and there are not a lot of choices of off-the-grid wall lights, so I used the string of lights under wall hangings from the Parenthood pack. These light up a room, but are not counted as a light, so saves on the light bill.
Here is the living room with a fireplace. The couches are mismatched. The loveseat is from Basegame and the couch is from Jungle Adventure, but they go rather well together. They already had the rocking chair, small table, bookshelf and the plant.
The main bathroom is off the living room, The toilet and shower they already had. Sink is from Tiny Living and functions off-the-grid. The two lights above the mirror are debug free items from Cottage Living.
The living room actually backs onto the kitchen. Fridge, Stove, 1 counter, 1 island counter, 2 ceiling lights, smoke detector and trash bin they already had. The sink is from Cottage Living and is off-the-grid.
And the eat-in area in the kitchen. The shelves they already had. A neat trick I saw in this build in the furnished version was that the window "blinds" are actually debug free items. They are medium and large painting blank canvases. I thought that idea was rather cool.
The door leads to the garage, which is now the main bedroom. Bed, carpets, posters and shelving they already had. The carpets are actually debug free items from Nifty Knitting. The ottoman at the base of the bed is from the Bowling Pack.
Off of the main hallway at the entrance to the house are the three bedrooms, all identical in size. (They aren't the same size in the build, but I changed them all).
This bedroom is the furthest down the hall, across from the second bathroom and near the back door. This is Bridgette and Belinda's bedroom. Two more toddler beds purchased and a night table. They already had the lamp.
The middle room is the playroom. I purchased a toy box, and they had all the other items.
And the first room is Eli and Ella's bedroom. They had all the items in the room.
The second bathroom is across from Bridgette and Belinda's room. The sink, mirror, tub and potty they had. Purchased another toilet and a rug.
And the garden. Cece is growing a pumpkin for the Finchwick Fair. I've never had a sim participate in this, so we'll see how that goes.
There were so many harvestables that I had to plant them on the other side of the house. However, Cowie, the cowplant, didn't fare so well, and seemed to have shrunk when he was transplanted. I am just not sure what happened, maybe he will grow big again. Who knows?
Here is a close-up of the patio, and then a picture of the whole backyard. The debug pond came with the build. I just added the debug fishing sign from Basegame.
Our day continued as we settled in the new house. I discovered that Bridgette is quite Silly, while Belinda is the Inquisitive one. Both Ella and Eli love their little sisters.
And love is just everywhere in the house. I even think I saw some pets in love. How cute.
But, Belinda and Bridgette are not taking too well to toddlerhood and almost as soon as they aged up, we had an earthquake. But don't worry, everyone was fine.
And then Michael Bell, the Creature Keeper from Bramblewood, came for a visit and he was wondering when the party started. I think I looked at him strangely and then I remembered...it was Eli and Ella's birthday, too! Oh gosh! Susumu was still at work and we needed a cake.
I had some chocoberries that I was saving, and thought that when Susumu came home, we would have the birthday celebration. So....I attempted to make a cake...and finished it without having a fire. All we had to do was just wait...and that's when the cat got up on the table and started eating the cake! Gah!
Okay, I shooed that cat away, but then another one just jumped on the table, too. Finally, Susumu came home! And he got a promotion to...um...head dishwasher. What? They should have promoted him to a cook! But then I saw he had swiped something else from work again. This time a book called "The 50 shades of my Windows," and it couldn't be returned. Ugh!
I congratulated him on his promotion and he said the house looked really nice. But there was no more time for chitchat. We needed to have this party before the cats ate the cake...and then I noticed that the cake had gone bad. How? I just made it! So, I told Susumu the situation, gave him some chocoberries, and he began to make a new cake. I knew that this cake would be amazing. Hopefully Eli and Ella would hold on, because the clock was ticking...
And, of course, just as the cake went in the oven, we had a house fire...
The fire department had actually arrived, but we were quick to put out the fire. We all ran outside, and there are passer-bys freaking out on the sidewalk.
Oh gosh! Poor Ella is beside herself and I try to comfort her. Eli looks rather excited. Maybe it's just all the fire fighters around.
We somehow managed to get everyone inside again, and I gave Susumu more chocoberries, and he started making another cake...and it was in the oven...almost done...and...dang it! Another fire!
I think the firefighters never left, and were still at the sidewalk. I overheard them talking that the Newcrest City Council was thinking of building a new fire station near our house. Oh gee!
By this time, it's pretty dark out, and there is no more time to make a cake. And just like that, Ella and Eli age up and they are both sad. Sorry...no birthday cake. They even think we forgot their birthdays. We didn't forget! Honestly! [Note: Ella rolled the outgoing trait and I gave her the Social Butterfly Aspiration. Eli rolled Dog Lover - how appropriate - and I gave him the Rambunctious Scamp Aspiration.]
They are very good looking kids, if I do say so myself. They were top notch toddlers. I am not sure how I will do with Bridgette and Belinda. (Note: This is how they aged up, and I think they look pretty good.)
Because of the fires and the birthday cake fiasco, the children were sad and stressed. Susumu decided to cheer them up. He is such a wonderful father.
At least I was able to get some gifts for them, and they were rather excited.
Of course, afterwards, Ella and Eli got a head start on their homework. They started school in 2 days and all their supplies had already been delivered. Of course, both Susumu and I helped them with their homework.
Ella and Eli both took selfies, and I hung the best ones in their room, along with their baby and toddler photos. And it seems that Ella likes photography, too.
It was a rather exhausting day, and we put the kids to bed...or so we thought...as both Eli and Ella snuck out during the night and decided to play pirates on the nearby playground equipment.
And it looks like Ella and Eli aren't the only ones up. Bridgette is up and making a mess in the garden. Sheesh!
After a few days, it was Susumu's birthday. I couldn't believe he was going to age up to an adult today. I really wanted to make his birthday special, so I had prepared a bit of a surprise for him. When he got home from work, I greeted him in the kitchen with a suave kiss and told him that I was taking him out for dinner. I had already arranged for the kids to go to the daycare for a few hours.
He was rather surprised. We both dressed in our nicest clothes, and Susumu still fit into the suit that he had worn at the wedding. He looked so handsome.
We travelled to a new seafood restaurant that had just opened in Newcrest. [The restaurant is a Maxis build, The Diving Pelican.]
While I requested a table, Susumu looked at all the various types of fish swimming in the aquariums there.
We were seated almost immediately and I could tell that Susumu was pretty excited about being there.
The server, Becca Clarke, was just new on the job and she made several dinner recommendations.[@mightysprite - Becca must have switched jobs from babysitting, or has two jobs now, but don't worry, Cece and Susumu will tip her well.]
