Welcome back to the madhouse. As a reminder: we’re in the 1890s, and have three toddlers and two dogs. Oh yeah, and Anna is pregnant again. Save me! No, really.. the twins have their birthday very soon, and I’m really looking forward to it.
Gertrude, dear, that’s not particularly helpful. But I guess it’s better than the toilet. Also: did not know toddlers could do this. Did you?
Bathtime for Jesse. The dog is not helping. LOL.
Then, Anna has a energy fail.. and tries to pass out while holding Jesse. Lovely glitch. She ends up stuck like this, and I have to reset her. It’s also about this time that the twins state that it’s their birthday.. and I realize 1 – I have no stove to make a cake, and 2 – you can’t make cakes off the grid anyway. Darn. I have to wait for them to spin up on their own.
James: “I saw that. You just peed yourself.”
Anna: “Shh. Let’s see you have four kids in a row and not have any accidents!”
Baby time!! Wonder what it’ll be. And yes, she’s still filthy. Bath can come later – after baby.
And it’s a girl! Welcome baby Edith. (Full disclosure: I forgot her name and had to reload the game to write this post. LOL OOPS)
Jesse being cute with the dog. Which dog? .. I dunno, can’t see the collar.
Finally. He gets randomized, and this is what he rolled. Figures, with all that red hair he has.
Post-makeover. He’s a real cutie.
She gets creative, as per challenge rules. The social butterfly was a roll.
I had the hardest time finding clothes for her. Didn’t really have anything appropriate. So we went with this.
Glenn’s first action: saying hello to his new baby sister. He seems to like her, which is good.
Then, he decides to take out the trash. I think I like this kid!
I send Gertrude to do her homework, and Glenn decides to join her. They have a conversation while doing it, so it takes forever, but that’s okay.
Ginger is babysitting Jesse.. and a stinky toilet. Neither seem to mind the toilet, though.
No idea who Anna was talking to here, but she looks great in this photo. Nevermind that she’s supposed to be cooking dinner or the fact that the counter is filthy.
Look! Jesse can fly! Still one of my favorite interactions.
I tried to get more era-appropriate beds, but they were too expensive.. so I settled on these plain wooden ones.
Sure, Gertrude, play where the dogs are supposed to be eating. You do you.
Gertrude and Glenn come to complain about a monster, and James pretty much says he’s had it for the day. Poor guy.
This, I believe is one of the Munch kids. Logan, I think his name is. I’ve been having Gertrude and Glenn meet kids at school and whoever walks by, ever keeping an eye out for future mates for them. It may be a little early – but that’s okay.
Glenn doing homework while the dogs play in the next room, doing as much as they possibly can to distract him.
Turns out Jesse is in there with them. Rook seems very interested in what he’s doing, while Ginger is occupied with Glenn in the next room.
No, Jesse, Gertrude cannot help you take a bath. Cute interaction, anyway.
Edith joins the family as the only child who got her father’s blue eyes.
My first experience with the “Teach to Knit” interaction. SO CUTE!!
Oh my gosh, she even leans in to help teach her the stitches! LOVE it!
Awww. Anna really tries so hard to be a good mom. It’s not her fault that this family is so crazy.
Kid central. This house is always filled with activity.
James getting asked advice from Glenn.
Anna, probably wondering why there’s always messes everywhere. I can point to exactly why. His name is Jesse. LOL. Gertrude is playing happily (and without making messes) behind her mother.
James comes home with a promotion, and finally, a desk to go with the chair he got earlier.
Told you the messes were Jesse’s fault. Really? You couldn’t wait until the other mess was at least cleaned up and mom left the room??
He decides chatting with his brother is more fun. Thank goodness.
Dad steps in to mop up the second mess, while Glenn brushes Ginger, who always needs brushing because she’s hairy.
Apparently, James likes the new desk idea.
Anna finally gets some knitting time of her own in.
I buy a knitting box for Gertrude, too, so she can make a little spare cash with her free time. The dog toy in the background was found by one of the dogs and brought back in a little pink box. It squeaks when they play with it, and my real life dog always tips her head, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from. It’s hilarious.
Last birthday for this update. He also gets random trait and aspiration.
Post-makeover shot. What pretty eyes!
Rook ages up to elder. Ginger doesn’t seem to realize she’s next.. and Gertrude is far too busy trying not to drop stitches in her rug to notice the party in front of her.
The kids decide to have a conference in the kitchen. Which reminds me.. they need a bigger table. I wonder if they can afford it..? (Probably not) .. Also wonder if I’ll remember to look and see whether they can in the next play session. (Also probably not. LOL.)
At least we got most the kids through being toddlers. Things should start calming down in the house now. I hope. See you next time!
Juliet looked out the window at their farm and mused over the last year. So far, the farm had been bringing in valuable produce to sell, and she had even been able to sell some of her knitting and candles to help out. Yes, taking care of the whole house was a lot of work, but it was rewarding work that she loved doing. The Willow Creek community had welcomed them with open arms, and she didn’t miss Brindleton Bay at all.
And then there was baby Florence. Yes, she cried at all hours of the day and night, but she was so adorable. Juliet had written to her mother of the joyous news, and hoped that she would be happy for her, but it was hard to tell with Mother. She had yet to get a return letter from her, so she would just have to wait and see.
Putting the baby back in her crib for another nap, Juliet sighed and headed downstairs to make breakfast. Stefan had been out in the field since daybreak as usual, and would be coming in soon, hungry.
Stefan hadn’t felt well for the last couple of days, and had been doing his best to hide it. He simply didn’t want Juliet to worry about him. First it was a fever, then dizziness.
And now it was a horrible headache. Never let it be said he shirked on his work, though, and the field was still in great shape. Even if he wasn’t.
In fact, the farm was doing so well that he had managed to pay not only the normal property taxes and fees, but also the loan payment due for the week. With plenty left over. He had considered paying extra on the loan – but with a new baby in the house, perhaps keeping a healthy bank account was a better idea. One never knew what might happen.
Juliet was turning out to be quite a wife. She kept the house clean, the baby tended, the laundry done.. and now she was even helping out with the bills by selling rugs and other things that she knitted. He wasn’t about to tell her that there really was no reason for her to worry about the money at this point, however, so he thanked her for the funds and put it in the bank account whenever he was in town.
Stefan finished up in the fields and cleaned up, then went to talk with Juliet for a while. It appeared that the baby was sleeping now, so they kept their voices down – even though the sound of soft conversation was unlikely to carry all the way up the stairs.
After a while, his wife excused herself to go make dinner, and Stefan gave in to the headache and went to hide for a while in the darkness of the spare room.
Dinner was another salad – and while he was getting slightly tired of them, he did admit that using the produce from their own land certainly kept expenses down. Juliet was apparently chatty today, however, which certainly wasn’t helping his head. He tried to follow the conversation at least enough to reply, but he wasn’t sure he’d managed it.
The next morning, the headache was mostly gone, but he felt slightly dizzy again. Standing up slowly, he tiptoed downstairs so as not to wake up Juliet or the baby, and went to find some breakfast.
