Wellington

School days, Fall 2022

2011-12-29T09:00:00.007+02:00

Round 14: Fall 2022

Principal: Rianna Midlock
Teachers: Patsy Greene, Quinn Hayes
Students: Jeremy Hayes and Ross and Madelyn Cooper are all 11, Liam Cooper, Iona Fielding, Skye Marlowe and Todd Robinson are all 10, Jesse Midlock is 9, Mia Greene and Jett and Kyra Marlowe are all 8, James Cooper, Connor and Dane Harper and Lina Marlowe are all 6, Paloma Lind is 5 and Bridget Greene-Cooper is 4.

Narrated by Rianna Midlock

I've taken the habit of meeting with Quinn and Patsy once a week in my teeny tiny office so we can discuss what's going on in the school. It's also refreshing to hear their ideas about how to develop the school.

Lately we've been talking about expanding the building even further. We're all attached to this school so building a new one doesn't really appeal to us but we also want to provide the kids the best foundation for high school and further education. Any idea we come up with needs to be approved by the city council but we're looking into adding a third floor to get more space.

Patsy only has two students in her class this year, one pre-schooler and one kindergartener, so she can really focus on them. They don't do any gradework but she teaches by reading to them and letting them play creative games. She calls it a soft landing to school work.

Patsy's main goal for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners is to teach them how to work in a group and get used to the school world. I have to say that I was a bit apprehensive about her methods at first but I've come to realize that they really work. By the time the students transfer to my class they're usually pretty ready to start learning all the different subjects.

It doesn't mean that my students always act like angels though. I don't want to be too strict but I don't tolerate behaviour that interferes with other students' learning. Some of the boys in my class are quite wild but usually it just takes a firm look from me to calm them down.

The girls on the other hand are much easier. I guess it's partly because all the girls in my class are teachers' daughters so they're afraid that I'm going to tell their mothers if they misbehave.

I'm not a very athletic person but I've started to enjoy the P.E. classes since we got the basketball court. The girls are pretty enthusiastic about basketball and have been talking about starting a team.

The boys on the other hand are all about football. I make them switch every now and then but usually they get to choose and the boys always choose football.

Quinn has a few students who are transferring to high school after this semester so he's already prepping them for the seventh grade by making them give speeches and such.

We got more easels this year so that there's enough for all students in one class. It feels like year after year the classes are getting bigger and bigger.

Quinn says that his 6th graders are starting to get to the age where the opposite sex isn't completely stupid and repulsive. Just the other day he said he could've sworn that his son Jeremy was trying to flirt with Madelyn Cooper.

There are enough seats in the cafeteria for all students to eat at the same time but we've decided to take turns because it usually creates a chaos if we have all students in the same place at the same time.

It also makes it easier for our chef because he can make the lunch in two sets instead of having to cook one huge meal.

The weather has been great so far so the kids are enjoying the playground.

We also allow playing catch in the backyard next to the football field. I don't know what we're going to do in the winter when it's too cold for the kids to go outside during recess. We probably need to buy some indoor games to prevent total anarchy.

The approaching end of the school year also means that I have to finalize the budget for next year and get it approved by the city council. I've never been that great in maths and I hate doing the budget so I usually leave it to the last minute and then have to stay at the school after classes to finish it. I've always managed to send it before the dead line so it's ok.

Notes:

I like this building so much that even though I've thought about building a new elementary school I always back out before I even start. So I guess I'll just figure out a way to add a third floor because I have a couple ideas for two extra rooms.
It's really starting to look like I'm going to finish this round! There's only one update left (the Pattersons) and I have a vague idea what to do with them so it shouldn't take too long. I probably won't be able to finish it before the year ends though which means that I've spent pretty much the whole year 2011 playing this round. How lame.

Dancehall queen

2011-12-26T09:00:00.001+02:00

Round 14: Fall 2022
last update/next update

Rianna Midlock is 52, Anthony is 48, Emily is 14, Sara is 13 and Jesse is 9.
(Regan is 58, Eve is 21 and Ethan is 14.)

Narrated by Sara Midlock

I've been working really hard for good grades lately. Mom and dad finally allowed me to start proper dance lessons this fall but I can only continue them if I manage to keep my grades up. It's not exactly ballet but it's a good start.

The coolest thing is that the classes are at Brixton University and Eve is our teacher. I have to take a 1-hour bus drive there twice a week but I don't care. Studying dance at Brixton is like a preview of what I'm hoping my life will be in 5 years.

Eve will graduate in about a month so she's more than capable of training our "creative movement" class. We practice different kinds of dances and even tai chi because Eve says it'll teach us to control our body.

We also get some training on the ballet bar but not very often since it's not supposed to be a ballet class. That's my goal though, to get into a ballet class but they only approve the best of the best.

Emily turned 14 this year so she was allowed to get a part-time job after school. She likes getting some extra money but she's more excited about her boyfriend Ethan though. Mom and dad have always said that we're not allowed to start dating until we turn 15 but they sort of changed the rules after they found out about Emily and Ethan. They're not allowed to go out on school nights and they're definitely not allowed to spend much time alone but they can still see each other.

Emily's been trying to convince me that I should start dating Ethan's brother Aaron. Frieda has been saying the same thing, especially since she found a boyfriend this summer. I don't even know Aaron well enough to start dating him and although he seems like a nice guy I'm just not that interested in him. We kind of kissed one time last year at Generation X and it was nice but I don't want to start dating someone just for the sake of having a boyfriend. Sometimes I think there's something wrong with me because I'm not that interested in boys but mom says that I'm just a late bloomer.

Emily got the flu so she was allowed to stay home from school one day. She told mom that she rested the whole day but I'm pretty sure she was online the whole time she was alone in the house. She was chatting with someone when I came home from school anyway.

She did get better pretty quickly, just in time for mom's impromptu family party. Even Ethan was invited although he's not technically part of our family.

He's kind of cute though so I can understand why Emily likes him.

Eve hadn't met all our relatives yet so the party was also meant to be a "welcome to the family" kind of thing.

Mom never wants to cook when grandma comes over so she picked up something from the deli on her way home from work. Not that grandma would judge anyone's cookings but I guess it's a bit intimidating to cook for a chef.

In a few years we'll have another chef in the family since Dawn is studying culinary arts. She's our aunt but feels more like a cousin because she's only a few years older than us.

Aunt Regan had some exciting news. She told us that our cousin Erin, who got married in the summer, is pregnant! The baby is due in July next year. Aunt Regan said it's going to be wonderful to have a new baby in the family. Mom joked to her that soon we'll have to rent a stadium if we plan to get all our relatives in the same place at the same time.

Grandpa kept asking me about my dance lessons.

"Is it like that weird modern stuff I've seen on tv where the so-called dancers just flap their arms and run around the stage?" he asked. I was worried that Eve would hear and be offended since she's more into modern than classical dance. He did say that he was just joking. He seemed really pleased to hear that I wanted to be a ballerina. Maybe that means he and grandma will buy a ballet bar for my room as a Christmas present.

Notes:

Title reference: Dancehall queen by Robyn.
Sara rolled the family reunion ROS which is the last ROS for this round. We're approaching the end of this round anyway, only 2 updates + the round summary coming after this one.
Erin actually got pregnant in the limo ride after her wedding party! I guess it's a feature of either ACR or InTeen, don't know which one. I had planned to make her and Toby wait some time before trying for a baby but the game decided otherwise. I'm not complaining though because I love sim babies.
Sara doesn't roll any romantic wants so I'm thinking she's not that interested in dating anyone yet. She has plenty of time for that later.
The dance studio is in the same faculty building that Dawn visited in the previous update. Eventually I plan to build a Faculty of Performing Arts and move the dance studio there but for now the studio will stay in the Faculty of Arts.

Material girl

2011-12-16T09:00:00.001+02:00

Round 14: Fall 2022
last update/next update

Dawn Whitfield is 18 and Shea Harris is 2.
(Finn is 17.)

Narrated by Dawn Whitfield.

I'm starting to see that our first semester was sort of a soft landing into university. The teachers are starting to build up pressure now that we're starting our second semester. It feels like I have even less free time but I still make Shea my main priority. I can always study longer but I'm not willing to lose precious moments with my daughter. I was so afraid of how we'd make it but so far it's been great. I spend the morning with her and then head off to classes when the nanny comes.

I was expecting to get into the teaching kitchen already but it turned out that it's off limits for first year students. Instead we have to pass a few theory classes, mainly cultural anthropology and also some basic art studies.

The lecture hall in our faculty is usually packed full in the afternoon but in the mornings there are plenty of seats available. I guess most students are too hungover to attend classes in the morning. At least according to Zach it sounds like everyone parties every night.

After the classes I usually go to the faculty library and study for a while before going back home. It's a lot easier to concentrate on my assignments and term papers without a 2-year-old tugging my sleeve all the time.

I'm starting my kitchen practise next semester so I went to read the kitchen rules. They're pretty basic for any kitchen and something I already got used to when I was working at mom's restaurant.

I also got a locker for my apron and cooking books. I'm very excited about getting to work in a kitchen and learn to cook all kinds of new dishes.

Shea's usually in a good mood when I go home because she's just woken up from her nap. I try to spend as much time as I can with her in the evenings because I always feel guilty about leaving her home even though I know she'll be alright.

She's pretty good at keeping herself entertained too.

Finn comes over more often now and he's really good with her. It took some time for them to get to know each other but now Shea's always asking for her "dada" when he's not around.

It's so great to hear her giggle when they're playing together.

Finn's been saying all along that he doesn't want to go to college but now he's suddenly had a change of heart. I think mom's been telling him that running a restaurant is much more than just cooking. The whole business aspect is something that would be a lot easier if he had basic knowledge of business stuff. His parents are thrilled that he's applying but we're not sure if it's already too late.

College or not, he's still moving here in a few months. I feel like everyone's warning us that it might not be easy to live together. Well duh. We know that but we're willing to try.

Nanny Isobel has been telling me to go out more and I finally took her advice when Finn asked me out on a date. We haven't been on a real date for ages so it's really nice to get out of the house for a few hours and spend some couples time together.

It was easiest for us to meet halfway so we went to Tom's Diner in Exmoor.

Finn had some interesting news. His parents have been looking into international adoption and they were accepted a few months ago. They just found out that they're getting a child! And not just one child, but they're actually getting two siblings, a boy and girl. Finn says he's ok with it but I think it's a bit of a shock to get a little brother and sister at his age. In my family it's nothing unusual, me and my sisters all have huge age differences.

The food is pretty good for a small diner but I could've been eating a cardboard box and wouldn't have cared.

It was just so great to be with Finn without any distractions.

I would be lying if I said that the future doesn't scare me but I don't want to make myself sick worrying about it. We're happy now and that's the most important thing.

We went to the movies after dinner. It was alright although a guy who sat behind me explained the whole movie to his wife who was sitting right next to him. It's just my luck.

It took us forever to say goodnight but finally we had to go in our own directions.

Notes:

Title reference: Material girl by Madonna.
I finally had enough time to crank out an update! Hopefully it won't take me as much time to post the next one.
Finn keeps rolling that want to go to college so I've decided to let him. I'm pretty sure he qualifies for 3 scholarships so that won't be an issue.

Venus doom

2011-11-28T09:00:00.003+02:00

Round 14: Fall 2022
last update/next updates: Zach/Stephen/Kaitlyn and Eve

Kaitlyn Brennan, Stephen Marlowe and Eve Midlock are all 21 and Zach Whitfield is 18.
(Dawn is 18.)

Narrated by Zach Whitfield.

Mom and dad flipped out big time when they heard in the summer that I hadn't registered a major yet. I told them that I was going to do it anyway in the beginning of fall semester but they seemed convinced that I was just slacking off. So I decided to prove them wrong and registered for Physics and Premedicine. I know I have to work my ass off to get into med school after graduation so I thought I'd better start already.

Kaitlyn and Stephen are good role models when it comes to studying. They're always reading or writing or doing something school related.

I don't know when Eve studies because it feels like she's always trying to earn enough money to pay her last tuition. Somehow she manages to get decent grades but I can see that she's really pushing her limits sometimes.

We've been semi-flirty towards each other since the beginning of this semester. I think she likes me but it's hard to tell because she always plays cool. I on the other hand probably seem like a love-sick teenager whenever I'm around her.

I decided we all needed some time off from our studies so one afternoon I told the gang that we're leaving the dorm for some well-earned fun. We went to The Lion's Roar - it's the same old pub that's been on campus for decades but it was recently re-opened with a new name. Life seemed pretty good with a cold beer in my hand and a pretty girl sitting next to me.

Stephen and I decided to play a game of darts while the girls stayed in our table and talked. They've decided to become roommates after they graduate and they're constantly talking about apartments and furniture et cetera.

Stephen doesn't have a clue where he's going to be living but he just says there's plenty of time to decide. I guess he'll move back home if he doesn't come up with anything else by the time he graduates.

We played darts for a while but then Stephen got bored and went to cuddle with Kaitlyn instead. They do that a lot. I'm kind of surprised that they won't move in together but I guess neither of them is really ready for that kind of step.

I know for sure that I'm not ready for any kind of commitment at the moment but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy Eve's company. She's so different from all the other girls I've known. Most girls start daydreaming about weddings and babies and that kind of stuff the moment you talk to them for more than 5 minutes. Eve on the other hand looks like she couldn't care less. She was engaged to this one guy but they broke up in the spring. She refuses to talk about him but Stephen told me that their engagement was nothing more than a drunken mistake.

It started to look like Stephen and Kaitlyn had forgotten all about us so we headed off to the bar and got a few more drinks.

I was surprised to see Dawn in the pub. She usually doesn't go anywhere after her classes but the nanny had told her to go out and have fun. She seemed pretty cheerful and said that it's all because it'll only be a few months before Finn moves in with her and Shea. I just hope everything goes fine for them.

We got back from the pub and somehow Eve ended up in my room. I couldn't keep my hands off of her.

We ended up making out but nothing else happened.

It was so awkward to see her in the morning. She said that it would be too weird for us to date because we're sort of family. And we would barely see each other anyway since she's leaving the campus soon. I didn't really agree but whatever. It's not like I'm in love with her or anything.

It still kind of blows to be rejected so I went upstairs and avoided her for the rest of the day.

Grades, fall 2022:
- Kaitlyn, biology/general microbiology, A+, GPA 3.1
- Stephen, psychology/criminal profiling, B+, GPA 3.7
- Eve, drama/modern dance, B+, GPA 3.4
- Zach, physics/premedicine, A+, GPA 3.6

Notes:

Title reference: Venus doom by HIM.
Zach and Eve are all flirty flirty but they don't roll any specific wants for each other, just the usual generic romance sim wants (make out with 3 different sims, go out on a date etc.). I don't think either of them is ready for a serious relationship yet so we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Kaitlyn, Stephen and Eve have already graduated but they're still in Brixton. You'll see them all grown-up in the January 2023 birthday update.
I've decided to make Eve and Kaitlyn roommates. I considered moving Kaitlyn in with Stephen but that just didn't feel right at the moment. I haven't decided yet what to do with Stephen. I also need to decide whether Kaitlyn will remain a playable NPC or become a real playable.

Happy Birthday, Fall 2022

2011-11-13T09:00:00.001+02:00

Samuel and Phoebe Lind's twins are celebrating their first birthday.

Tessa looks exactly like Samuel except for the fact that her hair color is from Phoebe.

Jasper looks more like mommy.

In any case, they're both adorable!

Notes:

Aww, I think Tessa and Jared are both really cute. I'm glad that Jasper looks more like Phoebe so that her genetics get passed on as well.
I realized the other day that this round has been going on this whole year. No wonder it feels like it's been going on forever!
ETA: I've updated the playable npc page with a new portrait of the Lind family.