We decided to order some fried fish and herbed salmon. Susumu chose a wonderful white nectar to go with the meal. We sat at an outdoor table and it was perfect. And Susumu told me that this was the best birthday he's ever had. We chatted and Susumu was in a rather flirty mood and kept giving me glances and blowing kisses at me. It was so wonderful and it reminded me of when we had first met.
We finished our meal and I ordered a birthday cake. And when it came, I blew the little party horn that came with the cake. Susumu blew out his candles and just smiled at me afterwards. We shared a piece of cake and then I asked for the cake to go, so that I could bring it home with me. After several to-go bags later, I had it all.
But before we left, Susumu put his arms around me and kissed me and thanked me for the lovely birthday dinner.
When we arrived back home, Susumu opened his birthday gift from the kids.
Oh gosh! He didn't seem to like it!
However, I was sure that he was going to like my gift!
Oh yeah! He most definitely liked my gift! teehee
After awhile, we made our way back into the kitchen and shared the birthday cake with the kids. Maybe it was all the excitement of the evening, but suddenly, I wasn't feeling too well. I used the facilities, and...oh my gosh! I was pregnant again!
I told Susumu right away, and in perfect Susumu fashion, he took the news the same way as he always did. He looked a bit perplexed. Yeah...um...Happy Birthday Susumu...you're going to be a father...again! [Note: Maybe it's the erratic trait, but this is the funniest look that he does every time Cece tells him she is expecting. He's either really calm about it, or wondering how it happened. Cracks me up everytime.]
Chapter 10: Spice Festival Family Outing & Bridgette & Belinda Age Up To Child
Life settled back to normal after Susumu's birthday...for awhile at least. But the weather had changed, and it seemed to rain everyday now. I continued working in the garden and making trips to the market. Before I knew it, I was already in my second trimester. Susumu worked hard as the Head Dishwasher and got another promotion to Caterer! And even though he still had the "urge" to take things from work, I was so proud of him for getting ahead in his job.
Ella and Eli started school and, even though they did their homework, they were still C students. I tried my best to work with Bridgette and Belinda on their skills, but mostly they were left to their own devices. It seemed that Belinda was always sad and crying when Susumu went to work, and Belinda and Bridgette were always making messes.
Ella and Eli joined Scouts, which occurred on the weekend. They were quite gung-ho about earning badges, and soon had earned a few and were both now Unicorn Scouts.
They were very helpful around the house, cleaning the dishes, taking out the garbage and looking after Bridgette and Belinda when they could.
They even fished at the little pond, and gave me the fish they caught, so I could sell the fish at the market. They were both such treasures.
Susumu and I had a chat and we wanted to let Ella and Eli have their own hobbies instead of doing housework all the time. I had saved up enough simoleons and we decided to buy them some drawing tables and Susumu thought they should also learn the violin. It made Susumu and I so happy to see the delight on their faces from these unexpected gifts.
One Friday, Susumu came home rather excited and told me that the Spice Festival was being held in San Myshuno. They would have free food and there were some gardens there where I could get some new plants. And so, we headed off together on our first Family Outing...and arrived at the Spice Festival in a thunderstorm. This did not deter us at all.
Susumu, Eli, Ella and I entered the Spice Challenge contest. The food was hot and spicy. And even though I had never tasted some of these dishes before, I enjoyed them, and won the contest! I got a great t-shirt as a prize. Of course, I had to take a larger size since I was expecting, and Susumu commented that he always thought I was a "sexy, spicy mamma..." Even with four kids and a nooboo on the way, Susumu always made me feel loved and special.
Susumu was busy sampling all of the food at the festival and even took some home with him. I did go to one of the festival stalls and bought Susumu some spices, so that he would have them if he wanted to make these dishes at home.
There wasn't too much to do at the Spice Festival, other than eat, but Bridgette and Belinda seemed to find things to do, like talk to strangers and talk to plants. Of course, they ate other food, as their little tumtums couldn't take spicy food yet.
Ella found some climbers nearby and Eli played some basketball on the basketball court. Ella really seemed to like fitness.
Susumu took out his violin and played for the festival guests. He made some tips and was even getting a bit famous. I always thought that Susumu had the skill to be a professional violinist or singer, but he always told me that it was just a hobby he enjoyed.
But then, a nearby lightning strike nearly hit him, and he decided that we should head home for the safety of the children.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A few days later, it was Bridgette and Belinda's birthday, and Susumu was determined for them to have a birthday cake. So, he headed off to Myshuno Meadows to the Catering Kitchen there and made a birthday cake with no fires. He stored it in the little sales table out front to use on their actual birthday. Everything was ready.
And as hard as I tried to help them with all their skills, they weren't able to achieve the same Top Notch Toddler skills as Ella and Eli. But, they did get some skills done and they were Happy Toddlers. On their birthday, Susumu took out the cake, lit the candles, and we celebrated and...that's it...that is all we could do with that cake. No matter what we did and how hard we tried, we couldn't get Bridgette and Belinda to blow out their birthday candles. So, the cake just sat ablaze with the birthday candles on it and Bridgette and Belinda aged up to child. And again, sadness, because they thought that we had forgotten their birthdays. The poor dears.
[Notes: Oops - didn't get a screenie of Bridgette's age up stats, but she rolled the Music Lover trait with the Artistic Prodigy Aspiration. Belinda rolled the Adventurous Trait and has the Whiz Kid Aspiration.]
And here they are! Bridgette on the left with the little kerchief in her hair, and Belinda on the right with the bear hat.
And they seemed happier when they opened their gifts.
While Susumu moved two new child beds into Bridgette and Belinda's room and the kids just had some free time, I went outside and did some fishing. And wouldn't you know it, I became an Angling Ace! I wished that Ekram Elderberry was here to see this victory, as he had helped me so much when I first started fishing. This was indeed a good day.
And with Cece completing the first aspiration, they could remove one challenge lot trait. Using a randomizer, it was the Cursed Lot Trait. Yes! Maybe this would help curtail any more fires and help with their voodoo-moods.
I use a randomizer called random picker. Very easy to use.
@Antiqua - A question on completing aspirations. If a child completes an aspiration, does this count as well to remove a challenge lot trait?
Yes, it counts, it requires extra attention to finish just like adult aspirations.
Or do you think the kids' aspirations are too easy to complete?
@Antiqua - Thank you for the reply. No, I think that is a good thing. This just happened, so that is why I was asking. Everything is harder on short lifespan and I was surprised that one of the kids did complete an aspiration. Thanks so much!
@mightysprite - Thanks so much! I like that pic of Cece, too.
