Chapter 1.16 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.1

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

(A/N: I did it! I completed my personal goals as well as getting the “boost” medal for doing more than 25,000 words. AND I posted every day for a whole month! What a huge achievement! This is also the final post for this generation, so that’s another big achievement. I hope you enjoyed reading along with Corina’s journey!)

A Family Grows

Meilani and Austen’s wedding was on a gorgeous sunny day at the restaurant, which had been nice enough to add a wedding arch just in time for the ceremony.

They cut the cake and fed each other, as tradition dictates…

And then everyone else shared in the cake. I had gained more family members, and I was so proud of Austen.

I had a feeling from the touchy-feelies I saw between Rarahu and Kaleb at the reception we held at our house after the ceremony that he wouldn’t be single for much longer, either.

Kimber seemed to have a great day socializing with family, although I was exhausted and had gone to bed. She played hostess for the rest of the event, and it turned out amazing.

Meilani’s pregnancy has not been easy on her. But I’ve been here to support her so she hasn’t been alone while Austen is at work.

We’ve spent quite a lot of time getting to know each other, though, and it’s been great. She’s really a great girl. Austen chose well!

On another note, my nephew Kyler finally came to visit Sulani from the city. In honor of this, I started another impromptu family reunion.

The only one who didn’t attend was Kaleb’s little boy, Grayson, who I have yet to meet.

Kaleb had big news, however, he and Rarahu had finally tied the knot. Apparently he had waited so long because he had been “taking care” of his parents.. and now he felt it was time to take care of himself. I agreed wholeheartedly.

Kaleb tried cooking again.. only he’d gotten better at it….

So this time we all had hot dogs made by him, and they were truly excellent.

Meilani had a little accident, having not been able to hold it all the way to the restroom.. but I can understand. Pregnancy does awful things to one’s bladder. Shortly after this picture, I took her home with me so she could get some sleep. The rest of the family stayed on at the beach.

Kimber met an Azure dolphin, and it was so cute to watch them play… luckily Rangi took some pictures.

Also, my newest nephew, Grayson, finally made an appearance (he’s the little one in this picture) and Kimber and he apparently got along famously.

Kimber was the last to leave the beach, and even met a local teen named Leinani.

The next day was bittersweet, as it was my Elder birthday.

But it was also New Year’s Day, so there was still so much to celebrate on what had been a big year.

Kimber toasted the whole family, and everyone made their resolutions. We didn’t watch the new year’s TV because.. well. we’d never had a TV.. and I didn’t see the need to start with one now.

Yep.. that night, it was time.

Austen utterly panicked, as most fathers do…

But Meilani was a pro, and a little girl, Kaci, joined the family.

The next day.. I baked yet another special coconut cake (Kimber’s favorite) and we all watched her pack her things as she picked her new home on the island (right down the hill from us!) and moved out on her own. I had faith she would do amazing things.. and carry on the legacy. I gifted her the mermadic kelp I had gotten from my mother when I moved out so she could change whoever she chose as a mate, and she left with a big, hopeful smile on her face. I held back the tears until she left, wondering how much we would see of her… but I hoped it was a lot, since she wouldn’t be living very far away. I knew in my heart she would be an amazing heir for this legacy my mother started, and I couldn’t wait to see where she would go.

(A/N: See you in the next post, where Kimber takes over!)

Chapter 1.16 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 2.1

Chapter 1.15 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.17

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

Festival Blues

Kaleb and I took a relaxing swim in the ocean, then headed back home.

Kimber came home from school and was immediately aware that I was struggling to get through the day. Losing my parents in one horrible day has been incredibly rough. I was strong for everyone else the day before, but today I’ve just been miserable. I guess some days are like that.

Rangi helped Kimber with her electricity project since I wasn’t really up for it.

He struggled a bit, but they got it done.

That night, there was another huge volcanic eruption (A/N: and I finally got a good shot of it coming down!!) Which woke everyone up early.

Luckily, however, there was no school or work the next day because it was Harvestfest. We all tried to appease a gnome, and I made a huge breakfast for everyone since we were up early.

Kimber’s gnome apparently didn’t like coffee, though. So she had to beg for forgiveness.

Just to keep things interesting, we had yet another volcanic attack – this one actually resulted in a fire. Rangi saved the day, however – and my garden.

Over the next few days, Kimber started learning to cook, claiming she was going to need to learn soon, anyway. And I agreed. Also, she’s been losing weight and feels great with all the swimming she’s been doing.

The volcano really has been letting us know that it’s there lately, but that just means more gems to sell. Luckily, it hasn’t started any more fires. That must have just been a fluke thing.

I’ve finally been feeling better about things, and so has the rest of the family. I really appreciate their support through this tough time. I fully expected to be able to spend Harvestfest with my parents.. but for the first time, they’re not around. I stay in constant phone contact with my brothers, as well, and both of them have had their own struggles. It’s nice to have close family at a time like this.