There was a puddle growing around the base of the icebox, however, so he quickly mopped it up, and went to get his tools to repair the leak. By the time it was finished, he’d lost most of the morning and he could hear little Florence fussing upstairs. Bypassing breakfast altogether, he went outside to get to work for the day.
Juliet hummed a little tune as she cooked dinner for Stefan. She had noticed that he had been giving the nightly salads a slightly sad look and had decided to add bread and cheese to their daily grocery order.
Some grilled cheese should cheer him right up. When he came in from the fields for dinner, she was gratified to see a surprised, but happy, look on his face. Beaming, she served both of them, and sat down to a pleasant meal, hoping to make it all the way through before Florence woke up wanting her feeding and diaper changing again.
Later that night – much later – she hurried to the outhouse in the darkness, and found out that a thunderstorm had moved in while they were sleeping. The yard was a quagmire of muddy puddles, and she slipped, falling right on her backside. Biting back curses she wasn’t even supposed to know, she stood up gingerly, did her business at the bathroom, and miserably dodged the raindrops to get back inside. She tried to keep from tracking the mud inside, but it was a hopeless venture, and she headed up to the washroom to clean up, dreading the clean-up job she would have downstairs before she could go back to bed.
The storms of the past couple days had kept the fields watered, but also prevented him from going out to harvest or take care of the plants. The enforced holiday had helped cure his sickness, however, and he was feeling much better. Stefan was glad the storms had finally moved on, though, and he was able to get out there to harvest the produce, delivering it to the farmer’s market that afternoon.
Once again, the Farmer’s Almanac had been right, however, and in the storms’ wake, a heatwave had moved in, and made working outside miserable for the next few days. He would be glad when summer was over, that was for sure.
Juliet wiped a damp brow and went back to her knitting. This heat was horribly oppressive, and both her and the baby were miserable. She tried keeping the windows open to let in a breeze, but there was precious little of that to be had. She could only imagine how torturous working in the fields must be – and she tried to remember to take Stefan some lemonade every hour or two to help keep him refreshed.
She tried not to think on the dire news her Mother’s most recent letter had contained. Her step-sister, Mary, had still not improved, and was completely bed-ridden. The doctors had cited consumption, and had not had encouraging news for the family. Juliet may have not gotten along with Mary – but she’d really never wished and illness of this sort upon her. She wondered how long Mary would last, and whether her Mother would finally acknowledge Florence’s birth once she was gone. Florence was turning one in the next few days, and Juliet’s Mother still had yet to say anything about her in her letters.
Pushing aside these melancholy thoughts, Juliet cuddled her little girl, rejoicing that in a few short months she would finally be up and toddling around the house. Sure, it would pose a completely new set of challenges for her as a parent – but at least there would be room in the cradle for a new baby.
For, indeed, her hunch had been correct – she was expecting again. She hadn’t told Stefan yet because she had wanted to be completely sure first, but she knew he would be overjoyed. She dearly hoped this one would be a boy, however, so as to not disappoint him again. Juliet planned to tell him this evening, and she watched Florence crawl around the bedroom, working on her knitting and waiting impatiently for Stefan to be done outside.
We start out this week by sending Stefan to pass his bar exam for work, and then he needs level 2 logic – so he heads to the park, since we can’t really afford a chess table and chairs right now.
Our other task is selling that puppy. There’s no way I’m taking care of a puppy on top of two toddlers and being pregnant. Apparently Katrina Caliente is working for the adoption services. It has also occurred to me that I “handicapped” myself a bit by electing to have so many dogs in the house – we can’t have as many kids. So I don’t know that I’ll be trying for more puppies for a while, if at all.
Almost immediately, I discover that this is going to be a really hard week. The messes Anna has to clean up is just the beginning.
… Because there’s another one in process already. LOL.
“Hey, mama.. we’re hungry too!”
“So go get some off the counter and stop bothering me about it!”
(LOL)
Laundry time!
Gertrude is being cute, so I couldn’t resist a screenshot. Also, she’s up by herself in the middle of the night because she got hungry. She was a good girl, though, and didn’t wake anyone else – just got her meal, ate it, and crawled back upstairs to bed.
One of the few peaceful mornings before work that these two have this week. Note that the dogs need feeding, and there’s one very stinky dog behind James…
.. So we wash the dogs, and fill the food bowls.
Now that’s a happy dog!
But – as soon as those chores are done – there’s toddlers to bathe, too. The work never ends, and Anna’s energy is perpetually low.
Glenn is making friends with Rook, because mom and dad just don’t have time to talk to him right now.. so, the dogs are great for keeping up his “attention” need.
Things look so peaceful. I assure you, they’re not. I’m spending most my time yelling at pixel people who won’t do what I’m telling them to.
There’s a summer heatwave, so everyone is in their hot weather clothes. James is spending time with Gertrude, while Ginger supervises.
… I knew that was going to happen.
.. Gosh, I feel so bad for Anna. I just can’t seem to get her energy up. She keeps getting woken up.
… And now it’s baby time, too!
I love the curious dog behind Anna in this shot. Meet the newest Sheppard – Jesse. Another boy.
The toddlers, feeding themselves in the middle of the night.
… And in the morning. These guys seem to always be hungry.
What a huge storm! The lightning is actually loud enough to be jump-scaring me. LOL.
Yes, James, hurry off to work. This is what he leaves behind:
There’s also piles of laundry all over the upstairs and in the sims’ inventories. I feel like a horrible sim-watcher, because keeping up with this family is a NIGHTMARE.
Um…. James.. WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!
“There’s a storm outside.”
That’s outside. You’re inside.
“I don’t want my head to get wet, though.”
…Sigh. He finally put away the umbrella when he got out of the bath, only to pull it out again to walk back to the house.
Amazingly, this is one of the few toddler energy fails I have this week. At least the kids have been well cared for.
.. Even if the adults aren’t. And the house is still a disaster zone.
Aww.. I feel so bad for her. Things are not likely to improve, though. That puppy dog eye look isn’t going to help.
More laundry. And a screaming baby. And a toddler that needs attention. And dog hair everywhere again. Sigh.
.. At least the baby isn’t screaming anymore?
Even poor James is down for the count. He did manage to finish Gertrude’s bath before passing out, though.
You know you’re overwhelmed when going into CAS for an age-up makeover feels a bit like heaven. LOL. This is Jesse, all toddler-ified. Yet another kid with mom’s green eyes.
Haha…. it figures. She’s pregnant again. The dogs are begging for food again, and little Glenn is playing in a puddle of.. who knows what.
That moment when you seriously just stop to care and lay down for a nap. (Only to have to go to work a half hour later… LOL)
He leaves this mess behind, and by the end of the day when he gets home, the toilet will be broken, too.
Okay, I love rocking chairs. The interactions are adorable!
Poor Anna. Now she’s going tiger-striped.
Jesse playing with blocks by a dirty toilet, with a dog sleeping in a puddle of pee. EW.