The Fielding-Parker wedding

2011-11-12T09:00:00.004+02:00

Toby Parker is 30 and Erin Fielding is 27.

We had our wedding in the new Victoria Park. I was reluctant to let Erin's parents to pay for the venue but they insisted. Erin really wanted to get married there and we couldn't have afforded to pay for it ourselves so I gave in. We invited Erin's family and all our closest friends to share our special day with us.

I was really nervous before the ceremony but it all went really smoothly and soon we were pronounced husband and wife. The guests started moving to the eating area right away.

We didn't have a formal seating order so we didn't get to sit together but it was nice to catch up with everyone so I didn't really mind. Erin and I have the rest of our lives to spend together anyway.

The food was delicious but honestly I could've eaten a cardboard box and wouldn't have noticed anything. All my attention was focused on Erin and how beautiful she looked.

I couldn't keep my eyes - or hands - off of her the whole time. Everyone kept ooh'ing and aww'ing at us but for once I didn't mind being the center of attention.

Erin's mom made her way over to us and hugged us both. She was pretty cautious about me at first because she didn't want Erin to end up with another douchebag but I guess she saw that I genuinely cared about Erin from the beginning. And the fact that we've taken our time with our relationship probably has helped too.

I wasn't very much involved in the wedding plans so everything was mostly Erin's ideas that she finalized with her bridesmaids. The details weren't that important to me because I just wanted to get married. Everything was really beautiful though.

I heard Lilly teasing Liv that her wedding would be next. I don't think Liv and Niall are quite there yet, in fact I saw a completely horrified look on Liv's face.

"Yeah, we're a few moon gravity steps away from that happening" I could hear her say.

Lilly's boyfriend Josh had promised to dj the party so we headed off to the dance floor after finishing the cake.

I only had eyes for Erin. I've always thought she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen but today she looked even more radiant than usual.

I did notice that everyone joined us on the dance floor. Lilly and Iona were goofing off with each other while Lilly waited for Josh to finish the dj gig and dance with her.

Erin's been worried about her parents because they had some problems in their marriage some time ago but everything seems to be fine now judging by the way they danced together.

I have to say that Erin's bridesmaids and my groomsmen did a really good job in making sure that everything ran smoothly. Lilly kept an eye on the kids all the time, especially on Iona. We didn't want her to feel left out but we also knew we couldn't spend much time with her during the party.

Iona really likes Lilly and I think she sees Lilly as a sort of an idol. She couldn't have found a better role model if you ask me. From what Erin's told me and from what I've gathered by talking to Lilly she seems to have a really great attitude towards school and boys and life in general.

Nyah and Thomas's kids were getting quite restless towards the end of the reception. Thomas actually had to drag Kyra and Lina away from each other because they started fighting about something.

Everyone wanted a few last words or a hug before we headed out to a limo that was taking us to spend our wedding night.

We can't really go on a real honeymoon yet since all our money goes towards a bigger apartment so we decided to spend the night in the new Zoltar hotel in Exmoor. Erin slipped into something a bit more comfortable and we danced in our room for a moment.

It was really great to get away for one night. Our wedding was such a success and I'm so proud and happy to call Erin my wife.

Extras:

I took way too many posed pictures! I'm not even going to post them all but I'll probably use them for framed pictures in several households.

I wanted to do a photo with Erin and Toby sitting on the ground but Erin's huge dress looked so weird that I decided to stick with these two.

The happy couple with Iona.

Erin, Toby and Iona with Erin's parents.

The whole Fielding family. I was too lazy to do a shot with Thomas and the kids although now I wish I'd included them also.

The bride and groom with their bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Erin with her bridesmaids Nyah, Lilly and Liv.

Toby with his groomsmen Niall, Tom and Danny.

Notes:

Finally, Erin and Toby tied the knot! Erin took Toby's last name so she's now a Parker. I kept considering the different options for long before I decided that.
In case you're wondering, the venue is actually Carla's Benton Park. I imagine that it's designed by Bobbie Greene as a tribute to her late sister. I didn't change anything about the park, it was perfect the way it was. I'm also amazed how smoothly my game run with so many sims running around the lot. I actually wish I'd make the guest list a bit longer but I was too lazy to play the wedding again.
I needed a hotel for the wedding night pics, hence The Zoltar. It's nearly 100% undone, the only thing ready is that one room. And yes, it's named after that creepy fortune-telling machine from the movie Big. ;)

Lot tour: Exmoor Aqua Park

2011-10-30T09:00:00.001+02:00

Summer 2022

Exmoor Aqua Park, built in the Spring 2022, is a tropical oasis for the city dwellers. Complete with two pools, hot tubs and a restaurant, it has become a real hit during the summer.

A top-down view of the lot.

The water park is decorated with just a hint of greenery to give it a tropical look.

The pool area is huge. There's plenty of room for everyone in the city to come and enjoy a warm summer's day. Parents don't have to worry about their children's safety, thanks to the lifeguard tower.

There's a big pool with deck chairs on the side and a smaller pool with a water slide for the kids.

If you don't feel like swimming then you can just relax in one of the hot tubs.

There are a couple of tables on the terrace for those who want to eat outside.

There are also a few vending machines for those who only want a small snack.

The ladies' locker room.

The toilets and showers. Men's room is decorated identically, only with different colors.

The greatest attraction of the restaurant is the huge aquarium, filled with tropical fish. There are benches in front of the aquarium so that people can sit down and enjoy the view.

Notes:

You already saw a few glimpses of this public pool in the previous update and I promised a proper tour so here it is.
In case you're wondering about the aquarium, it is simply a room with big windows. I used items from Windkeeper and Savage Sims.
I'm having some crashing problems again but I'm slowly trying to get the Fielding-Parker wedding done. Patience, my loves :)

Chariot

2011-10-22T12:30:00.001+03:00

Round 14: Summer 2022
last update/next update

Sam Cooper is 44, Grace is 39, Ross and Madelyn are both 11 and James is 6.
(Kurt is 66, Tina is 34 and Tim is 1.)

Narrated by Grace Cooper

Our kids are not so little anymore. The twins are independent enough to get themselves and James breakfast after Sam and I have gone to work. In the beginning of their summer holiday I tried waking them up before I left for work but they kept whining about having to get up so early. Now I just let them sleep.

We still have the nanny come over for a few hours every day. I'm not comfortable with the idea of those three spending all day by themselves. Ross and Madelyn are starting high school next year and then they'll get to babysit James after school.

Madelyn already has her future planned. She wants to become either a doctor or a veterinarian. I think at the moment being a vet is more appealing to her. We barely get to stroke Oscar because she's always taking him out for a walk or teaching him new tricks. She even cleans his bed when it's dirty.

Ross on the other hand is quite content just playing cops and robbers with James in our tiny yard. Madelyn finds them - and all boys in general - extremely childish but I keep telling her that boys mature a little bit slower than girls and she'll feel differently in a few years. I've heard Ross talk about girls over the phone with his friends and that's a clear sign he's not such a little boy anymore. Not to mention how tall he's already gotten!

We still have our baby, James, who runs over to hug us when we come home from work. He makes it easier to get over the fact that I'm soon going to be a mother of two teenagers. I'm probably going to spoil him rotten over the next few years.

Sam and I don't get to spend as much time together as we'd like but we try to make every little moment count. Now we've made a deal that at least one night of the week is for each other. We clear our schedules of everything else and just spend some quality time together. So far it's been really great.

I took a couple of days off work and took the kids to the public pool that's on a walking distance from our house. The weather was warm but not too hot and it was really nice to just sit by the pool and relax.

All our kids can swim really well and the pool also has a life guard so I decided to take a dip in the pool as well. James and Madelyn preferred the kiddie pool with the water slide but Ross insisted on swimming in the bigger pool.

Madelyn got bored with swimming quite soon and went inside to the restaurant. They have a huge aquarium there and she loves to look at all the different tropical fish. She could sit there for hours.

We had lunch on the terrace. All that swimming had tired the kids so they were on their best behaviour.

We didn't have any trouble getting the kids to bed in time that night. And then it was back to real life. I'm working on a bunch of articles for a medical magazine for extra money. It'll also look really good on my resumé when I apply for a promotion. Sam's constantly working out. He's the highest rank in his base and he wants to set a good example to the young recruits.

We're trying to see more of dad and Tina because I don't want them to feel left out. I know Jack still finds it really hard to accept the fact that dad's wife is younger than us but that's how it is and there's nothing we can do about it.

Besides, I really like her. She's not some gold digger who has her claws on an older man. She genuinely loves dad and that makes me like her even more. She has her office in the hospital and we often have lunch together.

Timmy is just a gorgeous little boy. Of course it feels weird to have a brother who's younger than my own kids but how could I not love him. I think he's a great addition to our family and I hope Jack comes around soon.

Notes:

Title reference: Chariot by Gavin DeGraw.
This is Ross and Madelyn's last update as children! I'm trying to pay closer attention to the older kids in regards of their wants and interests so that it would be easier to decide their aspirations. I love it when the sims tell me what their aspiration should be. Madelyn is obviously a Knowledge sim while Ross will probably be Popularity.
The pool is a new lot that I built specifically for this update. I needed a public pool and also wanted to test out the aquarium stuff for a future oceanography career lot. Tour of the lot is coming soon-ish, I just need a name for it first (it's currently called "The Pool").
I totally forgot to mention in my last update that Frieda rolled the night out bowling with 3 friends ROS. I've fixed it now :)

Sonnet

2011-10-03T09:00:00.010+03:00

Round 14: Summer 2022
last update/next update/Frieda's next update

Jack Robinson is 39, Paige is 38, Frieda is 14 and Todd is 10. (Sara is 13.)

Narrated by Frieda Robinson.

Most of my stuff is already in cardboard boxes since I'll be moving in with dad and Tina in a few weeks. They're buying new furniture for me so I'm leaving almost everything behind, taking only my personal stuff. This room will be Emma's room when she grows up a bit.

It feels really weird to think I won't be living here anymore. It's the only home I've ever known. I'm not gonna miss the house or even the garden but I'm definitely gonna miss the people. Ever since mom died Paige has felt like the closest thing to a mother figure to me. I'm gonna miss her the most even though I love Jack and the kids too.

"You know you can come visit us whenever you want. And if you need someone to talk to, I'm here" she says.

I don't know how dad and Tina feel about sleepovers and that kind of stuff. I have a lot of friends and I like to spend a lot of time with them. Just the other day Sara came over and stayed the night. I hope I can still continue to see my friends as much when I move.

I don't see myself as a really girly girl but somehow we end up talking about boys all the time anyway. Sara had her first kiss with Aaron Hayes last year but they're not dating or anything. Her sister's dating Aaron's brother and Sara thinks it would be weird if she started dating Aaron.

"How would it be weird?! Go for it if you like him" I said. I'd like to meet some nice guy but all the guys in our school already have girlfriends or are too young for me.

The next day Sara and I went bowling with Georgina and Rachel. They're not from our school but we met them at Generation X once and we've been spending time together ever since. Bowling's really not our thing but there aren't many places for teenagers to hang out and we don't want to go to the GX all the time.

All sports come pretty naturally for me so I actually kind of enjoyed bowling. The other girls got bored with it pretty quickly though so we decided to grab a quick bite and gossip instead.

Georgina and Rachel tried to convince us to go to GX after we've finished our hamburgers.

"C'mon, there was a bunch of cute guys the last time we were there" Georgina said. "Sara, you know, Aaron might be there too." Sara didn't need much more convincing so I guess she really likes Aaron even though she says she doesn't. I thought I'd tag along. Even if there are no cute guys at least I always have fun when I go there.

I was right about the non-existence of cute guys. Sure, Riley is kind of cute but he's also 2 years younger than me and still a total kid. He's fun to talk with but I just couldn't imagine myself dating someone so young.

Things started looking up when I noticed someone I hadn't met before. His name is Christian and I think he's really cute. He seemed to think the same way about me because we ended up talking for what felt like hours and then he asked if I wanted to dance.

We danced and talked and talked and danced until it was time for me to get back home.

He called me the next day and I invited him over. Jack and Paige were home too since it was Sunday so we just sat outside on the lawn and talked. I feel like I can be myself with him. Some guys think it's weird for a girl to be interested in sports but Christian thought it was really cool that I'm in the girls' football team.

He kissed me goodbye when he was leaving. Of course Todd had to see it and he ran right over to the greenhouse and told Jack that I kissed a boy. There are times when I feel like I'm not going to miss living with Todd at all!

But then there are times when he's ok. Like when he's sleeping.

I'm not allowed to work officially yet but Jack gives me pocket money in exchange for helping in the greenhouse and babysitting Todd and Emma. He often takes Todd to the Farmer's Market with him but one morning Todd was really tired so he stayed home. He slept on the living room sofa almost all day.

Paige had a flu when she got home from work. She told Todd to come rest with her so that nobody else would get sick.

They even ate at Jack and Paige's bedroom so that they'd keep the germs to themselves. Being sick isn't fun but being sick in the summer sucks big time.

Jack decided to keep the Farmer's Market closed the next day so he worked in the greenhouse all day. I tried to keep Emma entertained and went to help Jack when she went for her nap. I had a baby monitor with me so that I could run back into the house when she woke up.

I got to take a little break when Christian came over. Jack just grinned and said as long as we stay out of the bedrooms then he's fine with Christian coming over. Like we're gonna have sex! I'm too young for that.

Christian asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend and I said yes. So now we're officially dating - whatever that means.

Luckily Paige and Todd both recovered pretty quickly. I guess it was one of those 24-hour sicknesses. Jack was so relieved to see they were alright. Even though mom didn't die of sickness her death made us all a bit paranoid about losing a family member.

We all had dinner together that evening and it was really nice. As much as I'm going to miss this family, I'm looking forward to living with dad, Tina and Tim.

Notes:

Title reference: Sonnet by Verve.
This is quite a significant update for the Robinson family: Frieda's last update in this family and Todd's last family update as a child. I'll move Frieda in with Kurt, Tina and Tim soon. They just need a bigger apartment first.
Jack definitely needs someone to help him at the farm! There's just too much work for one person. It might be Todd since he'll be a teenager the next time I play them or I have to come up with a system for him to hire someone without turning their house into a home business (because I hate home businesses).
Jack and Paige both want another child but it might not happen. They tried a few times this round with no luck. She'll be 40 the next time I play them so it'll only be more difficult for her to get pregnant. Frieda wouldn't know about this so I didn't include it in the update.
Frieda rolled the ROS: A night out with 3 closest sims - roll for poker, bowling, dance, movies, billiards. I decided that a girl of her age would go out during the day and chose to send her out with three of her closest girlfriends.

Happy Birthday, Summer 2022

2011-10-01T09:00:00.002+03:00

Two cousins are celebrating their first birthday this summer.

Tate Cooper...

... and Molly Greene-Cooper.

Notes:

I think they're both adorable. Tate mostly got his looks from Ben although I'm not sure about his eyes. I love the fact that he looks different from his brothers. I think he looks a lot like Lucas.
Molly has Janie's eyes and mouth and Danny's nose which is pretty much what I was hoping for.
I love the different shades in Pookleted hairs! For example Molly's hair color is red but I'm using Comburent for her since she could have ended up with a blonde hair as well like her big sister Bridget.

Make you feel my love

2011-09-30T09:00:00.003+03:00

Round 14: Spring 2022
last update/next update

Toby Parker is 30, Erin Fielding is 27 and Iona is 10.
(Nyah is 36, Alexa is 30, Niall is 27 and Liv is 24.)

Narrated by Erin Fielding.

Toby moved in with me and Iona about a year ago and it's been going really great. It was a bit strange at first because I had gotten so used to living alone with Iona but I wouldn't have it any other way now. Iona's excited to have her favorite chess partner living with us all the time.