Speaking of learning new things, Austen has started taking over the repair duties from me to work on his aspiration, Nerd Brain. He wanted to get a head start on it before growing up.

It was vanilla cake for Austen when he blew his candles out with an “A” in school, and he earned the Ambitious trait, which didn’t surprise me with as much as he’s been looking forward to his career as a scientist. With his grades and skills, the local lab was more than happy to take him on with a promotion to start with.

Austen really is determined to succeed. He’s been working on his handiness skill – and work starts the day after tomorrow. He can’t wait.

Rangi gave me quite a scare today and decided he just couldn’t wait to go for an ocean swim – in the middle of a monsoon. He came home struck by lightning and singed around the edges. As luck would have it, I had to fix the fridge today, too, which made me a little nervous as I looked at his singed hair.

As if to celebrate Austen’s birthday, another big lava rock struck right behind the house. He thought it funny, as he was getting ready to head out for the evening to the restaurant. We had all offered to go along with him to help him celebrate his promotions, but he was insistent on going himself because he was “all grown up now”. I had to laugh, as it seemed like such a silly thing to say, but off he went.

He was dressed to the nines, too. My “little boy”, now a scientist. Hard to believe… but I knew that’s what he would be long before he did, that’s for sure.

When he came home, he had so much to report. Apparently Kaleb had been out at the restaurant with Rarahu, his old girlfriend, and they had news. They had a kid! Kaleb was apparently as surprised as we were, but they were determined to work things out.

On top of that, Austen couldn’t stop talking about the chef. Apparently his meal was amazing, and when he went to compliment the chef, he ran into the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. He tried to talk to her a bit, but she was clearly busy with work, so all he managed to do was get her name – Meilani – and her number.

The next day was Winterfest – and we celebrated as a family, as usual. With Austen’s constant talking about this new girl he liked, though, I insisted he invite her over to celebrate with us if she’d like.

Meilani agreed, and she showed up just in time to help finish the tree decorating.

Austen was right about one thing, though. She really was gorgeous. I watched him proudly as he flirted with her and was relieved to see that she was as interested in him as he was in her.

I had to laugh, however, as Father Winter showed up wanting a selfie after being hit by lightning on the way up to our front door. Never let it be said that he’s not the cheerful sort, because it didn’t faze him a bit, and he went on handing out presents as if nothing had happened.

While we were all talking to Father Winter, I managed to catch a photo of Austen and Meilani’s first kiss. She had agreed to spend the night, and they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

Austen insisted on making a feast for everyone – a ham dinner – and amazingly (for his first time cooking) it turned out pretty well.

We pulled up the computer chair so that we’d have enough seating for Meilani, and I made a mental note to make some more chairs tomorrow.

I tried not to hear what was going on in the next room, but it was pretty obvious. Rangi and I grinned.. and fell asleep peacefully despite the storm raging outside.

The next morning, Austen had big news. Not only had they found out they were pregnant….

… but Meilani had agreed to be his wife, too! I was gaining a daughter-in-law and a grand-baby all at the same time! This was the best news ever, and I completely approved of Austen calling in to get the day off work for his wedding and honeymoon.

Chapter 1.15 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.17

Chapter 1.14 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.16

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

A Sad Day

I am truly blessed with a great family. With Kimber growing up tomorrow, that fact has really come home to me. She really had excelled in school, and I expect high school will be the same.

Kimber’s final night as a child seemed to drag by, but Austen took time out of his schedule to help her get through it.

The next day, after school Rangi and Austen took a swim while I baked the coconut cake Kimber had requested. Made with fresh coconuts from the garden, no less!

We were all there to with Kimber a happy birthday, and she blew out her candles enthusiastically, more than ready to “catch up” to her brother again.

She was not happy with her look, however, so we went into Sulani town for her to get a makeover and get some new clothes.

Later, she headed down to the beach to try out her new tail, and she ran into a litterbug. This disappointed her greatly, and she took the time to go confront the woman.

Neither were very happy with each other, and the conversation turned venomous. Both were angry by the end of the conversation, and I heard an earful about it when she got home.

Before swimming, Kimber took some time to clean up the beach, vowing that this island would remain pristine.

Then, she took a long swim, hoping (like I had when I was a teen) to lose some of that baby fat she got from growing up.

I assured her that I had had the same problem as a teen, and there was nothing wrong with it, but she still felt guilty about eating leftover french toast for dinner. I told her I would get some fixings for salads the next time I went grocery shopping, which made her feel a bit better.

The next day, I surprised her with a makeover on her room, just like I had with Austen, and she loved it.

Then, Austen and I sat down to work on his electricity project for school. I was glad for all the training I had got at SpaceY from my first job, because the project proved to be pretty complicated.

