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

Tam Week 5: Brotherly Love

Last week, the Tam family moved to a new house, flirted a little, and played chess a lot.

The Tam family currently includes:

Scott: Knowledge/Family elder with a job in the gamer track and an arcade

Megan: Family/Knowledge elder with several bestselling novels and a library

Simon: Family/Pleasure teen

River: Family/Knowledge teen

Malcolm: Pleasure/Popularity teen

Derrial: Pleasure/Family teen

Hoban: Popularity/Romance teen

Jayne: Child

I mostly keep the Tam children skilling when they're not at school--it keeps them busy so I don't have to keep track of them all. This is River maxing charisma.

And Jayne becomes the last Tam child to max logic.

Shortly thereafter, he grows up in Platinum. He is Family/Knowledge like his sister River and wants to reach his Golden Anniversary. He's turned on by fatness and gray hair but turned off by underwear. I guess he doesn't mind if his future wife gets old and flabby as long as she isn't immodest.

I take the opportunity to snap a family portrait in front of the fireplace in the living room. Scott and Megan are 57, Simon and River are 24, Malcolm and Derrial are 21, Hoban is 16, and Jayne is 12.

That night, Jayne engages in some very shy flirting with Ivy Copur the Younger. (They have two bolts.)

On Friday morning, the arcade reaches Rank 10! Another slot in business is opened.

His last afternoon as a teen, Simon gets himself into plat by going on a date with three-bolter Meadow Thayer. His brother Derrial found her first, but who can argue with three bolts? Meadow doesn't seem to be arguing, anyhow.

After Simon, River, and Orlando age up, I make Orlando selectable and we have an engagement out by the pond. River's parents are very pleased.

Meadow is going to grow up with the younger twins, so while he waits Simon keeps himself occupied with a job as a Field Sales Rep. We need some business districts to boost our Sim Multiplier!

And it's back to the skill grindstone for the younger kids--here's Malcolm maximizing Charisma.

I don't make them work all the time, though. Sometimes they have midnight snacks of spaghetti and wonder if there will be enough rain for their new garden.

While her kids run around in six different directions, Megan has been sitting quietly upstairs hammering out novels. She sells her eighth on Sunday morning, netting $3054. Hoban the Popularity Sim gets to the phone before she does.

On Sunday afternoon, Megan's neglected library finally reaches Rank 3, thanks to a "projector" in the meeting room.

And a few hours later, Simon is promoted to Junior Executive. And we all breathe a sigh of relief that he and River will be moving out Monday morning. Eight Sims in one house is just too many.

Progress toward challenge:

Jobs opened: 1/2 Business, 3 Entertainment, 3/6 Science

Taxes collected: $2750/$26,720

Tam Week 4: Fledglings

When we last visited the Tam family, they celebrated a lot of birthdays and got along well, since they all have plenty of nice points.

The Tam family now includes:
Scott, Knowledge/Family with a job in the Gamer track and an arcade that's doing very well
Megan, Family/Knowledge with no job (except taking care of six children) and a neglected library
Simon, a boy teen (Family/Pleasure)
River, a girl teen (Family/Knowledge; Simon's twin)
Malcolm, a boy child
Derrial, a boy child (Malcolm's twin)
Hoban, a boy child
Jayne, a boy toddler

The original Tam house was getting far too small, so Week 4 opens with the Tam family standing outside their new 4-bedroom, 3-bath farmhouse. (The design borrows very heavily from the red farmhouse that is Maxis premade--I built my own version because I wanted a bigger lot.)

They kind of don't have enough money for furniture, so it's off to the arcade, which reaches Rank 7 and then Rank 8.

I didn't catch the hearts in time to take a picture, but Benjamin Long and Ivy Copur spontaneously got a crush while hanging out at the arcade. (!!!) I can't resist true love, so I started making plans to give them playable status.

And it's time for more birthdays! Malcolm grows up first, becoming a Pleasure/Popularity teen with a dream of becoming a Game Designer. I guess we know who will inherit the arcade!

Malcolm finds redheads in swimsuits attractive and dislikes black hair. Obviously he got the memo about recessive genes.

Derrial follows right after his twin, becoming a Pleasure/Family teen with a dream of 50 1st dates. It's theoretically obtainable, but I am lazy so it probably won't happen.

