Wednesday 27 July 2011

This love

Round 14: Winter 2022


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.

15 comments:

  1. Lol, I remember those days of wanting to be treated as an adult......I gotta say, now that I am one, it kinda sucks lol. You don't realize how nice it is not having to pay bills until its too late :). The boys area all so adorable and I agree, Riley would make a cute nerd!

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  2. At least Riley is still a good kid and not sneaking out and such

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  3. Mizzgin03, that's exactly how I feel about it. Everything that felt so unbearable during the teenyears... I'd gladly have those problems now. Being adult sucks most of the time, lol.

    The boys really are cute. I can't wait to see what Tate looks like once he ages up to toddler.

    Thanks for reading. :)

    Apple Valley, oh, Riley will have plenty of time for sneaking out and other mischiefs later ;)

    Thanks for reading. :)

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  4. I love the idea of Ben coming around to love this little fluffy dog! But Brady is even cuter hugging the poor thing like that.

    Poor Riley! You really do feel quite grown up at 12, even though you're not. It can be frustrating. Once Riley is much older, he'll probably look back and wonder what he was thinking, as well as feeling a little sympathy for his parents!

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  5. Carla, Ben wasn't so fond of the dog at first but who could resist Paco's cute little face. I love the animation of a toddler hugging a pet, it's too cute.

    Yeah, Riley thinks now that he's being treated unfairly. I'm sure he'll think differently when he grows up and has children of his own.

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  6. Cute family! Brady is adorable with the dog. Just love those interactions with pets and toddlers. Riley seems like a typical teen at that age, lol. The family photos on the wall are a very nice touch.

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  7. serin, toddlers and pets are a really sweet combination.

    Riley thinks that now that he's in high school he can do whatever he wants. Too bad his parents don't agree, lol.

    I like having family photos in my sims' houses. It adds a nice touch.

    Thanks for reading. :)

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  8. Ah, the teen years. No bills, no slaving away for eight hours, your biggest problem being a pimple... what I wouldn't give for that again. Riley is so adorable, I wanna pinch his cheeks, but he would hate me for it!
    Hope you don't mind, but WCIF Ben's PJs? I love them!

    -Fini
    http://nh.infinitynevermore.net

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  9. Fini, oh yes, things were a lot easier when we were younger although at that time they felt like the end of the world every time, lol.

    Riley is adorable, I think he became one of my favorite sims when he aged up to teen. Next update will probably be more about him since he'll be 14 then.

    Ben's PJs are actually a default replacement by Amaryll but she has also included a non-default version in the same post:
    http://witheredlilies.livejournal.com/10769.html

    Thanks for reading :)

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  10. I loved that first picture of Ben looking at the dog like he has no idea what it's doing there :)
    It's nice that he's coming to like the little dog though :)
    And awe at little Brady hugging the dog :)

    Poor Riley, not being allowed to go out! It's a hard world for teens, lol. One day he might even wonder why he wanted to go there so badly :)

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  11. Tanja, Ben never imagined that they'd get a pet so he wasn't quite sure what to think of Paco at first. Brady is such a cutiepie with the dog. They really like each other, Paco's always sniffing him and Brady always wants to hug the dog.

    Riley thinks that his parents are being totally unfair but I wouldn't let a 12-year-old hang out with older teens either. Boys at that age can be so easily led into doing stupid things by older boys.

    Thanks for reading. :)

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  12. Being a 12-year-old can be such a hard time, especially for the parents! I hope that attitude doesn't get worse as he gets older.

    Dogs have a way of growing on you, even when you're a bit resistant. I think it's easier to feel some sort of "like" for them when your children love them. Always cute when toddlers and pets get together, just like in real life.

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  13. Choco, I hope Riley doesn't start rebelling too much. He's a good kid and hopefully he'll stay that way.

    Dogs have a way of getting into your heart no matter how reluctant you were at first. Paco is really loved, there's always someone to pamper him :)

    Thanks for reading. :)

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  14. Aww this was a sweet update. I really love the house it looks so open and airy!

    That shot of Ben and Tate at the end is adorable. It's good to see him enjoying the time with his children.

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  15. Driftwood Valley, thank you. I plan to do a tour of the house but not until Denise and Ben have enough money to decorate it properly.

    I love the picture of Ben and Tate. I'm a bit sad to know that this is their last child but it'll be nice to see all the boys grow up.

    Thanks for reading. :)

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