She's become such a big girl. I rarely have to supervise her homework, she usually does most of it before I even come home from work. I hope she continues to be that way when she starts high school in a couple of years.

I'm already horrified at the thought of my little girl going to high school. I feel like she's still a baby but she's not. She still likes to hear a bedtime story every now and then but not as often as she used to. And she's always on the phone with one of her friends.

I hadn't seen Liv for weeks because our schedules never seem to match. I invited her over for dinner to hear what's going on in her life. She seemed pretty happy on the phone and when she came to our apartment I understood why.

She brought Niall with her. She told me that they got officially back together a few weeks ago although they've been seeing each other on and off since last fall. I don't understand how she could take him back but I just bit my lip and didn't say anything. Toby and Niall are friends but Toby said he didn't know anything about them either.

As much as I'd like to hate Niall I have to admit that he's fun. And he genuinely seems to care about Liv. I just hope he treats her better this time.

We talked about the upcoming bachelorette and bachelor parties. My friends are taking me to Merry-Go-Round and Toby's party will be held at The Four Leaf Clover.

"I'd better not hear there have been strippers in that party" Liv said to Niall and gave him a knowing look. He just grinned and said that they're just gonna shoot some pool and have a couple of beers.

Iona went to a sleepover at Mom and dad's so that we could have our parties on the same night. Malia couldn't make it and Lilly isn't allowed in the night club yet so it was me, Liv, Nyah and Alexa.

We started off by having dinner and some champagne. Liv had worried that it would be a boring party with two married women in our gang but I had fun from the beginning to the end.

After finishing our dinner we went to the 3rd floor bar. I wasn't going to get drunk but the girls kept ordering a new drink as soon as I had finished one.

I haven't been out partying for a long time so it was really nice to unwind and have fun with my friends.

We went out to the balcony to get some fresh air and so that Liv could smoke. Alexa asked if Toby and I would start a family right after the wedding but I didn't have an answer. We actually haven't talked about it yet. We decided that we would concentrate on the wedding and talk about baby stuff afterwards. We both want kids but we need to move into a bigger apartment before we can even start planning an addition to our family.

We spent the rest of the night on the dance floor. It was almost dawn when I got back home.

I was still quite tipsy and feeling very amorous so it was nice to see that Toby was already home. I can't wait for us to get married.

Notes:

Title reference: Make you feel my love by Adele.
I haven't made any plans about the wedding yet! I haven't even decided on the venue yet but I have a few updates before the wedding so I have some time to decide what to do.
Erin, Toby and Iona will move to a bigger apartment as soon as I build one. Their current apartment is quite small and also I think the lot has become buggy. I wonder if apartment lots get buggy after a while because I've been having problems with all my apartments lately. I had several crashes during this session but I rarely have crashes on residential lots anymore.
Liv and Niall got back together all by themselves. They both live in the same building with Brooke and Charlie and I saw them making out when I was playing B & C. I thought that since they want to be together then who am I to stop them?! Their reunion just didn't fit into any previous updates so I decided to "announce" it now.

Download: SAU Myos M25, Pookleted

2011-09-18T20:00:00.001+03:00

Here's a Pookleted version of SAU Myos male hair 25.

It comes in all of Pooklet's natural colors. The hair is for toddler-adult. All colors are familied and binned. All files are clearly labelled so you can keep the colors that you want and here's a color map so you see which is which.

Blacks modeled by Will (dynamite), Tom (shrapnel), Jack (land mine) and Tyler (Flash Powder).

Browns modeled by Thomas (depth charge), Stephen (safety fuse), Zach (fission) and Greg (brisance).

Blonds modeled by Quinn (incendiary), Toby (volatile), Sam (grenade) and Niall (primer).

Reds modeled by Charlie (explosive), Nicholas (pyrotechnic), Ben (comburent) and Danny (molotov).

Credits
Mesh (included): SAU
Textures and color actions: Pooklet
Title: Lady Gaga

Download

Sleeping sun

2011-09-14T09:00:00.001+03:00

Round 14: Spring 2022
last update/next update

Ryland and Jackie Whitfield are both 71.
(Stella is 58 and Deacon is 57.)

Narrated by Jackie Whitfield.

This is the first time in over 50 years that Ryland and I are living alone. We've always had at least one kid living with us but now they've all flown out of the nest.

It feels really strange but in a good way. Of course I miss Dawn and Zach but at the same time I'm enjoying this new found freedom. We're having dinners without teenagers arguing about curfews and homework and everything.

Lazy mornings when we linger in bed until we have to get up. No need to rush anyone to the school bus.

Ryland talked about retiring about two years ago but in the end he just couldn't leave the politics. People are relying on him and he just feels priviledged to represent our region in the senate. He's slowed down his pace though and sometimes doesn't even leave the house.

I'm doing fewer hours in the restaurant as well. I used to open it early in the morning to sell coffee and breakfast to the working people but nowadays Café Carousel is open from lunch time to 6 pm. It gives me time to read the morning paper and enjoy a healthy breakfast without burning my mouth with hot coffee.

We still have the dogs so I have someone to pamper and fuss about when I feel like it.

I recently hired Dawn's boyfriend Finn to work in the restaurant. I was a bit hesitant at first but so far it's been going great.

I expected him to be a spoilt brat because his parents are filthy rich but he's a hard worker and gladly does even the not so pleasant tasks like cleaning the tables and washing dishes. He seems really enthusiastic about the culinary world and often talks about his dream of running his own restaurant.

Things have been quite tense between me and Ryland and Finn's parents for about 20 years - for obvious reasons - but we're willing to make an effort for our kids. We're all Shea's grandparents so we want to at least get along for her sake.

Ryland and I invited Stella and Deacon over for dinner so that we could all get to know each other and maybe form some kind of truce. I prepared the dinner very carefully - filet mignon for main course - so that at least we'd be able to enjoy good food if everything else fell apart.

It was all a bit awkward at first. Stella and I have seen each other every now and then but never really spent any time together. Ryland meets Deacon quite often but they always talk about the town administration and nothing else. This was the first time that we got together socially.

We all loosened up during dinner and by the time we got to dessert I could tell that Stella and Deacon were actually enjoying the evening. I praised Finn for being a remarkable young man and that kind of broke the ice.

We had drinks after dessert. The men started talking about the city council and the new building projects. Stella looked at me and smiled.

"Do you ever get totally bored when they start talking about politics?" she said. I smiled, nodded and said that I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds the topic quite dull. The men then decided to go to Ryland's office to go over some figures on the city's budget so Stella and I were left alone.

"I hated you for years, you know" she suddenly said. "You weren't the only woman he was seeing but you were an easy target for my hate because you're a public figure. I held on to that grudge because it felt easier to keep hating you than to confess that it was just as much Deacon's fault."

"I don't know if I've ever apologized..." I started. She shook her head and said that she knew I was sorry and that she sort of understood why it all had happened.

"In a way I think it made our marriage stronger because we had to fight for it. I'm not saying that I'm glad that he had affairs all over town but I'm willing to believe that everything happens for a reason."

We sat in silence for a while.

We changed the subject and started talking about Shea and what a gorgeous little girl she is. We'll probably never be close friends but at least the conversation really cleared up the air and we can be civil towards each other.

Notes:

Title reference: Sleeping sun by Nightwish.
I had several crashes while playing the Whitfields but that often happens when I'm playing a bigger apartment lot so I'm not really worried. Luckily I got enough photos for the update.
I wanted to continue with the delicate situation between Stella and Jackie. I doubt they'll ever be real friends (just as Jackie said) but I felt that 20 years is enough for Stella to hold a grudge. They're both trying to do what's best for Dawn, Finn and Shea.

Battle without honour

2011-09-07T09:00:00.002+03:00

Round 14: Spring 2022
last update/next update

Dawn Whitfield is 18 and Shea Harris is 2.
(Stephen is 21, Zach is 18 and Finn is 17.)

Narrated by Dawn Whitfield.

Shea and I moved to Brixton a couple of months ago. I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified at first about I'm living on my own for the first time in my life. Especially since it's not just me, I have to think about Shea's well-being in every decision I make.

She can be a bit challenging now that she's throwing tantrums here and there but so far it's been going really well.

We've come up with a day routine that's good for both of us. The university is very supportive for students with kids so I haven't missed any lectures or anything. I don't use the nanny very often though because I enjoy spending time with Shea and I'm determined to show everyone that I can do this.

Erin has given me some advice and she said I should accept help if someone offers to babysit or tutor me with my studies. "If you insist on doing everything yourself you'll end up exhausting yourself" she says. I know she's right.

Zach's a great help. He comes over quite often especially now that there's some tension between him and one of his dorm mates. Shea adores her uncle Zach and the feeling seems to be mutual.

Zach brings the whole gang - Stephen, his girlfriend Kaitlyn and our step-niece Eve - over sometimes which means I get to spend some time with grown-ups and talk about grown-up stuff.

Most of the days it's just me and Shea though. She usually takes a nap in the afternoon after my classes.

I try to utilise that time to the max by studying hard. I'm studying Art with a Culinary Arts minor but it's not all practical studies. We still need to write term papers and do assignments like all the other students.

After Shea wakes up from her nap we usually go outside and play. The campus doesn't currently have a playground so we just stay in our own yard. I haven't really bothered buying lawn furniture so there's just the toy for Shea.

If the weather's bad then we stay inside. Peak-a-boo is Shea's new favorite, she could keep playing it for hours.

I usually stay awake studying long after I've put Shea to bed in the evening. Now I understand why mom and dad insisted on buying me a coffee machine!

My favorite days are when Finn comes over. He can't visit us very often because he has school and he also works at mom's restaurant in the evenings but he comes over whenever he can.

He was overly cautious with Shea when she was a baby because he was afraid she would break. Now that she's a bit older he's much more confident with her. She's started talking a bit and her favorite word is "daddy". She even calls me daddy sometimes which I think means that she misses him when he's not around.

He usually pampers me by cooking dinner for us. He says he needs to practise anyway. Mom hasn't let him run the kitchen yet but he's hoping that one day she'll let him cook for the customers.

I know most people thought we wouldn't last especially after I left for college but things are going pretty well. It's hard spending so much time apart but that's just the way things are at the moment. Finn still says he's not going to college - which his parents aren't too happy about - but he wants to move to Brixton next year anyway. I think it'll be a real test for our relationship but I'm ready to take it.

His parents are more supportive than I expected though. His dad sometimes lets Finn borrow his car so that Finn can stay the night and drive to school the next morning. I can't wait for us to live together. It's going to be another major change in our lives but it's one that I'm really looking forward to.

Grades, spring 2022:
- Dawn, art/culinary arts: A+, GPA 4.0

Notes:

Title reference: Battle without honour by Tomoyasu Hotei
An update! Finally! I've been extremely busy for the past few weeks but things are starting to cool down and I have more free time now. I'm trying to get into a regular updating schedule with at least one weekly update.
Dawn's house is one of the new family housing units in the "new" Brixton University. The floorplan is basically from Carla's Azure Court Apartments (used with permission) only slightly smaller so that the house fit on a 2x1 lot.

Times like these

2011-08-10T12:00:00.005+03:00

Round 14: Spring 2022
Zach's last update/last update/next update

Kaitlyn Brennan, Stephen Marlowe and Eve Midlock are all 21 and Zach Whitfield is 18. (Nicholas Thayer is 22.)

Narrated by Eve Midlock.

I've been talking Stephen and Kaitlyn's ears off about my so-called engagement to Nicholas. We're still engaged because I've been avoiding him as much as I can. I just don't know how to handle this.

Kaitlyn finally told me to pull myself together and just tell him. I know she's right but I'm just dreading the conversation so much that I keep putting it off.

I finally built up the courage and called him. We agreed to meet at the Four Leaf Clover in Exmoor. I figured that a neutral place would be better so either of us could leave as soon as we wanted to.

Nicholas seemed really happy to see me and it just made me feel worse. Don't get me wrong, I like him but I'm too young to settle down. And in my books proposing to someone when you're totally wasted isn't the best start to a relationship.

He obviously assumed that we would be living together next year after I graduate. I suggested that we should eat our dinner and talk afterwards.

We went upstairs to the game room and since there was nobody else around I decided that it was time to tell him.

"Nicholas, you're a really great guy but let's face it. We only got engaged because I got really drunk and I just don't see this thing going anywhere. I'm too young to settle down" I said.

He got up from the sofa and started walking around the room. I got up too and went after him. He looked so sad and asked if I was really sure about this. I just nodded. I didn't know what else I could say.

Then he started crying and although I felt really bad for him I also felt quite relieved. It was over. I was finally free!

I think it would be good for me to stay away from dating for a while and just focus on my studies for the rest of the year. Zach's not making my decision very easy though. He's really cute and I think he's a bit interested as well. But I think it would a bit weird to date him since he's part of newly found family. I know we're not related but he is my stepmother's brother.

He seems to have an army of girls around him anyway. I've seen him with this one girl who lives in our dorm and they seem pretty close.

But then again she's quite popular with the boys so I don't think it's anything serious. Rianna mentioned that he broke up with his girlfriend last year so he's probably not looking for a serious relationship anyway.

He's certainly created a lot of drama in the dorm in the few months he's lived here. He doesn't seem to mind Astrid's flirty nature but some of the other guys don't take it so well. One of them actually lashed out on him in the cafeteria the other day. Zach just sort of laughed it off.

I think I wouldn't believe that love even exists if it wasn't for Kaitlyn and Stephen. They just seem so right for each other.

We're all getting a bit panicky because it's our last year in college. Zach has tried to convince us that we should either throw a party or go out but we keep telling him we need to study. The idea of another party freaks me out, considering how the last one ended.

Kaitlyn's got her nose buried in books all the time. I don't even understand the titles of her books but she seems to enjoy reading them.

Luckily our hard work paid off and we all got A+ this semester. Except for Zach who just seems to rely on his charms to get good grades. He hasn't even picked a major yet.

After my final exam I tried to call Nicholas but he didn't want to talk, at least not yet. I'd hate to lose his friendship but I guess I just have to give him some time. He did say that he understood my point of view so maybe someday we'll be able to be friends again.

Grades, spring 2022:
- Kaitlyn, biology/general microbiology: A+, GPA 3.1
- Stephen, psychology/criminal profiling: A+, GPA 3.8
- Eve, drama/modern dance: A+, GPA 3.5
- Zach, undeclared: B+, GPA 3.3

Notes:

Title reference: Times like these by Foo Fighters
Eve hardly rolled any wants for Nicholas and even if she did they weren't romantic. So they broke up. I really didn't saw the engagement leading into a marriage anyway because it never would've happened without beer!
I waited for Zach to roll a want for major but since he didn't I'll choose something for him the next semester. He's gonna study either Biology, Mathematics or Physics because I plan to make him go to medical school after graduating from college.

The Greene-Patterson wedding

2011-07-31T22:00:00.003+03:00

Tom Patterson is 29 and Dixie Greene is 28.

The guests are getting ready for the ceremony. The weather has been quite warm and the church is well heated so everyone is quite comfortable in their formal wear.

Dixie wanted a small wedding and has chosen a very simple gown and subtle makeup.

They exchange their vows and the rings. The ceremony is short but sweet.

Everyone applauds as they take their first steps as husband and wife.

Janie finally let Bridget stand on the aisle the whole time after she had tried and tried to get her daughter to sit down. Bridget refused because she wanted to see everything!

Dixie and Tom pose for a picture at the altar and then the official part of the party is over. Everyone starts making their way to the reception hall.

Guests gather around the happy couple to congratulate them. Dixie's parents are over the moon with joy. They couldn't be prouder of their daughter or happier for her and Tom.

It's time to cut the beautiful wedding cake. Dixie is a neat freak so she would never stuff the cake down Tom's throat.