Both of us were glad to get it done.

Then, I got the phone call no one ever wants to get. My mom had passed away. I quickly invited Dad over to console him, knowing he would be feeling completely bereft.

What happened next was a scene from my worst nightmares.

I pleaded with grim, but to effect. Dad was still gone. And I was left with an urn I had no idea what to do with. After crying in Rangi’s arms for a while, I resolved to take Dad home and let Kaleb know what had happened.

At first, Kaleb was thrilled to see me, and being home again felt fitting for the day.

When I explained what happened, however, the pleasure at seeing one another was completely gone. We cried for a while, deciding what to do with mom and dad’s remains.

Finally, we decided the best thing to do was bury them by dad’s garden at their home, where both had loved being. It was a bittersweet moment, because we knew dad was at least with mom, now… but we missed them terribly.

I offered a sugar skull in tribute to them, and a Day of the Dead sim showed up.

It was then that I noticed the gathering in the town square. I quickly related the news to the townsfolk, and the gathering became an impromptu wake for my parents. I did some melancholy fire dancing, and invited the rest of my family out to join in the festivities.

In honor of mom, I made a huge island feast for everyone.

Kimber took it harder than Austen, I think, and the entire gathering was colored by sadness.

By the time the “party” split up, the feast was ready, and we all sat down, comforting each other with positive memories about mom and dad. There were so many of them. My parents had lived full and happy lives.. and that was the only fact that we kept returning to. At the end of the meal, we all quietly headed home, holding back the tears that surely would come before sleep.

(A/N: I seriously almost cried over playing this chapter. I had just invited Vaea over to comfort him.. and then he died right in front of me, literally minutes after the death notification of Jazmin. I guess he couldn’t bear to be without her. And, no, I have no idea how the two of them lived as long as they did. Must be the fact they were so physically fit from swimming all the time? Their age bars were bubbling when I left them at the last house, and I figured they would be gone soon.. then they lasted nearly the whole generation until I mostly forgot they were old – so losing them was quite a shock. Also – Kimber’s makeover was a bit early, but I decided since her generation was “brown” themed she definitely couldn’t stay in that neon pink outfit. The bluish-brown tail was as close as I could get to the “right” color.)

Chapter 1.14 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.16

Chapter 1.13 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.15

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

Austin’s New Tail

Now that my aspiration is complete, I find myself puttering around the house doing not much of anything really. I mean, there’s my job requirements that I do daily, but I just haven’t really been pushing myself. It’s been very nice to take a break.

My work task is usually to research gardening, read a gardening book, or submit a paper. All of which are easily done, although I sometimes have to fight to get some computer time to get them done.

I also put some time into upgrading household appliances. Mainly so they don’t have to be cleaned ever again. I remember my mother doing that, and it saved SO much time. What baffles me is forgetting to do it until now.

And then… Austen’s big day arrived. Our little Klepto is growing up! I made him a confetti cake, and we all sang to him while he spun up.

He ended up with the Nerd Brain aspiration (big surprise there) and Genius trait. Now, as he says it, he’s just waiting to grow all the way up so that he can join the scientist career.

With that in mind, his first action as a teen was to ask for help to do his homework for the next day of school. I was more than happy to oblige, and with two of us working, it didn’t take long at all.

Meanwhile, Kimber was keeping Rangi occupied with some serious play time. Rangi, Watcher Bless Him, was playing along. They were so cute voicing their dolls and having them run all over the dollhouse.

Austen’s next task was working on his Logic skill. He had done some research on his chosen career path, and knew that it was going to be very useful down the road, so that’s what he was working on.

Kimber, finally finished “torturing” her dad, decided to work on her homework, too. She’s usually able to breeze right through any work they send home with her, so it leaves her with plenty of time to work on her extra credit, too. (Not that she needs extra credit.)

My garden had a close call today as flying lava landed virtually on top of it. Amazingly, no plants were injured though, and it just reinforced my belief that we were mostly save from lava damage, thanks to the Watcher.

When Austen came home from school, I surprised him with a brand new teen-worthy room.

… And partially solved the computer problem by giving him a laptop of his own. He hadn’t expected any of it, so the look on his face was all the reward I needed for the hard work Rangi and I had put in that morning of getting the new bed in and expanding the house to be able to fit it in.

He celebrated by taking his first trip down to the ocean, to try out his new tail. He may have gotten a little carried away, though, because it was almost too late by the time he came home with his homework to do.

I helped the two of them with homework, and then served them dinner.

Of course, the volcano had to pip up then, again scaring poor Rangi half to death. You’d think he’d be used to it by now. After having them clear the table, I tucked the kids into their beds. (Well, at least I tucked Kimber in. Austen insisted he was too big to be tucked in anymore.)

