Arcadia

new blog

2010-02-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

I've started a new Sims blog: http://providencesims.blogspot.com/. It takes place in a new neighborhood, Providence, but I've included some of the characters from Arcadia (namely the Smiths and the Coopers). In many ways, playing and blogging about Arcadia was a warmup for me. Reading other people's blogs and writing my own made me think about my little Sims in a different way, and it made me want to create a more detailed town for them. I've spent a lot of time setting up Providence - building houses and community lots, and setting up a base hood university (thanks to the discussion at Lakeside Heights and MATY). Thanks for reading, and I hope you guys enjoy reading about the adventures in Providence.

hiatus

2010-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

I thought I should explain why I haven't posted in a while. I've always wanted to create a college town, and after I read about how to create a base neighborhood university, I've started a new neighborhood, Providence. I've been spending a lot of time setting it up: making buildings and populating it with a bunch of Sims. I may stop this blog so I can start blogging about the other neighborhood. Right now that neighborhood is still in too much of a rudimentary phase, but hopefully soon I'll have almost everything set up. One of the problems with this blog that I'm hoping to correct is that there aren't enough characters and they're all related to each other. I've brought in a bunch of the premade characters into Providence: the Ottomas, Julien Cooke (who married Melissa Fancey), Benjamin Long, Orlando Centowski, etc. It's already giving the neighborhood a lot more variety. I'm still deciding what to do with Arcadia and Providence, but since Providence is going really well, I think Arcadia might have reached the end.

not a cookie-baking grandmother

2010-01-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

March 2043 - Jan Gaunt is 62, Cassiopeia is 14.

Jan isn't your typical cookie-baking grandmother. She has five grandchildren, but she doesn't spend very much time with them. Her sons love her, but they're scandalized by her choice of profession after she and their father divorced. She really doesn't care if they approve or not. After all of those years as a society wife, she loves having a career as a romance novelist. And even if they aren't fine literature, her novels sell very well.

She spends most of her days alone in her apartment in Arcadia. It's only a block from the Gaunt mansion, but her family rarely comes by to visit. She spends her days writing, painting, and playing with her cat Sake.

The only visitor she has is her oldest grandchild, Cassiopeia.

Cassiopeia thinks her grandmother's life and novels are incredibly romantic. "I've read all of your books," she says. "I love Rhianna. She's so brave, and her life is so romantic."

"I'm surprised that you've read them. I thought your mother and father wouldn't let you read them."

"Well... they don't want me to read them, but I read them in the bookstore."

Jan smiles. "I'm glad you like them. Here," she goes to the bookshelf and pulls down a stack of books, "you should have your own copies."

"Thank you so much!" Cassiopeia cries. She knows her parents won't approve, they'll say she's too young to read them, but she doesn't care. Her father might wish his mother were more of a proper lady, but Cassiopeia wouldn't give up her romance novel-writing grandmother for anything.

*****

I haven't updated Jan in almost 20 years, and I thought she deserved a story. She lives a pretty quiet life, and she doesn't hear much from the rest of her family, but Cassiopeia likes to visit her. I think a teenage girl would be pretty fascinated by a grandmother who was a famous romance novelist! I also wanted to make sure that her novels would remain in the game after she died, so I had her give them to Cassiopeia.

twins, siblings, and cousins

2009-12-28T21:29:00.000-08:00

September 2042 - Alex and Piper Smith are 31, Joey and Lizzie are 7, Alice and Charlie are 5 (Jacob Smith is 9, Elijah Smith is 5).

Alice and Charlie are starting kindergarten this year, and the house is empty for the first time in seven years.

With all of the kids in school, Piper has started working on her third novel. She hasn't had much time to write since she finished college, and now that she has a quiet house for a few hours she's happy to be writing again.

Alex has a project of his own. He got an old junker, and he's fixing it up so Piper will have her own car. He still drives the green car he restored when he was in high school, and he's confident he can build a good one for Piper.

Since John and Abby both work, Jacob and Elijah come over after school. Charlie, Alice, and Elijah are in kindergarten together, and Jacob is two years older than Joey and Lizzie.

Charlie loves when Jacob and Elijah come over because he finally has another boy to play with. He and Elijah are becoming good friends.

Jacob isn't as happy about having to play with his cousins after school. He'd rather visit his friends Christopher and Hadley Cooper, but his parents say that would be imposing on the Cooper family.

"When you're a little older, you and your brother can stay home alone after school," his mother promises.

It's okay, though, hanging out with his cousins. Joey is a tomboy who loves building things, and they have fun playing with blocks together.

Alice prefers to draw by herself while her cousins are playing downstairs. Usually she likes playing with her twin brother, but she's too prissy and girly to join him when he's playing ball with their cousin.

When Alex gets home, Joey always runs to greet him and talk to him about the car.

"Can we work on it tonight, Daddy?"

"Of course, pumpkin. We want it to be ready for your mom as soon as possible."

Joey loves helping her father with the car, but she also feels left out by her brother and sisters who are all playing together, so after a while she runs upstairs to join them.

"We saved you a spot," Lizzie says.

"I'm building a tower. Do you want to help?" Charlie asks.

Other kids might find it frustrating to have so many siblings, but the Smith kids always get along well. With four kids in two years, there's always someone to play with.

loneliness of an only child

2009-12-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

February 2042 - Arthur Cornwall is 63, Ellie Cornwall and Richie Gaunt are 34, Morgan Cornwall is 9 (Edward Gaunt is 36, Cassiopeia is 13, Regulus and Bellatrix are 10, Sirius is 7).

Morgan is part of the largest class at Arcadia Elementary School (4 students!), but that hasn't helped her make friends. She's a serious kid who prefers to spend her time at home with her family than playing with the other kids. As far as her parents can tell, her best friends are her parents, her grandfather, and their cat Nimue.

"I just don't understand it. She's such a wonderful kid, but she's always by herself. She never talks about the other kids at school or invites any to come over," Ellie tells Richie.

"She's just serious," Richie says. "It makes it hard for her to relate to other kids her age."

"You and I are both serious, and we had friends when we was her age," Ellie tells her husband.

"We had each other," he reminds her.

It's her father's idea to invite over her cousins one Saturday. She's met her Gaunt cousins at various family get togethers, but she's never spent much time getting to know them.

"Morgan hasn't spent much time with her cousins," Richie explains to his brother, "and I think it would be good for her to spend some time with kids her own age. Her best friends are Ellie and me and our cat. A nine-year-old should have other friends besides her parents."

Edward drives his kids into the city on a cold, snowy Saturday morning.

The visit doesn't get off to a very good start. Sirius isn't interested in playing with his cousin; he goes inside and starts playing the piano.

Regulus and Bellatrix stay outside to play cops and robbers.

"Why don't you go outside and join them?" Ellie urges her daughter.

"They don't want to play with me," Morgan replies gloomily.

"Did they say that?"

"No, but they're playing with each other, they don't need me."

"They're twins, they're used to playing together, just the two of them," her mother replies, "but I'm sure they'll be happy to include you if you ask."

Bellatrix isn't too impressed when Morgan talks about all of the exciting new things she's been doing in the fourth grade.

"Big deal," she says. "Regulus and I are in the fifth grade."

Regulus isn't even paying attention to either of them.

But eventually the cousins warm to each other. "It must be lonely being an only child," Bellatrix says. "You only have two best friends, your parents, but I also have Regulus and Cassiopeia."

Eventually they get cold, and the three of them head upstairs to watch a movie.

Cassiopeia stays downstairs with the adults. She's bored being around all of the little kids. "I can't wait to go to college," she tells Ellie.

When everyone gets hungry, Ellie breaks out some of her fabulous strawberry cheesecake.

"Yum!" Sirius says.

"Did you have fun with your cousins?" Ellie asks her daughter that night over dessert.

She nods. "They're nice. I had fun playing with them."

"I'm glad. I know you feel lonely sometimes out here in the city without a lot of other kids your own age."

"It okay Mom. I have you and Dad and Grandfather and Nimue." She pauses, then asks, "But maybe I could go over to J.P.'s house sometime. He and his twin sister are in my class, and they live in Arcadia."

Morgan has never really talked about the other kids in her class, but Ellie's glad to hear that she wants to make new friends. "Sure sweetie, anytime."

arrested development

2009-12-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

November 2041 - Abhijeet Turner is 32, Whitney Riley is 31, Keiran Riley is 7.

Since Whitney works until evening at the CIA, Abhijeet has been watching Keiran after school until his mom comes home. He never thought he'd be a father, but he loves spending time with his son.

Keiran loves to show his father his new skills. "Look, look!"

"Mom has a boyfriend," Keiran informs him. "His name is Thomas. She met him at work."

"Your mom mentioned him." But this is the first time he's been described as Whitney's boyfriend. "What's he like?"

Keiran shrugs. "I don't know. He's okay. He lives in the city near us, and he comes to see us a lot."

Keiran and his mom are very close, and he always runs outside to give her a hug as soon as the carpool drops her off.

"Thanks for watching him," Whitney says. "I hate leaving him with a babysitter."

"You don't have to thank me," he says. "I like spending time with my son." He pauses, then adds, "So you didn't mention that you're seeing someone."

She blushes a little, then says, "You never tell me if you're seeing someone."

"That's different. Our son has met this guy, I think I have a right to know who he is."

"Fine. His name is Thomas, and he's a CSI." She doesn't say anything else, whether it's serious, but Abhijeet knows it must be if she's introduced him to Keiran.

"Well I'm happy for you," he finally says.

"Thanks."

*****

Abhijeet actually does have a girlfriend, or rather several since he usually doesn't officially break up with them. Recently he's been seeing a woman named Claire who he met at his gallery. She's great, beautiful and fun, but it's nothing serious. He wouldn't dream of introducing her to his son, even though he knows she's more serious about him and has asked to meet him.

He hasn't been spending a lot of time on his love life recently. The gallery has really taken off, and he's hired two employees to handle the front room, freeing him to spend time making pottery.

He started dating Naenae a few years ago around the time he hired her. Luckily she's not the jealous type, and she's a great salesperson.

Amin sticks to working the cash register and restocking merchandise.

Nothing has changed much in the last few years. He's finally making a decent living from his art, just like he's always wanted. He has an awesome kid to spend time with, but he's still has a bachelor lifestyle filled with fun and girlfriends. But somewhere there's been a subtle shift. He lives in the same apartment that he moved into straight out of college, but now the recent college graduates annoy him, with their parties and messes and loud noises late at night.

His familiar Bubble Blower sits dusty and unused in a corner. Somehow, unexpectedly, he's started to grow up.

*****

Sorry about the break between posts; I'm TAing an undergraduate course this semester, and I've been swamped with end-of-the-semester hecticness. I've also been trying to decide what to do with my neighborhood to make it a little more interesting. I love these characters, but they're so happy that it's boring! I think I'm going to start including random events next round, and I've also set up a schedule to make sure I update all of the families periodically. I haven't updated Abhijeet in a while, and it was fun to write a story about him after such a long break.

2041 census

2009-12-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

Population: 55
Arcadia: 43
New Athens: 12

Babies: 2
Toddlers: 6
Children: 17
Teens: 1
Young Adults: 0
Adults: 20
Elders: 9

Even though there aren't any more children in this generation than in the last one, they are a lot more spread out in age - 12 years as opposed to 6. I'm hoping that this will make this generation less boring than their parents. I think the problem is that most of my Sims are happily married with children, but their children are too young to have much drama. I may have to start adding Random Events to make my neighborhood more interesting and dramatic. How do people handle Random Events in their neighborhood? Does anyone have any advice on how to include them?

kindergarten days

2009-12-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

June 2041 - Alex and Piper Smith are 29, Joey and Lizzie are 5, Alice and Charlie are 3.

Most people wouldn't think that having twin toddlers is easy, but compared to having two sets of twins under five, it's a breeze.

Since the school is only a few blocks away, Piper and Alex agreed that Lizzie and Joey can walk to school by themselves. Every morning Piper waves goodbye and watches them proudly head to school. They like being big girls!

They're still best friends, even as they're starting to become more different. Joey is more of a tomboy, and she likes cars and trains while Lizzie is more of a girly girly.

Charlie and Alice miss their sisters while they're away at school, but they like having time to themselves. Charlie loves to play with blocks while Alice prefers to draw.

And of course, they get more attention while Joey and Lizzie are off at school. The dogs Jem and Scout love having all of these kids to play with.

During the day it's just Charlie, Alice, and Piper (and Jem and Scout). Alex works in New Athens as a medical researcher, but he tries to get home as early as possible every night to see his family. Even though life is hectic, the Smith family couldn't be happier.

teen angst

2009-12-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

April 2041 - George Gaunt is 62, Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt are 35, Cassiopeia is 12, Bellatrix and Regulus are 9, Sirius is 6.