Another question about aspirations: The founder and heirs are not allowed to have a regular job/career. But if the heir rolls an aspiration that requires a certain career can you reroll the aspiration?
@Tiipii - I may be wrong here, but I don't think you need to stick with the aspiration that they roll. As long as they complete any aspiration, they can undo one of the challenge lot traits. For instance, Cece, my sim, has the Musical Genius Aspiration, but she just completed the Angling Ace Aspiration, which she could then remove a challenge lot trait. You can certainly switch between aspirations to get an aspiration completed, you don't have to stick to the one that you chose. At least, that is how I always play, which is what I am doing in this challenge.
As I said, I switch between aspirations, so hope that helps. However, @Antiqua will be the one who will set the rule straight on your question.
Well, to me it seems there is no point for randomizing the aspirations if you can do any of the any time... I have started the challenge and have not switched between aspirations but just finished the ones I have rolled. But now my heir has the joke star aspiration and that requires the comedian career...
It seemed as if the house felt a lot less "cursed" and everyone was in better moods. The children went to school, worked on their skills and helped with the chores. In fact, Eli and Ella became Best Friends. Eli got a B in school and one night, they all came home with projects, which we helped them with. And Ella maxed the Artistic Prodigy Aspiration. It was so wonderful how the children were all getting along so well.
My due date was getting closer, and Susumu and I had decided that the playroom would be the new baby's room. We would just move the dollhouse outside to make some room. It made sense because I liked our house and didn't want to have to start searching for a new one so soon.
Susumu seemed happy in the kitchen, too, and was even teaching the children how to cook. Of course, he was still leery of fires, and started the children off teaching them to make some fruit salad. Ella was so proud when it was her turn to make dinner for all of us.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A strange thing happened while I was at the market. Cowie grew again and it seems that Cowie, the Cowplant, is a somewhat carnivorous plant and can even devour sims. Yes, I know...hard to believe right? I had come home from the market, and Susumu told me that he felt rather "drained" as he had been devoured by the cowplant. I looked at Susumu rather strangely and he did look tired. But eaten by the cowplant? Susumu was talking nonsense again, I was sure. But what if this was really true?
And then it happened. No, not with me being devoured by the cowplant...with me going into labor. This time, I didn't have time to go to the hospital, and it happened when the kids were at school and Susumu was at work. I was really scared. But, I gave birth to...twins again! Yes, this time, twin boys, Trevor and Trent. It made me so happy. Our house was full and our family was complete.
Susumu had rushed home from work, but by the time he arrived, the birth was all over. Of course, he insisted on taking Trevor, Trent and I to the hospital to ensure we were all fine, and we were. And when we arrived back home, Susumu went into Trevor and Trent's room and was so overjoyed with the new bundles of joy. The children, too, had no bad feelings about having more siblings. They all seemed happy about it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Eli and Ella had made some friends at school, and the next day, they called home to ask if they could invite them over. I thought that was wonderful, and Ella came home with Ahmad Mallory and Eli came home with Pierce Delgato.
Both of their friends were very well-behaved. Especially since a volcanic eruption occurred, and lava rocks were literally flying at the house when they arrived. Oh my gosh! We had an earthquake hit before, but never this! In all, four lava bombs had descended on the house. In fact, one of the lava bombs was quite close to the house and started a fire, and Susumu had to call the Fire Department.
I even went rather close to one and wanted to touch it, but felt the heat and wisely took my hand away. I could have been burned!
Instead, I waited until one cooled, and then took a hammer and cracked one open. I found a wonderful crystal inside!
We kept two of the lava rocks and did some decorations on them. They are now sitting on the front lawn.
But the strange thing is that now we have these little lava steam vents in various parts of the lawn. I do hope that they will cool and go away soon.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
While I was playing, a glitch occurred and Cece would not give birth at the hospital. No doctor ever showed up. Luckily I had saved just prior to that so was able to recover my file, so she had a home birth instead.
And since Ella completed the Artistic Prodigy Aspiration, the random lot trait that was removed was Filthy.
Comments
@Antiqua Yay for Gita, she is doing great! And the next generation is on the way...
Good point. I've never had a sim win the lottery. So I kind of forgot about it
And the Haas Family Tree, with some spoilers for the later chapters is made in the Plum Tree App.
Grant makes sure the boys are doing their homework every evening. Gil, Kirk and Samir really look up to him and never question his guidance.
Greyson has been struggling with his emotions. He has mood swings all the time. Grant once again stepped up and had a talk with him. Whatever Grant said to him, it seemed to have worked. Well, mostly. After that talk Greyson has been more modest with showing his violent mood swings in the open, but I've still heard him sob in the toddler room while he was potty training Jose.
Amira needs a lot of attention and I've been diligent to play with her and teach her everything I can.
Jose likes to play with toys and is curios about the specters floating around the house.
I did some repairs on the wind turbines when the toddlers were asleep and rest of the family at school or work. Grant was not happy about it. He gave me a lecture about the dangers. Well, it's dangerous for him too, not just me. Too bad we can't afford to hire someone to repair the turbines. Grant is hoping he'll be able to upgrade the turbines some day, so they won't break down as much. He has the drive to reach the necessary knowledge and experience to do that. He wants to make me proud. I'm already proud of him.
The last time I went to the market to sell the produce, I took some time off from family duties and spent a few hours at the pub. I had a good chat with some of the locals, but was still eager to get home eventually.
Vlad showed up. I was in a pleasant mood and was willing to chat with him. He seems to be a nervous man, and a bit unpleasant. He insisted on helping me cook, but didn't really do much to help. Our haunted house terrified Vlad to the bones (Vlad is a vampire to my understanding so that reaction was surprising to me).
That night I had a beautiful dream about Gabriel and throughout the night I felt his presence.
I feel at ease about my family. The kids are all doing so well.
If anything should happen to me, then Grant and Greyson will take over and make sure Amira grows up as studious and strong as her older brothers. I'll be leaving everything to her. I hope the boys will understand.
The Haas Family Tree (made in the Plum Tree App).
I'll be updating it as the story progresses, so ... possible spoilers for the next chapters ahead!!
And the Haas Family Tree, with some spoilers for the later chapters is made in the Plum Tree App.
The renovations took a few days, and before we knew it, the house was larger. Susumu even put an old tub in the small bathroom. But it was all about saving simoleons, and, once, when it was raining, Susumu even showered in the rain to save on the water bill. He never talked much about his childhood, but he said he never wanted to be without a home again.
Life as newlyweds was a bit of a challenge. Almost as soon as we moved in, a parade of cats and dogs seemed to move in, too. We don't know where they all came from, but they seemed to like to just hang around the lot. Some of the cats even came in the house and got up on the kitchen counter. Knowing what it was like to be homeless ourselves, we didn't have the heart to shoo them away. We even named them, and just co-existed with them.
