Tam 2 Week 6: The baby business

Our next new household is not exactly new: Simon Tam (Family/Pleasure) has moved out of his parents' house and into his own little place. He has a job in the Business track but does not actually own a business.

Once he gets back from work, Simon dresses up and invites over his girlfriend, Meadow.

After dinner and dancing (pics not included for the sake of brevity), Simon asks Meadow to become his bride. She accepts, naturally.











Meadow moves in, bringing $18,000 and a position as a Senior Manager in Business. Simon sleeps on the couch the first night, since they're not married yet.

On Tuesday evening we have the wedding. The best man (Malcolm) and maid of honor (Marsha Bruenig) are talking about how hot the groom's sister is, while Derrial plays computer games inside wearing his everyday clothes. Maybe Derrial's not as over Meadow as he claims to be?

But it's too late for anyone to protest the wedding now!

During the first dance, Malcolm is nervously practicing for his upcoming toast, while Marsha remains carefree about the whole thing.

The rest of the week is occupied by the two Family Sims unenthusiastically racking up promotions and enthusiastically (but less successfully) trying for a baby. Here's Malcolm after becoming an Executive.

And here's Meadow after becoming President.

On Saturday morning, Meadow begins to suspect she is finally pregnant. Simon thinks she is just under the weather.

Soon, he figures it out and is just as overjoyed as she is.

Progress toward challenge:
New Sims: 1
Taxes collected: $1300/$57,670

Ottomas Week 6: Death and taxes

Our first new family for Week 6 should be familiar to all Simmers. The Ottomasses move in next door to the Ramaswamis, in an almost identical house.

The Ottomas family starts out with six members:
Dora, Family elder with a LTW of Six Grandchildren
Peter, Romance adult with a LTW of Becoming Celebrity Chef
Samantha, Family adult with a LTW of Becoming Captain Hero
David, Popularity teen with a LTW of Becoming Rock God
Sharla, child
Tommy, toddler

David is the only one who is allowed to keep his job, since it is in the Music career. Fortunately Peter manages to also get a job as a record store clerk. This family owes a lot to Sanjay Ramaswami.

To bring in a little extra money, Dora starts writing a book about childcare.

On Wednesday morning, Daniel ("Danny") and Andrew ("Drew") are born! This brings us back to the boy-heavy status quo after the Picaso house.

Shortly thereafter, Samantha finds a job as a security guard. I should have had her search a few hours sooner; then she would have gotten maternity leave. Fortunately there are enough other competent people in this family to take care of the twins while she's at work.

Middle child Tommy has been largely ignored in this crazy family, but he still manages to grow up in plat on Wednesday night.

Peter was doing well in the Music track, having gotten promoted both Tuesday and Wednesday. However, there is a chance card at Level 3 that I always seem to answer wrong, and Peter is fired on Thursday!

They really needed that money, too, for the twins' toddler stuff!

Danny reveals himself to have a personality of 3-8-9-10-1 (Sagittarius).

Drew (pictured) has a personality of 3-5-10-7-10 (also Sagittarius).

I for one would not relish being the parent of twin boys who were BOTH sloppy, active, and playful.

On Friday evening, Peter manages to fix the computer and find a job as a stand-up comedian.

By then I had apparently gotten tired of taking birthday pictures, because there are none of Sharla becoming a teen. She is Rom/For with a LTW of Business Tycoon (perhaps wanting to rise above her poor origins?), turned on by blond hair and cleaning skill but turned off by charisma.

All the Business jobs are taken, so Sharla gets a job as a waterperson on Saturday afternoon.

About an hour later, Dora is just getting off the phone when she feels strangely tired...

Poor Dora's urn gets stuck in a corner somewhere until I get the chance to build a cemetery. Meanwhile life goes on and Sam gets promoted to Patrol Officer.

Meanwhile, David is promoted to Coffee Shop Sound Engineer, the top of the teen track, just in time to become an adult.

There are no pictures of his birthday (of course), but you can see his adult look in this family portrait. (Pretend it is cropped so you cannot also see the OMSPs.) From top left we have Sharla (14), Peter (41), Samantha (40), David (26), Danny (5), Tommy (9), and Drew (5).

Progress toward challenge:
New Sims: 2
Graves: 1
Taxes collected: $1800/$56,370

Picaso Week 6: Sisters!

Last week, the only interesting thing the Picasos did was set things on fire.

The Picaso family currently includes:
Matthew, Popularity/Romance adult with a Military career and a sporting goods store
Jessica, Family/Knowledge adult with a Military career and a baby/toddler supply store
Sophia, toddler

The Picasos were rapidly outgrowing their two-bedroom, so they move into one of the three-bedroom houses across town. On Monday afternoon, Jacob is born!

On Tuesday, we have birthdays! Sophia becomes a child. There are apparently no pictures of her as a toddler. Her personality: 1-10-9-10-1. Don't let that innocent look fool you; she's going to be trouble when she gets older!

Then Jacob becomes a toddler. He is a clone of Sophia, with a 1-10-9-10-1 personality as well. They will either be bitter enemies or partners in crime.

Wednesday morning, Jessica finds that she is expecting #3. The SimGodess makes sure to toggle the randomizer for this one.