Three mostly happy toddlers. For the moment.
Jesse nearly gets knocked over with a kiss from Ginger – I only catch the tail end of the interaction, but it was really cute.
James comes home with a promotion. He’s now officially a junior lawyer with the firm, and finally gets a suit to wear to work. He’s also horribly tired, and immediately goes for a rocking chair nap, because I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to make it upstairs.
Peace. For a moment, at least.
After his nap, he has to fix the toilet that was broken – and the sink, too.. but the toilet was definitely higher priority with a pregnant wife in the house.
And – no – he doesn’t make it to bed.
To be honest, I’m not sure who was stinking in this photo.. the toddler (Glenn) or James. But someone is. The dogs are in a great mood, though. Good thing they’re easy to care for!
The clothes line broke. Again. And that poor kitchen garden hardly ever gets any tending.
I find it hilarious that you can see her tiger stripes through the nightgown/robe.
…. I didn’t know toddlers could eat there..? I mean, I’m grateful, because he was VERY low on hunger.. but.. still, it’s weird.
Finally. It’s the end of the week, and I’ve got nearly everyone in the green and happily sleeping.
Except for James. James is trying to catch up on the housework to help his wife out. I finally gave up on gender stereotypes for this family for the week, because Anna simply wasn’t going to be able to make it through on her own. So whenever he’s home, he’s helping. 🙂
On that note, it’s time to move on to the next save. Next time: Fall and week three, which will start with the twins finally aging up. I was tempted to play to their birthdays, but escaping this house was also high on the list of priorities.
Chapter 2.16 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 3.1
Generation Two: Brown Appearance: Brown hair, unkempt clothing style Traits: Loves Outdoors, Loner, Child of the Island Aspiration: Beach Life Occupation: Conservationist House Goal: 20,000 worth
Since it was Kali’s last night at home, I got a sitter for Mari and Reed, and the rest of us went out to the Romance Festival in the city. Almost immediately, Jayce spotted a girl near the entrance to the fest, and he excused himself to go say hello.
Kali, too, found some teens, and disappeared. Later she would confess that one of them had seemed more than a little bit off his “rocker”. I had to agree, though.. he was wearing sunglasses in the dark, and was paler than the vampires of Forgotten Hollow.
After wandering around the festival, Aleki and I spotted the wedding arch.. and we couldn’t pass up renewing our vows.
We certainly had had an idyllic life together, one worth celebrating. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.
We watched the fireworks together, then cuddled up on a bench in the chilly city night, talking mostly about the big day tomorrow.
I did notice Jayce got his first kiss at the fest – and I had to cheer him on silently. My babies were all growing up too fast.
Kali talked to the Love Guru, who said something about a tall, dark stranger in her future, and predicted she would find plenty of success in love.
Once we were home, I brought out two of the cakes I had made, and we all gathered to wish Mari and Aleki a Happy Birthday. They chose to blow out their candles at the same time, which was too cute.
Mari grew up into a beautiful teenager, finally getting past that awkward stage she had been in most her life.
Aleki looked amazing in his grey hair, as well, and quickly turned the attention off of him and onto the cake.
After the kids had all gone to bed, Aleki and I shared a private celebration before falling asleep ourselves.
In the morning, Kali waited until her siblings had all gone to school before announcing she had no intention of waiting for them to get home to blow out her birthday candles. I tried to get her to change her mind, but she was adamant that she wanted her leaving home to be as low-key as possible.
And so it was that it was only Aleki and I who witnessed her blowing out her candles. She went upstairs and brought her suitcase of clothes downstairs, shocking me that she had already been packed and ready.
For her sake, I tried to hold in my tears, but I think she saw through my cheerful front. She gave me a huge hug, and reminded me that she wasn’t going to be far away, after all, and that I was going to see her again soon.
Aleki also wished his daughter well, and Kali picked up her suitcase and headed for the door. She paused briefly, nervously, then opened the door and walked through it into her destiny – whatever that might be.
Chapter 2.16 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 3.1
(A/N: I made these guys from the very beginning, and tailored their outfits carefully to be as close to the times as possible.)
(A/N: This house was not built by me, but I did a considerable amount of redecorating so it was completely appropriate. (originally built by irrelephant7) This is what it looks like from Day 1 of the challenge. Don’t go into “wood overload” with all the wooden things. LOL. Also: house was worth 47,976 on day one. With loan and starter funds, they had 52,500 before buying the house – so they started with 4,524 in the bank. Every Monday, Stefan has a loan repayment of 1,520 to pay to the bank until the loan of 30,000 with 10% interest is paid off. (Should be paid off by the time he hits elder.))
Juliet wandered aimlessly around her new home, marveling at the fact that it was hers. Stefan had gone to the local market to buy some seeds for the farm, and she had been left alone to explore the house. She was utterly amazed at the size of the house, and had to wonder if Stefan was more well-off than she had initially assumed. She knew his father was rich and powerful, but she also knew of the rift between them. Everyone in Brindleton Bay had known about that. It hadn’t exactly been a secret, despite the fact she’d never heard Stefan talk about it directly. It had to be hard, knowing that your father was so disappointed in you that he told everyone in town. No wonder he’d wanted to move so far away.
Pushing the unpleasant thoughts of home.. well, her old home… away, Juliet settled in the spare room’s rocking chair and pulled out her knitting. She knew enough about it to get started, but little more. Her mother had often tried to teach her, but she’d had little time to waste on knitting when the house was always a disaster. Things were different now. She was going to have a family of her own – and being able to make warm clothes was nothing but a benefit now.
Looking out the window, Juliet realized Stefan had come home from the market, and was outside, planting his new seeds. Putting away her knitting, Juliet changed into something a little warmer and went out to help.
It would be her responsibility to care for the bees, so she spent some time bonding with them, then turned to help with the planting.
Getting all the planting in was a monumental task, but with her help, Stefan managed to get most everything done by dark, and Juliet left him watering the new plantings and went to make them some dinner.
Dinner was a pleasant affair, and Juliet marveled that it seemed Stefan had thought of everything. They were to have daily deliveries of milk and ice for the icebox, and he had fully stocked said icebox with groceries for her to make meals out of. There were even fresh stacks of firewood by the fireplaces, ready to burn to keep their new home warm.
Before bed, Juliet got some more knitting time in, and Stefan spent some time at his new woodworking bench, honing his handiness skill.
The Farmer’s Almanac reported that it was to be a rainy spring. Stefan still had plenty to do in the field, though, and he dutifully headed outside to weed and keep the garden pests under control.
By dinner time, he was soaked, but happy. There was a certain satisfaction to running one’s own farm, he found, and coming in to a clean and orderly house and a smiling wife made working in the rain so much better.
The home he had purchased was everything the broker had said, and more. The local family that had gotten the house ready for them had been grateful for the income, and had luckily thought of everything. Juliet seemed grateful, and there was no need to tell her how much it had truly cost them.