The next day, while the kids were at school, the volcano erupted AGAIN! Was this going to be an every day thing now? I hoped not!

Kimber came home from school, and went straight into a shower then got on the computer to play Sims. I don’t blame her. That game is fun!

Tevin stopped by to tell us that Everett had passed on. Their son, Kyler, had stayed back in the city with his friends, but promised to visit soon. Poor Tevin, though, was beside himself in grief.

I comforted him the very best that I could, and I even elicited a smile for a little while.

We invited him in for dinner, but he swore he couldn’t stay long, because he had to go home and check on Kyler. As a mother, I understood, and gave him a big hug to pass on to my nephew.

After playing Sims, I told Kimber there was a surprise for her outside when she finished her dinner. I’m not sure she quite believed me, but I’ve never seen her eat that fast before, either.

She squealed in delight when she found the swingset, and immediately recruited Rangi to push her. They played until nearly past bedtime, then I trundled her into bed, giving her a kiss goodnight.

The next day was “Night on the Town” holiday, so I took a deep breath and crossed my fingers that this would be a more NORMAL trip to the restaurant. Austen, of course, was playing on his phone the whole time, but that’s a teenager for you.

Kimber insisted on being the big girl and ordering for us, and the waiter played along (which was very nice of him!)

She did a great job of ordering, too. She got Rangi and I Tilapia and Salmon for her and Austen.

Everyone had a great time, but it was very late by the time we got home, so right away it was time for bed.

Unfortunately, that’s also when we noticed that poor Kimber had contracted food poisoning. She immediately called the restaurant to report it, and I made sure she drank plenty of water. Then I stayed by her side all night with a bucket while she was sick. Poor little tyke. I felt so bad for her. Luckily, by morning, she was feeling better…. and I was the one in need of a nap!

Chapter 1.13 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.15

Chapter 1.12 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.14

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

Renaissance Sim

After yesterday’s outing, Austen’s swimming shows definite improvement. Enough that I let him go down for a swim this morning on his own. It’s not like I couldn’t see him from the window and run to help if he needed it.

He came back up in time for breakfast, though, of course. If there’s one thing he likes more than science, it’s food. I’m sure if he wasn’t dead-set on being a scientist when he grows up, he probably would have been a chef.

Then, the two of us worked on our “homework” together. I’m still working on my gardening skill, but it’s getting close to where I need it to be for my aspiration.

Rangi danced while I studied. I’m getting so close to my aspiration, I can almost touch it. Tonight, I finally got gardening to level 8, and I just have one more skill to get from 7 to 8 – logic.

In the meantime, though, Kimber played chess quietly while I read my gardening book. I appreciate that my family is so good at being quiet while I try to study. It makes things so much easier for me.

Then, Rangi decided to climb in the bath while I was taking a shower. I tried to insist that we didn’t both fit, but he proved otherwise.. and I finished my shower hurriedly and climbed out to let him relax.

The marathon chess session began in earnest then. Rangi tried to help by chatting with me, but he was more a distraction than anything else. I wasn’t about to tell him that, though. Eventually, he got bored, though, and wandered off to do his own thing. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief and settled in for the long haul.

Kimber has almost completely taken over the science station from Austen. Austen claims he’s learned most of what he can from it, and that he’s okay with sharing with his sister, which I appreciate. It certainly eliminates any arguments that could have formed .. and saves me from having to buy a second science set.

The next day, finally, I finished getting logic to level 8. Which means that I’m now officially a Renaissance Sim. I couldn’t wait to tell the kids when they got home from school.

That night, we also had another volcano attack while everyone was in their beds…

.. And Rangi, true to form, panicked. He gets like that sometimes. Luckily for him, there are no plans for more babies in this household, so the volcano is the worst thing he can panic about.

Kimber and Austen are so great together. I love that Austen takes time out of his busy day to spend time with his little sister. A lot of kids wouldn’t do that, and Kimber looks up to him so it means so much to her to be able to be with him. They seem to be the best of friends, always talking about science.

I never realized how much smoke is generated when I break those lava rocks. More stuff to sell, now… although we’re pretty set on funds. My house goal has been met for quite a while, and I really am not worried about money.

The kids head off to school, and Rangi proudly tells me that the baby turtle hatching season has begun. So we finish up our breakfast quickly and swim/walk over to the next island to see them.

Rangi’s fellow conservationists have made little “lanes” for the baby turtles to help protect them, and I think half the population of Sulani has shown up to cheer them on.

We stay to watch them and chat for quite a while, Rangi telling me about all the work he and his coworkers did just to get the turtles to be able to breed safely here on Sulani.

With one last look at the adorable baby turtles, we head home in time to meet the kids when they get off of school.

Rangi plays the Sims while I fix some things around the house. We are expecting them to bring home projects because today is Monday.