While the renovation was going on, we moved the whole garden to the side yard. It was an exhausting day of transplanting and afterwards both Susumu and I were just so tired, we just collapsed into bed. There were still chores to do in the garden, but it would have to wait until the morning. But I could have sworn that someone helped during the night, and those plants I still had to spray for bugs had all been done.
Susumu decided to get a job as a dishwasher at a place he used to frequent for some free meals. He was a hard worker and wanted to get a promotion to become a cook. He would cook all the meals at the house, but he was rather limited in what he could make. We ate a lot of fruit salad and forager's stew. One day, when Susumu was trying to make a new recipe of mushroom soup, a fire broke out! The stove didn't make it and was too burned to be used anymore. But I'm sure glad that Susumu was alright. Susumu moved the charred stove out back and thought that he might be able to salvage it. But the sad news is that we now have to save up for a new stove.
Life continued and my belly was getting swollen fast. I was already in my third trimester. We knew it wouldn't be long before the nooboo was born. Susumu would often ask me to feel the nooboo, and his eyes would light up when he felt a kick. We both didn't know anything about parenting, but I sensed that Susumu would be a good father.
I got to know the owners of the Grocery Shop and the Garden Shop in Finchwick, really well, and they became my closest friends. Kim Goldbloom, the grocery shop owner, sometimes asked me to help her with a few errands. Agnes Crumplebottom, the Garden Shop owner, needed some help, too, but I haven't been able to help her as yet and she understood, since I was expecting. Kim usually paid me for helping her run errands with food, and one day she even gave me a cottage pie casserole. I was so excited! Susumu and I had a wonderful feast together that night!
With Susumu's salary as a dishwasher and my selling fish and produce at the market, we were able to save for a table to have a yard sale. And it was rather successful. Susumu was really good at making sales pitches to wandering sims, and even the celebrity Judith Ward made an appearance and bought a snowglobe! Wow! Maybe she's a snowglobe collector.
We furnished the nooboo's room with a small bed and a night table. We also bought a potty for when they were older. I hung a few posters and we thought it looked rather nice. Everything was ready...
...and not a moment too soon, because that night I went into labor.
Because of our...um...financial situation...the hospital provided us with some free bassinettes and supplies, like diapers, for the nooboos. The little room we had prepared for one nooboo suddenly felt crowded, and we realized we would need another bed in there. But for now, we were just so excited that we had two healthy little ones to care for.
Luckily, the day before, our new stove was delivered, because suddenly there were bottles to sterilize and formula to heat up. It was a learning experience, but we somehow muddled through it. And Susumu was definitely a good father, and was always the first one to get up and change a diaper or just stand there and coo at Eli and Ella. He adored both of his children.
The next day, Susumu took a day of Family Leave from his job. He would get paid for the day, so he thought it would be a good idea to help with the twins, at least for the first day. While the twins were down for a nap, we...uh...well...we celebrated their birth and our love for each other...and...oh gosh...I found out that I was expecting. Again.
I told Susumu right away, and he took the news the same way he did with my first pregnancy. He just looked at me perplexed. He then turned and gave one of the twins their bottle. When he came back, he motioned for me to sit on the bed because he wanted to talk to me. Suddenly, I was nervous with how Susumu looked at me.
When we sat down he told me first that he loved me, and that no matter what, he always would. That helped to ease my worries somewhat, but he continued talking. He told me how happy he was to have this little house to live in, but that our family was expanding, and we needed a bigger house. In fact, he said he had a dream. He didn't just want a house...he wanted a home. A place to share memories and holidays together. A home where generations of their family could live and expand on what they started. He was hoping for a home that had a real kitchen with a large table where they could all sit and have a meal together, a bathroom with a door on it, and a family room where they could all sit and watch tv or play some games together. This was his dream, and now that I was pregnant again, he wanted to start making it a reality...with me.
I nodded my head and told him that is what I wanted, too, to have a home. I told him that I would start looking at some more houses on-line. There were some really nice pre-fab houses that could be delivered and built by a construction crew on-site. Susumu also said he had been looking at some wind turbines and some other eco-products to help with the bills. We smiled at each other, and Susumu said that he was so happy that he had met me, because he knew that we were both hard workers and could achieve anything together. And that, no matter how many nooboos I would have, he would always love me and be here for me and the children. And then he did the sweetest thing...he serenaded me. I always go weak in the knees when he sings.
And that is all I needed to hear.
Eli is such an independent toddler and was the first to go potty by himself. I was so proud of him.
And Ella is just such an angelic toddler, who rarely complained. She just loved to play with the blocks that Susumu had bought. I might be a bit biased, but I thought that Eli and Ella were just the most wonderful toddlers.
The husband of one of Susumu's co-workers, Bjorn Bjergson, stopped by unexpectedly with a gift. He had brought over an apple pie, which his wife had made, to congratulate us on the birth of the twins. I thought that was so nice.
When Susumu came home from work, he spent some time with the twins and then he told me that he had arranged for the twins to have a babysitter for a few hours, as he wanted to take me out on a date. Afterall, it was Love Day. Before I had a chance to protest, he took a rose from his pocket and handed it to me. How could I say no?
We went to a bar in Oasis Springs called Rattlesnake Juice, and we ordered some water and grabbed some chips. Both were free, and perhaps the water was different in Oasis Springs, but it tasted so good and refreshing. We had a wonderful date and even watched a movie together on the tv they had there. There was quite a crowd at the bar since it was Friday night, and Susumu took out his violin and played some tunes. He even got some nice tips from the patrons. When the date ended, we were anxious to get back home to check on the toddlers, but not before Susumu gave me a lingering kiss outside. When we arrived home, we found Eli and Ella fast asleep in their beds. Ahhh...they were so adorable!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The days continued and Susumu and I discovered that toddlers were quite a handful. They were always making messes or wanting something, and we found out that Eli could be rather defiant. It was a good thing that we were both still young and had the energy to keep up with Eli and Ella. But it was still rather exhausting.
But Eli and Ella had their good sides, too. Eli had really taken to all the stray animals around the lot, and even made friends with some of the dogs. He was quite a brave little fellow and would just go right up to a doggo and start petting them. And the dogs didn't seem to mind at all.
Ella was a sweet toddler and had such an imagination. We had bought them a dollhouse, and Ella would spend hours and hours just playing and talking to those dolls. Both Eli and Ella's skills were just moving along, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were proficient in everything by the time the new baby arrived.