Stefan did some exploring of their area over the next few days, and found a community garden not far from their home that supplied him with some plants he was missing on his farm.
Juliet seemed to be quite capable of keeping herself busy, and her beehive was already producing enough wax for her to keep their stock of candles up. It seemed he had chosen well when he picked his wife.
The farm was a huge undertaking, but it also seemed to be a profitable one, and it was already producing some harvests that were padding their meager bank account. Some of his worry that he wouldn’t be able to pay the bank back started to evaporate, and the local farmer’s market seemed to be more than willing to purchase whatever he could grow.
Juliet found there was always something to be done – rain or shine. There were dishes to clean, laundry to be done, bees to be cared for, the icebox to fill. There was little time to even consider that her new life was much harder than she had expected, and she might not have even thought of it had she not gotten some unexpected news.
She was already expecting! It seemed that nursery upstairs would be filled sooner than she had planned, and she dearly hoped it would be a boy. It seemed Stefan already assumed it was, and was constantly bragging to their new neighbors about having new “help” for the farm.
Mornings were the worst time, and her breakfast often didn’t stay down due to her morning sickness, but she insisted on eating with her husband every morning, anyway.
Evenings were her favorite time, though, because by then the baby seemed to have calmed down, and she and Stefan could spend a quiet evening by the fire.
On Valentine’s Day, Stefan surprised her with flowers from the garden, and they spent an evening out at the park behind the Willow Creek church. There were other couples who had apparently had the same idea, and several women approached her to thank her for the donations she had made of her knitting to the local orphanage.
As her pregnancy progressed, Juliet found doing her daily chores to be more and more difficult, but she was determined. The laundry was always fresh, the homestead clean and cared for, and dinner ready when Stefan came in from the fields.
Longing desperately for the pregnancy to be over, she tried to hide how miserable the pregnancy was making her. She only reported the cheery news to her family back home, despite the fact that her mother’s notes always seemed so dreadful. Clearly, her step-sister, Mary, was not doing well, and it seemed the illness that had taken her late husband had now taken a hold of her. They had been forced to hire a servant to care for the house, because Mary wasn’t able to get out of bed most days. Her mother seemed to blame all of it on her leaving so abruptly, and Juliet was immensely glad she was no longer there to bear the tirades.
Stefan and she had become very much a part of the local church community, and she had joined the choir. They attended church every Sunday, and when Easter rolled around, they faithfully attended the holiday ceremony.
He often surprised her with flowers, and was ever the attentive husband. Juliet saw no evidence of the temper he had been rumored to have, or of his “lazy” disposition.
Much to the contrary, he seemed a romantic and hard working soul, and their farm was flourishing because of it.
Then, at the very end of the year, Juliet was awakened in the middle of the night with horrible pains. Immediately, she knew what it was, and awakened Stefan. He tried to insist on fetching the doctor, but Juliet was sure everything would be fine.
And it was. By morning, she had a beautiful baby girl that they named Florence. Stefan tried to hide his disappointment that it wasn’t a boy, but he wasn’t completely successful. Perhaps he would be luckier next time. Juliet wasn’t sorry, however, because a little girl is just what she had secretly hoped for. She envisioned all the things she could teach Florence, and could hardly wait until she grew up. One day at a time, she told herself.. and settled the baby into her cradle before she, too, curled up, fast asleep.
First of all: let’s have a huge round of applause that Nifty Knitting has finally gotten here. Then, let’s meet our founders, James and Anna.
They’re downloaded from the gallery, with a little bit in the way of makeovers. Anna, in particular, had a hair color change so that she wouldn’t look so much like my other Decades founder, Juliet. I love her freckles, however, and they look so awesome with the red hair and green eyes. When I downloaded them, I kept their names – and their (male) dog, Rook. While preparing for the challenge, another simmer posted a photo of one of their challenge founders and his (female) dog.. and one thing led to another, and we swapped dogs so we could breed them. So: meet Ginger and Rook Sheppard.
Just for reference, I did check: the breed was officially recognized in 1907, but it existed before then. So we’re stretching credibility, and saying they brought them over with them when they came to the U.S.
Oh, and the featured photo is their house, that I built literally over a month ago in preparation for this challenge. It’s based off a photo I found of a house built in the 1890s, so it’s accurate to the time period. It is EXTREMELY lacking in furnishing, however, as you’ll see in the upcoming game-play photos. I didn’t start these guys out with a loan, so most their money went into building the home… they will have to earn enough to start furnishing it.
One last thing before I start play: this is a park lot I built to be as close to time period as possible, with as many uses as I could think of. I’ll be using it for both of my Decades saves.
Yes, it’s on the Gallery, called “1890 Church & Park”.
With all that out of the way.. let’s get this party started!
It’s spring, and cold out, so they’re both in their cold weather wear. I immediately send James to another lot so he can call to get his lawyer job that I planned for him. (Off the grid means I can’t get a job while on their home lot..)
Being that James will be working outside of the house, Anna is in charge of the kitchen garden. So I get her to buy some seeds and plant away. Then, it occurs to me I should take some pictures of the house to document how it starts:
And yes, James is back home and working on his Research & Debate skill for work. I didn’t take a picture of the empty rooms – there’s one downstairs and one upstairs.
Finally finished with the gardening, Anna sits down and starts work on her very first knitting project. (After telling the dogs to try to breed.)
The dogs, of course, refuse. This might take a while.
For some reason, sims are having trouble putting books away, and I keep getting “Last Exception”s – which I brought up to the MCCC folks, and they diagnose as being the books’ fault. So that book has to be manually put away, and it stays there for a while until I get around to it. Also of note: Anna, if you look closely, is already pregnant! No such luck on the dogs, though.
EA.. thanks for programming in that they can knit on the toilet. As a knitter, I assure you.. this is not a good idea. However, it was funny that it took me a while to find Anna – I didn’t think to look in the outhouse.
The dogs are finally starting to get along. Anna is getting to be pretty good friends with both of them, too.
Yay! They’re finally breeding! Still no puppy notification, though.
Poor Anna.. this pregnancy is really taking it out of her. James has been having to help with the garden because she just doesn’t have the energy.
Yet another nap. I feel terrible for her!
No idea who she’s talking to here. James wasn’t even home.. so it was either one of the dogs, or she was just talking to herself. Perhaps she was complaining about yet another book being out. LOL.
Oh, and.. hooray!!
It must be that time. Thanks for letting me know, James. 🙂
Yep.. that’s the baby face. I waited until the game gave us a free bassinet, because money is tight for these two…. so poor Anna had to be in labor for the entire time.
LOL. What a face. I completely relate. I was in labor for 37 hours when my RL son was born.. you’ll be okay, there, Anna.
See? It was all worth it, right?
… Maybe. I cursed so loudly at the second name the baby screen that my hubby thought something was actually wrong. Nope. Just twins. in 1890. Joy. Meet Glenn (on the left) and Gertrude (on the right).
Stuff is constantly breaking. I usually make James fix it when he next wakes up or whenever he gets home from work.