Instead they sit down and enjoy the cake.

Guests join them. Bridget has never met some of the guests so she goes around the room and asks everyone their names.

Dixie's father Alexander gives a nice toast to the newlyweds. Everyone joins in the toast except Mia and Bridget who are too young to drink. They're getting a bit bored with the party already.

Dixie and Tom are ready to leave the party. They will spend the night in a hotel but they'll go on a real honeymoon later this year. Dixie hugs her flower girls before they leave.

"Thank you for making our day so special" she says to Bridget.

Extras:

Ok, time for the official wedding pictures.

The happy couple.

Tom and Dixie with her parents Bobbie and Alexander.

Dixie with her parents.

The beautiful bride.

The newlyweds with the wedding party, bridesmaids Patsy and Janie, groomsmen Charlie and Thomas and flower girls Bridget and Mia.

Tom and Dixie with the flower girls.

Dixie with her bridesmaids.

Tom with his groomsmen.

Dixie with her siblings.

The flower girls.

Notes:

I'm very pleased with how this wedding turned out. Tom's favorite color is light blue and Dixie's is purple so I used those colors. I think Dixie's wedding dress really suited her, it's traditional and very simple design. I thought the wedding invitation would be a nice touch, I'll probably do this for all future weddings. I used a sample from Wedding Paper Divas for the invitation.
I need to do some changes in the church though. The first pews are apparently too close to the wedding arch so sims wouldn't sit there as you can see from the pictures.
I was amazed how smoothly my game was running the whole time even though I had 14 sims selectable. No lagging at all!
I have no birthdays for spring so we'll go straight to the university updates next. However my summer vacation's over and I'm going back to work tomorrow so updates might come very irregularly from now on (not that they've been very regular anyway).

This love

2011-07-27T09:00:00.001+03:00

Round 14: Winter 2022
last update/next update

Ben Cooper is 44, Denise is 36, Riley is 12, Liam is 10, Brady is 3 and Tate is 7 months.

Narrated by Ben Cooper.

I have to admit I wasn't very fond of the idea of getting a dog but I've gotten used to Paco. I could say I even like him.

The kids love him. Brady loves him so much that we have to be careful so that he doesn't hug the dog to death. He's too young to understand that the dog could actually break. Paco doesn't seem to mind though because he always goes to Brady when Brady's awake.

Denise is on maternity leave but she's going back to work in a couple of months. She says that she loves our kids but she goes crazy staying at home all day.

"Besides, we might be able to re-decorate some rooms when I get a full salary" she said. We've only been living here for a couple of years but she really doesn't like the decor. The interior designer kind of pressured us to use subtle colors and that's just not us.

"Why don't we put aside some money and do the kitchen and the living room?" I said. We've been able to pay back some of our mortgage and I don't see any reason why we should spend every spare cent on loan repayments.

I usually try to get the breakfast ready before Riley and Liam get up so that they have time to eat before the school bus arrives. Then I wake them up, get Brady downstairs and feed him.

After the boys have gone to school I sit for a while and read the morning paper while Denise takes care of Tate.

Being a senior partner at the firm gives me a few privileges that younger co-workers don't have. I usually have meetings with clients in the beginning of the week but I often stay home on Fridays and work for a few hours during the day.

It isn't as peaceful as it used to be though. Riley started high school this year and he excepts to be treated like an adult now. Which he obviously isn't.

He wants to go to Generation X because "everyone at school goes there". What he fails to mention - and what we know anyway - is that everyone at school is older than him. We just feel that he's too young to go there.

He's a good kid though. He helps us with Brady and Tate and they adore him.

He also spends a lot of time with Liam. They often throw American football or play catch in the front yard. I keep telling Riley that he shouldn't throw so hard because Liam is smaller. Riley wants to become an athlete but he hasn't picked his field yet. He plays everything for now but if he wants to become professional then eventually he'll have to choose.

I suggested to Denise that we could just paint the kitchen cabinets and she thought it was a good idea. She loves the new colors.

We also bought a new sofa and chair for the living room and a small cabinet for the souvenirs from our trip to Kalaupapa Island a few years ago. The house is still quite empty because we can't afford to buy more furniture. However to us it's the people living in that house that matter more than fancy furniture.

Denise and I are both making the most of Tate's baby time because we know this is the last time we'll have an infant in the house. Kids grow up so fast and I cherish every moment I spend with them.

Notes:

Title reference: This love by Maroon 5.
Tate really is Ben and Denise's last child. It didn't really fit into the update but I decided that Ben would get the "snip" (although in reality it's Denise whose ACR says "Sim cannot get pregnant").
I've changed Riley's LTW to Become Hall of Famer. I thought it made more sense because his hobby is sports (not Fitness like it has said in his profile) and he's not very interested in games. I think he would've made a really cute nerd though ;)
I've updated the Rules and Regulations post with info about maternity leave. It's based on the system we have here in Finland.

Push the button

2011-07-23T09:00:00.004+03:00

Round 14: Winter 2022
last update/next update/Josh's next update

Cal and Elissa Cooper are both 60 and Josh is 17. (Lilly is 17.)

Narrated by Josh Cooper

It's my last year in high school and I'm working my butt off. I usually stay up quite late to finish my homework because I don't have the time to do it before heading off to work. All my hard work has paid off though because not only was I accepted into Brixton University but I also got five scholarships!

I'm thinking of maybe applying for the arts program because I'm interested in photography so I need to get a nice portfolio. Then I stay up even later and try to get some paintings done.

Mom usually has to drag me out of bed in the morning. She always has the same lecture how I should get up earlier than 15 minutes before the school bus arrives.

Weekends are dedicated to Lilly. We both have school stuff and jobs during the week so we don't see each other outside of school at all. I try to make up for what a jerk I was some time ago so I often bring her flowers. She's always so happy to get even just one rose.

Lately we've both been feeling like we've grown out of the whole Generation X phase and none of our friends go there anymore either. Having a job means that I can actually take Lilly somewhere nicer than our old hangout. Last saturday we went to Café Carousel which is a real restaurant.

The food was delicious and everyone treated us like we're adults. Lilly ordered a salad while I went straight to the dessert. I couldn't really afford to order all courses. I make some money with my job but delivering pizzas doesn't make me a Rockefeller!

Lilly picked that moment for a serious talk.

"Remember that thing we were fighting about last year... you know, when I said I wasn't ready?" she asked. I nodded and felt a bit panicky. What was she going to say?!

"Well, I've thought about it and I think I'm ready" she said and took my hand. "I know it's not really possible right now, I mean, our parents would freak out big time if they caught us... but I just wanted to let you know that there's more than studies to wait for when we go to college."

Needless to say I was a happy lad after our date. Part of me wishes that she hadn't said anything because now I feel like next year can't come fast enough!

That's just one of the reasons I'm more and more anxious to move to Brixton. My parents are another major reason. I try to avoid eating with them nowadays because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep my food down.

I mean they're 60 and they can't keep their hands off of each other! Even during meals they stop eating and look at each other with that goofy smile on their faces. Lilly says it's sweet but she doesn't have to live with them!

I don't even want to think about what goes on in their bedroom. Unfortunately the walls in this apartment are like paper so I can't avoid hearing stuff. It has scarred me for life.

I talked to dad about it the other day and he just laughed.

"Jealous? Just so you know, son, life doesn't end when you turn 60. It just gets better" he said and winked.

I can't wait to get out of this place.

Notes:

Title reference: Push the button by Sugababes.
I was very surprised when I realised that Josh qualifies for 5 scholarships. He just doesn't seem like a very studious guy. He got the one for good grades and the one for achieving the top of a teen career, the rest are from skills: mechanical, creativity and dancing.
Cal and Elissa really are all over each other all the time. I figured Josh would probably be quite grossed out by them while Lilly would find it endearing.

Lot tour: St. Mary's Church

2011-07-20T02:02:00.005+03:00

Winter 2022

St. Mary's Church is located in Allerdale. Nobody knows exactly when it was built but it is believed that the church building is at least 200 hundred years old. It has been unused for decades but has been revived by the village committee. The church will mainly be used for weddings and other low key family gatherings.

Floor plan of the church.

Floor plan of the reception hall.

The church hall entrance is tiny. There's a mirror where the bride (and other church goers) can check their appearance before stepping into the church hall. On the other side there's a cabinet for hymn books and other small items.

A view from the church door to the altar.

The church is usually decorated in neutral colors but a marrying couple can have it decorated in their favorite colors. The next couple to be married here have chosen different shades of blue and purple.

A closer look at the altar.

The reception hall is also decorated for the wedding, mainly with the bride's favorite color purple.

There's a buffet table and a separate table for the wedding cake.

The reception hall has a small but efficient kitchen that the catering company can use. The doorway to the kitchen is decorated with curtains.

The kitchen equipment.

There's a small table for the catering workers to sit down and eat a snack and just rest their feet for a while.

The guests can also sit outside on the patio if the weather is nice.

Notes:

I mainly built this church for Dixie Greene and Tom Patterson's wedding but I plan to use it for other stuff as well. I wanted a very simple layout with simple decorations and landscaping. I think I achieved my goals pretty well.
I have replaced the chairs in the reception hall with ones that don't have the balloons. I think the balloons are nice but a bit too much to be used on every chair.

Happy Birthday, Winter 2021

2011-07-11T09:00:00.004+03:00

Little Tim Robinson has his first birthday this winter.

Tim's niece Emma Robinson is also 1 year old now.

Patsy and Camryn Greene's twins are also celebrating their first birthdays. Here's Hanna...

... and here's Jared.

Bridget Greene-Cooper is a pre-schooler now.

Riley Cooper turns 12 and starts high school this year. Riley wants to become a famous athlete when he grows up because he thinks it'll get him lots of romance and fortune.

Zach Whitfield has moved to Rosewood Hall in Brixton University and will start his studies this spring. He hasn't declared a major yet.

Zach's sister Dawn has also moved to Brixton but instead of getting a room at a dorm she's living in one of the family housing units with her daughter Shea. Dawn hasn't really decided what to study yet so she hasn't declared a major either.

Elissa Cooper turns 60.

Elissa's husband Cal is another addition to Wellington's senior citizens.

Nicholas Thayer (a playable NPC) has graduated from Brixton University with a degree in Literature.

Nicholas's fiancée Eve Midlock is still quite undecisive about their engagement but she comes to celebrate with Nicholas on his big day anyway.

Nicholas now lives in Exmoor and works as a receptionist in a hair salon. He doesn't have any clear career plans but he'd like to work in either Entertainment or Slacker career.

Notes:

I haven't updated all profiles yet because we've been having thunder storms all weekend. I'll get to them asap.
I'm leaving for a short trip to Central Finland with my mom today and won't be back until Thursday night. I probably won't be able to reply to comments until Saturday though because Friday's looking kind of busy too.

Somewhere only we know

2011-07-08T09:00:00.002+03:00

Round 14: Fall 2021
Kurt's last update + wedding update/next update

Kurt Robinson is 65, Tina is 33 and Tim is 11 months. (Frieda is 13.)

Narrated by Kurt Robinson.

Tina's maternity leave ended about a month ago and she got back to working in the hospital. She usually gets Tim out of the crib the moment he wakes up so that she can spend at least some time with him in the morning.

I never thought I'd be doing this again at this age, at least not with my own child! I'm doing fewer days in the restaurant right now because it's hard to get a full-time nanny for babies before their first birthday.

Tim is quite a fuzzy baby. I usually feed him first and then put him on the bouncer in hopes that I can finish my breakfast but usually he's screaming his little lungs out way before I'm finished.

He likes the dangling toys a lot better so I put him on the blanket and can even take a shower while he's playing.

Tina is more than happy to take care of Tim's evening routines. She says she misses spending time with him but at the same time she feels that she's a much better mother if she gets to spend a few hours out of the house every day.

Frieda comes to visit us quite often nowadays. I've been trying to convince her to move in with us and I think she's finally giving in. It helps that she's become good friends with Tina.

She finally agreed to move in with us as soon as we find a bigger apartment. She did have one question though.

"Are you gonna make out everywhere and make me sick?" she asked. I just stared at her and didn't know what to say. Tina nudged me with her elbow and said that Frieda's just kidding.

I guess one reason she agreed to move to live with us is that she's completely smitten with Tim. If he makes even one peep in his crib then Frieda goes and gets him and feeds him his bottle or just plays with him until he's content. Jack told me that she's the same with Emma.

We're hunting for a bigger apartment now. Tina checks the newspaper every day and we're both keeping our ears open in case we hear of any vacancies. The sooner we get to move into a bigger place the sooner I'll have my daughter living under the same roof with us.

Speaking of daughters, Grace has warmed up to Tina a lot lately. Tina told me that they've started having lunch together at the hospital cafeteria whenever their schedules allow. Grace has also visited us even when I'm not home.

She's completely smitten with Tim too. She even said that she and Sam could babysit if Tina and I want to go out together.

So far we've been happy to just spend some time together late in the evenings after I've come home work and Tim is sleeping.

It feels like Tina's love brought me back to the light after so many years in the dark.

Notes:

Title reference: Somewhere only we know by Keane.
I've decided to move Frieda in with Tina and Kurt but not until next round. Her update (with the rest of the Robinson family) is coming in Summer 2022 and I hope by that time I'll have Kurt and Tina living in a bigger apartment.
I let Tina get a couple of promotions so she's now an Assistant Counselor. I imagine she's gotten her Master's degree in Psychology before she became a playable so I'll let her get promoted next round if she can.
I've never seen a baby who hates the bouncer so much! Usually my sims babies are more than happy to sit there for at least 30 minutes (game time) but Tim got fed up immediately and started crying.
This is the end of year 2021 in Wellington. I'll start updating the profiles and student enrolment soon and the birthday post should be up in a couple of days.

Defender

2011-06-26T09:00:00.000+03:00

Round 14: Fall 2021
last update/next update

Stella Harris is 57, Finn is 16 and Deacon Burrows is 56.
(Jackie is 70, Liv is 23 and Shea is 1.)

Narrated by Stella Harris.

Finn told us a couple of months ago that he's not going to college at all. We were hoping he'd want a higher education but he's set his goal on the culinary career and says that at this point a college degree would be useless for him. He says that he can always get the college degree later in his life if he feels like it. He's still working hard to get good grades though so we can't really complain much. He also got an after school job at Café Carousel.

I was surprised at first when he said that he wants to become a chef but he really seems to enjoy cooking. And he's really good at it too! I don't remember eating so well in years. He's always trying out new recipes.

I think Deacon has a harder time accepting the fact that our children grow up and make their own decisions. I try to tell him that we should let them live their lives the way they want but he has strong opinions and he's usually very vocal about them.

Like the other night when Liv came over for dinner. She and Niall broke up a few months ago and now Deacon keeps telling her how he was right about Niall all along. I could tell she was getting really annoyed and upset. It's true that Deacon never liked Niall but he wouldn't have to rub it in her face.

I confronted Deacon while Liv and Finn went upstairs to his room to listen to some music.

"I am just saying that maybe she should listen to her old man, I always said that the boy was scum and that's exactly what he turned out to be" he said which irritated me even more.

"First of all, she hasn't even told us why they broke up and in any case it doesn't make it better if you keep bringing it up every time she comes here" I said. I think he got my point because he didn't say anything about Niall for the rest of the evening.

I've been having a lot in my mind lately anyway. I was shooting a movie abroad a few months ago and visited an orphanage there. I do a lot of charity but seeing all those children made me want to do more. I know we're getting old but I just know that we could give a good home to a child in need. I started looking information about international adoption and found out that it's not totally impossible to adopt at our age although it would be easier if we were younger.