Cassiopeia is sure that Arcadia is the most boring place ever. She's twelve this year, and in the seventh grade at Arcadia High School, and she still doesn't have anything better to gossip about than her little brother Sirius!

"He's such a baby," she tells her mother.

Her mother just sighs. "You should be nice to your brother," she says automatically. She knows it won't do any good.

"Can you believe she's in high school?" George muses. "It seems like only yesterday she was learning to walk."

"I know," Edward agrees. But he feels bad for his oldest child. He knows how lonely it can be to grow up in Arcadia with no one your own age around. It didn't matter so much when she was younger, but now that she's a teenager she hates living here.

Luckily, Sirius doesn't care what his big sister says about him. He hardly ever plays with his older brother and sisters; he's happy as long as he can spend his time playing the piano.

Bellatrix and Regulus are more interesting, but they aren't that interested in playing with their big sister either. Mostly they like spending time together, even though they don't really have anything in common. Bellatrix is a serious girl who likes playing chess, while Regulus is a sweet boy who loves playing outside with the dogs.

"Regulus! You have to think logically," she scolds him.

Regulus just wants the game to be over soon so they can play in the backyard.

She ends up spending a lot of time with her grandfather playing golf. He teaches her to putt using his old Execuputter. "You're a natural," he tells her. "Golf is an important skill for a businessman to have."

It's Kaylynn's idea that Cassiopeia should start playing a soccer. "You like sports," she says, "and it'll be a good way to meet new people."

"Eww," Cassiopeia complains, "what if I break a nail?"

But there isn't a lot to do in Arcadia, and Cassiopeia is surprised by how much she likes playing soccer, how satisfying it is to beat the defenders and kick a perfect goal. She's always been driven and competitive, and sports turn out to be the perfect outlet for that. Plus the soccer helps her stay in good shape. Between golf and soccer, it's easier to stay entertained, but she still can't wait until she can leave home and go to college.

every boy needs a dog

2009-11-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

February 2041 - John and Abby Smith are 34, Jacob is 7, Elijah is 3.

Jacob starts begging his parents for a dog a little before his seventh birthday.

John and Abby are a little reluctant to get a dog, but they have a hard time saying no to Jacob. He's such a good kid; he gets good grades, and he plays well with his little brother. Plus John's family always had dogs, so he knows how to take care of one.

When they finally decide to get a dog, they want Jacob to be surprised. So one day when John gets home from work, he tells Jacob they have an errand to run.

"Where are we going?" Jacob asks.

"You'll see."

Jacob is thrilled when they get to the pet store. "Oh, she's adorable Dad!" He leans down and pets the little beagle. "Can we get her?"

"Sure. What do you want to name her?"

"Nike," he finally decides. His father's been reading him a lot of stories from Greek mythology. "She's the goddess of victory, and that seems like a good companion for me."

Nike may be adorable, but right away she shows off her mischevious side.

"Get down, Nike!" John yells.

"John, she's just a dog," Abby reminds him. "She's learning."

Less than an hour later, Abby goes into the rec room to find a puddle on the floor. "Bad girl," she scolds Nike.

Plus, Jacob spent the whole evening playing with Nike and forgot about his homework, so he and his father have to get up early the next morning to finish it.

"Just because you have a dog now doesn't mean you can neglect your school work," his father lectures.

"Yes Dad. Thanks for getting me a dog. I love Nike, she's so cute."

"You're welcome Jacob. Nike's a good dog, and I'm glad she's part of the family now."

*****

The minute they got Nike home, she started chewing on the sofa, then ran upstairs to sit on the armchair. Just like a real dog, she can't be counted on to be good for very long.

olympic gym

2009-11-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

November 2040 - Tom Smith is 34, Madison Miller-Kim is 32, Brooklyn Miller-Kim is 8 (Jamie Phillips is 31).

Tom has been a soccer star for a long time, and he decides it's time to move on. He's been thinking about starting a business for a while, and he finally does it.

He buys an old warehouse in New Athens and turns it into a fitness center, Olympic Gym. Membership is only $22 per month, and it covers use of the equipment, the hot tub, and the sauna. They also offer massages for $100. For the most part, Tom handles membership sales while Madison gives the massages.

Right now they offer Swedish massages as well as hot stone massages, which they learned while on vacation at Twikkii Island.

Additionally, Tom offers his services as a personal trainer. People in New Athens seem pretty excited about having a star soccer player giving them workout tips.

Tom's sister Jamie stops by on opening day and buys a membership. "I could use help losing some of this baby weight."

By the time they close the doors on opening day, the gym has had a reasonable stream of customers all day.

"I'm proud of you, babe," Madison tells him. "This place is great."

start of something new

2009-11-24T22:29:00.000-08:00

August 2040 - Whitney Riley is 30, Keiran is 6.

Whitney turns 30 this year, and she can't help but feel discouraged and old. She isn't old, really. Other people her age are just starting out - falling in love, starting families. But Keiran is in first grade now, and every morning when she waves goodbye as he gets on the school bus, a sense of finality overcomes her. It feels like this is the way her life always will be - a single mom, struggling to make ends meet and raise her son, a woman too tired after dealing with work and a kid to think of anything else.

It's not that she isn't happy. Keiran is such a great kid. She bought him a violin, and he plays it for hours ever day. She recently got promoted to a Surveillance Operator, so she works in the afternoons and evenings, and by the time she gets home Keiran has already finished his homework and his playing his violin. It's a good life, working at the CIA and coming home to her son.

But there's definitely room for improvement. Their apartment is in a pretty rough neighborhood, and she worries about raising a child there. There are often fights outside of the building. But in order to afford a better place, she needs to get promoted to agent. So she keeps plugging away at work, and working hard at home to take care of Keiran.

*****

She doesn't have ulterior motives when she invites Thomas Cwik to come over. She met him at the CIA, and they've become friends, meeting for coffee and lunch. But inviting him to her home is something new.

If Thomas is intimidated by the fact that she's a single mom, he doesn't show it. He makes friends with their cat Alegra right away.

And he does his best to make friends with Keiran. "Your mom told me you're a musician," he says.

"Yeah," he says. "I play the violin, but someday I want to learn the guitar, or maybe the bass."

Keiran isn't his father's son for nothing. His father has five girlfriends; it only seems fair that his mother should have a boyfriend.

"You should compliment her," he tells Thomas. "Girls like that."

"I like your apartment," he says. "And your cat is really nice."

Keiran gives him a grin.

"I have to go to bed now. It's past my bedtime."

"Do you want me to tuck you in, baby?" Whitney asks.

"Nope. I can tuck myself into bed." She tucks him in most nights, but he doesn't want to take her away from Thomas. "Night."

"Good night."

Once Keiran is gone, Whitney feels strangely shy. It's been a long time since she was alone with a man.

"So this is my home," she says. "It's nothing special."

"I think it's special. Keiran is a great kid. And you're a great mom."

She doesn't feel old when she's with him. She feels like a carefree college kid again.

And it's a feeling that lingers; even after she prepares Keiran's cereal and watches him board the bus to school, she's still thinking of Thomas.

*****

Just when I start thinking that I should try to find some romance for Whitney, she brings Thomas home from work, and they almost immediately fall in love. Yay for Whitney!

unexpected results of election day

2009-11-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

March 2040 - Phoebe Bui is 30, Adrian Bui is 28.

Phoebe gives up her seat in Congress to run for the Senate, and she wins!

But Election Day brings more changes than just a new job.

Phoebe and Adrian weren't planning to have a baby, but they're both very excited about it.

With twins on the way, their one bedroom apartment won't cut it. They don't have enough money for a house yet, so they rent a larger apartment in the same building.

Adrian takes care of the paperwork while Phoebe heads inside to pee. She has to pee all the time now!

Adrian's always been ambitious, but now he's even more motivated at work. He's hoping to get a raise soon so they can afford to move out of the apartment.

"It's not that I don't like writing the horoscope column," he tells his editor, Ellie Cornwall, "but I'd love to move onto a different assignment, maybe write more serious stories."

Phoebe goes into labor one morning while Adrian is at work. It's two weeks before her due date, and she's terrified without him, but somehow she manages.

She gives birth to a girl and a boy. They name them Diana and Lucas. Both of the twins have brown hair and brown eyes like their father. Even though they hadn't been planning to have children yet, they're very happy with their little family.

*****

Seriously, what is up with all of these twins? Most of the families who have had twins have the Fertility Aspiration Bonus, but neither of them are Family Sims. I almost stopped the pregnancy and restarted it so they would just have one, but I decided my neighborhood needs as many playable Sims who aren't related to anyone else. (Piper and Alex's kids have 14 cousins!) But this is getting ridiculous. This generation has had 8 sets of twins out of 26 kids. I've been wondering if I can adjust something so I don't have quite so many twins.

the happiest guy in the world

2009-11-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

May 2039 - James and Anne Smith are 58, Pierce Phillips is 30, Jamie Phillips is 29, J.P. and Jodie are 6, Parker is 3.

Pierce is pretty sure that his father-in-law is the happiest person he's ever met.

"What's your secret?" Pierce asks him.

"There's no secret. I've spent my life married to my college sweetheart doing what I love to do and raising four wonderful children. What more could I have wanted out of life?"

Pierce has been thinking about this a lot ever since Jamie told him she was pregnant again. They'd been halfway trying for a fourth child, but it still took him by surprise. Parker is potty-trained now, but in a few months they'll have another diaper to change.

That's not to say that he has any regrets; he doesn't. J.P. and Jodie are 6 this year, and they've grown into such interesting, spirited kids. J.P. is active and athletic, just like him. Jodie loves science, and she can spend hours watching her ant farm.

Between taking care of a toddler and getting ready for a new baby, Jamie and Pierce are pretty busy, but Jodie and J.P. don't mind. They're pretty self-sufficient kids, and they can always entertain each other.

For their sixth birthday, their parents got them a video game system, and the twins have been hooked ever since.

"Ha, got you!" Jodie yells.

Jamie and Pierce have been trying to spend extra time with Parker before the baby comes. They're worried about some sibling rivalry, but so far he's excited about being a big brother.

It helps that Parker has two parents and two grandparents to spoil him rotten.

"Are you sure you're ready to do this all over again?" Jamie asks Pierce one night.

He grins and rubs her belly. He never stops being fascinated by the fact that she's growing a person inside of her. "Hey there kiddo," he says. "It's Daddy. You'll get to meet me soon, plus your big brothers and sister." He wraps his arms around her and gives Jamie a kiss. "Definitely," he says.

*****

Even after two pregnancies, Pierce is very freaked out by childbirth.

"Oh my god, are you okay babe?" he asks.

Jamie just ignores the question.

Their son is born a few hours before dawn. They name him Peter. He has his mother's blue eyes and his father's dark hair.

"He's perfect," Jamie says.

"Does this mean you still want ten kids?" Pierce teases. "Because we're not even halfway there yet."

She laughs. "I think four is plenty for now."

Everyone is excited about the new baby, especially Parker. "Can the baby play army men with me?" he asks his dad.

"Uh, not yet kiddo," he says. "But once he gets bigger you two can play all the time."

cute little alien babies

2009-11-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

March 2039 - Rachel Cooper and Genesis McCullough are 30, Zoey McCullough is 4.

It's an exciting year for the McCullough family. Little Zoey will be starting kindergarten next year, and Genesis is pregnant again with twins.

They moved back to Arcadia shortly before Zoey's birth so they could raise their daughter away from the city. Since their apartment came with a big yard, they were able to adopt Rachel's childhood dog Lulu from her parents.

Rachel and Genesis talked a lot about how to have another child. After Zoey was born, they learned that Dr. Technician had used alien DNA to create their daughter. It's still considered an experimental technique, and they worry about how Zoey will be treated by other people, but they finally decide to go back to him. Since they have one half-alien child, they decide they should give her siblings with the same genetic heritage.

*****

Zoey's birthday party is small, just her and her parents. She doesn't really know any other kids her age, even though she has eight cousins thanks to the Cooper family's tendency towards twins. Even though Rachel works for the family business, she isn't close to her brother or sister.

Zoey can't wait to be a big sister. She loves to talk to the babies inside her mother's stomach. "Hi babies!" she says. "I can't wait to meet you."

The twins are a girl and a boy, Mary and Adam. Genesis and Rachel are so happy with their growing family (even if their kids are a bit unusual looking).

first day of school

2009-11-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

September 2038 - Jack Cooper is 59, Jillian Cooper is 56, Jackson and Rose Cooper are 32, Darien and Trip Cooper are 8, Hadley and Christopher Cooper are 5 (Jacob Smith is 5).

Rose can't help but tear up when Hadley and Christopher get on the school bus for their first day of kindergarten.