This place is officially a madhouse. And yes, this is how the twins aged up. We’re going to need makeovers. The redhead is Glenn. And the puppy is a little boy, named Dash. I will probably sell him.
I come out of the makeover screen to James playing with Gertrude. Too cute. And the dogs are making hairy messes again. Fun. (sarcasm)
I did the best I could on their outfits, but it’s hard to match the kids’ outfits for the time.
Um… already??
Here’s a good shot of both twins:
They’re both adorable and both got mommy’s green eyes.
One last thing.. here’s the toddlers’ upstairs room. I was only just barely able to afford their furniture. And that’s the week. The next week will probably be pretty crazy!
Chapter 2.15 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.17
Generation Two: Brown Appearance: Brown hair, unkempt clothing style Traits: Loves Outdoors, Loner, Child of the Island Aspiration: Beach Life Occupation: Conservationist House Goal: 20,000 worth
The day before Harvestfest was just ending when my mother decided to stop by. I was always glad to see her, so we chatted for a while, catching up. Then Maricela called from upstairs – she wanted some help with her chess game, so both Mom and I went upstairs to help.
Mari was in good hands, since both Mom and I have maxed our Logic skill, and soon she was playing against Mom fairly confidently. (Although I think Mom was letting her win…) I cheered her on, not thinking much of it when Mom excused herself to go to the bathroom.
She hadn’t been gone more than a minute or two when I suddenly heard a commotion downstairs, and I ran to see what was going on. I came down the stairs to find my mother collapsed on the floor, with a dire-looking Grim checking his list. In horror, I tried to interrupt Grim, but he would have none of it. Apparently, Mom’s time was up, and no amount of pleading, wailing, demanding, or cajoling would get me out of this situation.
Aleki gathered me into his arms, and I watched any number of emotions pass across my kids’ faces. Nobody could believe this time had come. She was so vital, so alive, for all her life – she almost seemed invincible. With a heavy heart, I called my brother and let him know the news, then I ushered my family off to bed.
It’s funny how death affects all of us a little bit differently. Jayce and Kali used their day off of school for Harvestfest to spend most of the time outdoors, playing in the waves. Mari moped in her room, and, strangely, Reed seemed to have picked up on the family’s emotions, and was the saddest of us all.
We all took turns trying to appease the Gnomes, and I’m the only one who failed.
Maricela, however, pleaded for the gnome to forgive us, and she managed to get the tide or broken plumbing to stop. Jayce took the initiative to call in the repair man, as though he knew I was in no shape to be fixing everything.
In the afternoon, I had a long conversation with my brother, trying to figure out what to do with Mom’s ashes. In the end, we decided she should be brought back home, so she could rest beside her beloved husband in the happy home she had built for us all.
Austen had some more surprising news, as well. Meilani had given birth to a healthy little girl overnight. The stress of Mom’s death had sent her into early labor, but, luckily, everything had turned out alright, and she and the baby were resting comfortably at the hospital. I hadn’t even known they were expecting, and Austen explained it was because they had been afraid they’d lose the baby the entire time she’d been pregnant. They’d been told, after all, not to try to get pregnant ever again for Meilani’s health. This had just been one of those happy accidents. Austen called the baby his little miracle.
That night, I made a grand ham dinner for the family, and we all sat around our table and gave thanks for the blessings we’d been given in this life. Saying goodbye to Mom was hard, but we all knew she’d lived her life to the fullest and had been happy right up until the last moment. I think my sadness stemmed from the fact that she hadn’t lived long enough to see Kali into the next generation, to cheer her granddaughter along in starting her own legacy. I knew she was still with us in spirit, however, and I tried to take comfort from that.
While the rest of us ate at the table, Reed enjoyed his dinner in the living room. He even managed to not make a huge mess, for which I was extremely grateful.
The next day, reporting to work was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. My mother was well-known in the islands, and everyone had to tell me how very sorry they were for my loss. I excused myself from the office as quickly as I could, and spent the rest of the workday patrolling the islands and diving to see how the deep ecology was doing.
Kali and Jayce brought home glowing report cards from school, although Jayce seemed like he barely cared. I saw him discussing something serious in the kitchen with his sister, but I don’t know what they were talking about.
Before bed, I helped Maricela finish her aspiration. It was hard to do so with the emotions swirling in me, but we didn’t have time to put it off. Her birthday was tomorrow, so tonight was the last night she had to work on it.
The next day, Austen and I said a formal goodbye to Mom, and we laid her to rest beside Dad behind her Caldera home. I stayed there for a while, just soaking in the fact that she was truly gone. Mom would not have wanted me to mourn her for long, so I wiped the tears away and turned to leave. Life goes on, after all, and I had birthday cakes to bake.
Chapter 2.15 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.17
Stefan’s hand wandered back to his pocket. This proposal had better work. Otherwise all the time and energy put into this girl would be for nothing. He needed a wife to appear respectable enough to get a loan. Because he was done with this town – and his father.
Working at the Mill had been as miserable as he thought it would be, and today had been the icing on the proverbial cake. While both of his brothers had gotten promotions and pay raises earlier this year – today Stefan had found himself demoted. Demoted!! Apparently his sales record was so terrible he was now going to have to assist another more successful, salesman. No other salesman in the company had to partner up with someone else. Nope, just him. All the work he’d put in had counted for nothing – the only thing that had mattered was that his sales weren’t high enough. No matter that with all the errands he was being made to run, he had no TIME to make sales, no. No matter that he was the company owner’s SON, no. Just the company’s bottom line mattered. And apparently, he was a liability to that bottom line. Pushing his anger aside, Stefan once again concentrated on the task at hand.
Juliet chattered meaninglessly beside him, and he tried to answer as appropriately as possible so as not to alert her to the fact that he had no idea what she was talking about. Finding a quiet place at the beach on a beautiful day like this wasn’t easy, but somehow he managed it. He steered her over to a quiet bluff, and reached a hand out to stop her.
“Juliet, dear, I really must ask a favor of you.” he began, clearing his throat and reaching into his pocket again.
“Yes, what is it, Stefan?” she replied, mercifully stopping the inane chatter in response to his interruption.
“You know I have grown incredibly fond of you over these last few months. I would even venture to say you have enjoyed my company, as well. I know you want to leave this town as much as I do.. and I think I know the best way to do it. I’m purchasing a small but profitable farm in the Midwest, and I will need a loving wife to help me care for it. I realize this would take your far away from your family, but.. ” he bent his knee and presented the ring as confidently as possible, “Would you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”
Juliet gasped, and he watched a smile spread across her angelic face. She certainly was a looker, he’d give her that. He had never been able to accurately read her emotions, though, so he had no idea how this proposal was going to go. She reached out and took the ring, seeming to carefully examine it and think on her response. As she thought, he felt his stomach tying into knots. Finally, to his relief, her face broke into another smile.