Sure enough, the expected projects are lugged home with two tired, but excited kids.. and both wanted to get to work on them right away. Kimber’s class is learning about castles, while, to Austen’s delight, he gets to build another volcano.

Kimber is a little disappointed in her project because it doesn’t turn out as spectacular as Austen’s working volcano, but he is quick to point out her project had more detail and was more difficult. This makes Kimber feel a little better, but she still asks to go along when Rangi takes Austen up to the volcano just to take a peek at the real thing.

I do have to admit, however, that Austen’s volcano sure turned out great this time. He’ll get top marks for it for sure.

Nobody wanted to wait for me to finish making dinner, so they had leftovers, which was alright by me.

The kids both found something to occupy themselves for the rest of the evening, and it was a quiet, productive night. Everyone got what they were hoping to get done completed, and went to bed happily.

I must be the luckiest person in Sulani to have such a great family!

Chapter 1.12 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.14

Chapter 1.11 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.13

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

Fun in the Sun

The next day started out ordinary enough. Homework, chores, and showers. But I had a surprise, since today was an off day for everyone.

After, of course, I finished fixing the toilet. At least things don’t seem to break as often around here as they did when I was younger. I don’t know how Mom dealt with it!

While everyone was off doing their own thing, I made some phone calls. All the plans were now in place, and I got everyone rounded up to go.

“Where are we going, Mom?” was all I kept hearing, but I refused to respond, letting it be a surprise. Obediently, my family followed me

… On a family trip to the beach! We were the first ones there, and Rangi and Austen were quick to add to the sand castle collection there.

Before they finished, however, the rest of the family showed up. Mom, Dad, Kaleb, Tevin – everyone was here. Tevin apologized for Everett and Kyler not coming, but apparently they had had plans they couldn’t break in the city. This was the first time we’d really been able to get everyone together, and it was fantastic.

Mom immediately found time to play with her grand-kids, and Kimber was overjoyed. It couldn’t have been a better day for it, either!

Tevin cornered me to apologize for his behavior at dinner yesterday, but I just laughed it off. It had definitely been weird, but I’m used to my family being a little “out there”.

Speaking of which, Mom had brought her action figure toy to the beach – and was now playing with it by herself at the picnic table. She was voicing a whole story about him, too.. which was garnering some weird looks. As a family, we all chuckled about it, and let her have her time to “herself”.

Kaleb decided to try to make some lunch, but he burnt it badly.. so he asked me to step in.

I was more than happy to do so, and I threw some juicy steaks I’d brought with me on the grill, which immediately caught the attention of everyone at the beach. The steaks smelled absolutely delicious!

Another sandcastle was built while the steaks cooked, this time by Kimber and Austen. We can forgive them for it being sub-par because they were terribly distracted at the time!

I took a break after cooking, enjoying a beach towel in the setting sun. Mom and Rangi chatted, planning an all out assault on the ocean by the Naiades family.

It was hectic. Fins everywhere! I participated for a while, then reminded everyone that the steaks were probably getting cold.

At that, everyone rushed the beach and hurriedly grabbed their steak. Then we all spread out to eat.

Dinner was fabulous. Everyone cleaned their plate – even Rangi. Apparently steak is more his thing than lobster!

After dinner, we all ended up in the cool ocean water again.

We all splashed around and generally had a great time. There were races, and some swimming lessons for the little ones.

By this time, most everyone else had left the beach, so we had it pretty much to ourselves. Which was just as well. We were certainly making plenty of noise!

I managed to get some great pictures, too. Like this one of Vaea’s tail framing my sleepy little Austen. And the earlier one of my mother treading water with a big grin on her face. I’m not sure how Austen slept through all the splashing and the noise, but he definitely enjoyed a little nap.

Best of all, Mom and I finally had a chance to talk and work things out. Being that we were both mothers, the worrying comes natural, and I let her know I completely understood her concern. – But the volcano really wasn’t that dangerous. It dropped a few rocks around the outside of our house, sure, but it had never caused any damage, and it had never done anything more than scare us. By the end of the evening, we had come to an understanding, and I had finally put her mind at ease.

By the time we got home, it was way past bedtime, and we were all exhausted. It took only moments for everyone to fall into bed and head off to dreamland.

What a wonderful day it had been!

Chapter 1.11 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.13

Chapter 1.10 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.12

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

The Date

Love Day dawned clear and beautiful, and I elected to take a day off of work to celebrate it with Rangi. I surprised him with a Dahlia, then drug him down to the waterfall for some alone time.

He was surprised, but happy – and we both enjoyed remembering our first day together.

Then, I “drug” him out to the new restaurant in town. This was the perfect day to try it out, I figured. Apparently we weren’t the only ones who had thought of the restaurant, and there were quite a number of other people there.