At school Christopher and Hadley meet Jacob Smith, and he invites them over to his house. Jacob loves science as much as Christopher, and they have a lot of fun looking at Jacob's astronomy books. But Hadley is bored by her geeky little brother and his equally geeky friend.

"Did you have a good time?" Rose asks when she picks them up.

"Yeah!" Christopher says. "Jacob has lots of books and posters about space."

"I don't want to go over there again," Hadley pouts. "It's boring."

"Well next time Christopher can go to Jacob's house, and you can stay home," Rose says.

"I can?" Hadley asks.

"Of course baby."

They're both quiet while they ponder this. They've always stuck together more than Darien and Trip ever did, and the idea of doing something separate puzzles them. Rose wonders if it's because of their personalities, or because they're the youngest. Regardless, it'll be good for them to branch out and follow their own, separate interests.

When they get home, Hadley goes to play with Darien. Christopher starts on his homework right away; after dinner he goes outside to look through the telescope.

"Come on, kiddo," Jackson calls from the backdoor. "It's past your bedtime. The stars will be out tomorrow night."

*****

Mornings at the Cooper house are always barely controlled chaos.

Jackson isn't sure how he and Rose ended up with such a smart little scientist. Christopher's only five, and he's already started playing chess. They play every morning before school.

Trip, on the other hand, isn't nearly as responsible as his little brother. He's smart, but most mornings he's still finishing his homework.

"I can help him," Jack offers. "You and Christopher shouldn't miss your game."

"Thanks Dad." Jack wasn't a very involved father when Jackson was growing up, but he tries to spend time with his grandkids.

Luckily, Darien and Hadley can entertain each other before school. Even though they're three years apart, they're best friends. Darien is very patient and sweet, and Hadley worships her big sister.

Once the kids are all at school, the house is almost unnaturally quiet. Jillian has been using the opportunity to focus on the garden, and she recently joined the Garden Club.

"Your garden is still a little sparse," Tiffany Zarubin points out. "You'll need to expand it quite a bit if you want to win recognition from the Garden Club."

"Of course," Jillian agrees. Her life so far has been all about her family; she's been so focused on being a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, it's been a long time since she's focused on herself. But with all four grandchildren in school and her daughter-in-law managing the house, she finally has time to pursue her own interests and hobbies. "I'm planning to add a rose garden next spring."

"That sounds lovely," Tiffany says. "I think you're going to be an excellent addition to the Garden Club."

even more twins

2009-11-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

May 2038 - Alex and Piper Smith are 26, Joey and Lizzie Smith are 2, Alice and Charlie Smith are 9 months.

Piper has heard her sister-in-law Rose complain about the Cooper's tendancy to have twins, but she doesn't really understand her exhaustion until she and Alex have a second set of twins.

This time it's a girl and a boy, Alice and Charlie. Alice has the same dark blue eyes as her sisters and father, but Charlie has brown eyes like Grandma Anne.

Alex loves his daughters very much, but he's also glad to have a son.

Luckily, Joey and Lizzie are sweet, easy toddlers, and they're happy to spend hours playing at their play table. Joey loves playing with blocks while Lizzie prefers to draw.

With four children, Piper and Alex are always busy and tired, but they do their best. It isn't easy taking care of four babies, but every time she looks into their little faces she knows it's worth it.

moving up, moving on

2009-11-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

March 2038 - Justus Lim and Pierce Phillips are 30, Phoebe Dai Bui is 29.

Justus and Pierce don't see each other very often, but one day out of the blue Justus calls and asks him to come over. "I need to talk to you," Justus says. "It's important."

They haven't seen each other in a couple of years, but they're still friends, and Pierce can't let him down. "I'll come by before work," he says.

"How are you doing man?" Pierce asks.

"Good, how about you?"

"I'm good. Things are pretty busy with the kids and school, but they're good." Pierce pauses, then adds, "I haven't seen you in a while. I heard you had a rough time after you and Phoebe broke up."

Justus just shrugs. "Yeah I guess." It's a small town, and he knows Pierce has heard about everything - the heavy drinking, the loud arguments with strangers, and passing out in his old apartment building. But all that's behind him, or at least it will be soon.

"You know, Phoebe's in congress now," he says.

"I know, I voted for her on Election Day."

Justus shrugs. "I forgot to vote. But I read about it in the paper the next day. I can't believe it; well I guess I can, actually. She always had a lot of ambition. And she's married now, to that columnist at the paper, Adrian Bui."

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Pierce interrupts. "You didn't want to just talk about your ex."

"Well, all of this made me realize I need to get out of town," Justus says. "I need a fresh start. That's why I asked you to come by."

"You're leaving New Athens?" Pierce asks incredulously. "Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know, man. I'm going to go see the world. It's time to get out of here, away from ex-girlfriends. I only went to college nearby to be with Madison, and then I moved to New Athens to be near Phoebe. Now they've both moved on and I'm still hanging around doing nothing." Pierce starts to protest, but Justus cuts him off. "I never planned to stick around here. I need to get out of here and start my own life."

Pierce wants to protest, but he knows he's right. "Good luck man," he finally says.

*****

I got tired of playing Justus, so I decided it was time for him to move away. He wasn't very interesting; all he ever wanted to do was skip work and juggle bottles. Bye Justus!

struggles of a single mom

2009-11-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

October 2037 - Phoebe Dai is 28, Whitney Riley is 27, Keiran Riley is 3 (Justus Lim is 29, Abhijeet Turner is 28).

Abhijeet calls once a week to see how they're doing. Whitney appreciates it, but she never knows what to say. "Our son is the most amazing kid in the world." "Childcare costs a fortune, and even with daycare I've used up all of my sick days for this year." "Sometimes I think my life was empty without him, and other days I wish you were the one getting up in the middle of the night every night with a cranky toddler." Usually she sticks with "We're fine."

She calls Phoebe early one morning. "Can we talk?"

Phoebe's running out the door to work, but she promises to come by that afternoon.

They haven't talked in a few months, but Whitney still considers Phoebe one of her closest friends. They met when they lived in the Warehouse Apartments with their college boyfriends; even though their lives have gone in very different directions, they'll always be best friends.

"It's so good to see you," Phoebe says.

"You too." Whitney's about to say more, but Keiran comes to the door.

"Mommy, juice!" he cries.

"Sorry, just a second." She gets a bottle from the fridge. "Baby, this is Mommy's friend Phoebe. Can you say hi?"

He doesn't say anything, just smiles shyly and drinks his juice.

"Congratulations by the way," Whitney tells Phoebe. "I hear you're doing great things in the State Assembly."

Phoebe shrugs and smiles. "Thanks. I love working in politics. But that's nothing compared to you. I'm so proud of you, raising Keiran on your own."

"That reminds me," Whitney says, "Justus lives here on the first floor. I've heard he's been having lots of problems - skipping work, going to the Warehouse drunk and passing out in the common room."

Phoebe rolls her eyes and sighs. "That boy will never grow up."

Phoebe and Whitney play chess while Keiran plays with his xylophone.

"He's really good," Phoebe says.

She smiles sadly. "He's already asking when he can have a piano. How can I get a piano into this tiny apartment, let alone pay for it?"

"Hey, don't worry about that," Phoebe says, patting her hand. "You'll figure those things out as they come. Right now you have an adorable toddler who loves music. Just enjoy that."

Whitney is still thinking about what Phoebe said hours after she leaves. Keiran is such a sweet, easy child. Every night when they sing a nursery rhyme together, his whole face lights up.

"Yeah baby," she says to him, "we're doing just fine."

*****

I didn't plan to mention Abhijeet in this update, but every time I play Whitney or Abhijeet, the other one calls early in the morning. I imagine that they're calling so Abhijeet can stay in touch with his son.

Also, Justus really has been hanging out at the Warehouse until he passes out. I'm not sure how to get him to leave. I imagine that he's in a downward spiral because of his breakup with Phoebe. I'm not sure what to do with him now; he might move away or he might just hover in the background.

wanderlust

2009-11-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

August 2037 - Martin Miller and Miranda Kim are 57, Tom Smith is 31, Madison Miller-Kim is 29, Brooklyn Miller-Kim is 5.

Now that they have a daughter starting school, Madison and Tom decide it's time to buy a real house.

They move just a few blocks into a townhouse next to her parents. It's great having them so close; Tom and Madison regularly ask them to baby-sit for Brooklyn while they're working. Madison is at the top of the dance world, just like she's always wanted. But the long rehearsals and performances are starting to take their toll, both emotionally and physically. She's 29, which is old for a ballet dancer; she's been talking about quitting ballet and moving on to an acting career. She's committed for the rest of the season, though.

"I really appreciate your watching her," she tells her dad.

"Don't mention it," he assures her. "Miranda and I love spending time with our only grandchild."

Miranda is already telling Brooklyn all about their trips to Takemizu Village. Madison waves goodbye, but Brooklyn barely notices.

"I want to go to Takemizu Village," she tells her grandmother.

"Someday you will," Miranda assures her.

*****

Brooklyn is very excited about starting school.

"Will I make lots of friends?" she asks.

"I'm sure you will," her mother says. "Your cousins are in kindergarten too, and so is Morgan Cornwall. She lives just a few blocks away."

"Did you ever think our lives would end up this way?" Madison asks Tom later that night.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we always talked about traveling the world," she reminds him. "We haven't taken a trip since we went to Twikkii Island for New Year's. That was almost six years ago."

"We were young then. Now we have Brooklyn."

"That's what I mean. We never really planned to have kids. We wanted to travel the world. Now our biggest concern is getting our daughter ready for her first day of kindergarten."

"We'll get back to Twikkii Island," he assures her, "and anywhere else you want to go. It'll be easier to travel once she's older. We'll still see the world, we'll just see it with our daughter."

*****

Outtake: I couldn't fit this into the story, but it was just too funny not to include.

Brooklyn: Daddy, why are woman always sighing when they see you?

Madison: Because Daddy is a ladies man, sweetie!

young scientist

2009-11-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

February 2037 - John and Abby Smith are 30, Jacob Smith is 3.

John and Abby are expecting their second child, and they've been trying to give Jacob extra attention before the baby comes.

Most of the time, Jacob is happy to spend time alone playing with his logic block. He's such a serious, focused toddler.

He's only three, but he already loves science. Neither of his parents know much about science, but they've bought him lots of books about astronomy, and he loves to look at the pictures with them.

He doesn't seem that interested in the new baby, just vaguely curious. He pats his mother's stomach and looks perplexed that there's a child growing inside.

"Can I play with the baby?"

"Not right away," his mother says, "but once he's older you can play with him."

Jacob just goes back to playing with the logic block.

The baby is born in August. It's another boy. They name him Elijah. He has brown hair like his parents, but he has Grandpa James' blue eyes.

*****

Even though Jacob is only a toddler, he's already gotten an invitation to Aspirational Laboratories! I'm already planning for him to pursue a career in either Science or Medicine.

brothers and sisters

2009-11-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

November 2036 - Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt are 31, Cassiopeia Gaunt is 8, Bellatrix and Regulus Gaunt are 5, and Sirius Gaunt is 2.

Regulus and Bellatrix are in kindergarten this year, but Cassiopeia isn't very interested in talking to her little brother.

"I like recess," he says. "It's my favorite part of the day."

"Recess is for babies," Cassiopeia scoffs.

She has more in common with Bellatrix. They're both serious girls with a tendency to be a little grouchy. And neither of them like their little brother Sirius yet.

"He's just a baby," Cassiopeia says. "He's so boring. He can't do anything fun yet."

Even though Bellatrix isn't a very nice little girl, she's very close to her twin brother. Regulus is a little intimidated by both of his sisters, but Bellatrix sticks up for him when Cassiopeia picks on him.

With three of the kids in school, Kaylynn can spend more time with Sirius. Edward was ambivalent about having a fourth child, but she always wanted a big family. Both of them agree that four children is plenty, so Kaylynn is trying to spend as much time with her baby as possible before he grows up and heads to school too.

double double

2009-10-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

June 2036 - Jack Cooper is 56, Jillian Cooper is 53, Jackson and Rose Cooper are 29, Darien and Trip Cooper are 5, Hadley and Christopher Cooper are 2.

There's never a quiet day in the Cooper house, but things are less hectic now that Darien and Trip are 5.

"We're big kids now," Darien tells her brother. "We have to help Mommy and Grandma look after the little kids."

Darien and Hadley both love playing with blocks, and Darien's good about letting Hadley play with her.

Trip is more of a loner. He prefers to spend time fishing or playing with the dog Pepper to playing with his little brother or sisters.

With Trip and Darien in school, Rose has more time to spend with Hadley and Christopher.

Trip is an indifferent student, but Darien loves school and studying. Jack likes helping her with her homework, the same way he used to help Rachel when she was little.

Rose always makes sure they have dinner together as a family. Jillian's been teaching her to bake.

"Yum!" Darien says. "The pie is really good."