“Yes! Of course, Stefan!” she cried, and slid the ring he’d picked out at the jewelers onto her slender finger. He stood back up, and she practically jumped into his arms. “I have hoped for so long that you would ask. I have prayed you would feel the same about me as I do you, but I was never able to tell for sure.”
Embracing her, Stefan hid a satisfied smile in her shoulder. This was just what he needed to put his plans into motion. With her by his side, his respectability would certainly rise and doors would open that had been closed to him all his life as the “useless son” of a powerful man. Things could only get better from here.
“Well hello, young Mr. Tangle, what can I do for you?” asked the Bank Manager as Stefan approached him in the lobby.
Stefan took a deep breath and said as confidently as he could. “I need to see about a loan, sir.”
“Well, now, son. Let’s head over here to my desk, and we’ll see what we can do.”
The man made himself comfortable in his chair, and took his time pulling out some forms from his desk. Stefan tried not to fidget, but this could be the most important day of his life.
“So.. what would this loan be for?” the man asked, looking over his desk at a terrified Stefan.
“I have found a fertile property in the midwest, sir. I’m due to be married this holiday season, and I plan to move there and start a family farm. From everything I’ve read and heard, the soil there is like black gold, and a farm should make ends meet quite handily.” Stefan wiped his nervous sweat surreptitiously off his palms, and waited for the man’s answer.
“A farm, eh? I thought you were more of a salesman. Don’t you work out at the Mill?” the man’s brow knitted in confusion, then cleared. “I hadn’t heard you were betrothed, either. Congratulations on the upcoming nuptials! Who is the lucky lady?”
“Thank you, sir. I’m marrying Juliet Bates, the teacher’s youngest daughter. He has already given his blessing to the union. As for the sales position, it’s never been my strong suit. I was merely biding time at the Mill until the time that I could find a profitable farming venture.” Stefan reached for the briefcase beside him and pulled out some papers, handing them across the desk. “Here are the specifications on the farm. There’s already a house built, although it’s a bit run down. I plan to hire a local family to clean and fix it up before Ms. Bates and I move there.”
“Well, son, let’s see here…” the man trailed off absentmindedly as he leafed through the papers, “It does look like you’ve thought of everything. What does your mother think of you moving all the way out to Ohio?”
“I’m not sure she approves, of course.” Stefan confessed, “It’s quite a distance from here, and with the business booming at the Mill, her and Father would have little opportunity to visit. I have made up my mind, though. It’s time for me to make my own way in the world.”
The man smiled, shuffled some more papers importantly, and reached for a large book from a bottom drawer. Flipping through the pages, he finally found what he was looking for, and looked back up at Stefan. “I see here you have a healthy sum in your account already – are you sure you will need a loan?”
“Unfortunately, yes. The farm is marketed at just under double what my savings are, and there is the matter of furnishings and fixing it up, as well. The loan is quite necessary. As for collateral, I’m sure you’ll find my father more than happy to vouch for me.” Stefan said confidently, neglecting to mention that his father had no idea he had any plans to move and quit his job at the Mill at all.
“Well, then, son, let’s see about getting your application filled out, here. I’m sure we can do something for an upstanding member of society such as yourself.”
Stefan tried not to grin, schooling his expression into seriousness, saying only “Of course, Sir,” and leaning forward in his chair to peer at the paper the man indicated.
The application in, Stefan had little to do but hope, wait, and wonder. He had assured his bride that everything was taken care of in regards to the farm and the move when things couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only was the farm not purchased, but he was only able to front some of the money because he had cashed in on the property he had inherited from his Grandfather. Somehow, he had managed to do that without his father knowing, and Stefan had his prayers into the almighty that he wouldn’t find out until long after he was gone.
Meanwhile, Stefan made sure to avoid arguments, and he dutifully followed the senior sales associate around, making as few waves in the company as possible. At home, his mother tittered over the upcoming wedding, and he put up with her mothering, never letting on that the wedding she was so excited about would be the last time she would ever see her “precious” youngest son.
Within a couple weeks, the man from the bank had contacted him, requesting his presence in the office again as soon as possible.
Nervously, Stefan made some time on a lunch break and walked from the Mill to the Bank, hoping nobody would notice he was gone.
“Ahh.. there you are, Mr. Tangle. Please, come in to my office, I’ve got some good news for you!” the man clapped him on the back, and Stefan felt his hopes rise deep within him.
Later, grinning from ear to ear and unable to help it, Stefan whistled as he walked back to the Mill. The loan had gone through! Now, all he had to do was make the arrangements to purchase the farm, the furnishings, and the labor to fix everything up before he and his bride would get there. The ten percent interest was exorbitant, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. In this instance, he was definitely the beggar. And, as a bonus, the transaction at the bank was completely private, so his bride to be would never have to know he hadn’t been able to afford the move and the farm purchase on his own. He mentally began counting the days until the holidays and the wedding planned after Christmas. He only hoped he could get everything settled before then – and without alerting his parents to his impending disappearance.
Juliet sighed deeply and looked back to the mirror in front of her. Her nerves had drained most of the blood from her face – or was it the cold that had done that? … Either way, she acknowledged that she matched her wedding dress. Her father and mother had been yammering at her non stop for the last week, trying to find out where this farm she was moving to was. She kept telling them all she knew was that they had to take a train to get there… which wasn’t completely untrue. They did have to take a train. She was just neglecting to tell them how far they had to take one… and that she had no plans to ever come back. Giving the mirror a secret little smile, Juliet looked around the small ready room at the church, wondering how so much could happen in such a short amount of time.
Just last week, she had signed her name to the farm deed at the bank in front of the manager and her fiancee. Or, at least that’s what they had said those documents were. The week before that, she had finally turned eighteen legally and could marry who she chose. Not that her parents were blocking this marriage… but just in case they changed their mind, it was good to know she was still going to be able to escape. A quiet farm in the countryside with a handsome and respectable husband sounded like a nice life. … But then, anything other than slaving away day after day for her mother, step father and sister, and her annoyingly angelic little brother, was a step up in her book. She had purposely not put any thought into the heir she would be expected to produce – because, surely, Stefan was a reasonable man and would give her time to get settled in before they began “work” on that.
Music playing in the church alerted her to the fact that it was time to emerge from hiding. She looked at the mirror one more time, made sure her smile was fully in place, then allowed her mother a moment to lower her veil.
The ceremony seemed to be over in a whirlwind of vows and congratulations, and before Juliet knew it, she was in her travelling attire and sitting outside the train station. She did wonder at Stefan’s father’s refusal to come to the wedding, but his mother had seemed nice. At least, until she started crying again about Stefan leaving town with his bride. Juliet wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to the very end of their plans before his mother had found out, but she was glad that the train was due to leave very soon. Their luggage – all their worldly possessions – had already been loaded into the box cars, and all she carried with her was a small handbag and a hatbox. She’d been afraid her best hat would be squashed by the station workers, and had elected to keep it with her for the duration of the trip.