We were able to get a table, however, and I have to say, the place was gorgeous.

I ordered lobster for both of us, and a nice drink, and we sat down to wait. By this time, the clouds had started to gather, and rain was definitely on the way in. Thank goodness the restaurant was indoors!

For some reason, Rangi was slightly disappointed at what I ordered him, but he recovered quickly.

Then, a collective gasp of shock went through the crowd and myself and several other patrons leapt to our feet. I barely noticed that my mother had shown up at the front of the restaurant.

Tevin was here… and he was naked. Just sitting at the table as if nothing was wrong. I mean, I applaud his boldness and ability to feel free… but I’m not sure it was appropriate.

By the time the shock dissipated, I headed back to my table… trying not to notice that Tevin was now showering in the rain.

… I wasn’t kidding. It occurred to me that maybe he would stop the silliness if I went over and talked to him – so that’s just what I did.

Luckily, I was right. Tevin redressed in a hurry, and swore he hadn’t noticed Rangi and I at the next table. He apologized, and I headed back to my meal.

It was then that I noticed that mother was out with Father Winter – not Vaea. Perhaps she was negotiating for more presents? I don’t know… but after the way the night had been going, I wasn’t about to ask.

Rangi and I headed to the bar to get another drink, having finished our dinner. Mine was scrumptious, although Rangi decided he wasn’t all that hungry after all.

The flaming bar was something else. Rangi was brave enough to sit right next to the tiki’s flames, and for a moment, I worried about his safety, but it was all for nothing. The drinks, of course, were delicious.

By this time, Tevin had vacated the building … and Mom apparently decided his salad looked better than whatever she had ordered.. and got up to get it. Things couldn’t be weirder.

Rangi and I went to the bathrooms as the lights came on, making the whole place look simply spectacular.

Then, I decided – before we headed home – to try out some fire dancing at the bonfire.

The waiter joined in. Rangi, however, professed that he was getting tired, and the nanny probably wanted to get home, so we headed back home. Just in time, too, because I could have sworn that was a Vampire that had just shown up for dinner.

We headed out across the lighted bridge, and hurried home among the raindrops.

After such a weird night, it was nice to be able to do the simple task of tucking in the kids.

… And then going to celebrate, and erase the strange night from memory.

Chapter 1.10 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.12

Chapter 1.9 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.11

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

Growing Pains

Austen really loves his Science table. Although all the sparks tends to worry me at times. But that’s being a mom. Worrying is part of it. And speaking of, I still haven’t talked to my Mom. I need to, but I keep putting it off. There’s just always something to do… and I still haven’t figured out what to say.

Kimber is still upset about being “little”. Comforting her is a daily, hour by hour thing as she tries way to hard to learn quickly to “catch up” to where her brother is. I wonder if it’ll ever occur to her that he’s actually older, so she’ll never fully catch up. Probably not. She’s so determined.

Austen is such a great kid, always taking time out of his days to spend time with his sister. I really appreciate it, because she idolizes him so much, it would be so heartbreaking for her if she couldn’t play with him at times.

“Is it my birthday YET??” Kimber complains yet again.

“No, Sweetie. Tomorrow!” … But tomorrow can’t come soon enough for Kimber.

.. So I occupy her with more block time. She’ll grow up to be a Top Notch Toddler, just like her brother, because she’s been so diligent about learning her skills, but something tells me even that won’t satisfy her.

Austen had his first school project today, a solar system model. Rangi took the time to help him out with it since I was busy with Kimber.

It turned out to be an “excellent” project, and Austen is excited to take it to school the next day and show it off. I don’t blame him.

Finally, it’s time for Kimber to grow up. I baked her a special strawberry cake, but she’s less interested in the cake as she is in the actual birthday.

She grew up gorgeous, though. And her smile says it all. She got the Loves Outdoors trait, and did, indeed, get Top Notch Toddler. She wants to be a Whiz kid just like her brother. (No surprise there!)

She was definitely pleased with her new bedroom furniture and anti-monster light. I also bought Austen and her an activity table, which both were thrilled with.

Kimber’s first action was to do her homework. While I’m studying my gardening book. I have a feeling she’ll be a great student, just like her brother. Her first day of school isn’t until tomorrow, though, much to her dismay.

So, to distract her, I played chess with her for most of the day. She tried hard, and picked it up amazingly quick.

Austen apparently fell in a puddle on the way home from school, and was in dire need of a bath. But he came home with his first “A”! I promised his favorite dinner in celebration.

In all the craziness over Kimber’s birthday, apparently I completely forgot mine. Oops!

With Kimber no longer being a toddler, it gives me more time to work on my own skills. Charisma is by far my least favorite to work on, but it’s so close to level 8.. which is my goal.

Thankfully, Rangi is able to step up and take time to be with the kids while I work on my aspiration.