Derrial is turned on by underwear and cleaning skill but turned off by costume makeup. I guess he fantasizes about a woman who cleans au naturel.

One day, River brings Orlando Centowski home from school. They talk about inane things like how much snow they might get that winter.

They have two bolts, so I allow them to engage in some very shy flirting.

When I tell River to say goodbye, she does so with a kiss! Apparently she lost her shyness quickly.

Derrial is considerably less shy with 2-bolter Meadow Thayer, who came home on the bus with Malcolm. It's a good thing Scott is occupied in the bathroom and doesn't notice all this kissing.

I have Simon check Meadow out, just for fun, and they have THREE bolts. *cue dramatic music*

Just before midnight on Tuesday, Megan finishes the novel she started while pregnant with Malcolm and Derrial. It nets $2099 in royalties.

Back at the arcade, Ben and Ivy are still being all spontaneously lovey-dovey.

Wednesday night, Jayne grows to child. No more diapers and bottles for this generation of Tams!

Early Friday morning, River maximizes her Logic skill, opening a slot in the Science career.

That afternoon, Scott is promoted to Real-Time Strategizer (and reaches the "earn $25,000" milestone).

And that evening, Megan sells her fourth novel and first bestseller for $3169

Saturday is another big day. First, the arcade reaches Rank 9.

Then the library gets a makeover and reaches Rank 1.

Next, Malcolm maxes his logic.

A few hours later, Simon does the same.

And that evening, Hoban becomes a teenager. He's Popularity/Romance with a goal of becoming a Rock God. He's turned on by women who can clean and wear perfume but turned off by gray hair.

On Sunday morning, Megan maximizes her Creativity skill, which does nothing for the challenge but is still cool.

Progress toward challenge:
Jobs opened: 3 Science
Taxes collected: $3850/$14,650

Tam Week 3: Nice boys

When we last saw the Tam family (a whole two posts ago), they had just expanded their house and discovered they were expecting their fifth child. Now we rejoin them:
Scott, Knowledge/Family with a job in the Gamer track and an arcade that's doing very well
Megan, Family/Knowledge with no job (except taking care of four children) and a neglected library
Simon, a boy child
River, a girl child (Simon's twin)
Malcolm, a boy toddler
Derrial, a boy toddler (Malcolm's twin)

The first thing of note to happen is a double birthday on Monday night. (It's all birthdays, all the time in this family.) Malcolm manages to grow up in platinum despite not learning a single toddler skill--sometimes neglecting your child at the logic toy pays off.

Then it's Derrial's turn--same story for him.

Early Tuesday morning, the ever-popular Tam Arcade reaches Rank 4.

That afternoon, Simon brings home his first A+ just as Megan goes into labor. I tell her that if she has twins again I'll drown her in a pool.

It's just one, and another boy (!), who receives the name Hoban. Notice that River also got an A+.

On Wednesday afternoon, Scott gets promoted to flag capturer, thanks to the fact that his children are in school and can make friends for him now.

Hoban becomes a toddler that night. His personality is 7-8-6-3-6--another nice one!

The next morning, Megan's fourth pregnancy is confirmed during a quiet mid-morning study session. (The older kids are all at school and Hoban is playing with blocks.)

Friday night, Simon grows up in platinum. I pick Family/Pleasure for him and randomize the turn-ons. He likes blonds and redheads (yay recessive genes!) but not unemployment. I guess he wants to be the stay-at-home parent? He rolls the lifetime want to marry off 6 children, just like his mother.

River is next. She's Family/Knowledge, turned on by fitness and handiness but turned off by redheads (boo). She wants to become Education Minister--she has half a shot; the population just has to hit 250 sometime before she becomes an elder.

The arcade reaches Rank 5 on Saturday morning. Halfway to an open slot in the Business career!

Shortly after noon on Saturday, Megan gives birth to her sixth child, another boy, named Jayne. She looks really thrilled to be done with pregnancy and labor.

Saturday night, Hoban grows up in platinum, thanks once again to neglect at the logic toy.

Sunday night, Scott gets promoted to Platform Jumper.

A few hours later, Jayne becomes a toddler. His personality is 10-2-10-3-7, so we're 6 for 6 on nice children. (Malcolm is the meanest Tam child, with "only" 5 nice points.)

And with that we leave the Tams for another round.







Progress toward challenge:
New Sims: 2
Taxes collected: $900/$4800