I had found a reliable daycare center in the neighborhood, where Ella and Eli could go for a few hours while I travelled to the market to sell items. It was a co-op run by Moms, and it was free. I just had to take a shift once in awhile. This was indeed a lifesaver. I was even able to pick up a few more errands for the Garden Center, and Agatha Crumplebottom was rather pleased when I brought her some blueberries from my garden.
Susumu worked hard at his job, but couldn't seem to get a promotion. I often wondered why, and then discovered something about my husband that I didn't know. He was a kleptomaniac, and often brought home items from work that weren't his. At first I discovered a book, then some dirty dishes, and then a pear (I planted this unknowingly). We had a talk and he told me that he had a problem, and that having lived on the streets since he was a teen, he sometimes had to steal to survive. I told him that this was not the way we were going to live. He agreed and said he would try to curb these "urges", and promptly returned the book and the dirty dishes to his work. There was nothing I could do about the pear. But then, he seemed to become even more determined to get a promotion, and maxed the cooking skill at home. I was very proud of him.
Susumu had invested some of our simoleons in eco-products to help with the bills, a wind turbine, solar panel and a dew collector. He even bought a recycler and was finally able to get rid of that old burned out stove we had sitting in the back yard. Unfortunately, the wind turbine broke a lot, and needed to be repaired. And even though Susumu didn't have a lot of handiness skill, he insisted on repairing things himself. We received our first bills, which were $99 simoleons, which we promptly paid.
Sometimes things around the house would break when Susumu was at work, so I would take out the toolbox and fix things myself, too. I was becoming quite good at it, because...well...things were always breaking.
I, myself, had also become quite frugal, and even found ways to save simoleons on fertilizer for the garden. Since there were so many strays around, they...um...well...let's just say they left some free fertilizer on the lot. I also discovered another stray on the lot. One day I was working in the garden and saw a fox looking at me. He was quite a fascinating animal and we have come to appreciate each other. The funny thing is he seems to like me singing to him, and he sings along, too.
We also had some other animals visit, but they weren't too friendly. Somehow bats had flown into the house, and I was bitten. Thankfully, the children weren't harmed and I didn't become sick.
Life went on, and before I knew it, it was the first day of summer...and it was time to go to the hospital. Again.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
I was very lucky with this random roll of the toddler traits. For the next toddlers, if these are rolled again, I will re-roll to get different traits, just so they are all different. I have also decided that whatever outfits the game gives when they age up, I am going to keep them in. I did this for Susumu and didn't change anything about him. Whoever the heir will be, I may have to go into CAS to give them a make-over or add a few new outfits, if they really need it.
@Antiqua -
A question: What happens to all the other kids when the heir becomes a YA? Do they stay in the house, or move out at that time when they become YAs? Just didn't know how that worked.
My plan is to keep 1 or 2 other kids in the household as a "safe guard" in case something happens to the heir before they've started a family or produced the next heir. I've included this option to the rules, so there's a way I can continue the challenge in case a legal heir dies before the next one is ready. It seems like a good strategy.
And the Haas Family Tree, with some spoilers for the later chapters is made in the Plum Tree App.
But whatever happened during that delivery, I managed to give birth to...twins...again! This time, two little girls, Bridgette was the first and Belinda was the second. And the moment Susumu saw his new daughters, all thoughts of what he had seen before were forgotten.
And when we brought Bridgette and Belinda home, both Ella and Eli were so excited to meet their new siblings. That made us very happy.
I never realized how small our house was until we couldn't even place Bridgette and Belinda's bassinettes in the same room. We had to put one beside our bed, and the other at the base of Eli's bed. It was almost impossible to get around.
It was a good thing that Susumu and I had looked at some house plans, and had ordered our house. All the plans looked lovely, but we had a budget and we had to stick to it. We finally decided on one that had a wonderful large kitchen. When I saw Susumu looking fondly at the photos, I knew that was the house for us. Of course, it would be unfurnished because we would be using the furniture we had, and had to buy even more! But, with my gardening and fishing and Susumu's salary, we knew we could afford it. There was a lot of work to do before the crew came to take the old house away and then construct the new house. They told us it would all be done in a day. The very same day that Bridgette and Belinda were to age up to toddlers.
The days passed and I actually took up a new hobby. Knitting. I had found this lovely rocker, too. Of course, it had to be outside because there was no room in the house for it. But it was very relaxing just rocking and knitting. Susumu liked to rock in it, too. He said it was a good investment. I knitted some items, two beanies and some socks, and listed my beanie on-line on plopsy and sold it! Of course, I would have to be a full-time knitter to make as much as I do from gardening, but it was a nice hobby.
I spent a lot of time in the garden, and looking after the children. I rarely had time for fishing anymore. I still did my regular runs to the market, but that was all I had time for. Helping Eli and Ella with all the skills they needed was rather time consuming, and then the babies needed my attention, too. There were hardly enough hours in the day to do anything.
But, all my time in the garden paid off, and I maxed the gardening skill. Who knew that to get this, I had to grow this mysterious plant. I didn't know much about it, but it sort of looked like a cow, so I guess it's a cowplant. I had caught the seed one day, and just planted it, not knowing what it would become. And now I know.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And suddenly, it was the day when our new house would arrive. I could hardly believe it! It was such a beautiful summer day and I snapped this photo of the street trolley going by.
But before that happened, we had another house fire. Thankfully, everyone was safe, because Susumu had bought a "fire sale" clearance on fire extinguishers from the local fire department. So, we were prepared! Because we had installed a smoke detector, we did get some simoleons from the insurance company, but it didn't cover the full cost of a stove replacement.
After Susumu had left for work, I wanted to make a special breakfast for our last day in this house. Just some eggs and toast. I knew I should have made fruit salad...and...I hate to even tell you this, but there was another house fire.
I somehow managed to put out the fire by myself and get all the children out of the house. It was so traumatic and little Eli had been going potty when it happened, and he just wailed so loudly. My heart went out to the little tyke. Afterwards, I finished packing for the move and we just had leftovers. It was really all I could manage.
And here we are, the last photo of the old house as they hauled it away. And, wouldn't you know it? At that precise moment, Bridgette and Belinda aged up to toddlers. Yes, right there on the sidewalk! No cake or anything. I felt like such a terrible mother, but they were happy and didn't seem to notice that anything was wrong.
And here are Bridgette (on the right) and Belinda on the left. I couldn't believe how alike they looked. In fact, I believe they are identical twins! They both have red hair, just like Ella and I do. We decided to take a walk around the neighborhood while they finished our house, and when we came back, it was done! I was speechless!