Kimber continues to be the kid with all the questions. Mostly about science and her world. She determined to be just like her older brother. But, then, we knew that already. So it’s no surprise.

One final note for today – Rangi decided to retire. He’s tired of the daily grind, and I don’t blame him. This will allow him to have more time for the kids, and to let me work more on my skills. He’s so happy about it, and I’m proud of him for making this decision.

Chapter 1.9 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.11

Chapter 1.8 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.10

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

Why, Mama?

I took a little time for myself this morning, and had a leisurely swim in the ocean first thing in the morning. In my head, however, I wondered how to get my mother to calm down about the volcano. I understood her panic, but I was sure things would be okay in the long run. I just had to convince her.

Those concerns left my head, however, when I got home to Kimber making a disaster. I thought to scold her, but stopped because it was helping her imagination skill. I could always clean up later. Meantime, however, I had to get to work, and since Rangi was back to work today, too, I had to call in a nanny to watch the kids.

Austen played some chess with her, getting some work done on his aspiration – and saving us from having to spend the time in front of a chess set. There were other things to do. Then again, aren’t there ALWAYS other things to do?

When I got home, I was exhausted. Rangi shuffled me off to bed and promised to watch the kids. Luckily, there were plenty of leftovers in the fridge, so dinner wasn’t an issue. He and Austen chatted about school and chess.. and science. Austen was really interested in it after getting that new science set for winterfest – and couldn’t stop talking about it.

Every chance he got, he was working on his Mental skill, whether it was on his science set, or the chess set, or just reading a book with Rangi or I. I suspected he would be a scientist later in life – or at least, do something to do with science.

Kimber, however, was in a big hurry to grow up. She wanted to be just like her older brother, and things weren’t happening fast enough for her. She was constantly asking questions and following us around curiously, watching everything. Which meant she was underfoot all the time.

Rangi helped Austen work on his aspiration by reading to him while I worked in the evening again. I was really getting tired of missing out on evenings with my kids, however. So I decided something had to be done.

When I got home, I made some calls and found an opportunity in the gardening career, where I could work from home most of the time. This would be the perfect job, and I jumped at it.

While I was on the phone, however, Kimber was busy interrupting an important chess game. Rangi struggled to follow both conversations, but finally gave up and sent Kimber off to her room to play on her own while I made dinner.

… Then the sky fell again. This was becoming a daily thing, and the rumbles from the volcano surely could be felt across the island. It definitely wouldn’t help my case with my mother.

This time, the rocks fell practically at my front door. I cautioned the curious kids to leave them alone, and made sure to find things to occupy them indoors for the rest of the evening.

Between my paychecks and Rangi’s, we were able to afford some new things. Namely, another expansion of the living room to allow room for a desk and computer, and a nice stereo system I had found when I was working in the Entertainment career. Rangi quickly took advantage of the computer, and it was hard to get him off of it.

Gardening was proving to be the perfect career. I loved being able to work from home so I could see more of my kids.

It even allowed me to take some time to let them go down the hill and play in the ocean. Austen paddled around, working on his motor skill, and Kimber played in the shallows – again complaining because she wasn’t big enough to follow him into the ocean.

I wasn’t shirking on my skills, either. I managed to master cooking today, and celebrated with some fluffy, delicious pancakes.

Then, I determined I needed to work more on my handiness skill. My skills, after all, were the the last thing I needed to finish to complete my Renaissance Sim aspiration. I had half of them to the level 8 required, but the others were still hanging out at level 7. I had work to do. Yet another reason working from home now was a really good idea.

Kimber cornered me again later, though. While Rangi was on the computer yet again and Austen on the chess set, she decided I was the person to bother.

“Why, Mama?” she complained. “Why can’t I be big like Austen??”

“Because you need time to grow, little one.” I replied.

“But why?? I wanna be big NOW!”

“That’s not how things work, Kimber, honey. Things that are little need time to grow up. Remember the plants in mommy’s garden? They start out little, too. But they grow up to be big and do great things, like giving us vegetables. You will, too. Just give it some more time.”

“How much time?” she whined.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll be big before you know it.” I assured her, and took her off to bed. Some things were awfully hard to explain.

I pondered her questions in my head.. and also how to get Mom to understand that I wasn’t being a bad parent by raising my kids here. This was the perfect place to inspire young scientists, after all. Maybe that was the way I could reassure her. But then, science was never her thing. I went round and round in my head.. absent-mindedly playing with the lump of clay from the shelf in Kimber’s room. Ultimately, I never came to a conclusion, though.. and I put the clay down dejectedly and went to tuck Austen in before turning in myself.