Trip nods. He doesn't talk as much as his sister, so he always finishes his dinner twice as fast.

"Thanks sweetie," Rose smiles. She loves being a mother to these kids. It was so overwhelming when they were toddlers - endless bottles and diapers - but as they're getting older being a mother keeps getting more and more rewarding.

*****

I haven't updated the Coopers in almost five Sim years because it's so hard playing that many kids. Now that Trip and Darien are children, the Cooper house is a lot less hectic, so I'm planning to do more frequent updates.

my wandering days are over

2009-10-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

November 2035 - Abhijeet Turner is 26, Whitney Riley is 25, Keiran Riley is 1.

Abhijeet never thought he'd be a father. His own parents weren't really family people. They traveled all over the world with him in tow. Other people think it sounds romantic and fun, but he was thrilled when he started college and finally got to stay in the same place for a while. He was ready to set down roots in New Athens, put away his suitcase for a while, although he never gave much thought to settling down. But he's a father now, and that means he has new responsibilities.

"I'm going into business," he tells Whitney. "I'm opening a gallery."

She's always been skeptical about his plan to make a living through his art, but she's very supportive of this new venture. "That's a great idea," she replies. "Your pottery is wonderful, I'm sure there'll be lots of interest."

It's a little awkward for both of them to talk about this. They've argued so many times about this stuff - money versus art, responsibility and freedom. They didn't break up on very good terms, but since they have a kid together, they've both been trying to get along. They still love each other, but they both know they aren't a good couple.

"So where's the gallery?"

"Just a few blocks from the Warehouse. It's part of the new commercial area."

"Cool. I can't wait to see it." She's quiet for a while, then she adds, "I'm really proud of you Abhijeet."

"Thanks," he replies, "I'm pretty proud of me too."

*****

He opens the gallery in the middle of November, just in time to catch the Christmas shopping season.

He never saw himself as a businessman, but he likes running the gallery more than he would have expected. He likes seeing people buy his work, and he has a knack for sales.

Of course money isn't the only perk to running an art gallery. He may be a father now, but he has no intention of completely settling down.

*****

Whitney lives in Backdoor Apartments. It's only a block away from the Warehouse, but instead of being overpriced and trendy, Backdoor Apartments is a little rundown and shabby. He knows better than to offer any extra financial help, though. Whitney's always been independent, determined to do things herself.

He hardly ever sees his son, and he's still pretty uncomfortable around him.

"He's bigger," he notes.

"Yeah, babies grow," she replies, rolling her eyes.

He crouches down and waves. "Hey little guy, it's your dad."

"Do you want to hold him?" Whitney asks.

"Um, I don't know..."

"You won't hurt him," she assures him. "Here."

She goes into the living room, leaving Abhijeet alone with his son. He jiggles the baby a little nervously. He's a lot bigger than the last time he saw him, and his face isn't as round and soft. He can pick out his own features in his son's face. It makes him think of his own father, who he hasn't seen in more than 8 years. He can't even call his father; the last time he got a postcard was 2 years ago right before his father headed to an ashram in India.

"I know I'm not around very much," he tells his son, "but I'll try to do better. I don't want you to grow up not knowing me. I promise I'll stick around."

*****

I recently bought Open for Business, and Abhijeet's gallery is the first business I've made. I'm glad the other characters in the game will be able to buy some of his pottery; it looks really good, and his apartment was getting ridiculously crowded with pots.

single girl in the city

2009-10-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

September 2035 - Phoebe Dai is 26.

It's been more than a year since Phoebe and Justus broke up, and she decides it's time for a change.

Since their relationship ended, she's been living in a luxury apartment building in Arcadia, but she decides to head back to New Athens to go shopping. The city is undergoing a renaissance, and a new high-end clothing store recently opened.

The change isn't just the new clothes she buys; she has a date for the first time since she and Justus broke up. His name is Adrian Bui. They're just getting to know each other, but they both feel an incredible spark between them.

She's never been much of a cook, so she serves them mac and cheese.

They're both interested in a lot more than dinner.

He doesn't spend the night; she isn't ready for that. It's been a year and a half since her engagement ended, long enough that her love for Justus has faded, but not long enough that she's prepared to fall in love again.

"I understand," he says as he kisses her good night. "I'll call you."

She smiles. "I'll be looking forward to it."

Arcadia Schools

2009-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm going to use this page to keep track of the students in Arcadia and New Athens. Right now there aren't enough people to warrant two schools, so they'll all go to school in Arcadia.

School Enrollment
School Year: 2042/2043

Arcadia Elementary School
K: Alice Smith, Charlie Smith, Elijah Smith
1:
2: Parker Phillips, Joey Smith, Lizzie Smith
3: Sirius Gaunt, Zoey McCullough, Keiran Riley
4: Christopher Cooper, Hadley Cooper, Jacob Smith
5: Morgan Cornwall, Brooklyn Miller-Kim, J.P. Phillips, Jodie Phillips
6: Bellatrix Gaunt, Regulus Gaunt

Arcadia High School

7: Darien Cooper, Trip Cooper

8:
9: Cassiopeia Gaunt
10:
11:
12:

Arcadia School Employees
Minister of Education: Dr. Anne Smith
Elementary School: Pierce Phillips

the Smith zoo

2009-10-19T04:38:00.001-07:00

June 2035 - Pierce Phillips is 26, Jamie Phillips is 25, J.P. and Jodie are 2.

Parenting twins isn't easy, but it's even more challenging now that J.P. and Jodie are rambuctious toddlers.

J.P. and Jodie are very close. (I love it when they huggle. I think it's the cutest Sim interaction.)

On top of having twin toddlers, Jamie is also expecting another baby. She and Pierce worry about how the twins will deal with having a younger sibling, but they don't even notice she's pregnant.

With another baby on the way, Pierce decides it's time for him to quit his soccer career and get a more stable job. With the most recent baby boom heading to kindergarten in the next few years, the elementary school is eager to find new teachers. Pierce was never an exemplary student, but he loves kids, and he has a lot of fun teaching.

The baby is born at the end of September. It's another boy; they name him Parker. He has his father's brown eyes, but his hair is lighter like his mother's.

*****

Lately I've only been updating when my Sims have babies. It's really due to two reasons. First, my neighborhood is going through a substantial baby boom since the first generation's kids are now adults. Second, I have a hard time writing stories for families with lots of toddlers, like the Gaunts and the Coopers. I've updated the Gaunts' family picture to show that Cassiopeia grew up to a child, but I haven't been able to take many more pictures while playing them. I haven't taken any pictures of the Coopers in several rounds because their house is just too hectic; Rose wanted another baby after the twins, but they ended up with another set of twins, another boy and girl. Their names are Christopher and Hadley, and they're really cute, but it's just too hard taking care of two toddlers and two babies to also take pictures. Hopefully in a few rounds things will get less hectic as the toddlers grow up to children.

twin-prone

2009-10-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

November 2034 - Alex and Piper Smith are 23.

Alex's life has unfolded so perfectly according to plan, sometimes he's tempted to pinch himself to make sure it isn't all a dream. At 23 he's a doctor at New Athens Hospital, just like he always dreamed of being. Since graduation, he and Piper have been living in Arcadia; they're just around the corner from his parents, and a block away from John and Abby. The house is small, but they have a big yard, and they adopt Jem and Scout from his parents.

Piper gets pregnant a little after their first wedding anniversary. She's been taking a break from writing during her pregnancy.

They're both really excited about being parents. Both of their families are prone to twins, so they aren't surprised when the OB tells them they're going to have twins.

The twins are born in April, both girls. They name them Josephine and Elizabeth after Piper's favorite literary heroines. They both have brown hair and dark blue eyes like their father.

single mom

2009-10-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

August 2034 - Whitney Riley is 24, Keiran is 1 month (Abhijeet Turner is 25).

Whitney fell in love with Abhijeet in college, and after college she moves in with him. But their relationship is a lot harder now that they've graduated.

"We're not in college anymore!" Whitney tells him. "You need to grow up."

They were both art majors in college, but Whitney gets a job as a CSI while Abhijeet struggles to make a living as an artist.

"Art is not a grown up job," she says.

"I'm an artist, Whitney," he counters. "You used to be too. I'm not going to sell out just to make more money."

They break up less than a year after she moved in, and she gets her own apartment in New Athens. She's always been logical, focused, and well-planned. But she isn't expecting that she is already expecting Abhijeet's baby.

She gives birth to a boy who she names Keiran. He has his father's dark hair but her green eyes. She isn't sure how she can raise a child on her own, but she knows she has to do whatever she can for him.

in search of a ninja

2009-10-18T00:38:00.000-07:00

May 2034 - Martin Miller and Miranda Kim are 53.

Since Madison is grown and living on her own, Martin and Miranda have been taking advantage of their empty house by taking frequent trips to Takemizu Village.

They bought a vacation home in Takemizu Village after their first vacation there.

This trip runs into the beginning of the rainy season, which means there are fewer tourists. Martin and Miranda have traveled so frequently since they bought the house that Takemizu Village feels like a second home.

They go back to visit the wise old man who taught them the Tale of the Dragon. He's a very nice man, and they love to hear his stories about the history of the village.

And Miranda finally finds the ninja and convinces him to teach her teleportation. She and Martin have been searching for him since their first trip (their daughter Madison learned on her first trip out of the hotel).

*****

Madison really did learn to teleport on her first trip to a community lot. Since then, I've had Martin and Miranda visit as many community lots as possible, but they haven't had any luck finding the ninja and getting him to teach them. Now that Miranda has learned, I can focus on getting Martin to learn how to teleport.

not a con man, a con artist

2009-10-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

January 2034 - Justus Lim is 25, Phoebe Dai is 24 (Whitney Riley is 23).

Justus and Phoebe got engaged in college, but after college their relationship hits a snag due to their incompatible careers.

"You're going to get arrested!" Phoebe yells at Justus. "You deserve to get arrested. You're a con man!"

"Con artist," Justus corrects.

They live in the Warehouse Apartments in New Athens, and Phoebe finds sympathy in their next door neighbor, Whitney Riley.

"He doesn't give any thought as to how this affects my career," she complains. "How can I run for office if my fiance is a petty criminal?"

"They just won't grow up," Whitney sighs. "I really love my job as a CSI, but Abhijeet just tells me that I've sold out and that he's real artist."

When Phoebe gets elected to the State Assembly, she decides she's had enough and dumps him. Justus isn't too happy about it.

Neither of them stay at the Warehouse. Phoebe moves to a luxury apartment complex in Arcadia, and since Justus can't afford the Warehouse alone, he ends up moving to a cheaper building a few blocks away.

He misses Phoebe, but there are advantages to being a young bachelor. Plus now he can focus on his work. She might scoff at his aspirations, but he's determined to become a criminal mastermind.

*****

I sent Justus to college because of his relationship with Madison. (Abhijeet, Whitney's boyfriend, got sent to college for the same reason; he's the boy she met at Takemizo Village, and Jamie met him at Three Lakes.) Justus wanted to get engaged to Phoebe, but they have pretty low chemistry (just one bolt), and neither of them wanted to get married. Their incompatible careers were the last straw; he wants to be a Criminal Mastermind, and she wants to be Mayor. Now hopefully they'll find more suitable significant others.

moving up in the world

2009-10-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

November 2033 - Rachel Cooper and Genesis McCullough are 25.

Genesis is painting a portrait of Jillian and Jack's wedding. When they got married they didn't have enough money to have a wedding portrait painted. All they have is a photograph, which Genesis borrowed a few months ago to paint this portrait.

"It's really nice of you to do this. My mom really appreciates it," Rachel says.

"Well I want to get on her good side," Genesis says.

"She doesn't hate you..."

"No, but she'd be happier if I were a man. This is a sorry-I'm-your-daughter's-lesbian-lover-instead-of-her-husband present."

But despite Genesis' worries, Jillian loves her daughter and her daughter's wife. And she loves the portrait. "It's beautiful! I'm going to hang it up right away. Thank you so much darling."

*****

Rachel gets a big promotion, and she and Genesis decide to move out of their apartment in New Athens to an apartment in Arcadia. The promotion isn't the only reason for the move; they've decided that they want a baby, and that means they need a bigger apartment and a yard.

But before the baby, they decide to take a vacation to Three Lakes to celebrate.

Neither of them are very interested in hiking or roughing it.

After three years of working 60 hour weeks at the law firm, Rachel desperately needs some relaxation.

They even meet Bigfoot and learn the slap dance!

*****

Once they get back from Three Lakes, they start trying to have a baby. They talked about adoption, but Genesis wants to have a biological child.

"I've heard good things about a doctor in Drake," she says. "Dr. Technician, I think."

"Dr. Technician?" Rachel asks skeptically.