Liv has a life of her own and Finn will move out in a couple of years to live with Dawn and Shea. Deacon and I will be living in this huge house by ourselves. I talked to him about it and he was really reluctant. He said that we're too old and that it's time for us to enjoy our lives without further responsibilities. I guess he has a point. There's still part of me that would want another child but I don't want to pressure him into doing something he doesn't want to.

I was really surprised when one evening he said that he's been thinking about the adoption a lot lately.

"I started thinking about what you said. We have a lot to give to a child and I think it would give our lives a totally new meaning as well" he whispered in my ear.

We've been browsing the websites of adoption services and I think Deacon's even more excited about the idea than I am! We talked to Finn about it and he looked at us like we've lost our minds.

"You're old... umm... I mean, you know... you're OLD!" he said. "You'll be like 80 when the kid is 20. Poor kid, he or she will have the oldest parents ever!" he continued.

"Ok, we get your point. You think it's a terrible idea" Deacon interrupted. I could tell he was getting a bit upset.

"Nah, I'm just kidding. I think it's great, I've always wanted a little sister or brother" Finn said with a grin on his face.

We've now left an application to an adoption agency. We'll need to see a doctor to make sure that we're in a good enough shape and also go through a psychological evaluation. The lady at the adoption agency said that it would take about 6 months to get accepted - if it's meant to happen at all. After that it'll be a long wait and we might get too old and not get a child after all.

I'm in between productions at the moment so I'm babysitting Shea whenever necessary. She's such a joy. I was shocked to hear about Dawn's pregnancy but I think she and Finn made the right decision. Whatever the future has in store for them I know that somehow they'll get through it.

Liv adores Shea as well although she keeps a certain distance all the time. I always imagined that she and Niall would give me my first grandchild but that's not going to happen.

I told her that Deacon and I are looking into adopting an orphaned child. She looked quite surprised and said she didn't know we wanted more children. She thought it was a great idea though.

"I had a wonderful childhood. You and dad are so youthful that it's hard to think you'd be too old to be parents to a child." she said.

I asked about the break-up when we were sitting at the table. She finally admitted that she had broken up with Niall after seeing him kiss another woman.

"I guess he thought he could get away with it but to me an exclusive relationship rules out kissing other women!" she said. I could tell she was still quite angry at him.

"Please, don't tell dad" she said. "He's bad enough as it is. If I hear him say 'I told you so' one more time I'm going to scream!" I promised I wouldn't tell Deacon. I said that she could talk to me about anything confidentially.

She said that she's staying away from men now and concentrating on her career.

She gave me a big hug when she was leaving. I just wish she'd find some decent man who makes her happy.

Shea woke up from her nap right before Finn came home from school so he got to spend some time with her before he headed off to work. I know he'd want to spend more time with her but it's not possible right now. Next year it'll be even more difficult because Dawn is moving to Brixton with Shea.

Jackie came to pick her up later. She said that she left Dawn and Finn in charge of the restaurant for the rest of the night. In reality it's the hostess who's in charge but the kids like to think they're running the restaurant for a few hours.

Things have always been quite awkward between me and Jackie because of what happened years ago but we're both trying to make an effort for the sake of Finn and Dawn. We're actually getting along surprisingly well now.

Notes:

Title reference: Defender by Gabriella Cilmi.
Stella wants a baby! She rolled the want once and I ignored it but she kept rolling it again and again so I finally decided to write it in. Then Deacon rolled the want to have a baby as well. I thought that if Madonna can adopt children in her 50's then so can Stella Harris! I'm gonna make them wait 6 months before they are accepted and then I'm giving them a 10% chance of getting a child. I'll be rolling a dice each season (and later each month) until they either get to adopt or age to elders.
Finn doesn't qualify for college because I don't think he could get even one scholarship. Of course now he's rolling the want to go to college but it's too late for him. I never really saw him going anyway.

Beloved

2011-06-14T09:00:00.002+03:00

Round 14: Fall 2021
last update/next update

Brooke Harper is 29 and Charlie Greene is 27.
(Alexander and Bobbie are both 70, Chase and Amabelle are both 66, Alexa is 29 and Dixie is 27.)

Narrated by Charlie Greene.

Brooke has been pretty tense lately. I thought it might be because of work but one day during dinner she finally blurted out that she wants children.

"You mean right now?" I asked. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Then she got up from the table and went to do the dishes. Apparently my attempt to humor wasn't so impressive to her. I've always thought that children are a definite part of our future. I guess she needed me to say it out loud.

I went after her and turned her to face me.

"Of course I want children, as long as you're the mother" I said. She looked so relieved and said that it's good to know we're both on the same page on this matter. She also said that she doesn't want us to wait too long but agreed with me that our current apartment isn't ideal for kids. We've been talking about getting a bigger apartment and it might be possible soon now that I got back into the adventure business.

The next morning I was brushing my teeth when I suddenly had an idea. We both had a day off work so why not do something nice together instead of doing some boring household chores and watch tv.

I told Brooke I'd pop down to the grocery store to pick up something.

She was in the living room proof-reading an article when I got back.

"Drop those papers and grab your gear, honey! We're going out for a picnic in the park" I said. She laughed out loud.

"Well, you're full of energy today, aren't you" she said with a beaming smile.

We went to Westwood Park and found a perfect place for our blanket. It was nice to just relax and enjoy the warm fall day. We ate the food and talked. I think we both even dozed off for a few minutes.

It was already dusk when we gathered our things and were ready to leave. I took Brooke by the hand and told her to wait a minute.

Then I got down on one knee and proposed to her. She looked like she could faint from the shock!

It's something I've been thinking about for some time and suddenly this morning I just decided to do it. I went to the jeweller on my way to the grocery store and bought the ring.

I was pretty sure she would say yes but I was still quite nervous.

"Oh Charlie, it's beautiful" she said and slid the ring on her finger. "Yes, yes, yes, I'll marry you!"

We both had a huge smile on our faces when we walked back to our apartment.

We had agreed to tell our parents first but I knew Brooke wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. When I got home from work the next day she was on the phone with one of our sisters, giving a detailed description of the proposal and the ring.

"Don't tell your mom yet, we'll tell them all tonight" she said before she hung up. "That was Janie... I know we said we wouldn't tell anyone before our parents know but she just happened to call and... well, I just had to tell someone!"

I couldn't really be angry at her because I had also told Thomas when he happened to call me during my lunch break. I guess we're both too excited about this to keep it just to ourselves.

Our parents came over for dinner. I think mom and Amabelle suspected something because they kept looking at us and whispering to each other. The word "giddy" came to mind when I saw them.

Dad and Chase on the other hand seemed pretty clueless about what was happening. They just sat in the living room and talked about sports.

We finally told them our news when we were all seated at the table.

"We have something to tell you" I said. "We're engaged!" Brooke continued.

Everyone looked really happy and I noticed mom and Amabelle exchanging a knowing look. I could almost hear them think "we knew it". Everyone started asking when and where we would get married but we told them that we haven't really thought about it yet.

Brooke's parents said they would pay for the venue. Brooke was a bit hesitant at first because they had to take a loan to build their new house but Amabelle put her foot down saying that she wanted us to get married exactly where we want to. Chase nodded and said that they wouldn't take no for an answer.

Then dad cleared his throat and said that he and mom would pay for the honeymoon. "Go anywhere you like, stay as long as you want, it's all on us" he said. We were pretty excited about that because we've never been anywhere!

I had bought a bottle of sparkling wine. Dad wanted to propose a toast so we all raised our glasses.

Amabelle turned to me when they were leaving. She said that she still remembered when Brooke had brought me to meet them for the first time 14 years ago. She said that she had known then that we were meant for each other.

"You're a good man, Charlie, and I'm happy for you both" she said and gave me a hug.

"Any chance you'd want to elope?" I asked Brooke after our parents had left.

"Oh no, no way. I want the fairytale wedding that I've been dreaming about ever since I was a little girl" she said with a smile. She knew I wasn't really serious.

Our kitchen has become a real wedding headquarters. I feel like there's always someone reading a wedding magazine or planning menus or arguing about how many bridesmaids are too much. Alexa often comes over with Jena when Connor and Dane are at school. Dixie has everything ready for her wedding so they're concentrating on ours. Now I'm seriously thinking about eloping!

Notes:

Title reference: Beloved by Minnie Driver.
Charlie and Brooke both rolled the want to get married to each other this round. Ok, so they were on a date but it still counts, right?! I didn't want to waste any more time so I had Charlie proposing. I haven't set a date for the wedding yet but it'll happen on round 15. I imagine it'll take some time for Brooke to plan that perfect wedding.
I thought it was about time to let Charlie get back to the Adventurer career. He got a couple of promotions already which is usually a no-no for me but I figured since he has previous experience from this field he'd get promoted pretty quickly.

Download: Kavar's Edge hair, Pookleted

2011-06-12T11:49:00.005+03:00

I'm in the slow process of having all of my CC hair in Pooklet's colors (and textures if possible). Here's a Pookleted version of Kavar's Edge hair, using Nouked textures from Under-Your-Skin.

It comes in all of Pooklet's natural colors. The hair is for YA-E, all unused age groups have been deleted. All colors are familied and binned, greys are linked to Dynamite and Shrapnel. All files are clearly labelled so you can keep the colors that you want and here's a color map so you see which is which.

Blacks modeled by Tom (dynamite), Samuel (shrapnel), Tyler (land mine) and Will (flash powder).

Blonds modeled by Deacon (incendiary), Niall (volatile), Sam (grenade) and Toby (primer).

Browns modeled by Stephen (depth charge), Anthony (safety fuse), Greg (fission) and Thomas (brisance).

Reds modeled by Charlie (explosive), Ben (pyrotechnic), Danny (comburent) and David (molotov).

Credits
Mesh: Kavar
Textures: Nouk/Under-Your-Skin.com
Color actions: Pooklet
Title: Beach Boys

Download

Come as you are

2011-06-05T09:00:00.002+03:00

Round 14: Fall 2021
last update/next update

Kaitlyn Brennan, Stephen Marlowe and Eve Midlock are all 20.
(Nicholas Thayer is 21.)

Narrated by Eve Midlock.

I can honestly say that I've gotten over my crush on Stephen. Now I just think that he and Kaitlyn make such a sweet couple. I think part of the reason I was so attracted to him is that he seems to be a really great boyfriend.

I've actually become friends with Kaitlyn. Neither of us had any close friends here on campus so it was only natural that we started talking to each other about everything. She's a really nice girl. She's been helping me with my assignments on her free time because frankly I'd just like to dance but we've been having loads of papers to write lately. I still need to work in the dorm cafeteria and clean the common areas and bathrooms every week so getting help with my studies gives me the opportunity to have some free time.

I've been so consumed in my studies that I haven't seen much of Nicholas lately, especially now that he moved out of the dorm. He rented a house with some of his friends for their last semester at Brixton. He's been hinting that he wants some kind of commitment but I just don't feel like I'm ready to settle down right now. One night I was cleaning the cafeteria at the end of my shift when I heard Rebecca, one of the dormies, come in with someone.

I turned around and saw her kissing Nicholas! I'm pretty sure she initiated the whole thing but he didn't seem too reluctant to kiss her.

Then she left and he just stood there with this stupid smirk on his face.

After my shift was over he came over to me and acted like nothing had happened.

"Hey babe" he said. When I didn't respond in any way he said that I have no right to be offended. "It's not like we're committed or anything."

"I know we're not but I honestly thought you'd have more class than to make out with some other girl in front of my eyes" I said and walked away. I got the feeling that he had kissed her to make me jealous.

I didn't want to think about Nicholas so I organized a little party a couple nights later. Everyone in our dorm was naturally invited and I also invited some other students. Everyone seemed to enjoy the party, even the weird cheerleader girl.

I sat in the corner, drinking one beer after another. I thought I might as well dull myself for one night with alcohol.

I had invited this cute guy but when he made a pass at me I just felt really uncomfortable and pushed him away. I went to have another beer instead.

I don't think I've ever been so drunk in my life. The last thing I remember was seeing Stephen and Kaitlyn make out and thinking that I'm actually a bit jealous. Not because I want Stephen for myself. I'm jealous of their relationship. I know it's weird. I don't want to settle down but at the same time I think it would be great to have someone to love.

I have a vague memory of hugging Nicholas in the lobby before stumbling upstairs into bed but I wasn't sure if it had happened for real or if it was just my imagination.

I woke up in the afternoon with a headache from hell. I started feeling like a human being again after a quick shower and some Aspirin. I was sitting on the sofa in our room when Kaitlyn walked into the room.

"I hear congratulations are in order" she said and sat beside me.

I had no idea what she was talking about so she told me. Apparently I had asked Nicholas to marry me last night! And he had said yes!

"You also tried to flirt with Stephen" she said. I felt mortified and said that I hadn't meant anything with it. She didn't seem angry though, I think she was more amused than anything.

"I know you didn't. You came right over to me and said that I have a good man after he had turned you down" she said and grinned quickly.

"Oh my god, I'm never gonna drink again" I said and held my head in my hands. I couldn't believe I had asked Nicholas to marry me. And I didn't understand why he had said yes. He must have known I didn't mean it.

"Well, he keeps telling everyone you two are engaged now" Kaitlyn said and looked a bit worried. "What are you gonna do?"

I had no other plans than to avoid Nicholas. I needed to get my head straight before I talked to him. If he really thought that I had been serious with my proposal then laughing at his face might not be the best thing to do.

Some how I managed to avoid Nicholas the whole week. I just couldn't see him yet. I tried to get all my assignments and my term paper ready and decided to try to sort this mess out after the final exam.

Grades, fall 2021
- Stephen, criminal profiling (psychology): B+, GPA 3.7
- Eve, modern dance (drama): C+, GPA 3.4
- Kaitlyn, general microbiology (biology): A+, GPA 3.0

Notes:

Title reference: Come as you are by Nirvana.
Eve's proposal to Nicholas really happened and it was all due to the beer! I know the beer makes sims act funny but in my wildest dreams I didn't except this. I haven't really decided what to do with them just yet. Nicholas has been promoted to a playable NPC anyway. I think the poor guy deserves to finally get out of the university limbo.
The playable NPC's page is updated with information about Nicholas and a new portraits of the Linds.

Happy Birthday, Fall 2021

2011-05-30T09:00:00.002+03:00

Phoebe Lind will give birth to her twins by a planned C-section so she and her husband Samuel come to the hospital as scheduled. Doctor Sandra Williams welcomes them and takes them to the patient room.

"Here, let me help you sit down. Dr Cooper will be with you in a few minutes" Dr Williams says and leaves the room.

The procedure goes well and Phoebe gives birth to fraternal twins, a girl and a boy.

A couple of days later Samuel takes their daughter Paloma to see her baby brother and sister for the first time. Phoebe holds Jasper Damian while Samuel lets Paloma take a closer look on Tessa Eleanor.

Shea Harris celebrates her very first birthday.

Shea and her mom Dawn live with Dawn's parents but her dad Finn comes to visit them often. Dawn is getting ready to move to Brixton University with Shea in a couple of months.

Speaking of parents, here are Dawn and Finn as toddlers:

I think Shea looks mostly like Finn although her eyes might be from Dawn.

Extras:

Dawn's twin brother Zach is also going to college and he prepares for it by breaking up with his girlfriend of two years, Olivia.

The poor girl's still in love with Zach but he feels like he's way too young to commit to anyone at this point in his life.

This is all autonomous! Dawn may not roll many wants related to Shea but she plays with her and reads to her all the time. It's so sweet.