Of course, I still have my garden to plant, but isn't it gorgeous? It has 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, a living room and a huge eat-in kitchen. Well, I have to go now. I have to unpack some boxes and get the children settled and Susumu will be coming home soon. He's going to be making us all dinner in the new house. I can hardly wait!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
Many thanks to this simmer for the house I used.
This is the house I downloaded from the gallery, unfurnished. I did some renovations before they moved in. This is a basegame house, so I changed all the interior doors in the house to less expensive ones, and added the door to the garage, knocked down the wall between the living room and kitchen, and changed a single archway to a double archway. Also, changed some wall coverings. For some reason, it only had a concrete floor, so added the cheapest flooring. I expanded the deck outback and added a terrain tools patio. There are a lot of debug items (all the landscaping), so it looks more expensive than it really is. It cost $10,138 unfurnished with the changes.
Clarence did manage to teach Yogi a very important skill for living with Slacklaters!
Clarence is working harder than he wants to right now. Just until he gets a roof over the head of his bride. He doesn't want her to regret joining the family. In addition to the Shrieking Llama in his own neighborhood and the Gnome's Arms next to where he sells his vegetables, he is playing regularly in the Evergreen Harbor bar now. That has the advantage of allowing him to dumpster dive after he finishes his set. He's found all kinds of interesting things in there-- some he keeps and some he recycles. Clarence's friend Maaike Haas came to support him, but she spent all night making eyes at Dominic Fyres. Hmm.
Clarence held a casual fruit salad get-together to introduce Becca to his friends.
But he was so exhausted that he fell asleep still holding his bowl.
Hard at work together. Clarence is fixing up a stove he found in the dumpster. It needed a repair and a good cleaning, but it works! Or, it will work, once they have enough power to power it.
Clarence does not find this fun but he is doing it anyway.
Okay, so if you don't pay your bills on an off-the-grid lot, you don't have to worry about the utilities at all... but then this happens.
Becca argued with the repo man but he wouldn't be deterred. She kept him from taking a couple of particularly useful objects, but he did take the candles Clarence had bought for the proposal dinner.
And... a tree, for some reason.
I guess we'll pay the bills in the future.
Poor Yogi got sick and it took Clarence and Becca a couple of days to save up enough to take her to the vet. Here she is looking pathetic afterward.
Harvestfest came! And Clarence and Becca have been trying for a baby. Clarence has a lot of stuff stored out back for the baby already.
I was very pleased to find out that the garden shop will purchase gnomes. The income from selling the gnomes and the contents of the seed packets was very helpful. Although, without much in the way of interior floor tiles, the gnomes didn't really leave many seed packets.
A quiet night studying while life is under construction all around
Becca got a job. She rolled Babysitter from the part-time jobs. She got promoted to Nanny after a couple of days. She only works Saturdays and Sundays so it coordinates well with the university schedule.
Clarence and Becca went out to a restaurant for the first time ever to celebrate his birthday! Wow, short lifespan is short.
It happened to be Night on the Town but they still had to pay for the cake.
And then there was some big news... Clarence and Becca are going to be parents!
The kitchen is coming together. (Some of the stink is coming from the plate in this picture, and some of the stink is coming from the cook...) That is a vintage icebox that Clarence saved up for and acquired. I was delighted to discover that if you "Add Ice," the icebox will work for a day or two even if you have no power.
Lots of hardship here but lots of love too
Finally, a roof! It has solar shingles. Clarence now is very motivated to put a roof over not only his bride's head, but the baby's too. Somewhere to bathe a toddler that isn't outside in the snow might be a good idea too. Once that happens he can get back to slacking
Some interesting plants grew out of some trash piles next to the trash can. They bear funny little fruits that smell bad and look like trash bags. The fruits sell for only 1 simoleon each-- Clarence is testing them out as fertilizer, since lots of smelly stuff makes good fertilizer.
Clarence got annoyed at this flirty fellow who plopped down next to Becca at the bar. Clarence got him to leave after a few insults were exchanged. Meanwhile, Sara Scott's face says "Men are such idiots."
"Was that really necessary?" asks Becca. Let's hope Mr. Shirt back there doesn't try the same thing.
Becca went over to talk to Rahmi Watson who has a particularly incredible cold weather outfit.
Becca joined the Avant Gardes. They love reading and homework, so it's perfect for her. Maaike and Clarence are now officially best friends.
Hugo Villareal living his best life: fantasy novel in one hand, coffee in the other
Clarence and Becca eloped in the Bramblewood. Weddings are expensive and all the hubbub can make you lose sight of the important stuff. A slacker's dream wedding: the sky for a church, the trees for a wedding arch, the ducks for guests. Wish them well. All three of them as you can see
As you enter the house, there is a little hallway. Not much here yet, but there are a few of Cece's photos that I hung. The plant is a debug item from Jungle Adventure. Just filler right now. The lantern is from Outdoor Retreat and works off-the-grid. I find that this is brighter than some of the candles. The hallway to the backdoor is narrow and there are not a lot of choices of off-the-grid wall lights, so I used the string of lights under wall hangings from the Parenthood pack. These light up a room, but are not counted as a light, so saves on the light bill.
Here is the living room with a fireplace. The couches are mismatched. The loveseat is from Basegame and the couch is from Jungle Adventure, but they go rather well together. They already had the rocking chair, small table, bookshelf and the plant.
The main bathroom is off the living room, The toilet and shower they already had. Sink is from Tiny Living and functions off-the-grid. The two lights above the mirror are debug free items from Cottage Living.
The living room actually backs onto the kitchen. Fridge, Stove, 1 counter, 1 island counter, 2 ceiling lights, smoke detector and trash bin they already had. The sink is from Cottage Living and is off-the-grid.
And the eat-in area in the kitchen. The shelves they already had. A neat trick I saw in this build in the furnished version was that the window "blinds" are actually debug free items. They are medium and large painting blank canvases. I thought that idea was rather cool.
The door leads to the garage, which is now the main bedroom. Bed, carpets, posters and shelving they already had. The carpets are actually debug free items from Nifty Knitting. The ottoman at the base of the bed is from the Bowling Pack.
Off of the main hallway at the entrance to the house are the three bedrooms, all identical in size. (They aren't the same size in the build, but I changed them all).
This bedroom is the furthest down the hall, across from the second bathroom and near the back door. This is Bridgette and Belinda's bedroom. Two more toddler beds purchased and a night table. They already had the lamp.
The middle room is the playroom. I purchased a toy box, and they had all the other items.
And the first room is Eli and Ella's bedroom. They had all the items in the room.
The second bathroom is across from Bridgette and Belinda's room. The sink, mirror, tub and potty they had. Purchased another toilet and a rug.
And the garden. Cece is growing a pumpkin for the Finchwick Fair. I've never had a sim participate in this, so we'll see how that goes.