Chapter 1.8 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.10

Chapter 1.7 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.9

Generation One: Black

Appearance: Black hair, siren-like clothing style
Traits: Evil, Non Committal, Kleptomaniac
Aspiration: Renaissance Sim
Occupation: Collector/Random careers of choice
House Goal: 10,000 worth

(A/N: I did include a UI screenshot with this post, because it explains what happened better than I could.)

A Busy Day

Kimber is just the sweetest toddler. She is always following someone around, chatting, hugging, or just watching. I wonder what’s going on behind those pretty eyes of hers, because she just seems so inquisitive and bright.

While I’m away at my first day on the Entertainer career, she gets her first bath – trust me, she needed one…

… And apparently, this made Austen feel incredibly left out. So he watched and pouted, and wished it was his turn.

After bath time, he convinced Kimber it was time to play dolls, giving Rangi a much needed break.

While I was at work, however, the opportunity of a lifetime came up.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I took the opportunity, and got not one, but TWO promotions out of it. It thrust me a little bit into the limelight, but what can one expect when you’re on stage. For a temporary job (since I plan to find another one before long), this is certainly turning out to be a nice one. I hurried home to tell Rangi, who was very proud, and the kids (who were less so, since they probably didn’t really understand, anyway). The bonus that came with the promotion was certainly well-timed, as well.

When I get home, I give a sleepy Kimber some one on one time and read her to sleep. She tried her hardest to stay awake for more of the story, but those little eyes just wouldn’t stay open anymore. I gave her a kiss, tucked her in, then looked to make sure Austen had actually gone to sleep before turning in myself. Tomorrow would be a big day, after all.

The morning brought with it Winterfest. Among other things. It was BOTH Austen and Rangi’s birthday’s, too! I brought out the tree, placed gifts below it, and set the decorations aside for later. Since the day was probably going to be jam-packed with family time, I chose to make a Grand Breakfast to wake everyone up as a surprise, but Austen caught me.

He watched me for a while, then went to play with the dolls quietly, careful (thankfully!) not to wake his sister up too early.

Breakfast was a huge success.. and Rangi relished the treat of not having to rush off to work first thing in the morning.

The kids ate on their beds, and, amazingly, both were careful not to make too big of a mess.

After breakfast, Austen finally remembered that it was his “big day”.. and excitedly came to “remind” Rangi (who, of course, hadn’t forgotten, but he played along for Austen’s sake.)

Kimber, who was disappointed that it wasn’t HER birthday, too, came to complain while I was baking Rangi and Austen’s cakes. I assured her that her time would come soon enough, and reminded her that since it was Winterfest, there were presents for her today, too.

Then it was time to blow out the candles.

“One… Two… Three… Go!” Austen shouted, and both of them managed to get all of their candles in one go.

“Look at me, rocking the grey hair!” exclaimed Rangi, and struck a pose for the camera.

Austen grinned, striking a pose as well, then ran to show his sister his new outfit. I was disappointed, however, that he grew up with the Kleptomaniac trait, just like me.. but at least he wanted to be a Whiz Kid, too. He also grew up with the Top Notch Toddler trait.

The birthdays had gone off without a hitch, and I quickly got out the decorations to occupy everyone for a little while. (Nobody was interested in cake after such a huge breakfast.)

While Rangi and Austen decorated the tree, I upgraded the tub with and repaired the sink. (If you look closely, you can see me in the bathroom mirror.)

Kimber, although she was still a bit miffed that it wasn’t her birthday, too, congratulated her (now) big brother and then drug him off to show him his new bedroom furniture.

I had tried very hard to match his froggie rug, and Austen was thrilled with the success I’d had. He bounced around on the bed for a while, poked at his new anti-monster light (which I had been particularly happy to buy after my experience as a kid!!), and then announced it was time for presents.

Rangi “ran” the camera while the rest of us opened gifts, letting Kimber open hers first. She got a wonderful lump of clay, while Austen got a science set that he HAD to set up in the hallway right away. Rangi and I laughed, and convinced him to wait for a few minutes while Rangi opened his present at last.

Rangi and I laughed, and convinced him to wait for a few minutes while Rangi opened his present at last.

Then, said science set was set up in the hallway near my woodworking bench. How the dollhouse got broken, I’m not sure. Or should I say, who broke it. Nobody was willing to confess. I suspect it was Kimber, however.

Father Winter showed up with more gifts for everyone – although he looked considerably different from what I remember him looking like when I was a kid.

And then – just to cap off an already incredible day, the volcano had to erupt – again. Father Winter was understandably rattled and quickly made his excuses and left.. but made sure to leave everyone’s gifts behind.

Not long after the volcano incident, both kids yawned and were quickly ushered into their beds… while Rangi and I staged our own celebration. It was a short celebration, however, because we were as exhausted as the kids had been. Tomorrow, as it were, is another day.

Chapter 1.7 | Rules for this challenge | Chapter 1.9