Notes:

Zach and Olivia's break-up shouldn't really be in the birthdays post but I just wanted to give some kind of closure for their relationship. He's aging up to young adult in the winter and the break-up wouldn't have really fitted into any of the remaining updates for this year. So there you have it.
Jasper and Tessa are the 7th and 8th babies born this year! However they won't be included in the round summary (which is still more than a year away) since they're playable NPC's.
Sending a sim to the hospital used to be a sure way to crash my game. But I sent Phoebe there TWICE and it worked perfectly! I'm so happy :)

Forever man

2011-05-29T09:00:00.002+03:00

Round 14: Summer 2021
last update/next update

Janie Greene is 27, Danny Cooper is 25, Bridget Greene-Cooper is 3, Lucas is 2 and Molly is 2 months.
(Bobbie is 70 and Dixie is 27.)

narrated by Janie Greene

We moved into our own house just before Molly was born. It was furnished with the basics so all we needed to do was buy cribs for the kids. I'm on maternity leave until next year so I'm home with two toddlers and a baby all day.

We had to take up a huge mortgage but I'm still happy that we did it. The house is awesome. It was designed by Danny's big brother Ben who designs most of the residential houses in Wellington nowadays since mom is concentrating more on public buildings. Ben designs nature-friendly houses so part of the electricity that we use is actually produced by our own solar panels.

Luckily Molly is a very happy baby who cries very little. She sleeps most of the day anyway and even when she's awake she seems happy to just lie in her crib. Bridget and Lucas on the other hand are quite a handful. They're both walking - or better yet running - so I have to keep an eye on them all the time.

I definitely want to get back to work eventually but right now I really enjoy being at home with the kids even though it means I don't get a moment for myself. Some people think that we were crazy to have our kids so close together but it's what we wanted. I remember how great it was to grow up with Patsy, Dixie and Charlie and I want that for my kids as well.

Danny always helps when he comes home from work so that I can call my friends or watch tv for a while. It's so nice to see the kids' faces light up when they see their dad. He's such a good father and a wonderful partner. He's so much fun to be with but he's not good at just the fun stuff. I know I can trust him to be there by my side. He's my forever man.

He hasn't been able to get a job in any graphic design company but he keeps working on some designs in hopes of getting a chance soon. He's now working in a print shop as a photographer but it's not a very creative job. He mostly takes photos for driving licenses and passports but occasionally he gets to do a portrait or photograph a wedding. I just hope he gets a chance to show how talented he is because I think he has a lot to give.

Everyone in our families has been really happy about us moving into our own house. Everyone except dad. I think he's a bit disappointed that we moved to Exmoor so he's constantly trying to point out everything that he thinks is wrong about the house.

"You'll get tired really soon carrying the kids up and down those stairs" he said to Danny the other night. Like our kids would never learn how to climb the stairs. Danny just laughed it off.

Mom on the other hand is thrilled about the house. She said that even though it would've been nice to have us living closer to them, she thinks we couldn't have found a better house for us. I agree. There's room for everything we want to do. I just hope we can afford to decorate it properly one day. Right now neither of us wants to loan more money just to buy some furniture.

I have to admit that it takes some organizing to get everyone downstairs in the morning, especially if the kids wake up after Danny has gone to work. He keeps telling me that I'm becoming an over-protective mother and I should just let Bridget and Lucas crawl downstairs but I'm afraid they'd fall. I rather carry them until they're bigger.

We have a small backyard and we've been spending a lot of time outside because it's been so warm but not too hot. Molly usually sleeps in the carriage while Bridget and Lucas play with their toys. I just sit on the lawn and enjoy the sunlight.

Dixie came over the other day. I was just putting the kids down for their afternoon nap so she came upstairs to help me. She's great with kids but she says she's not ready for motherhood yet.

We had lunch after Danny came home from work and Dixie told us that she and Tom have finally decided their wedding date. It took them long enough since they got engaged about a year ago. And now she says they're getting married next winter! I told her that it's gonna be a close call but she said that they've already booked the church and they don't want a huge fancy party anyway so there's plenty of time to organize everything. She said that they had even talked about eloping because the idea of being the center of attention is already stressing her out.

"Your mom would've never forgiven you if you eloped" Danny said and I agreed. I understand Dixie's point of view though. She's always been so shy that she'd rather get married with as few guests as possible.

I don't know if Danny and I will ever get married. I know we're committed to each other in every way without marriage vows.

I was elected to the city council a few months ago even though I'm not able to attend most of the meetings at the moment. Danny wanted to take me out to dinner to celebrate but I was heavily pregnant and the time just never seemed right. And ever since Molly was born it's been even harder to get out of the house long enough to eat somewhere. Everyone adores our kids but nobody ever volunteers to babysit two toddlers and a 2-month-old baby. We can't afford to hire a nanny at the moment either even though we know we have to do so next year when I go back to work.

Luckily mom is more than happy to help us. She called me one day and said that it was about time I get out of the house. She said she had already called Danny and told him that she would babysit the kids tonight so that we could go out.

It was just a quick meal at Tom's Diner but it was still very nice to get out and spend some time together. We felt really refreshed after our little date.

We were pleasantly surprised to come home to a silent house. Bridget and Lucas were already asleep upstairs and mom was giving Molly her night bottle.

"She's ready for bed" mom said and handed Molly to Danny. She assured us that Bridget and Lucas had been on their best behaviour the whole time we were away and that Molly had been a little angel as well.

We offered to call mom a taxi but she insisted taking the bus. "You just save that money of yours on mortgage payments, I'm gonna be fine on the bus" she said and gave me a hug before she left. I told her to give us a call when she gets home and she agreed - but I could see her rolling her eyes. Maybe I really am becoming an over-protective mother, even towards my own mother!

Extras:

This picture didn't fit into the update but I wanted to post it anyway because I like it so much. I would probably use it for a new banner if I hadn't changed the banner just recently.

Notes:

Title reference: Forever man by Eric Clapton.
In case you're wondering, Janie and Danny's new house is Carla's brownstone. And may I just say that I love this house! I have three of these in Exmoor (the shopping district) although two of them are currently vacant.
I might have said it before but Janie and Danny are definitely done with kids now. She will be on BC for the rest of her life so let's keep our fingers crossed that there will be no BC failures for this couple!

That's amore

2011-05-15T09:00:00.006+03:00

Round 14: Summer 2021
last update/next update

Amabelle and Chase Harper are both 66, Will is 36, Alexa is 29, Connor and Dane are both 5 and Jena is 1.
(Brooke and Toby are both 29 and Erin is 26.)

Narrated by Alexa Harper

We moved into a new house this summer. It all started when we wanted to extend the porch in the back of the mansion. We called Ben Cooper and asked him to draw something. He came to see us and checked out the house and found a huge crack in the foundation. He then did some further research and found out that the whole foundation was completely rotten. There was really nothing to be done. The whole house could've collapsed any minute and wasn't safe to live in anymore. Ben said that it would be easier to build a new house than to fix the old one. We didn't want to lose the land so we decided to tear down the old house and build the new one on the same spot. So we lived in an apartment for a few months and let Ben's company do the dirty work.

Dad was pretty crushed because he had hoped that we could keep the mansion in the family for future generations. I was quite sad too but I have to say that I really love our new house. It has so much light and it's much more practical compared to the mansion. And it's the perfect size for our family too.

I love the whole house but I think my favorite rooms have to be the kids' rooms, especially Jena's. I always wanted a nice nursery for the boys but they ended up sleeping in our bedroom for the first few years before moving into their own room.

Connor and Dane are thrilled about the pool and they would probably eat and sleep there if we let them. Mom's been on vacation so she usually sits in the shade by the pool and watches them. She says she's not ready to retire yet but she seems to enjoy her days off very much anyway.

Spending all day outside swimming and playing usually gets the boys pretty tired. Sometimes getting them to bed is a real struggle with their "5 more minutes, mommy" pleas but this summer they have gone to bed very nicely - unless they fall asleep on the living room sofa in which case Will has to carry them upstairs.

Lately I've been reviving my dream of owning my own flower shop some day. We really can't afford to buy a property right now because we had to take a loan to build this new house but I'm slowly starting a home business. Jackie Whitfield saw a bouquet I had done when she visited us and she decided that she wanted me to provide flowers for her restaurant every week. Jena is usually happy to play with her doll house for a couple of hours while I work so I've come up with a working routine to get at least two hours of productive work done every day. Mom's said she'd be more than happy to babysit Jena while she's on vacation if I want to work for longer but I think at this point two or three hours a day is more than enough. Jena's constant babble has become great background music for me.

Just the other day I was joking to mom that I'm the only one of her children who hasn't gotten the ambitious gene from her. Brooke is a journalist and Paige has a career in the military but I've always just wanted a family. Now it seems that I might have gotten at least a fragment of that gene because for the first time in my life I'm seriously wanting to build a career for myself.

My friend Erin and her fiancé Toby came to see me one day and said that they had seen my work at Jackie's restaurant. They asked me to handle the flower arrangements for their wedding next year! It's going to be a huge task but I really want to do it. I told them that I'm just a beginner but they said that they're confident that I'm the right person for the job. I'm so excited about this!

Will got a promotion a few weeks ago and he's working in counter intelligence now. I'm happy for him but I'm also really worried that something terrible might happen to him. He's not allowed to talk about his work but I can imagine that it's not the safest job in the world. I try not to think about it too much but it has also made me aware that there are women and men who have lost their spouses and are struggling to get on with their lives. I wanted to help somehow and although money is pretty tight at the moment, I donated some to a charity fund. It doesn't take much to write a check but it still felt good to do something to help others.

Naturally I'm more in charge of raising our kids because I'm home all day but Will really does his share. He tries to spend as much time with the kids as he can. He plays catch or throws football with the boys and plays with Jena. We've talked about having another child but we've put that dream on hold for a few years. We already have three wonderful children and we want to focus on them now. I'm still young so if we feel differently in a few years then there's plenty of time to do something about it.

Besides it's nice to have some time for each other too which would probably be impossible if we had another child. We usually go downstairs after we have gotten the kids to bed and just watch tv or talk and cuddle on the sofa. The house is quiet and for a moment we feel like we're the only people in the world.

Brooke came over the other day. She had a day off and she said she got bored waiting for Charlie to come home from work. I'm always happy to see her especially now that I don't get out of the house much. She's always so much fun to hang out with.

I mentioned that Erin and Toby want me to arrange the flowers for their wedding and she was really happy for me. She half-jokingly frowned and said that all around her people are getting engaged but she's not any closer to marriage. She did say that she's not even sure if she wants to get married.

"Everything's going well with me and Charlie and I don't really know what difference would it make if we got married. But I do want kids some day and I'm not getting any younger."

I told her that she's not that old but I do get her point. We're turning 30 next year and the longer she waits, the more difficult and risky it will be to get pregnant and give birth. She and Charlie have never really talked about having kids so she doesn't know what he thinks about it.

I can tell that she has baby fever because she's much more enthusiastic about being a good aunt to Jena, Connor and Dane than she has been before. She's always been very fond of them but I haven't seen her crawl around the floor playing with them!

The kids adore their "cool" auntie Brooke. Connor and Dane are always so excited to tell her about their school stuff and their friends and everything.

I can see that there's a bit of sadness in her eyes because she fears that she may never experience motherhood. It would be such a shame because I know she'd be a great mom. I hope her dream comes true one day.

It all just makes me even more grateful of having my family around me.

Notes:

Title reference: That's amore by Dean Martin.
As you might have noticed, I've uploaded a new banner for the blog. This one features Alexa and Jena.
I'm sorry for not updating earlier but hopefully that'll change in the future now that most of the RL "madness" has subsided.
The Harper family's new house is part of my attempt to get rid of some of the oldest and biggest houses in Wellington. Most of them seem to have become practically unplayable due to bugginess and/or other weirdness. I had to come up with some back story as to why the family would tear down the family mansion and I think I got it covered. I got this house from MTS (built by Suhina-Lempi) and only redecorated it, the floor plan was nearly perfect for the Harpers as it was. I'm really happy with how the house turned out but I'm not promising to post a tour... I never seem to get those done anyway ;)
Will was promoted but so was also Chase! He's now Clone Researcher and only one step away from the top of his career! Well done, Chase. His promotion didn't really fit into the update but I didn't want it to go unannounced.
Alexa got the ROS: Charity strikes! You're feeling inspired and donate 10% of your personal net worth to charity. Maxmotives because you feel so good.

Happy Birthday, Summer 2021

2011-04-15T09:00:00.001+03:00

Phoebe and Samuel Lind have come to the hospital for an ultrasound. Doctor Sandra Williams keeps looking at the screen and finally Phoebe asks if something's wrong.

"I don't know how we've missed this before but..." Dr Williams says and turns the screen so that Phoebe and Samuel can see it. There are definitely two fetuses on the screen. "You're having twins" she continues.

Phoebe and Samuel look at each other and burst into laughter. They explain to Dr Williams that they had been struggling to get pregnant and now they're having two babies! Dr Williams smiles and continues the examination, telling that everything looks good.

Late at night Denise and Ben Cooper come to the hospital. Denise's contractions had started earlier and they came to the hospital as soon as Denise's mother came to look after their older kids.

However it's a very slow progress. Hours pass by and nothing happens.

"I swear this baby has decided to stay in there for eternity" Denise mutters to Ben between her teeth.

There's really nothing he can do but hold her hand and try to keep her spirits up.

The next morning Janie Greene and Danny Cooper also enter the hospital. Unlike Denise, Janie goes into labour pretty quickly.

A couple of days later Denise and Ben take their son Tate Elliot to meet his cousin Molly Davina for the first time. Both couples coo over the new babies.

Extras:

In case you can't see in the above picture, I thought I'd post close-ups of Tate and Molly so you can see their colorings.

Tate has brown hair and eyes just like his older siblings.

Molly has red hair and green eyes, just like both her parents.

Notes:

I could have sworn that Phoebe was pregnant with one child but apparently I was wrong. Pregnancy scanner clearly showed that she's going to have two babies. Yikes! A total of 8 babies will be born this year and who knows about next year. That's my new record!

We rule the school, Spring 2021

2011-04-10T09:00:00.004+03:00

Round 14: Spring 2021

Principal Nyah Marlowe is 35 and Phoebe Lind is 27.
Students: Dawn and Zach Whitfield are both 17, Josh Cooper, Lilly Fielding and Finn Harris are all 16, Aaron and Ethan Hayes, Emily Midlock and Frieda Robinson are all 13 and Sara Midlock is 12.

Phoebe has 5 students in her class this year. She has gathered the kids into the library where they are researching the books for information.

Phoebe doesn't have much work experience because she was a stay-at-home mom for a couple of years after her daughter Paloma was born. She's soon leaving for maternity leave again but plans to get back to work sooner now that she has a steady job.

After the kids have taken enough notes from the books Phoebe lets them use the computers to write a short essay on their chosen subject. She knows that the kids would much rather work on the computers all the time but it's very important for them to learn how to seek information in the old fashioned way.

"Of course the information in books can be outdated but on the other hand not all information on the internet is correct. Ayone can write anything online. You're going to need these research skills if you decide to go to college" Phoebe says.

Nyah comes to the library when the class is over. She wants to make sure that Phoebe isn't getting too tired during the day.

"Remember that you can rest in the teachers' lounge whenever you feel like it. I don't want you to strain yourself" she says. Phoebe assures her boss that she's feeling fine.

Nyah's students are in the shop class which also serves as the art class room. Lilly prefers painting and she always reserves one of the easels for herself but Nyah tells her that next time she will have to do something else.

"I know you like painting but you have to at least try to learn one of the other skills" Nyah says.

Josh and Finn like the shop class even though they'd like to do something else. Josh would like to learn photography and Finn wants to learn to cook better. He has decided to pursue his dream of having his own cooking show on tv someday. In the meantime he wants to get a job at a restaurant after finishing high school.

Zach doesn't enjoy shop class very much. He would much rather be in the library studying medical books. He can't wait to finish high school and move to Brixton University. Dawn on the other hand is trying to learn how to sew. She figures that she's gonna need some extra income when she and Sheamove to Brixton next year. Her parents have promised to help but she can't stay dependent on them forever.