There were so many harvestables that I had to plant them on the other side of the house. However, Cowie, the cowplant, didn't fare so well, and seemed to have shrunk when he was transplanted. I am just not sure what happened, maybe he will grow big again. Who knows?
Here is a close-up of the patio, and then a picture of the whole backyard. The debug pond came with the build. I just added the debug fishing sign from Basegame.
I hope you enjoyed the tour!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And love is just everywhere in the house. I even think I saw some pets in love. How cute.
But, Belinda and Bridgette are not taking too well to toddlerhood and almost as soon as they aged up, we had an earthquake. But don't worry, everyone was fine.
And then Michael Bell, the Creature Keeper from Bramblewood, came for a visit and he was wondering when the party started. I think I looked at him strangely and then I remembered...it was Eli and Ella's birthday, too! Oh gosh! Susumu was still at work and we needed a cake.
I had some chocoberries that I was saving, and thought that when Susumu came home, we would have the birthday celebration. So....I attempted to make a cake...and finished it without having a fire. All we had to do was just wait...and that's when the cat got up on the table and started eating the cake! Gah!
Okay, I shooed that cat away, but then another one just jumped on the table, too. Finally, Susumu came home! And he got a promotion to...um...head dishwasher. What? They should have promoted him to a cook! But then I saw he had swiped something else from work again. This time a book called "The 50 shades of my Windows," and it couldn't be returned. Ugh!
I congratulated him on his promotion and he said the house looked really nice. But there was no more time for chitchat. We needed to have this party before the cats ate the cake...and then I noticed that the cake had gone bad. How? I just made it! So, I told Susumu the situation, gave him some chocoberries, and he began to make a new cake. I knew that this cake would be amazing. Hopefully Eli and Ella would hold on, because the clock was ticking...
And, of course, just as the cake went in the oven, we had a house fire...
The fire department had actually arrived, but we were quick to put out the fire. We all ran outside, and there are passer-bys freaking out on the sidewalk.
Oh gosh! Poor Ella is beside herself and I try to comfort her. Eli looks rather excited. Maybe it's just all the fire fighters around.
We somehow managed to get everyone inside again, and I gave Susumu more chocoberries, and he started making another cake...and it was in the oven...almost done...and...dang it! Another fire!
I think the firefighters never left, and were still at the sidewalk. I overheard them talking that the Newcrest City Council was thinking of building a new fire station near our house. Oh gee!
By this time, it's pretty dark out, and there is no more time to make a cake. And just like that, Ella and Eli age up and they are both sad. Sorry...no birthday cake. They even think we forgot their birthdays. We didn't forget! Honestly! [Note: Ella rolled the outgoing trait and I gave her the Social Butterfly Aspiration. Eli rolled Dog Lover - how appropriate - and I gave him the Rambunctious Scamp Aspiration.]
They are very good looking kids, if I do say so myself. They were top notch toddlers. I am not sure how I will do with Bridgette and Belinda. (Note: This is how they aged up, and I think they look pretty good.)
Because of the fires and the birthday cake fiasco, the children were sad and stressed. Susumu decided to cheer them up. He is such a wonderful father.
At least I was able to get some gifts for them, and they were rather excited.
Of course, afterwards, Ella and Eli got a head start on their homework. They started school in 2 days and all their supplies had already been delivered. Of course, both Susumu and I helped them with their homework.
Ella and Eli both took selfies, and I hung the best ones in their room, along with their baby and toddler photos. And it seems that Ella likes photography, too.
It was a rather exhausting day, and we put the kids to bed...or so we thought...as both Eli and Ella snuck out during the night and decided to play pirates on the nearby playground equipment.
And it looks like Ella and Eli aren't the only ones up. Bridgette is up and making a mess in the garden. Sheesh!
He was rather surprised. We both dressed in our nicest clothes, and Susumu still fit into the suit that he had worn at the wedding. He looked so handsome.
We travelled to a new seafood restaurant that had just opened in Newcrest. [The restaurant is a Maxis build, The Diving Pelican.]
While I requested a table, Susumu looked at all the various types of fish swimming in the aquariums there.
We were seated almost immediately and I could tell that Susumu was pretty excited about being there.
The server, Becca Clarke, was just new on the job and she made several dinner recommendations.[@mightysprite - Becca must have switched jobs from babysitting, or has two jobs now, but don't worry, Cece and Susumu will tip her well.]
We decided to order some fried fish and herbed salmon. Susumu chose a wonderful white nectar to go with the meal. We sat at an outdoor table and it was perfect. And Susumu told me that this was the best birthday he's ever had. We chatted and Susumu was in a rather flirty mood and kept giving me glances and blowing kisses at me. It was so wonderful and it reminded me of when we had first met.
We finished our meal and I ordered a birthday cake. And when it came, I blew the little party horn that came with the cake. Susumu blew out his candles and just smiled at me afterwards. We shared a piece of cake and then I asked for the cake to go, so that I could bring it home with me. After several to-go bags later, I had it all.
But before we left, Susumu put his arms around me and kissed me and thanked me for the lovely birthday dinner.
When we arrived back home, Susumu opened his birthday gift from the kids.
Oh gosh! He didn't seem to like it!
However, I was sure that he was going to like my gift!
Oh yeah! He most definitely liked my gift! teehee
After awhile, we made our way back into the kitchen and shared the birthday cake with the kids. Maybe it was all the excitement of the evening, but suddenly, I wasn't feeling too well. I used the facilities, and...oh my gosh! I was pregnant again!
I told Susumu right away, and in perfect Susumu fashion, he took the news the same way as he always did. He looked a bit perplexed. Yeah...um...Happy Birthday Susumu...you're going to be a father...again! [Note: Maybe it's the erratic trait, but this is the funniest look that he does every time Cece tells him she is expecting. He's either really calm about it, or wondering how it happened. Cracks me up everytime.]
Ella and Eli started school and, even though they did their homework, they were still C students. I tried my best to work with Bridgette and Belinda on their skills, but mostly they were left to their own devices. It seemed that Belinda was always sad and crying when Susumu went to work, and Belinda and Bridgette were always making messes.
Ella and Eli joined Scouts, which occurred on the weekend. They were quite gung-ho about earning badges, and soon had earned a few and were both now Unicorn Scouts.
They were very helpful around the house, cleaning the dishes, taking out the garbage and looking after Bridgette and Belinda when they could.
They even fished at the little pond, and gave me the fish they caught, so I could sell the fish at the market. They were both such treasures.
Susumu and I had a chat and we wanted to let Ella and Eli have their own hobbies instead of doing housework all the time. I had saved up enough simoleons and we decided to buy them some drawing tables and Susumu thought they should also learn the violin. It made Susumu and I so happy to see the delight on their faces from these unexpected gifts.