“Juliet, dear, it’s time to go!” Stefan called, and Juliet stood up, collecting her things and her thoughts, and walked over to where he was, conversing with her step-father about all things farming. Not that he was a great farmer – after all, he only did it part-time when he wasn’t needed at the school – but don’t let anyone tell him that. God forbid he not be the best at something he did in life.
Juliet bid her mother, step father, and little brother goodbye. Her step sister hadn’t even seen fit to come to the train station, claiming malaise. Waving jauntily, she took Stefan’s hand and climbed aboard the train. Her new life was starting – and this monstrous machine was taking her there. She wondered silently what her new home would be like, and how many servants they were going to have as they found their seats near a window. Because, surely, she wouldn’t be expected to take care of the entire home on her own, right?
House 013 Chapter 2 < | > House 013 Chapter 4
Checking on our goals:
House 013 Building Goals: 2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom home worth at least $100k Simoleons -Must include a designated gaming room House 013 Generational Goals: Achieve Level 10 of the Gamer branch of Tech Guru on Jax 1st place in Pro tournament for both Hillock II and Sims Forever on Jax Achieve Level 10 of Start-Up Entrepreneur branch of Tech Guru on 2nd sim *Note* All sims are Controllable in this house! Produce and raise The Heir to the Young Adult life stage
.. So I haven’t done any of the goals. We’ve been busy with school. We’ll get to them… eventually.
Jax is now at the top of the eSports Gamer after school activity. He’s a “Captain” now, which I believe entitles him to entrance straight into the eSports branch of the career. We’ll see when I join. Meanwhile, I’m going to keep him in his club, and keep working on his “Academic” aspiration.
This is what I get to watch between these two.. day in and day out. Lots of studying.
And LOTS of filthy dogs. I just don’t have time to bathe all of them each day.. and they love rolling in puddles.
Winterfest. And there’s a vampire here, too. Joy. We don’t get much in the way of presents, but at least we try for them.
Prissy looks as confused as I am. Why is Father Winter taking a shower?? In fact.. he took three. And the vampire is on our computer. Why? Who knows.
Father Winter finally leaves. In his pink pants and hoodie. That’s hilarious. And the vampire still won’t leave. I end up locking the computer to make him go.
The “house” is a complete disaster. Even the maid can’t keep up with it. Adrienne is reacting to stepping in poo, not sitting next to Jax, by the way.
Prissy gets her very first vet visit. She doesn’t look happy about it.
Oh, no… 🙁
RIP, Prissy! The whole family mourns…. At least until the final term grades come in.
… Impressive. And it also explains why the dogs are always a mess. If you’re keeping track, you know that Jax has four classes left, and Adrienne has 8. I let Jax take only two for the next term so he can spend his time on his aspiration.
The flower bunny shows up, throws flowers everywhere, and is generally ignored. There’s more schoolwork to do.
Oh. Ooops. Sorry, Jax. At some point in the next week, Adrienne does the same thing. But since we don’t have an oven – no cake.
Prissy’s fist haunting. Jax is too busy catching up on sleep. Adrienne is on the other side of the screenshot..
… studying. Fun, eh?
Jax needs to go to guest lectures. Three of them, so we spend quite a bit of time in this week at the college. Which gives Adrienne the opportunity to eat some “real” food for a change.
Aww. Poor Jax.
It’s Neighborhood Brawl day.. plus this old lady was being annoying.. so Adrienne took her down a peg or two.
*frown* … I guess it’s Lucky’s time, too.
… And Adrienne stepped in more poo. LOL… Good timing?
..This means there’s one term for both of them. And Jax only has two classes left. He finished his guest lectures and is almost done with tutoring students. So I think we may be able to finish Academic this next term. See you next time!
House 013 Chapter 2 < | > House 013 Chapter 4
Introduction/Rules | Prologue Part 2
“For the final time, Stefan, I will not pay for any more schooling for you! Your brothers never needed any, so why should you? They’re all doing just fine as salesmen for the Lumber Mill. There’s no shame in a hard day’s work – I’ve been doing it all my life, and so shall you!”
“But – Father – I don’t want to join the business as a junior sales associate. You know I’ve never been good at sales.” Stefan tried to keep the whine out of his voice, but he was quickly losing patience with his elderly father.
“Balderdash. There is no such thing as being bad at sales. It just means you have to work harder. You’ve always been too lazy for your own good. A steady job would do you a world of good.” Newton Tangle adjusted his tie and went to the sideboard to get a drink before he continued, “What you need is to find yourself a nice woman from a respectable family and start a family. I need more grandchildren. There’s plenty of room in this house for you to bring in a wife and start on your heir.”
“A wife? But I’m barely eighteen!”
“That’s when your brothers got married! Why do you think you’re better than they are?” Newton threw his arm in the air and took a bracing drink of whiskey. “All your life you’ve been contrary – why should I have thought you would be any different now!”
“I’m not! I’m … ” Stefan reached for some semblance of control on his anger. He was tired of his father putting him down and comparing him to his perfect brothers. “I won’t do it, Father – I won’t be your lackey at the Mill like my brothers!”
“Then you’ll be forfeiting your inheritance! I’m not giving you a choice, here, son. You’ll join the workforce and the Mill, and find yourself a respectable wife. Or you’ll be finding yourself a new place to live. Now begone!”
Livid, Stefan stormed out of the parlor, grabbed his hat, and continued straight out the door of the house. He’d never considered that his father would be so opposed to him returning to school and becoming a lawyer – but to threaten losing his inheritance was extreme, even for his father.
After a long walk around Brindleton Bay to cool off, Stefan headed home, only to find his mother waiting in the Foyer for him.
“Why must you always fight with your Father, Stefan? He only means the best for you!” she asked before he could say anything.
“It’s not my fault. He always expects things from me that I’m simply not going to do!” Stefan replied, trying to keep a rein on his temper.
“What are you going to do instead, then? You know there’s no one in town that will hire you on if you’re not working for your Father!”
“I’m going to look, anyway. It’s not fair that the entire town always seems to be on his side! Next thing you know, he’ll be arranging my marriage because I’m ‘taking too long’!”
A guilty look from his mother was all he needed in reply to that. “Don’t you even think on it. I’ll find my own wife – in my own time!”
“Of course you will, sweetie.” His mother took his shoulders in her frail hands and patted them as if to comfort him. “But while you’re looking for that job you want – and a wife -perhaps it would be easier on everyone if you just reported to the Mill first thing in the morning. You know how hard Father is on me when you won’t cooperate….” She looked at him beseechingly, letting her sentence trail off.
Sighing, Stefan looked away and replied, “Fine.” Breaking his mother’s hold of him, he turned and headed up the stairs to his room, his mind whirling. Surely someone in town would hire him and he could quit working at the Mill for his father…. the entire town couldn’t be in his pocket, could they?
Juliet stared out the window, watching her little brother playing without a care in the world in the front yard. Wryly, she wondered if she’d ever been given time like that in her entire life. Maybe when she was small, before her father died. Before Mother remarried. … But even then, Juliet doubted it. She had never been the boy that her parents had wanted, and if felt like she’d paid for it dearly with all the daily chores she was expected to do. Wash the clothes, the dishes, the linens, the floor. It seemed like something was always dirty – and it was always her job to fix it. Never Mary. Poor, poor Mary.