Frieda has a crush on Zach. She knows it's hopeless but she can't help but keep looking at him. He's so cute.

For Dawn and Finn schooldays are a perfect getaway from the responsibilities of parenthood. For a few hours they can pretend that they're like any other teenager in the school.

Zach and Josh are sitting in the hallway, just chilling. Frieda wants to get just a quick glimpse of Zach before heading off to class.

She feels mortified when Zach suddenly looks up from his book and notices her. She quickly turns around and heads upstairs.

"Dude, that girl is totally smitten with you" Josh says to Zach, sipping from his soda can. Zach just laughs and shakes his head.

"She'll get over it next year when I'm not around anymore" he says.

In the meantime Ethan and Emily are spotted kissing in the other hallway.

Neither of them is technically allowed to date yet but Ethan has asked Emily to be his girlfriend anyway. They can always use studying together as an excuse to see each other.

Notes:

Title reference: We rule the school by Belle & Sebastian.
Frieda doesn't have a real crush on Zach (at least not yet) but she has 2 bolts for him and swoons every time she sees him. Their age difference is 4 years which at the moment is huge but who knows what might happen in the future.
Ethan and Emily both rolled the want to go steady so I let them even though their parents wouldn't approve.
I'm going to play the Summer birthdays next, I'm so excited to meet baby Cooper and baby Greene-Cooper!

Flower

2011-04-08T09:00:00.005+03:00

Round 14: Spring 2021
last update/next update

Nyah Marlowe is 35, Thomas is 34, Skye is 9, Jett and Kyra are both 7 and Lina is 5.
(Max is 65, Regan is 57, Toby is 29, Erin is 26, Lilly is 16 and Iona is 9.)

Narrated by Nyah Marlowe.

Week days are usually pretty crazy in our houses. The kids bring their friends over from school almost every day so there's not a quiet moment there.

I don't mind it though. The kids were eerily quiet for a long time after Vicki died so I'm just glad that they're back to normal.

Thomas and I decided that it's about time to take the kids to eat in a restaurant so on Friday night I got the kids ready and we walked to the restaurant in our neighborhood. We stayed outside for a while and let the kids play on the playground before going in. The restaurant is very popular so we knew it would be full during the weekend. On Friday night there were only a few other customers besides us.

It all went well except when the waiter spilled a bowl of salad on Thomas. He apologised many times and also gave us a discount.

The kids were really excited when we told them that they could order anything they wanted. I was quite surprised when Kyra insisted on having prawns but she emptied her plate so she must have liked them.

The kids were really tired when we got back home so they went straight to bed.

The next morning the weather was really nice so the kids went outside to play while Thomas and I started our weekly clean-up. We're usually too busy to do any proper clean-ups during the week so Saturday morning is a good time to tidy the house up.

The house was surprisingly tidy - I think the nanny sometimes cleans up if she has time - so we ended up making out instead and also make plans for the rest of the weekend.

We decided to invite my side of the family over. We rarely have all of our family here because there's so many of us. We've been spending a lot of time with Thomas's family after Vicki's death so we thought it would be about time to get my parents and siblings together.

I've only met Toby, Erin's fiancé, a few times but I like him a lot. He seems to be completely smitten with Erin and gets along great with Iona.

Having people over also gave us a good reason to try out our new barbecue. We bought just a couple of weeks ago and haven't really used it yet. I grilled a chicken while Thomas entertained the guests.

It was so nice to see Erin and Lilly again. Lilly's gotten so grown-up. She's already 16 and going to college in a couple of years. Some time ago she told me and Erin that mom and dad were having some problems in their relationships, fighting and avoiding each other. She said that things are looking better now. At least they're not fighting all the time.

Erin suggested that maybe we should buy them a vacation for their 30th anniversary which is in 2 years. Lilly and I both thought it was a great idea. None of us want to even think about the option that our parents would get divorced.

Iona and Skye are best friends so naturally they were inseparable the whole time.

I was kind of worried that our kids wouldn't have a grandmother who's involved in their lives after Vicki's death. Mom loves Iona and our kids but she's really focused on her career. It's been great to see that she's taken a much more active role in our kids' lives lately.

It was so nice to spend time with my family. We're all very excited about Erin and Toby's wedding even though it's over a year ahead. I think it's going to be a much bigger event than our wedding.

It wasn't hard getting the kids to bed because they were pretty tired from spending almost all day outdoors. Thomas read some book for a while and I watched tv even though nothing good was on.

Then Thomas put on some nice music and asked me to dance with him. He always surprises me with these little romantic gestures when I least expect it.

We moved on to the sofa after a while and stayed up quite late just talking and cuddling.

Notes:

Title reference: Flower by Amos Lee.
Finally an update! I don't know about you but I was already losing my faith. I did a complete re-install last weekend and everything seems to be working better.
I know I've toyed with the idea of letting Nyah and Thomas have one more kid but I think that ship has sailed. She keeps rolling the fear of having a baby so that's a clear sign that for her this is it. Her ideal family size is 6 and Thomas's is 3 so I think 4 is a good compromise.
I have a WCIF: I need more clutter for bedrooms, especially for kids' rooms. Stuff like stuffed animals and toys, and anything else. Just leave a link in the comments if you know where I could get that kind of things. I hate looking at my houses because they're so bare so I need more deco items. I think my computer can handle a few new downloads but I'm not gonna go overboard.

A little update

2011-04-02T23:04:00.005+03:00

I thought I'd post a little something to tell you what's going on since I haven't updated for a few weeks now.

As most of you know, my game has had some bad crashing issues for a long time. Lately it has become practically unplayable and getting updates done has been very difficult. The constant crashing has also made quite uninspiring to play. But fear not!

Wellington will hopefully be back to normal soon. I'm in the process of completely re-installing my game which I hope fixes at least some of the problems. I have a couple of updates that are almost done so hopefully I'll get them online next week. So please bear with me while I try to get my game together :)

Breathe slow

2011-03-15T09:00:00.005+02:00

Round 14: Spring 2021
last update/next update

Patrick Marlowe is 74, Alexandra Hayes is 47, Quinn is 45, Aaron and Ethan are both 13 and Jeremy is 10.
(Stephen is 20, Emily is 13 and Sara is 12.)

Narrated by Ethan Hayes.

Mom's been really worried about grandpa ever since grandma died last summer. At first he barely got out of the house and most days he wouldn't have gotten out of bed if one of us didn't tell him to get up.

He's starting to get out more now, even popping out for lunch to the restaurant across the street from our house.

But then there are days when he just sits in the garden until it gets dark. It's hard to see him like this.

I guess his days would be really empty if it wasn't for Moses. Mom initially bought the dog for us kids after our old dog died but he has really become grandpa's dog. They keep each other company while we're at school and mom and dad are at work.

Uncle Stephen comes over quite often to check on grandpa especially during the day.

Mom's always happy to see him. It's kind of weird that she's old enough to be Stephen's mother when they're actually sister and brother.

Aaron and I are allowed to hang out at Generation X with our class mates after school some days. I've been friends with Emily ever since we were little kids but this year I started liking her in a completely different way.

Luckily she feels the same way! Both our parents think we're way too young to date so we're just hanging out together when we can. It's fun.

What's even funnier is that Aaron has a crush on Emily's little sister Sara. I'm just glad we don't like the same girl!

Emily and Sara's mom is our dad's boss so we don't want to make her angry by dating her daughters behind her back. Aaron is such a smoocher though that he could probably talk himself out of any situation. He's like every mother's favorite son-in-law, always so charming.

Everything seems so effortless for him. He gets A's from every exam that we have.

Homework is just a breeze for him while I struggle. I could really hate him if I didn't like him so much.

Mom and dad make us take Jeremy to the park with us whenever we go there. He usually meets a friend from school so we can just do whatever we want while he plays with his friends.

He's a bit shy but he gets along well with other kids and has a lot of friends.

It's kind of weird to think that he's starting high school in a couple of years. He's only 3 years younger than me and Aaron but we've always seen him as the baby of the family.

He's probably starve to death if we didn't drag him inside to grab a quick bite from the food stand.

He's a good kid though. I would never say it out loud but I love my brothers.

I often read him a bedtime story although mom doesn't really approve my choice of stories. Jeremy and I both love horror movies so I usually read him some horror story. It's odd but the little guy falls asleep when I read about brain-eating zombies and blood-thirsty vampires. I guess we're both a bit strange that way.

Notes:

Title reference: Breathe slow by Alexa Dixon.
Ethan and Emily only have 1 bolt (with non-matching turn-ons though) so it might not be the love story of a lifetime but I think they'd be cute together. I feel that their parents wouldn't want them to date anyone yet so they're not officially dating. Aaron and Sara have 2 bolts but they're not even friends yet and she's only 12 so dating is out of the question for them.
This was Jeremy's last family update as a child! How is that possible?! We'll see him as a kid in the elementary school update but the next time we visit the Hayes-Marlowes he'll be in high school already.
My game has started crashing again and unfortunately now it crashes when I try to save so playing is a bit tricky right now. I'll try to get updates done but it might take some time.

Diving for hearts

2011-03-07T09:00:00.005+02:00

Round 14: Spring 2021
last update/next update

Stephen Marlowe, Eve Midlock and Kaitlyn Brennan are all 20.

Narrated by Eve Midlock.

Last year was a real rollercoaster for me. My mom revealed information about my father just before she died so I came to Wellington looking for him. I was surprised and relieved how well Anthony took the news of a 19-year-old daughter. I've been seeing him and his family quite a lot lately.

I've been slowly bonding with my younger siblings. Emily was a hard cookie at first but I think we're all still getting used to each other and I'm sure she'll come around. She's been much nicer to me for the last few times I've been at their house. Jesse's so young that he doesn't seem to think there's anything weird about getting a big sister out of the blue.

I get along well with Sara which I think is mainly because we're both into dancing. She dreams of becoming a classical ballet dancer and she keeps asking me about studying dance at Brixton.

Surprisingly I've become closest with Rianna. She calls me every week and listens to me whine about my sore feet and my dance instructor being the devil and how I'll never graduate. She's always so supportive.

I had a huge crush on Stephen last year and I still think he's really cute but I'm not going to act on it. We were moved into a new dorm this year and I now share a room with his girlfriend Kaitlyn. I would never try to break them apart and I don't think I could even if I tried. They seem to have grown even closer after Stephen's mom died last year and Kaitlyn stood by him through that tough time.

It still kind of sucks to see them making out wherever I turn my head.

But I have someone - sort of - too. I hooked up with Nicholas last year and now that he moved into the same dorm we've been hanging out more. We're not officially dating but he's kind of sweet.

I really don't have time for dating anyway. I'm working in the dorm cafeteria almost every day to make some extra money. I guess I could take a loan to pay my tuitions but I'd rather not if I can manage to pay them otherwise.

I also have to find time for studying. It'll get easier next year when we don't have so much theory lessons but for now I need to keep my grades up so I can keep on dancing.

I'm happiest when I'm at the dance studio in our faculty building. I love everything from the warm-ups to the grueling rehearsals. It's my biggest dream to open my own dance studio some day.

I got a small part in one production this spring so I've been practising even more than usual. Our dance studio is really tiny so I have to go there either early in the morning or late at night to get some room to practice.

I really hate it that anyone can just walk in and pretend to practice, especially guys who come there just to stare at girls in tights.

Nicholas isn't so bad though. He sometimes plays the piano while I'm learning new choreographies but the other guys creep me out.

I just usually ignore everyone until they go away and I have the studio for myself. I guess it's a good way to learn to deal with stressful situations.

Grades, spring 2021:
- Stephen, criminal profiling (psychology): B+, GPA 3.8
- Eve, modern dance (drama): A+, GPA 3.6
- Kaitlyn, general microbiology (biology): C, GPA 2.8

Notes:

Title reference: Diving for hearts by Corinne Bailey Rae
I decided to get back to playing my university students twice a year so this update only has the spring semester and the next update will be in the fall.
I made Eve a real playable because I really like her and wanted to include in more updates. I also thought it was about time to make Kaitlyn a playable NPC because she and Stephen have been dating for two years already. The playable NPC page has been updated.
Eve had the want to fall in love with Stephen at the start of the semester. However she started rolling wants for Nicholas after a while which I took as a sign that she's trying to get over her crush on Stephen.
This is my first session in a base hood uni. My students won't go to class autonomously but otherwise everything seems to be working really well. I transfered some buildings from the old uni to this one so that my sims have somewhere to go. The dorm is new however, I modified it from an apartment building that I got from owls_are_not.

Happy Birthday, Spring 2021

2011-02-21T09:00:00.001+02:00

Janie Greene and Denise Cooper have become friends and they visit each other often so that their kids can play together. They're both due in the Summer.

Phoebe and Samuel Lind were devastated when their plans to adopt didn't work out. But their disappointment vanished when she got pregnant. The pregnancy is starting to show which makes their daughter Paloma wait for her little sister or brother even more eagerly than before. The baby is due in the Fall.

Extra:

Lucas, Bridget and Brady look so darn cute when they're playing together!

Notes:

I can't wait for Ben and Denise's baby to be born. I'm oping for a girl but I'll be happy either way if the baby looks more like Ben! Janie and Danny's kids turn out super cute anyway so no worries there :)
I have the university update scheduled next but I have to move my students to the new university first so it'll take some time. I think I'll plop down some lots from the old hood into the new one for now so that I can play but I plan to continue working on new ones when I have more time.

Unfinished business

2011-02-20T09:00:00.003+02:00

Round 14: Winter 2021
last update/next update

Liv Harris is 23. (Niall and Erin are both 26.)

Narrated by Liv Harris

I went for an early dinner at Tom's Diner the other day and saw Niall sitting at a table with our landlady Stephanie. I didn't know they even knew each other well so I decided to see what's going on.

I sat at a table where they couldn't see me and as they were leaving I saw Niall kissing her - right there in the middle of the diner.

The next day he came over and I asked him about Stephanie. He just laughed!

"Baby, we just kissed. What's the big deal?" he said.

Call me crazy but to me, seeing my boyfriend kissing another woman is a big deal. And I told him so, loud and clear.

He didn't believe it at first when I said we're over but for me that was it. I'm not saying that I'm an angel but I have barely looked at other guys ever since Niall and I decided to be exclusive. I thought we were doing great and I had even started thinking that maybe we should move in together.

That was the end of us. I hope someday we can be friends but I doubt that we'll get back together.

I've been concentrating on my career after the break-up. I've been signed up to perform at a near-by pub, Four Leaf Clover a few nights a week. It's on walking distance from my apartment and the staff members are nice so I like playing there.

I'm merely the background music for the diners on the second floor but it's still nice to play for an audience. I usually play two or three sets per night.

The pub owner pays me €200 per night and I also get tips from the customers. But I'm not doing it for the money. I wouldn't even have to work at all if I didn't want to but I can't just sit in my apartment all day or hang out at clubs every night.

I know mom could easily get me a deal with a record company but I want to make it on my own.

Erin's dad recently built a little recording studio in his music shop and I have recorded a couple of demos there. The last one I made had songs written by me instead of covers. I'm going to send copies to record companies and hopefully someone will sign me on their label.

It actually sounded really good. Max said that I have a really unique tone in my voice.

Erin came over the other day and even though I tried to act like always she still noticed that something was wrong.

I told him that Niall and I broke up. It felt kind of bad to say that to someone who is planning her wedding but she would have found it out anyway.

I put on a huge smile and told her that I'm fine but I don't think she believed me. Niall and I dated for 5 years and I have to admit that it's been pretty hard to get over the fact that we're not a couple anymore.