"That's what his card says, Dr. P. Technician. He's supposed to be the best fertility doctor in the state." She pauses, then adds, "Apparently he uses some unorthodoxed methods, but he promises results."

Their daughter is born just after midnight. They name her Zoey. She's beautiful, but there is something unusual about her.

*****

They both really wanted to adopt a child, but I was looking for a way to include aliens in my neighborhood. Since all half-alien babies end up with a parent named Pollination Technician, I decided that via fertility treatments (read: the Sim Blender), Genesis would be impregnated with an alien baby. I called the fertility clinic's location Drake after Dr. Frank Drake, who came up with an equation to estimate the probability of contacting extraterrestrial life.

another Smith grandbaby

2009-10-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

September 2033 - John and Abby Smith are 27.

Tom and Jamie both already have kids when John and Abby decide they want to start a family. They've been married for five years, and both of their careers are going well - Abby has taken over the architecture firm, and John is known as one of the best lawyers in the area.

Their first child is a son who they name Jacob. He has brown hair and brown eyes like both of his parents.

family man

2009-10-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

April 2033 - Arthur Cornwall is 54, Richie Gaunt and Ellie Cornwall are 25, Morgan Cornwall is 6 months.

Richie never thought he'd be a family man. His own family was so confusing - his parents divorced, then started dating each other. He knows they love each other, but they couldn't make marriage work. He loves Ellie, he has for as long as he can remember, but he wonders if their marriage will work any better than his parents did.

He is scared when he proposes, but once they are married, he knows it's right.

After graduation they move in with her father. They live in the townhouse Arthur and Rowena bought after they graduated, and they sleep in Ellie's childhood bedroom on the third floor.

They weren't expecting to have a baby so soon, but their daughter Morgan is born when they're only 25. She has her mother's blue eyes and her father's dark hair. They had been planning to wait a few more years before having children so they could focus on their careers, but they're suprisingly adept at balancing the two.

Richard works for the CIA, which takes him away a lot, but Ellie is able to do a lot of her writing at home. She's working on a new mystery novel, and she also works as a magazine editor.

Of course it helps that they live with Arthur. He's the director of Arcadia Laboratories, but his hours are flexible enough that he can stay home with Morgan when they need him. Plus, although Ellie once rolled her eyes at her father's practicing magic, she's learned that having a warlock in the family is very useful.

Before, he'd always been focused on success and career. In college all he wanted was to learn everything. But now when he looks at his daughter, he knows the most important thing is his family.

childhood sweethearts

2009-10-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

Fall Semester 2032 - Alex Smith and Piper Cooper are 21.

Alex and Piper move out of the dorm into a house for their senior year.

They've been best friends since kindergarten, and they've been dating since ninth grade. They've been engaged since freshman year when Alex proposed one morning in the dorm cafeteria.

Alex has wanted to be a doctor since he was a kid, and he's almost there. He's majoring in biology, and he has a perfect 4.0. Next year he'll be a doctor at New Athens Hospital.

As for Piper, her adult life has already started. Ever since kindergarten, all she's wanted is to be a writer, and she's already written four books - two novels and two children's books.

She's also been perfecting her cooking skills. She enters her mother's chicken soup recipe in a cooking contest...

...and she wins!

In only a few months she and Alex will be living in their own house in Arcadia as husband and wife. It's the end of their childhood, but they're both excited about what's coming next.

an unexpected arrival

2009-10-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

October 2032 - Tom Smith is 26, Madison Miller-Kim is 24.

Madison and Tom came back from Twikkii Island refreshed, relaxed... and with an unplanned pregnancy.

"I don't think it'll be that hard," Tom tells Abhijeet. "You just feed them and play with them and stuff."

With a baby on the way, Tom and Madison move out of their studio apartment into a larger two bedroom in the same building.

Their daughter is born at the end of October. She looks like her mother, but with her father's brown hair. They name her Brooklyn Miller-Kim. "There are already lots of Smiths in this town," Madison points out. "I want her to have a unique name."

That's fine with Tom. He's never felt obliged to carry on the family name, although maybe he would if he didn't have two brothers. "Whatever you want, babe. You're the one who was pregnant."

"Aww thanks babe." She grins at him. "Does that mean you'll take the 2 AM feeding tonight?"

and another set of twins!

2009-10-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

May 2032 - James and Anne Smith are 51, Pierce Phillips is 23, Jamie Smith Phillips is 22.

Jamie's pregnancy fascinates Pierce. "You're huge," he says. "You're growing people in there!"

They've only been married for 10 months when the twins are born, a boy and a girl. They name the boy James after her father, but they call him J.P., and they name the girl Jodie.

Jamie and Pierce agree they've never seen more beautiful babies. Jodie has her father's black hair and brown eyes, while J.P. has brown hair and blue eyes like his mother and grandfather.

Anne and James were surprised when Jamie got married so young, and they're even more surprised when her first children are born less than a year later. Jamie's a mother, and she isn't even 23 yet. But James and Anne are also excited about having grandchildren. Plus Jamie and Pierce are living with them, so they can help with the babies while Jamie and Pierce get their careers going. Jamie joined the police department, and Pierce is a soccer player with Tom.

"Can you believe we're grandparents?" Anne sighs to James. After all of these years, she's tucking twins into bed in John and Tom's old bedroom.

"We'll have another one soon," James reminds her. Tom and Madison recently surprised both of their families by announcing that they were having a baby.

"Our son is having a baby with Martin and Miranda's daughter," she laughs. "Who would have guessed it back when we were eating pizza and playing kicky bag in our dorm."

a tropical New Year's

2009-10-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

January 2032 - Tom Smith is 25, Madison Miller-Kim is 23.

Tom and Madison split Thanksgiving and Christmas with their families, so she suggests they spend New Year's alone at Twikkii Island.

They have a lot to celebrate; Tom has been inducted in the Soccer Hall of Fame, and Madison's dance career is a huge success. She teaches classes in ballroom dance, but she's also pursuing a career as a ballet dancer.

They spend most of the trip relaxing.

Madison learns a hot stone massage...

...as well as hula dancing and fire dancing.

Their hotel has a private beach, and they spend most afternoons lying in the sun and playing in the sand. After a few days Tom gets a pretty good tan.

One afternoon he drags Madison off to explore an old pirate ship. Madison doesn't find it particularly interesting, but Tom spends hours playing on the deck and searching the captain's cabin. He even finds a gold doubloon.

Mostly the trip just gives them the chance to rekindle their romance. They've been living together since Madison graduated from college, and even though they don't plan on getting married, after more than a year together their relationship is pretty settled. They love each other, they always have and they always will, but sometimes both of them feel a little claustrophobic. They aren't relationship people. But alone on a tropical island together, the rest of the world slips away and all they want is each other.

it's not every day you see Jamie in a dress

2009-09-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

August 2031 - James and Anne Smith are 51, Pierce Phillips is 23, Jamie Smith is 22.

James isn't quite ready for his little girl to become a married woman.

"It seems like just yesterday she was toddling through the garden chasing butterflies. She's only 22," he sighs. "She's too young to get married."

"We got married when we were 22," Anne reminds him.

Jamie moved home after college, and she gets dressed for her wedding in her childhood bedroom. She's never been a girly girl, but she loves the way she looks in her wedding gown.

Even in a wedding dress, Jamie is still the same nature-loving hippie. She and her father have been taking care of a stray dog who's been coming by their house lately.

Jamie's always loved the garden, and she couldn't think of a better place to get married. Even the dogs attend the ceremony.

"Congratulations, baby," her mother says as they embrace.

Anne spent three days working on the cake, and it's beautiful. At Jamie's request, it's decorated with flower petals.

It's true they aren't losing a daughter so much as gaining a son. Jamie and Pierce will be living with them, and they want to get started on the baby making right away.

"I've always wanted a lot of kids," Pierce says.

"How many is a lot?" Anne wonders. She had four, and that was as many kids as she could handle.

Jamie shrugs. "Four, six, a dozen?" she laughs.

Good luck, Anne thinks. But it will be nice to have grandkids. John and Abby don't plan to have any for a few more years, Alex is still in college, and Tom never plans anything.

"The house has been pretty quiet for the last few years," James laughs. "I guess you two will put an end to that pretty soon."

"Come on Dad," Jamie teases, "you wouldn't want this house to get boring?"

2031 Census

2009-09-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

Population: 32
Arcadia: 21
New Athens: 11

Babies: 4
Toddlers: 1
Children: 0
Teens: 0
Young Adults: 2
Adults: 17
Elders: 8

Since the last census, the population has grown by more than 50% (from 20 to 32). Most of this growth has been in New Athens, which has nearly three times as many residents as in 2021. The population has very well-defined generations, with nearly all of the first generation (except for Jillian Cooper) now Elders and the second generation (except for Alex Smith and Piper Cooper) now Adults. Most of the growth has been from townies either moving to college or moving from college to the neighborhood.

expanding their dynasty

2009-09-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

June 2031 - Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt are 25, Cassiopeia is 2.

Edward and Kaylynn think they have the most perfect little girl in the world.

Kaylynn has always wanted a big family, but she and Edward wait a few years before trying for more children. It's just too much fun to spoil and dote on their little girl.

The twins are born just after Cassiopeia's third birthday. It's a boy and a girl, Regulus and Bellatrix. They both have black hair; Regulus has brown eyes like his father while Bellatrix has her mother's green eyes.

are we grown ups yet?

2009-09-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

October 2030 - John and Abby Smith are 24.

"Look at this place!" Abby exclaims. "It's so big. We'll get lost!"

John and Abby both get big raises this year, and they decide to go ahead and buy their dream house. It's much larger than they need right now - three bedrooms, a study, a living room and family room - but they've started talking about having kids. They probably won't for a few more years, but they're thinking about them in that half-terrifie, half-excited way. They still feel way too young to be parents, although some of their friends from college have started having kids.

"Jackson and Rose had twins," Abby tells her husband, "a boy and a girl."

"Jack Cooper III?"

"Of course. And they named the girl Darien after Rose's hometown. What kind of name is Darien?"

John just shrugs. His parents named him and his siblings after leaders during the Revolutionary War, but at least they all had normal nicknames.

But kids are still off in the future. Abby's work has been getting a lot of attention; that combined with James' imminent retirement means she's constantly buried under architectural plans. John's been working overtime too. Abby doesn't know enough about corporate law to understand what is keeping him so busy, but she knows he's been stressed about work since Rachel Cooper joined the firm as an associate. Abby knows the architectural firm will be hers some day, but John will have an uphill battle to beat Rachel out for partner.

double trouble

2009-09-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

September 2030 - Jackson and Rose Cooper are 24, Darien and Trip Cooper are 1 month.

Rose has always wanted to have a baby, but motherhood turns out to be a lot harder than she had expected, especially since her first pregnancy results in twins. At her father-in-law's insistence, she names the boy Jack Cooper III, Trip for short. She names her daughter Darien after her hometown. She's always thought it's a beautiful name.

Rose was the kind of college student who could barely make a 10 AM class; now she's up all night with the twins.

By the time she gets one twin fed and tucked into bed, the other one needs to be changed.

Sometimes when she's holding her child and staring into those big brown eyes, everything seems perfect. But those moments are rare; motherhood, she's discovered, is mostly about bottles and diapers and constant, bone aching exhaustion.

It's easier for Jackson, being a father. When he comes home from work, he's always eager to cuddle his babies, feed them and bathe them, even change their diapers. But taking care of them isn't his whole world like it is for her. Being a father is something added on to himself, another attribute. But for her it's her whole life, and she wonders what happened to the girl she used to be.

love and marriage

2009-09-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

May 2029 - Jack Cooper is 49, Jillian Cooper is 46, Jackson and Rose Cooper are 22, Rachel Cooper is 20, Piper Cooper and Alex Smith are 17.

"I can't believe your brother and sister are both engaged," Jillian sighs.

Jackson and Rose move back to the Cooper family home after college. Jackson immediately starts working for Cooper Industries while Rose stays home and plans their wedding. They've decided on a spring wedding at the house.

Jillian is a little wary of her future daughter-in-law at first; after all, this is the woman who's marrying her only son! But they become friends quickly. Rose is so elegant and refined that Jillian can't help but admire her. And Rose is always complimenting Jillian and her homemaking skills.

"I've always wanted to be a mother," Rose tells her. "Jackson and I can't wait to have a family together."

*****

Rose has been worried about having the wedding outside, but the weather is perfect.

The ceremony is outside by the pond, the same place where Jack and Jillian got married more than 20 years ago.

After the ceremony everyone goes inside for the reception. Rachel is the only one without a date, so she plays the piano while the couples dance.

Jillian can't believe how grown up Piper looks as she waltzes with Alex. They've been together for three years, and she realizes that it won't be long before she's dancing at her youngest child's wedding.

"Our kids are all grown up," she tells Jack sadly.