On either Wednesday or Thursday (my notes don't say), Matthew is promoted to Senior Officer. With all the little kids, Jessica hasn't had time to go to work and neither of them have had time to run their businesses, so the promotion bonus is a very welcome cash infusion.

On Friday morning, Emily is born! This is a historic event--Sophia and Emily are the first pair of sisters in Serenity Valley!

That evening, it's time for Jacob to become a child.

On Saturday night, Emily becomes a toddler and proves that randomizing works--her personality is 10-1-7-8-8. Hopefully her outgoing, mean siblings don't pick on her too badly.

Sunday morning, Jessica finds out that she is expecting her fourth child. She is ambivalent about this new development. (Has both a want and a fear. Probably because the Picaso family is really struggling financially at this point--according to my tax records, their net worth is about 1/3 of what it was at the beginning of the week.)

Progress toward challenge:
New Sims: 2
Taxes collected: $1050/$54,570

Traveller Week 6: As you wish

Last week, the Travellers were new in town, so of course they started some businesses and had a baby.

The Traveller family currently includes:
Trent, Knowledge/Romance adult with a camping supply store and a Criminal job
Trisha, Popularity/Fortune adult with a sweet shop
Tina, Romance/Fortune teen
Timothy, toddler

The Travellers don't have enough money to pay their taxes, so I send Trent to his store. Fortunately, Christy pushes us up to Rank 4, so there's plenty of money.

Back at home, Tina rolled a want to fall in love with Ravi Ramaswami, so I let her. They have zero bolts, so I doubt it will last.

And that night, Timothy becomes a child.

On Wednesday, Trisha finally gets enough treats to open her store and it reaches Rank 1.

On Friday, I allow the Travellers to get a womrat named Patches and a parrot named Rainbow. Rainbow, like all TS2 birds, only lives a few hours.

Over the course of the week, Trent has been steadily moving up the ranks of the Criminal career; on Saturday he is promoted to bank robber.

Progress toward challenge:
Taxes collected: $1350/$53,520

Long Week 6: Dreams

Last week, the Long family lost a dog and gained a son.

The Long family currently includes:
Ben, Knowledge/Fortune adult, owner of a toy store and stay-at-home dad
Ivy, Knowledge/Fortune adult, owner of a park and renowned scientist
Heather, child
Joshua, child

We start the week with a birthday, as is becoming tradition in the BACC. Heather becomes a Family/Pleasure teen who wants to be Captain Hero someday. She is turned on by good cooks who are unemployed and turned off by perfume.

Nothing else interesting happens until Thursday, at which point the park reaches Rank 3. (At some point Ivy also earns a gold fishing badge.)

That same day, Ben finally gets a job as an ambassador's intern, putting him on the path to his LTW. (Note to self: Do tours of the various NPC lots.)

On Saturday, Ivy is promoted to Theorist and Ben to Spelunker.

The kids are home alone for 5 1/2 hours and literally spend the entire time playing chess. As a result, Heather maxes her logic skill.

Then Joshua joins his sister in teenagehood. He's Romance/Popularity (his poor parents won't know what to do with him), wants to be a General, is turned on by underwear and cooking skill, and is turned off by blond hair. Apparently both he and Heather really dislike their father's cooking. (Ivy is a pretty good cook, but she's never home.)

Ben ends the week on a high note by getting promoted to Multiregional Sim of Some Question.

Progress toward challenge:
Jobs opened: 1/12 Science
Taxes collected: $1400/$52,170

Roseland Week 6: Naughty and nice

Last week, Cyd and Christy got married, had two boys, and earned a lot of money.

The Roseland family currently includes:
Cyd, Knowledge/Romance adult with a job in Architecture and a pet store
Christy, Family/Knowledge adult with a job in Business and a salon
Carter, child
Cameron, baby
Porthos the dog

The Roselands use all the money they earned during Week 5 to move to a new house, right next door to the Long family.

That evening, Cameron becomes a toddler. His personality is 10-1-6-8-10, very different from his older brother's!

The next morning, Christy discovers that she is expecting again--will this baby be mean like Carter or nice like Cameron?

On Tuesday afternoon, Cyd comes home with a promotion to Draftsman.

On Thursday the only interesting things that happen are birthdays. First, another little boy arrives! He is given the name Calhoun.

A few hours later, Cameron becomes a child.

On Friday, Cyd takes a vacation day so Christy can go to work and she snags a promotion to Executive.

She is just in time to help Cal with his birthday. He looks like Carter but his personality is 6-1-6-6-6, which makes him more like Cameron, though one wonders if all those sixes are a harbinger of something. ;)

Carter closes out the series of birthdays by becoming a teen--He's Romance/Pleasure with a LTW of 50 Dream Dates. (Sorry, kid, but I don't get points for that in this challenge and I'm lazy.)

He's turned on by mechanical and athletic skill but turned off by glasses.

On Sunday, DBI reaches Rank 5! That's especially good since, unbeknownst to anyone but the SimGodess, Christy is pregnant again, so their new house is already outgrown.

Progress toward challenge:
New Sims: 1
Taxes collected: $1900/$50,770