One Friday, Susumu came home rather excited and told me that the Spice Festival was being held in San Myshuno. They would have free food and there were some gardens there where I could get some new plants. And so, we headed off together on our first Family Outing...and arrived at the Spice Festival in a thunderstorm. This did not deter us at all.
Susumu, Eli, Ella and I entered the Spice Challenge contest. The food was hot and spicy. And even though I had never tasted some of these dishes before, I enjoyed them, and won the contest! I got a great t-shirt as a prize. Of course, I had to take a larger size since I was expecting, and Susumu commented that he always thought I was a "sexy, spicy mamma..." Even with four kids and a nooboo on the way, Susumu always made me feel loved and special.
Susumu was busy sampling all of the food at the festival and even took some home with him. I did go to one of the festival stalls and bought Susumu some spices, so that he would have them if he wanted to make these dishes at home.
There wasn't too much to do at the Spice Festival, other than eat, but Bridgette and Belinda seemed to find things to do, like talk to strangers and talk to plants. Of course, they ate other food, as their little tumtums couldn't take spicy food yet.
Ella found some climbers nearby and Eli played some basketball on the basketball court. Ella really seemed to like fitness.
Susumu took out his violin and played for the festival guests. He made some tips and was even getting a bit famous. I always thought that Susumu had the skill to be a professional violinist or singer, but he always told me that it was just a hobby he enjoyed.
But then, a nearby lightning strike nearly hit him, and he decided that we should head home for the safety of the children.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A few days later, it was Bridgette and Belinda's birthday, and Susumu was determined for them to have a birthday cake. So, he headed off to Myshuno Meadows to the Catering Kitchen there and made a birthday cake with no fires. He stored it in the little sales table out front to use on their actual birthday. Everything was ready.
And as hard as I tried to help them with all their skills, they weren't able to achieve the same Top Notch Toddler skills as Ella and Eli. But, they did get some skills done and they were Happy Toddlers. On their birthday, Susumu took out the cake, lit the candles, and we celebrated and...that's it...that is all we could do with that cake. No matter what we did and how hard we tried, we couldn't get Bridgette and Belinda to blow out their birthday candles. So, the cake just sat ablaze with the birthday candles on it and Bridgette and Belinda aged up to child. And again, sadness, because they thought that we had forgotten their birthdays. The poor dears.
[Notes: Oops - didn't get a screenie of Bridgette's age up stats, but she rolled the Music Lover trait with the Artistic Prodigy Aspiration. Belinda rolled the Adventurous Trait and has the Whiz Kid Aspiration.]
And here they are! Bridgette on the left with the little kerchief in her hair, and Belinda on the right with the bear hat.
And they seemed happier when they opened their gifts.
While Susumu moved two new child beds into Bridgette and Belinda's room and the kids just had some free time, I went outside and did some fishing. And wouldn't you know it, I became an Angling Ace! I wished that Ekram Elderberry was here to see this victory, as he had helped me so much when I first started fishing. This was indeed a good day.
And with Cece completing the first aspiration, they could remove one challenge lot trait. Using a randomizer, it was the Cursed Lot Trait. Yes! Maybe this would help curtail any more fires and help with their voodoo-moods.
I use a randomizer called random picker. Very easy to use.
Yes, it counts, it requires extra attention to finish just like adult aspirations.
Or do you think the kids' aspirations are too easy to complete?
And the Haas Family Tree, with some spoilers for the later chapters is made in the Plum Tree App.
@Antiqua - Thank you for the reply. No, I think that is a good thing. This just happened, so that is why I was asking. Everything is harder on short lifespan and I was surprised that one of the kids did complete an aspiration. Thanks so much!
@mightysprite - Thanks so much! I like that pic of Cece, too.
As I said, I switch between aspirations, so hope that helps. However, @Antiqua will be the one who will set the rule straight on your question.
My due date was getting closer, and Susumu and I had decided that the playroom would be the new baby's room. We would just move the dollhouse outside to make some room. It made sense because I liked our house and didn't want to have to start searching for a new one so soon.
Susumu seemed happy in the kitchen, too, and was even teaching the children how to cook. Of course, he was still leery of fires, and started the children off teaching them to make some fruit salad. Ella was so proud when it was her turn to make dinner for all of us.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A strange thing happened while I was at the market. Cowie grew again and it seems that Cowie, the Cowplant, is a somewhat carnivorous plant and can even devour sims. Yes, I know...hard to believe right? I had come home from the market, and Susumu told me that he felt rather "drained" as he had been devoured by the cowplant. I looked at Susumu rather strangely and he did look tired. But eaten by the cowplant? Susumu was talking nonsense again, I was sure. But what if this was really true?
And then it happened. No, not with me being devoured by the cowplant...with me going into labor. This time, I didn't have time to go to the hospital, and it happened when the kids were at school and Susumu was at work. I was really scared. But, I gave birth to...twins again! Yes, this time, twin boys, Trevor and Trent. It made me so happy. Our house was full and our family was complete.
Susumu had rushed home from work, but by the time he arrived, the birth was all over. Of course, he insisted on taking Trevor, Trent and I to the hospital to ensure we were all fine, and we were. And when we arrived back home, Susumu went into Trevor and Trent's room and was so overjoyed with the new bundles of joy. The children, too, had no bad feelings about having more siblings. They all seemed happy about it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Eli and Ella had made some friends at school, and the next day, they called home to ask if they could invite them over. I thought that was wonderful, and Ella came home with Ahmad Mallory and Eli came home with Pierce Delgato.
Both of their friends were very well-behaved. Especially since a volcanic eruption occurred, and lava rocks were literally flying at the house when they arrived. Oh my gosh! We had an earthquake hit before, but never this! In all, four lava bombs had descended on the house. In fact, one of the lava bombs was quite close to the house and started a fire, and Susumu had to call the Fire Department.
I even went rather close to one and wanted to touch it, but felt the heat and wisely took my hand away. I could have been burned!
Instead, I waited until one cooled, and then took a hammer and cracked one open. I found a wonderful crystal inside!
We kept two of the lava rocks and did some decorations on them. They are now sitting on the front lawn.
But the strange thing is that now we have these little lava steam vents in various parts of the lawn. I do hope that they will cool and go away soon.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Notes:
While I was playing, a glitch occurred and Cece would not give birth at the hospital. No doctor ever showed up. Luckily I had saved just prior to that so was able to recover my file, so she had a home birth instead.
And since Ella completed the Artistic Prodigy Aspiration, the random lot trait that was removed was Filthy.