"They couldn't stay babies forever," he reminds her. But when he sees she's serious, he adds, "We'll have grandchildren soon."

That cheers her up. The nursery has been empty for so long, she can't wait until it's full of babies again.

heartbreaker

2009-09-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

Fall Semester 2028 - Madison Miller-Kim is 20.

Madison knows what other people say about her - maneater, heartbreaker. She's never thought of herself that way. She'll concede that she's had a lot of boyfriends, and she's noticed that she's always the one who walks away. But the truth is a lot more complicated than those epithets imply.

The truth is she does love him. She did when they got engaged, and she still does now. And she wanted to marry him, or perhaps it's more accurate to say that she wanted to want to marry him. But she isn't very good at being faithful, especially when that means staying away from Tom.

He doesn't take it well when she breaks things off. "You said you loved me," he says. "How can you do this?"

He doesn't understand; she doesn't either, not completely. She just knows that she doesn't want to get married. Maybe she never will; her parents have been together for more than 25 years, and they've never gotten married.

She dyes her hair one day on a whim in the dorm bathroom. She chooses the color primarily based on its name - Berry Blast.

"Your hair looks awesome," Abhijeet comments as they share the Bubble Blower, "like a jelly bean. Or one of those Easter eggs, the plastic ones with candy in them."

"I love those things," says Justus.

It's easy being friends with these boys. They're simple, easily entertained and easily understood. With her pink hair and without the engagement, it's easy to lose herself in friends, fun, and the Bubble Blower.

*****

I was having a hard time figuring out what to do about Madison's engagement. Even though she wanted to get engaged, she never rolled any wants related to her fiancee, and she kept rolling wants for Tom. So I downloaded the ACR, hoping that the more detailed attraction information would help me figure out what they wanted.

I don't know why Madison wanted to get engaged to Prof. Johnson because their attraction score was only about 40 while she and Tom had more than 190. Also he was listed as her One True Sim. So I decided to make her break up with him; she cried about it a little bit, but with all the cheating she was doing, I think she'll be happier in the long run.

Have other people run into similar drama regarding their Sims' love lives? How do you decide if two Sims will be together?

post grads

2009-09-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

September 2008 - John Smith is 22, Abby Stein Smith is 22, Tom Smith is 22 (Madison Miller-Kim is 20, Pierce Phillips is 20, Jamie Smith is 19).

John and Abby get married right after college. They waited four years to get engaged, but they're only engaged for a few months before their marriage. His mother is a little miffed that they didn't have a wedding, but they wanted to handle things simply.

They found their dream house in Arcadia just a few houses away from his parents' house. But it's out of their price range for now, so they move to an apartment in New Athens. They'll have to wait on the house, and all of the things that go with a house - a yard, a dog, kids. Right now it's just the two of them and their careers.

Abby starts working as a partner in James' architectural firm, and John gets a job as an associate in Miranda Kim's law firm.

John finds it a little strange to be working for Miranda; she's known him since he was a toddler. But she founded the first law firm in New Athens, and she's one of the best lawyers in the state. He's already the top associate in the firm, and he's hoping to make partner in a few years. He and Abby are both absorbed in their careers, but sometimes on the weekend they take a walk past the house in Arcadia and think about their future.

*****
Tom has been playing soccer his whole life, and he was the star of their college team. His parents were skeptical when he first told them he wanted to pursue a career in sports, but after college he gets a job as an assistant coach with the Arcadia children's soccer league.

He celebrates by throwing a party at his apartment. He lives in New Athens only a few blocks from John and Abby, but in a much trendier building - The Warehouse, which is mostly studio apartments inhabited by young single twenty-somethings.

He invites Jamie, and she brings her fiancee, Pierce Phillips. "Be nice," she warns her brothers. "I don't want you to scare him off."

But Tom and Pierce hit it off right away. Pierce is on the college soccer team, and he's idolized Tom for years.

"I'm a big fan," Pierce confesses.

Tom laughs. "I like to hear that." He winks at Jamie. "Jamie's been telling me lots of good things about you."

Jamie looks embarrased, but Pierce just laughs. "Well I say lots of good things about Jamie."

It's new for them, Jamie having a boyfriend. She's his little sister; he has to protect her. "Hey," he tells Jamie, "I like him. You found a good one."

It's a good party. John, Tom, and Jamie play pool in the apartment building's rec room.

Tom orders pizza, and he and Jamie enjoy a few slices along with a game of kicky ball.

Tom got a keg for the party, and he ends up drinking more than his share.

"I'll stay with him," Madison offers. She sticks around after everyone else is gone and tries to sober him up with pizza. They talk for hours about every imaginable topic. It's always been so easy being together.

They don't mean to end up in bed together, but it's impossible for them to stay away from each other.

"You're engaged," he says.

"That was a mistake." She kisses him. "I'm not the marrying type."

Tom doesn't think of himself as a heartbreaker. He was raised by good parents in a nice country home. He knows he should feel guilty about sleeping with another man's fiancee. But he's loved Madison since he was fourteen; he knows he can't let her go.

a newborn queen

2009-09-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

May 2028 - Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt are 22.

Edward and Kaylynn got started on the baby making while on their honeymoon, and their first child is born just nine months later.

They name her Cassiopeia. She has her mother's green eyes and her grandfather's blond hair. She's the first girl born to the Gaunt family, and the first member of the third generation.

love is in the air

2009-09-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

Spring Semester 2028 - Jackson Cooper, John Smith, Tom Smith, and Abby Stein are 21; Rachel Cooper, Madison Miller-Kim, and Pierce Phillips are 19; Jamie Smith is 18.

One spring day John suggests that he and Abby go on a date to the park.

"Shouldn't we go home? It's starting to rain." she suggests.

"In a minute." This isn't just another date, he has something specific planned.

"I have something to ask you."

Of course she says yes. They've been dating since freshman year, and through all of the drama they've always stayed together.

****
Unlike her brother, Jamie doesn't wait four years to get engaged. She's a freshman this year, and right away she falls in love with Pierce Phillips. He used to date Madison, but they weren't a very good match; he wanted to settle down while she never wants to. But Jamie is perfect: beautiful, smart, and they both want the same things.

He pops the question one morning in the cafeteria over pancakes. It's not the most romantic proposal, but she doesn't care.

Now she just has to tell her parents that their only daughter is already engaged. They had time to get to know Abby, and they've known Piper since she and Alex were in kindergarten.

"Don't worry," she assures him, "they'll love you."

*****

Madison has started sleeping with her Professor, and everyone is shocked when she gets engaged too!

Of course that doesn't mean she's stopped spending time with Tom. They've both got tons of admirers, but they only swoon for each other.

*****
Rachel still hasn't told her parents about Genesis, but she has taken another important step.

Genesis says yes, although she is a little worried about how Rachel doesn't want to introduce her to her parents. But they're only sophomores, they have a few more years left in college.

Unfortunately Genesis and Jackson aren't getting along any better. They get into a fight one day and she beats him up. It's usually not a good idea to beat up your fiancee's brother, but Rachel doesn't seem to mind.

Fortunately Jackson has Rose to comfort him. They had been waiting to have sex until they got married, but they went ahead and did it this semester. Tom even loaned them his room for an afternoon. They're graduating this year, and Jackson can't wait to marry her.

*****
This year took a lot of unexpected turns. I never thought Madison would get engaged. All of her boyfriends have wanted to marry her, but Prof. Johnson is the first one she rolled the "get engaged" want (although she also had the "get engaged" fear). But she isn't rolling any wants for him anymore, just Tom, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with him.

I don't really understand what makes the characters roll the "get engaged" want. John and Abby have been really happy together, they keep wanting to do stuff together, but they never wanted to get engaged. I finally made them. I haven't installed ACR, but I think I will so that the romance is a little more Sim-driven.

I was really glad that Pierce and Jamie fell in love, although I was surprised they got engaged to so quickly. I sent Pierce to college because he was in love with Madison in high school, and he wanted to get engaged to her right away. When I moved Jamie to college, I was kind of hoping that she and Pierce would get together, but I was pleasantly surprised that they had two lightning bolts. (He has three bolts with Madison, but most guys do.) It was fun letting Jamie and the in-game chemistry pick a boyfriend for her, and I'm very happy with the result (as is she).

the last kid left at home

2009-09-09T01:43:00.000-07:00

March 2028 - James and Anne Smith are 47, Alex Smith is 16.

For the first time, there is only one child in the Smith house.

Being an only child is strange for Alex, although he's starting to get used to being alone. His dad got him an old car to restore for his 15th birthday, and he's been working on it nonstop for months. John helps when he comes home for break; Alex appreciates the help, but he also knows that John needs a distraction when he's at home since John and Tom still aren't speaking to each other.

Sometimes his father helps...

but mostly he works on it alone.

He's pretty excited when it's finished. None of his siblings had a car when they were in high school, and Alex is really proud of himself for restoring his own.

*****

Even though the kids are leaving home, the household is growing. After Max's death, the house seemed empty with only one dog, so when Jamie was a senior she adopted a stray dog named Tiffany.

It's the first time they've had a male and female dog, and it isn't long before Tiffany and George have puppies. Alex names them Jem and Scout after the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird.

"They're so cute," Alex says. "Maybe I could get an apartment when I go to college, and then they could come with me."

Anne laughs. "I think they'll be happier here with their mommy and daddy in this big yard. But you'll get to see them when you come home."

"Well someday I'll have my own yard," Alex points out, "and then they can come live with me."

townies are taking over!

2009-09-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

I may have to abandon this neighborhood and start over because my game is full of townies. I found the hacks from MoreAwesomeThanYou that stop townies from being respawned, but I think it might be too late for my neighborhood. Right now I'm at 735 characters, and my hard drive is getting more and more crowded every day. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there an easy way to permanently delete the townies?

just like a fairytale

2009-09-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

August 2027 - George Gaunt is 49, Jan Gaunt is 47, Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt are 22, Richie Gaunt and Ellie Cornwall are 20.

Edward and Kaylynn get married in August right after he graduates from college. Their wedding is small, just family, and it's everything Kaylynn hoped for.

She's nervous about meeting his family, but they're completely charming and gracious. His mother is so beautiful and elegant. She hugs Kaylynn, saying, "I've always wanted a daughter."

Even though there are only six of them, the wedding party goes late into the night. Richie plays the piano, and they dance for hours.

Just as he promised her, they go back to Twikkii Island for their honeymoon. It's just as beautiful as she remembered, but this time she can actually enjoy it. She isn't a maid anymore, she isn't just a rich boy's girlfriend. Now she's Mrs. Edward Gaunt.

They don't really do very much sightseeing. The hotel has a private beach, and they spend most of their time there. They don't even venture out for food, opting for room service most days. All they need is each other and their happily-ever-after.

*****

Bonus pictures:

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Gaunt!

omg drama

2009-08-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

Fall Semester 2026 - John Smith is 20, Tom Smith is 20, Jackson Cooper is 20, Abby Stein is 20, Rachel Cooper is 18, Madison Miller-Kim is 18.

Rachel and Madison are freshman this year, and with them comes a whole heap of drama!

Tom's been seeing his professor since he was a freshman, but when his high school sweetheart Madison Miller-Kim comes to college he falls for her all over again. Of course this doesn't make Prof. Fancey very happy. She's older, and even though she knows Tom isn't the marrying kind of guy, she's hoping to get a ring on her finger.

Tom manages to smooth things over with her...

...but he doesn't stop seeing Madison. He's been in love with her since he was 14, and he can't give her up.

*****

Rachel was always a quiet, serious child, so it's a surprise to everyone when she immediately gets in the middle of some major drama.

Rachel has only been at school for a few weeks when she meets Genesis McCullough. Jackson had a crush on her when he was a freshman, but he stopped seeing Genesis after he met his fiancee Rose. Still, seeing her flirting with his sister upsets him.

He confronts Rachel, but she's the one who gets the last word.

"You don't get to judge me," she tells him.

She tries to patch things up with him later, but they avoid each other for the rest of the semester. And even though Genesis comes over to visit, they both do their best to keep him from seeing them.

*****

Abby and John discuss all of this over lunch one day. "I'm glad we've stayed out of all of this drama," Abby laughs.

She loves John; she's loved him since they were freshman. But of course she's noticed his twin brother, every girl does. She and John joke that you can always find Tom by following the trail of swooning girls. But she and Tom have always just been friends. She's his brother's girlfriend, and she can't imagine crossing that line.

He comes over one evening to talk. He's a good guy, even if right now he's torn between two women. He's sweet and fun and he always makes her laugh.

But the talking turns to teasing, and the teasing turns to flirting, and before she knows it he's down on one knee.

"I wouldn't do this for just any girl," he tells her. "My brother hasn't given you a ring yet... are you sure you wouldn't give me a chance?"

"Did you kiss her?" John demands at breakfast the next morning.