Erin said that in time I'll find someone new. I was too ashamed to tell her that I've already found someone new, actually two someones.

There's this really cute guy living in our building. His name is Jamie and he's an artist. We started talking by the mail box one day and well... one thing lead to another and before I knew it we were making out on his couch.

Then I met Jacob one night at the pub. He listened to me all night and came to talk to me after my last set. It was so exciting to look into his eyes and see that he wanted me.

We've been out on a couple of dates and they usually all end the same way. We skip dinner and head back to my apartment to have sex. I know it's not fair to date two guys at the same time but it's not like I've promised to be faithful to either of them.

I don't usually get home from the pub until around 5 am so I like to sleep late in the mornings. One morning I woke up earlier than usual, feeling like crap.

The next thing I knew I was kneeling with my head down the toilet, puking my guts out.

At first I thought that I've gotten some flu bug but then I checked my calendar and realized that I'm late. I popped down to the pharmacy right away and got a pregnancy test. I couldn't believe it when I got a positive result. I've always been really careful with birth control so how the hell can I be pregnant?!

I called Erin and she came over after work. We sat there for what felt like hours until I opened my mouth and told her. She looked stunned for a while and then asked if I've told Niall. I felt so embarrassed when I told her that I didn't know who the father was. It could be Niall but it might just as well be Jacob or Jamie.

I wouldn't blame her for resenting me. Hell, I resent myself right now! But she just got up from her chair and gave me a big hug.

"Shit happens" she said. I guess she realized right away that keeping the baby wasn't an option. And the thought of carrying a child for nine months freaked me out. I just don't see myself doing that at this point in my life. It's not that I don't like kids but I just can't do this now.

I told Erin that I could do it on my own but she just shook her head.

"You've always been there for me, whether I needed a babysitter or a shoulder to cry on. I'm not going to let you go through this alone" she said and gave me a sad smile.

I was glad that Erin came to the doctor with me. I was a nerve wreck by the time we got to the hospital.

"Isn't it kind of ironic that you were the first to hear that Dawn was pregnant and now you're the only one who knows that I'm pregnant... the only one who will ever know" I said. She just gave me a worried look. I guess I was starting to sound pretty insane.

Doctor Grace Cooper was really great. I didn't get the feeling that she was judging me. She just explained what would happen. It was over so quickly.

I had to stay in the hospital for the rest of the day and Dr Cooper came to sit with me for a while. She didn't say much but her just being there felt like a real comfort.

My armour started to crack when Erin came to see me.

I didn't except to feel so awful but I guess it's the price I have to pay.

Notes:

Title reference: Unfinished business by White Lies
Niall started flirting with the landlady when I popped in to play him. Liv isn't the kind of girl to tolerate unfaithfulness.
Liv definitely wasn't supposed to get pregnant! She had "Unmarried TFB not allowed" in her ACR but she still tried for a baby with Jacob. I don't know if it's a glitch or if I missed something. She's not actually allowed to use BC because she only has 5 neatness points. Definitely not what I had planned but I decided to write it in.

If there was no you

2011-02-14T09:00:00.003+02:00

Round 14: Winter 2021
last update/Lilly's next update/next update

Max Fielding is 65, Regan is 57 and Lilly is 16. (Josh Cooper is 16.)

Narrated by Lilly Fielding

Dad had a second floor built on his shop and he's now much more interested in it than he was before. He also got a deal with the government that he will provide all musical equipment for the schools in our district.

He has customers lined up every time the shop is opened and he has started to keep it open quite late.

My parents have been through a lot during their marriage but now it feels like they fight every day. Mom's furious because she feels that dad is spending all his time at the shop nowadays. The other night mom was yelling that dad's never home.

Dad yelled back at mom. He said that she's been so focused on her career all her life that she has barely had time for her family.

"You're still spending all your time studying and researching. Should I just sit around waiting for you to come home?!" dad yelled.

I don't think they've spoken to each other ever since. The next morning I could tell that mom had been crying and dad was really quiet during breakfast and gave me a big hug when I was leaving for school. I just hope they'll be able to solve their problems. It's so stupid to fight over something like this.

I think mom's outburst only makes dad spend more time at the shop. I went there after school one day and saw him flirting with some woman. He saw me and said he was just trying to make a sale. I know he wouldn't cheat on mom but still... The woman was like half his age. It was embarrasing!

She didn't seem to mind though.

Mom and dad made over Erin's old room into a study for mom. Lately she's been pretty much locked up in there. She reads and reads. It paid off, she got a promotion but I just wish she would come out and talk to dad and they'd be happy together again.

I'm trying to concentrate on other things and just stay out of their way. I found my love for playing violin again when I played at Greg and Malia's wedding. I have been practising quite a lot lately. I'll never be good enough to become a professional musician but it's a great way to express myself.

Josh and I were going through a rough time last year but we got over it. He was pressuring me to have sex and I just wasn't ready. I finally got really mad at him and told him that we're over if he doesn't stop. He's been really great for the past few months. The whole subject of sex hasn't even come up at all. I guess he must really love me if he's willing to wait.

The funny thing is that now I think I am ready! I haven't told him yet because I want to be sure but I know it's going to happen sooner or later. We don't see each other so often nowadays anyway because we both got after-school jobs but we try to get together at least couple of times a week.

I've been cooking a lot lately. I'll be leaving for college in a couple of years and I want to make sure I won't starve to death when I'm on my own. Freshmen and sophomores have to live in one of the dormitories and they have cafeterias but Josh and I have already been talking about renting a house when we start our Junior year. It's still very far away in the future though.

Dad brought me a synthesizer from the shop and mom let me put it in her study. I've been playing it a lot and it's fun! I kind of like the electronic sound and I've already composed a couple of my own songs. Maybe dad will let me make a demo in the recording studio in his shop.

My parents are still acting like little kids. Mom's hiding in her study and dad's in his. He goes there every night to write his novel when he comes home from the shop.

The whole atmosphere in our house is pretty icy. I asked mom how long are they going to continue avoiding each other and she just looked at me like she didn't know what I was talking about. I think I'm going to call Nyah and Erin and tell them about this stupid fight.

I would go insane if there was no Josh.

Extras:

I let Lilly decide if she's ready to have sex with Josh or not. I recently installed syberspunk's Teen Enabled Woohoo Wants and Lilly rolled the want to have her very first woohoo with Josh. Josh also has the fear of breaking up with Lilly so they're staying together.

Notes:

Title reference: If there was no you by Brandi Carlile
Max rolled the ros Viagra overdose - flirt with next appropriate walkby 4 times. It seemed totally out of character for him so I had to make up a fight between him and Regan.
I was going to include something about Erin's wedding planning here but the update got long enough without that. Anyway, as you might have noticed from the play schedule, the wedding will happen in Summer 2021.

Lot tour: Music Maximum

2011-02-13T22:01:00.005+02:00

Winter 2021

Music Maximum is owned by Max Fielding and is located in Exmoor. The shop has been open since 2002. It mainly concentrates on musical instruments but there are some other musical items for sale as well.

If you don't have money, you can just do window shopping. You can see the whole first floor just by glancing through the windows.

When you enter the shop the classical instruments are on your right. A grand piano, some violins, contra basses and classical acoustic guitars.

There are some notes for sale next to the cash register. Max has employed Tyler Davis to work as a cashier and help around the shop.

There are also some recorders and harmonicas as well as guitar magazines and stomp boxes. (I moved the shelf with the recorders and harmonicas after taking this photo because if a customer was viewing those items then others couldn't get to the cash register.)

On the left side you find everything you need for a rock band. Playing that famous guitar riff from Deep Purple's "Smoke on the water" isn't allowed - if you want to test the guitars, learn to play something else first.

More guitars and a huge amplifier are next to the stairs that look like piano keys. Let's head upstairs now!

When you get to the top of the stairs you see posters of members of a famous rock band Imminent Death. (The posters are available for download in my highly neglected downloads blog if anyone's interested.)

There are some stands for notes. These are very popular for choirs.

The shop has some older cd's for sale and also some music magazines such as Rolling Stone and Revolver.

Max also sells microphones and synthesizers in his shop.

The rest of the second floor is for staff only.

The door on the right leads to a tiny breakroom. Nothing fancy, just a place for Max and Tyler to grab something to eat and relax for a while.

The other door leads to Max's pride and joy, a brand new recording studio! That's Max standing there, looking extremely proud. The studio is mainly for making demos but who knows, maybe one day Max will produce a hit single in there.

One, two... one, two, three, four! A shot from the recording booth through the window to the mixer room.

Max and Tyler are recording a demo with Liv Harris, Wellington's aspiring rock chick.

Liv is currently just a street musician but she's hoping to make it big one day.

Notes:

Most items are from Around The Sims 2.
As many of you know, I've been having major problems with my game for a long time. Maisie from Millwood gave me a great tip to change my PrintScreen hot key and that just might have done the trick. I never would've thought it would be such a simple fix! My game is working much better now so I might be able to update the blog more often. Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll stay that way. I owe Maisie my eternal gratefulness :)

You've got the love

2011-01-31T09:00:00.005+02:00

Round 14: Winter 2021
last update/next update

Bobbie and Alexander Greene are both 70, Patsy and Camryn are both 30, Mia is 7 and Hanna and Jared are both 5 weeks.
(Tom is 28 and Dixie is 27.)

Narrated by Bobbie Greene.

Patsy and Camryn had their twins just a few weeks ago so it has taken some getting used to from all of us. It's been so long since there were babies in our house!

Hanna and Jared are real sweeties though and they both have Patsy's red hair and green eyes. The only thing we know about the donor is that he has blonde hair, blue eyes and light skin like Camryn. We'll have to wait some time before we can say who the babies look like. But then again I've always thought that Mia looks like Patsy and Camryn even though she's not biologically theirs.

Patsy said that she had expected that the artificial insemination would be the hardest part but against all odds she got pregnant right away. She's never taken care of babies before because Mia was already a year old when Patsy and Camryn adopted her.

They've actually come up with a working routine now. Camryn's gotten back to work so she helps with the morning bottles. Usually they feed one baby at a time while the other waits. It's just easier to take care of one baby at a time.

Patsy says that she has even more respect for me now than she did before. I had three babies and a 3-year-old to take care of and she says that she doesn't know how I did it. I haven't really thought how I survived, I just did. Of course Alexander was a great help but still I was at home alone with all of our kids while he was at work.

We've heard horror stories of older siblings being overly jealous about the new babies but luckily we haven't had any problem with Mia. I think it's mainly because Patsy and Camryn treat her the same way as they did before the babies came. Patsy's still quite exhausted after the pregnancy and delivery so it's usually Camryn who takes Mia to friends' house or to the park. They went to the Henley Park just the other day and spent a few good hours skating on the rink.

They went inside to play some pinball after it got too cold to be outside. The park has been recently renovated and there's now a building with pinball machines and a pool table so that Allerdale kids have somewhere to hang after school if they're parents are not home.

There's also a new food stand. Mia said it has the best burgers she's ever eaten. I still prefer homemade food over restaurants and food stands.

Spending time with my grandchildren has helped me overcome my grief over Vicki's death. I still miss her every day but now I'm focusing on happy memories of her instead of dwelling in misery.

I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful grandchildren. And there's another one on the way! Janie and Danny are having their third child in the summer. They're currently looking for a bigger apartment or a house. I have a feeling they might move to Exmoor since it would be closer to their jobs and they also have lots of friends living there.

Alexander and I decided to drive up to the mountains and spend a weekend at the cabin. We haven't been there for a few months so it was about time to go there. We asked Patsy and Camryn if Mia could come with us and they said it's fine as long as we get back before Monday.

It was already dark when we got to the cabin so we decided to have a quick dinner and then just relax by the fireplace before heading off to bed. Mia had never been to the mountains before so she was really excited about going to the village the next day.

We headed out to the village after breakfast. Mia even got me involved in building a snowman. Spending time with her makes me feel so young again.

She adores her grandpa so Alexander entertained her while I shopped for some souvenir for our other grandkids. Hanna and Jared are a bit too young for toys but I'm sure Bridget and Lucas won't say no to new stuff.

Of course we also had to try out the local food. At first Mia wanted a hamburger but we convinced her to at least taste the Flap Jacks. She loved them and ate a whole plate of them very quickly.

Alexander and Mia headed back to the cabin but I visited the spa and got a massage. I love my job and I have no intentions of retiring but I have to admit that I'm not a young girl anymore. It's so nice to relax and unwind for a change.

We were kind of nervous how we would get Mia to bed since she's never slept anywhere but home. Spending the whole day at the village must have tired her because she dozed off on the downstairs sofa and Alexander had to carry her to bed.

We went back downstairs and sat by the fireplace for a while before I couldn't stifle a yawn any longer.

We always eat healthy food when we're at home but we're not so strict on vacations. I made cheese cake for breakfast and it turned out great. Alexander hinted that I would have time to bake cakes more often if I retired. I knew he was only joking so I told him that maybe he should retire and start baking cakes. I've worked hard my whole life and now I'm finally on top of my career. I'm not about to give it up yet.

There's nothing more annoying than going on vacation and finding a huge mess at the cabin so we make sure to always clean up before we get back home. Even Mia wanted to help although she mostly kept taking toys out of the toy box and then putting them back.

It was nice to be away for a couple of days but it was nice to get back home.

We were so excited when we heard that Dixie and Tom had gotten engaged. They're also looking for a new house because their current one is so tiny. We invited them over for dinner and told them that we wanted to pay for the wedding.

At first Tom was very reluctant and said that they had thought about paying for it themselves. I told them that they should save their money for a new house. We have money to spare and helping them and our other kids out is what we want to do. I understand that they want to be independent but we just want them to help them any way we can.

We finally managed to persuade them to let us pay. Now they just have to set a date so we'll have something to wait for after Janie and Danny's baby is born.

Notes:

Title reference: You've got the love by Florence + The Machine.
I wanted to focus on something else than the babies in this update because, let's face it, sim babies are quite boring. This way I could include them but it wasn't all about diapers and bottles.
I've done Terrain Surgery on Wellington and I'm making changes to the neighborhood. Basically I've moved some of the families and community lots into a subhood and made the main hood a bit smaller. I will post pics of the changes soon. So when Bobbie talked about Janie and Danny moving to Exmoor, she meant that they're moving to that new subhood.
I'm so glad to finally be able to start this round properly. My computer's still acting up but at least I'm able to play long enough to get pictures for updates, yay!

Wellington Gazette, Winter 2021

2011-01-22T09:00:00.002+02:00

by Brooke Harper

Deacon Burrows will serve a second term as governor of Wellington. The 56-year-old business tycoon continues in the position automatically after he got no opponents in the election.

Just a few months ago the election was believed to become a tight race between Burrows and City Council member Denise Cooper but she decided not to run and is focusing on her family instead. Cooper praised Burrows in her statement saying that he has done a tremendous job in developing Wellington.

Deacon Burrows's expertise in the business world has improved the town's finances up to a point where he announced that the government will not collect taxes this year. The next tax year is in 2023. Burrows says that he will continue to improve the schools and also start a major overhaul of Brixton University on his second term.

City Council 2021-2024

Deacon Burrows
Denise Cooper
Elissa Cooper
Grace Cooper
Sam Cooper
Bobbie Greene
Amabelle Harper
Nyah Marlowe
Rianna Midlock

Notes:

I really was going to organize a proper election but I couldn't come up with any other candidates. I had already decided that Denise wouldn't run even before she got pregnant again. I don't think she's the kind of person to take on such a time-consuming position while her youngest kids are still so small.
The City Council consists of sims on the highest position in the following careers: Architecture, Education, Intelligence, Law Enforcement, Medicine and Military. Also any sim that's in the Political career is a member of City Council. I might never even mention the City Council in my updates but I wrote down the members just in case.