Juliet rolled her eyes and walked over to her wall mirror. Her step-sister’s husband had died shortly after the marriage, and, bereft, Mary had run home to her father for solace. Not only did he comfort her, but he gave her the best room in the house, making Juliet sleep in the kitchen on a cot. He claimed it was so Juliet could be closer to where her chores were, but that didn’t exactly make her feel better.
Wild giggling outside brought her thoughts back to her brother. If only he hadn’t been born. He had been a late surprise for her mother, who had thought she would never have an heir, and he had been the apple of his parent’s eyes ever since. He could do no wrong – and he certainly wasn’t expected to do any chores. He had school, after all. He was destined to be a well-respected teacher, like his father. .. Or that’s what everyone expected.
Juliet didn’t plan on staying around long enough to find out. Surely she could find a husband before she ended up a spinster maid, always caring for a family she hated. She examined her figure in the mirror, smiled, and smoothed her blonde hair back. Somehow, she had to convince her mother and step-father to start letting her run the errands into town so she could see and be seen. She was never going to find a husband to take her away from here if she couldn’t actually get out of the house to meet the bachelor in question.
Juliet stood off to the side, watching Stefan Tangle quietly. He was a hard man to figure out. She knew of his rumored temper, but she’d certainly never seen any evidence of it since he’d begun courting her. They’d met in town when he’d practically stumbled over her in the town General Store, and she had done her best to flutter her eyelashes and simper like the town girls who always had beaus. He had been attentive ever since, taking her for Sunday drives after church – when the weather in this cursed town cooperated – and, while he had never been the most talkative and affectionate of men, time with him had been enjoyable. At least while she was with him she wasn’t having to wash something else at home.
Her step-father had been reluctant to allow Stefan to court her at first, and it had taken the Tangle family reputation and all of Juliet’s powers of persuasion to convince him that this was a good idea. After all, getting on the good side of one of the more powerful men in the county couldn’t hurt his precious son’s prospects later in life. Or – at least, that’s what she’d told her step-father. He didn’t need to know that Stefan had already confessed to hating this town as much as she did. He worked for his father at the Mill, but all he talked about when he did talk was finding a new place to work and live. .. Which worked out just fine for Juliet. Getting out of this town sounded like the perfect opportunity to her.
She glanced under her lashes at other couples walking past, heading for the beach below. Perhaps she could convince Stefan to make their arrangement more permanent, to take her away from here. She was doing her best to be exactly what he wanted – or what she figured every man wanted – a respectable society wife.
She took him by the arm, and steered him away from all the other people on the shore. Maybe she could get them a more private area up by the lighthouse, and get him to pay attention to her and not the water below.
By the end of the evening, she had – hopefully – snared even more of his affections. She had even let him steal a private kiss when no-one was around, and with any luck, that would start pushing him towards proposing. She had no idea what men actually looked for in a woman, but certainly a girl who hinted at so much more than a kiss but never gave it would spark a man’s interest. No way would she allow more than a kiss – because she knew that was a quick way to be a mistress instead of a wife – but the kiss had seemed harmless enough.
Stefan escorted her back to her family’s home, and they said goodnight at the door under the watchful eyes of her mother in the window. She turned to watch him go in the dim glow of the street lamps, marveling at the fine figure he cut in his tailored suit. Then, before her mother could find something else to complain about, she hurried inside to take care of the evening chores.
Chapter 9 | Chapter 11 By the end of my day I had nowhere to go, and nothing else to do but to run to Sonia again. I relayed the rest of my day’s story to her through tears. “She’s truly gone, Sonia!” I wailed. “I’ve looked everywhere for her. Even her cellphone is disconnected, […]
House 012 Chapter 4 < | > House 012 Chapter 6 First, we check on our house goals: House 012 Building Goals: 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom home worth at least $50k Simoleons (42k) House 012 Generational Goals: Complete the Friend of the World aspiration Have The Drifter Declare another Sim an Enemy -Then raise the […]
Chapter 2 Interlude 1 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.12 Generation Two: Brown Appearance: Brown hair, unkempt clothing style Traits: Loves Outdoors, Loner, Child of the Island Aspiration: Beach Life Occupation: Conservationist House Goal: 20,000 worth (A/N: This post marks my halfway point for posts goal for Simnano, and I’m way past halfway […]
Chapter 2.4 | Chapter 3.1 An abbreviated version of our goals for this generation: Yup. We’re done. And after putting quite a bit of thought into it, I decided it was ridiculous to wait to start the next gen until young adult if kids can move out at teen still. So I updated the rules. […]
House 012 Chapter 3 < | > House 012 Chapter 5 First, we check on our house goals: House 012 Building Goals: 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom home worth at least $50k Simoleons House 012 Generational Goals: Complete the Friend of the World aspiration Have The Drifter Declare another Sim an Enemy -Then raise the relationship […]
Chapter 2.3 | Chapter 2.5 An abbreviated version of our goals for this generation: We had tons of progress last post, let’s hope things go as well this time! We start .. with Skyor laying down on the job. Er, well… no, he’s working on Wellness. It just doesn’t look like it. It looks like […]
Chapter 2.10 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.11 Generation Two: Brown Appearance: Brown hair, unkempt clothing style Traits: Loves Outdoors, Loner, Child of the Island Aspiration: Beach Life Occupation: Conservationist House Goal: 20,000 worth Kali’s Dilemma Dear Diary: I don’t know how to write in one of these things. Mama said she uses […]
House 012 Chapter 2 < | > House 012 Chapter 4 First, we check on our house goals: House 012 Building Goals: 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom home worth at least $50k Simoleons House 012 Generational Goals: Complete the Friend of the World aspiration Have The Drifter Declare another Sim an Enemy -Then raise the relationship […]
Chapter 8 | Chapter 10 Author’s Note: This chapter takes a dark turn, and is not recommended family friendly reading. Be aware – and enjoy! In terror, the first and only thing I could think of to do was to run to Sonia. Which I did. She immediately embraced me and asked for the whole […]
Chapter 2.2 | Chapter 2.4 An abbreviated version of our goals for this generation: Okay.. so where were we?… Working on Herbalism. Oops. Marl looks so bored, but she’s the one who saved Skyor’s life. As a thank-you, Skyor practices his massages on Marl. Which, thankfully, gives her a whole bunch of positive moodlets. Why […]
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!
Chapter One – Starting Anew
November 2025 Dev DiarySuperSweetBot Commands for Mods & BroadcastersOctober 2025 Dev DiaryProgress Report!Hacking Situation ResolvedHey all…
Welcome to my new webhost!!
Progress Report on Not So Berry & TimelineExtended Not So Berry 2.0 is coming!!
OMG A Thrall Post?? What?Not So Berry Updating
Jaynie’s Gems: By-The-NumberToday