"Hey, take it easy! I didn't do anything!"

"Don't lie to me! She told me you were hitting on her. How could you do that? She's my girlfriend."

"Back off, it was just a joke," Tom tries to laugh.

"Leave her alone. And stay away from me." He starts to leave, then turns back. "You're just jealous she loves me and not you."

Abby was not a cheerleader or homecoming queen. She was a mathlete and president of the chess club. She hadn't been kissed until she met John in college. She's not the kind of girl who boys fight over. But when she comes downstairs she finds Tom and John brawling on the floor of the dining hall.

"I love you, you know that, right?" she says.

"Of course. I love you too. But I can't forgive him Abby. He's a sleazy liar."

"He's your twin brother."

He shakes his head. "I don't care. I'm done with him."

there are advantages to being the younger siblings

2009-08-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

March 2026 - James and Anne Smith are 45, Jamie Smith is 16, Alex Smith is 14 (Piper Cooper is 14).

When you're the third of four kids, you don't get a lot of one-on-one time with your parents. So Jamie is surprised one day when James suggests a camping trip, just the two of them.

"I used to go camping at Three Lakes with my dad when I was a kid," he says. "What do you think?"

Jamie's always been her father's pal, the one who tags along to go hiking or hunt for bugs. She's the one who helps him tend the vegetable garden and the orchard. She loves nature, just like her dad, which is convenient since all of her brothers hate the outdoors.

Since it's just the two of them, they get to indulge what John calls their "crunchy, hippie side."

They spend their days exploring the Three Lakes area and trying out some of the mountain activities. They're both really good at axe throwing, but log rolling is a little more difficult.

Jamie finds some people to teach her the slap dance. She knows her brothers will tease her, but she doesn't care; it's a lot of fun!

Mostly, though, she just likes getting to spend time with her dad. Every night at their campground they eat hot dogs, sit around the campfire, and roast marshmellows.

Of course Jamie is a sixteen-year-old girl; what vacation would be complete without meeting a teenaged boy? Abijheet Turner and his father are staying one tent away, and one night she and her dad share a campfire with them. There aren't a lot of boys her age in Arcadia (at least, boys who aren't related to her), and Jamie feels her stomach flutter as she stares at him from across the campfire. But she and her father leave before she can work up the courage to kiss him, although they do exchange phone numbers. Perhaps this is something her older brothers can help her figure out.

*****
Alex is also enjoying the perks of having fewer older siblings at home. Ever since he first brought Piper Cooper home from school, his brothers have been teasing him about his little girlfriend. He'd never known what they meant; she was just Piper, his best friend. But now when he looks at her, he sees something more.

He hasn't given much thought to falling in love. He's always compared himself to John, not Tom. John's the serious one, a studious kid and diligent student. Tom was the one who spent his time going on dates and making out with girls on the living room couch. Alex thought love wasn't for boys like him, boys who prefered chess over sports and computer games over TV. Maybe that's true in general, but he's found Piper, and with her being in love seems like the most natural thing in the world.

*****
The boy Jamie meets is the same one Madison flirts with at Takezimo Village. He and his family really get around! I wasn't planning to send him to college after he met Madison, but after he met Jamie I decided I had to so I could see what happens next. Poor Jamie hasn't had her first kiss yet; that's what happens when three of the six boys in town are your brothers!

a trip out east

2009-08-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

November 2025 - Martin Miller and Miranda Kim are 45, Madison Miller-Kim is 17 (Tom Smith is 19).

Madison is leaving for college next year, and her parents decide to celebrate by taking her on a trip to Takemizu Village.

Madison's been having a rough time ever since Tom left for college. Both of them say they weren't dating, but her parents know she was upset that he hardly ever called, even when he came home for Thanksgiving. Then she found out that he had been sleeping with his drama professor, Lisa Fancey.

She's had other boyfriends, but Tom is her first love, and her parents know all of this has been hard on her.

Martin and Miranda really want to use the trip to spend time with Madison before she leaves.

Of course, Madison is a teenager. She really wants to listen to music, call her friends, and meet boys.

Still, the three of them have a good time together. Madison learns to teleport from a ninja one afternoon while her parents are napping, and even though they spend the rest of the trip searching for him, none of the others see him.

They meet a wise old man who teaches them the Tale of the Dragon.

Madison meets a boy at their hotel. He's vacationing with his family, but they both find plenty of opportunities to sneak off together.

Miranda finds time for a mother-daughter chat one evening in the sauna. "You're growing up so fast baby. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know Mom," she says.

Madison can sigh and roll her eyes, but Miranda knows her daughter is still in pain over Tom, and it makes her heart ache to see it. All of these years of protecting her, taking care of her, keeping her safe, and now there's nothing she can do to stop her daughter's heart from being broken.

away from parents' prying eyes

2009-08-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

September 2025 - Edward Gaunt is 20, Richie Gaunt and Ellie Cornwall are 18 (Arthur Cornwall is 47).

Richie and Ellie are freshman this year, and Edward suggests that the three of them share an off-campus house.

"You don't want to live in a dorm," he says with a shudder.

It's really nice for them to all live together. Ellie has been friends with the Gaunt boys since kindergarten, and Richie likes being able to hang out with his brother again.

And even though the apartment has three bedrooms, it's just more convenient for them to use one as a study and for Ellie and Richie to share. Their parents probably wouldn't approve, but they've come to the conclusion that their parents don't have the right to judge their lifestyles. After all, Richie divorced parents have been dating, and Ellie's father has recently become a warlock!

"I guess he needs a hobby now that I'm gone," she sighs. "He's been so lost and lonely since my mom died. But witchcraft?!"

Clearly their parents are the messed up ones. At least now they're out of the house, grown up and ready to start their own lives.

love is never equal

2009-08-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

April 2025 - Edward Gaunt and Kaylynn Langerak are 19.

He didn't plan on falling in love with her, but he did. His father gave had given him a large enough allowance to hire a maid service for his off-campus housing (no Gaunt would live in a dorm), and when she had shown up the first day, he had been taken aback by her beauty and youth.

When he tells his parents about their engagement, they don't take the news very well.

"She's a maid!" his mother shrieks. "You are a Gaunt. You cannot marry her!"

His father isn't as blunt (how can he be, when he started out with only a decaying mansion and a formerly good name), but he isn't any happier. After a tense Christmas holidy, Edward decides the best thing is to give his parents space. After all, from what Richard's told him, what do his parents know about love?

It's his idea for them to vacation at Twikkii Island for spring break.

"I'm a maid," Kaylynn protested, "not a college student. Spring break is for college students."

He books them a suite at one of the most expensive hotels on the island. He thinks the absence of college kids will help her feel more comfortable, but it doesn't. She can't relax even for a moment, she's so worried about how his parents will react.

"I don't belong in this world," she protests.

"Nonsense," he replies firmly. "You are going to be my wife. Soon this will be your world too." Spring break may have been too early in their relationship for a luxury vacation. He promises to take her back for their honeymoon.

*****

I recently bought Bon Voyage, and I wanted to try out the new features by sending Edward and Kaylynn on a tropical vacation. Unfortunately, since they aren't living together yet, I couldn't control her. She kept wandering around the hotel in her maid's uniform; she wouldn't even hang out at the beach! Hopefully their honeymoon will go more smoothly.

he doesn't understand love

2009-08-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

December 2024 - Richie Gaunt and Ellie Cornwall are 17, Jan Gaunt is 44, George Gaunt is 46.

Richie meets Ellie at the ice skating rink, just as they have since they were six.

Of course now they have other things to do there besides just skate.

Richie doesn't actually know what he and Ellie are; they're best friends of course, but they've never had the relationship talk. But then he isn't seeing any other girls, and he knows she isn't seeing any other boys. Perhaps when you've been friends as long as they have, going steady doesn't mean anything. They already know they'll always be together.

They run into his mother at the ice skating rink. It surprises him, but it really shouldn't. After the divorce she only moved a few blocks away. The real surprise is that he hasn't seen her walking around Aradia more often.

He doesn't know what to say to her, but the awkwardness isn't because of the divorce. Or rather, it isn't just beause of the divorce. It has more to do with the last time he saw her.

She had been in the living room when he arrived home from school. "Mom," he said, surprised, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh hello darling." She kissed him on the cheek. "I just came over to say hello."

"I appreciate that, but I could have come to your apartment." He felt guilty, realizing that he still hadn't been over there. He knew his mother was seeing several men, and he wasn't ready to face that.

"Oh that's not necessary," she replied. "I don't mind coming over here."

"Well it's great to see you, Mom. Dad won't be home for a few hours, so we could get a cup of coffee or take a walk."

"Actually," she said slowly, "I'm here to see your father as well." She let that sink in for a moment before hurrying forward. "We've been in contact for a while, just talking, and he invited me to come over for a visit."

His parents had never seemed like friends. Most days they hardly spoke to one another. His father had always put his work first, leaving his wife alone with the children and the house. Neither Richie or Edward had been surprised when they're parents divorced. But seeing his father return home and greet his ex-wife with a kiss leaves Richie completely speechless.

Richie had mentioned it to Edward, but he hadn't wanted to hear about it.

"It has nothing to do with us," he had said. "Just forget about it."

But Richie can't help but think about it, especially when he runs into his mother. He thought being with Ellie had taught him about love, but it turns out he doesn't understand it at all.

*****
George and Jan have me very confused! Even though they both considered their divorce to be a good memory, they both wanted to fall in love with each other again. Maybe they'll find some way to reconcile? It's very unexpected, but it's fun letting them control the story.

family, turkey, and thanksgiving

2009-08-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

November 2024 - James and Anne Smith are 44, John and Tom Smith are 18, Abby Stein is 18, Jamie Smith is 15, Alex Smith is 13.

It's the twins' first Thanksgiving after leaving for college, and Anne has been cooking for days.

"Do you think they won't come home again if you don't feed them enough?" Jamie teases her.

"Oh hush," she tells her daughter. "You'll appreciate it when you go off to college. Now don't distract me, I have to get the turkey in the oven before they get here."

James meets John and Alex as soon as they pull into the driveway. The family dog George is also happy to see them.

John brings a friend home for Thanksgiving, Abby Stein, another freshman in John and Alex's dorm.

"Thanks for having me," she says. "I'm from Rhode Island, so a trip home was too far for the weekend."

"Of course," James says. "We're happy to have you here."

All of her hard work was worth it; everyone agrees it is the best Thanksgiving dinner Anne has ever cooked.

"So Abby," Anne says, "John told us you're a math major."

Abby nods. "I want to be an architect." She turns to James. "John's told me a little about your firm. I'd love to see some of your designs."

James smiles. "I'd love to show them to you. None of my kids are very interested in architecture."

Tom groans. "Don't get him started on building designs and structural stability."

"Don't worry, I'll wait until after dinner," James promises.

Anne insists they leave the dishes for later. While James and Abby are engrossed in architectural plans in the study, Alex and John head upstairs for a chess match. Alex has been practicing, and he almost beats his older brother for the first time.

Anne corners Tom in the kitchen. "So is she his girlfriend?" she demands. "He didn't tell me anything, he just said she was a friend."

Tom shrugs. "I guess, I don't know. They hang out a lot."

"What does that mean? Is this like when you told me Madison wasn't your girlfriend, that you two here just 'hanging out?'"

Tom pauses, then answers, "No, Madison and I are just hanging out. John and Abby are... more than just hanging out." He grins. "Do you interrogate John like this about me?"

She playfully bats his arm. "Yes, except he gives me straight answers."

*****

Once the kids head back to college, the house seems even emptier. Jamie and Alex are busy with high school and friends. After 18 years of parenting, it seems strange not to have a child tugging on her sleeve for a snack or a hug or help with homework.

If that weren't enough, their dog Max dies that winter. He was a stray who loved wandering into their yard and eating George's food, and when they adopted him he wasn't a young dog. Still, his death comes as a shock. It really feels like the end of something.

*****
This storytelling thing is starting to feel more natural!

Business Directory

2009-08-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

This page will keep track of the occupations of the citizens of Arcadia and New Athens.

Public Services

Arcadia Government
Senator: Phoebe Bui

Arcadia Public Schools
Minister of Education: Dr. Anne Smith
Elementary School Teacher: Pierce Phillips

New Athens Hospital
Chief of Staff: Dr. Martin Miller
Medical Researcher: Dr. Alex Smith

Arcadia Laboratories
Director: Dr. Arthur Cornwall

Arcadia Police Department
SWAT Team Leader: Jamie Phillips

Central Intelligence Agency
Director: Richard Gaunt
Surveillance Operator: Whitney Riley
CSI: Thomas Cwik

Businesses

Cooper Industries
Founder: Jack Cooper
CEO: Jackson Cooper
Senior Counsel: Rachel Cooper

Gaunt Corporation
Founder: George Gaunt
CEO: Edward Gaunt

Architecture Firms

Smith and Associates
Arcadia

Founder: James Smith
Partner: Abby Stein Smith

Journalism

New Athens Times
New Athens

Editor-in-Chief: Ellie Cornwall
Reporter: Adrian Bui

Law Firms

Kim and Associates
New Athens

Partner: Miranda Kim
Associate: John Smith

Stores and Services

Downtown Gallery
New Athens

Owner: Abhijeet Turner
Business Rank: 6
Employees: Naenae Tsvirkunov, Amin Sims

Olympic Gym
New Athens

Owner: Tom Smith
Business Rank: 1

the last year before the nest starts emptying

2009-08-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

2023 - James and Anne Smith are 43, John and Tom are 17, Jamie is 14, Alex is 12. (Madison Miller-Kim is 15.)

All of the Smith kids are in high school this year.

John and Tom are seniors preparing to college next year. They're still best friends, but as they've gotten older they've been getting more different.For starters, Tom is now a lot taller than John! Tom shot up this year, while John seems to be finished growing. Tom's even taller than his father now.

Tom has loved sports since he was a little kid, and this year he's the star of his soccer team.
He also has a girlfriend, Madison Miller-Kim.Tom's quite the high school star!

John's an excellent student, but he's not as popular as Tom. John can't wait to head to college to study law. Since Tom's been busy with Madison, John's been spending more time with Alex. They both love playing chess.
Being the only girl in a family with three boys, Jamie spends a lot of time by herself. She loves playing outside and helping her father in the vegetable garden. She's always loved pets; she has a pet bird, and she spends a lot of time with the family dogs.

With the kids in high school, James and Anne have more time to focus on their careers. Anne is the Dean of Students at the local university, and James has his own architecture firm.

not a love story

2009-08-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

2021 - George Gaunt is 43, Jan Gaunt is 41, Edward is 16, Richard is 14.

It certainly wasn't how she thought her married life would go.

For 18 years she was a good wife. She bore him two sons, she oversaw the household, she used her social connections to advance his career. But it wasn't enough for her. She was lonely. When the boys were little, they were some comfort to her. They loved her, they needed her. But now they're teenagers, desperate to pull away from her and become little versions of their father.

Alec had been the butler since before their marriage. He had always been there, taking care of them quietly. She hadn't meant for it to happen, but she was alone at home all day with only him for company.

She was surprised by the force of George's anger. She was surprised he cared.

For the first time in her life, she's living on her own. She rented an apartment in Arcadia so as to be close to the boys, although they're not speaking to her now. She isn't seeing Alec anymore; he was good company at the time, but now she has other men ringing her doorbell. For the first time, she's free.

In all the years I've been playing The Sims 2, this is the first time my Sims have had divorce as a green memory! George and Jan are both happy to be rid of each other, which is good because I'd been planning this event from the beginning.

2021 Census

2009-08-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Population: 20
Arcadia: 16
New Athens: 4

Babies: 0
Toddlers: 0
Children: 2
Teens: 9
Adults: 9
Elders: 0

one night in the park

2009-08-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

2020 - Arthur Cornwall and Rowena Cornwall are 42, Eleanor Cornwall is 13. (Richard Cornwall is 13.)

She'd been sick for a while, but nothing could prepare them for the day she died.

Ellie can't imagine life without her mother. She's only 13, just starting to wear makeup and like boys. How can she become a woman without her mother?

Her father throws himself into work, leaving Ellie home alone at night while he's in his lab. He had always been a serious man, but now he's so distant and cold. If he cries or even feels sad, he never lets Ellie see.

Even when he's around, he's like a ghost. He doesn't pay attention to anything anymore. He always hated how Ellie's cat Nimue loved to sleep on her bed with her, but now he doesn't even notice.

She's supposed to stay in the house when her father's at work, but sometimes she sneaks out to the park across the street. Usually she goes alone, but when Richie finds out he offers to come with her.

She and Richie have been best friends since kindergarten. They've spent countless hours playing at each others' houses and telling each other secrets. But now they're 13, and everything feels different.

They meet at the park late at night. She doesn't know how he managed to sneak out of his house and get to New Athens by himself, but she doesn't ask.

They talk a little, but mostly they just sit together. It's so nice to have some company, to not feel completely alone for a while. When they finally get up to leave, she grabs him and kisses him. She doesn't know why she does it; it's completely impulsive, it suprises her, but it suprises her even more when he kisses back.

young love

2009-08-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

2020 - Madison Miller-Kim is 12, Tom Smith is 14.

Madison is 12 the year she first notices boys. Specifically, she notices Tom Smith. They've been friends for years, but now she sees him in a completely new way. She notices his floppy brown hair and dreamy brown eyes, and her insides feel all gooey. He seems to notice her too.

One fall afternoon they meet at the park. At first they keep it light, joking and laughing just like when they were younger. But then the topic turns to dance. Madison's been a ballet dancer since she was five; Tom's a soccer player and thinks dance is just a silly girl thing.

"I don't dance," he insists.

"You wouldn't even dance with me?"

And he does, and her heart flutters, and it's everything she dreamed it would be - her first kiss, her first love.

But even though she loves Tom, she also loves boys. It isn't long before she's back at that same park, dancing with another boy, Justus Lim.

the Smiths

2009-08-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

2016 - James and Anne Smith are 36, John and Tom Smith are 10, Jamie Smith is 7, Alex Smith is 5. (Piper Cooper is 5.)

Anne has never thought of herself as a weepy mother, but she does tear up a little as she watches her youngest board the school bus for the first time.

For the first time in 10 years, the house is empty of children. Parenting is a little easier now that the endless stream of diapers and bottles is over, but there's a lot more worry now. For example, little Alex's first day of school. He's so shy, Anne worries about how he'll handle being away from home. But she didn't need to worry. On the first day of school, he brings home a friend, Piper Cooper.
All of the kids are doing well in school this year.
It's so much fun getting to know these kids. 7-year-old Jamie is spirited and adventurous, and she loves being outdoors.
The twins are 10 this year, and they're still best friends even though they couldn't be more different. Tom is playful and loves sports, while John is serious and studious.
Sometimes James brings up the idea of another baby, but Anne always vetoes that. Four children are plenty. But right now they only have one dog, George, and there's room in the backyard for more...

pre-teen angst

2009-08-14T09:09:00.001-07:00

2016 - Edward Gaunt is 11, Richie Gaunt is 9. (Ellie Cornwall is 9, Rachel Cooper is 8.)

It isn't easy growing up in Arcadia, especially if you're Edward Gaunt. He's the oldest child in Arcadia, which means there aren't any other children his age. And with both of his parents working all of the time (doing not-quite-legitimate business), he ends up spending most of his time at home with his little brother.

He and Richie actually get along pretty well. But Richie has a best friend, Ellie Cornwall. She lives in New Athens, but because her parents went to college with their father, they frequently drop her off at their house.

That leaves Edward alone with their dog Orion. He begged his parents for a dog, and his mother finally came home with one. Orion is completely Edward's dog. He's already trained her to come and roll over, and they're working on playing dead. He named her Orion after the hunter in Greek mythology before he realized she was a girl.His only friend is Rachel Cooper, who's a year younger than his little brother. But she's a smart kid, and they both love to play chess. She's also the middle child, and her older brother and younger sister like playing together and leaving Rachel out. Edward and Rachel both know what it's like to be lonely.

As Laura describes it, the Gaunts' dog would be an example of gameplay influencing the story. I didn't plan for them to have a pet, but Edward really wanted a dog. And then when I sent his mother to get one, I thought she was getting a male dog, but after she got the dog home I realized Orion was female. Oops.

the Cooper family

2009-08-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

2014 - Jack Cooper is 35, Jillian Cooper is 32, Jackson is 8, Rachel is 6, Piper is 3.

She loves all of her children equally, but differently. Jackson is her firstborn. She is a child herself when he's born, only 24 years old. Rachel comes along less than two years later, and she is overwhelmed; two cribs, two crying children, two sets of bottles to prepare. But now Jackson and Rachel take the bus to school everyday, and she's left home alone with only one child. Jillian gives her youngest her maiden name, Piper.

Piper is such a sweet, happy child. She's especially close to her brother Jackson. He loves playing with her, making her laugh.

Rachel is the middle child, the one left out by Jackson and Piper's closeness. But then she's always been her father's girl.

I'm still having a hard time getting stories out of these characters. But the kids are really cute! I'm hoping the stories will come as I get to know the characters better and as the children get older (and I have fewer diapers to change).

2011 Census

2009-08-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Population: 21
Arcadia: 16
New Athens: 5

Babies/Toddlers: 7
Children: 4
Teens: 0
Young Adults: 0
Adults: 10
Elders: 0

baby time

2009-08-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

2007 - Martin Miller, Miranda Kim, James Smith, and Anne Smith are 27; John Smith and Tom Smith are 1.

Martin, Miranda, James and Anne have been friends since their freshman year of college. They lived in the same dorm all four years; they've shared beers and soccer games and late-night gossip. They are and always will be best friends, but now when they get together it's a little different.

Martin and Miranda haven't seen a lot of James and Anne since the birth of their twins. One night when the twins are a little over a year old, they are invited over for dinner.

"Nothing fancy," Anne warns them. "Just chicken noodle soup. But we'd love to see you again, and we'd love for you to see the boys."

James and Anne are both American history buffs; they named their twins John Adams Smith and Thomas Jefferson Smith. John is the older twin, and he's already a serious little boy. Tom is sillier, always quick to laugh. Miranda has never thought of herself as a baby person, but she spends hours playing with blocks with John and watching Tom color.

James asks the obvious question over soup: "So when are you two going to have your own kid?"

Miranda and Martin exchange glances. "We haven't really talked about it," she admits. "We've been --" She pauses, uncertain how to finish the sentence. She and Martin have been focused on their careers ever since graduation.

"Are you two going to have any more?" Martin asks, changing the subject.

"We're planning to," Anne replies. "We've always wanted a big family. But the twins are a handful. I think we're going to have to wait a few years before we have more kids." She smiles so they know she's only teasing. "Just don't wait too long. Don't you want our kids to grow up together?"

Miranda brings up the subject in bed that night. "We could have a baby," she suggests.

"Do you want a baby?" Martin asks.

"Do you?"

He's quiet for a moment. Martin is a thoughtful guy, he never says anything without thinking it over. "Yeah," he says. "We've talked about having kids before, but it's always been in the future. But I think we're ready now. We both have good jobs. We're happy at work, and we could take some time off." He smiles. "Yeah. Let's make a baby."

Martin's never been an overly emotional guy. He doesn't get down on one knee and make wild romantic gestures. He reasons things through. But Miranda can see what underlies his lists. He loves her, and she loves him, and they're going to have a family together.

"Okay then," she smiles. "We'd better get to work."

I didn't take any pictures of their newborn baby, but they had a girl, Madison Miller-Kim. These updates have been pretty sporatic, but once there are more family members to play with, hopefully I'll have something to say for each family every year.

she waits faithfully

2009-08-09T20:26:00.001-07:00

2005 - Jack Cooper is 26, Jillian Piper Cooper is 23.

Jillian had always imagined herself in a beautiful townhouse, surrounded by friends and family, attending elegant parties with her sophisticated husband by her side. But in college she fell in love with Jack Cooper. He was poor but ambitious, and he promised that he would give her everything her heart desired. He graduated, and she waited for him, lonely but faithful as he built his empire.

It wasn't everything she had dreamed. They get married as soon as she graduates, but it's in a small ceremony in their own yard. Her parents refuse to attend, and he refuses to invite his. He leaves her alone a lot, in a house that is beautiful and elegant, but remote and empty. When she gives birth to their first child less than a year after their wedding, she's overjoyed, not just to be a mother, but because now she won't be alone anymore.

beginning of a dynasty

2009-08-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

2004 - George is 26, Jan is 24.

Jan doesn't know what she thought being married would be like, but it certainly wasn't this. When he was courting her, George was charming and romantic, always buying her roses and fancy gifts. But now his life is his work. Most days she hardly seems him, except in the morning before he heads off to work. Even then he's distant, reading the paper and thinking about business. He doesn't care that she wants to work; that she is just as smart and ambitious as he is.

The only time he seems genuinely interested in her is when he brings up the subject of children. He wants one right away. "A boy," he says, and she knows that what he really means is an heir.

She never thought of herself as a mother. When she married him, she saw herself as helping to build his empire and restore his family's power and reputation. He saw that too, just in a different way.

Jan wondered how George would react if their firstborn was a girl, but it's a boy, just like he wanted. They name him Edward. He's beautiful, perfect in every way, and yet as she holds him she can't help but wonder if he can possibly fulfill his father's expectations.

My neighborhood finally has its first child! I'm hoping now that they've started having babies, the families will be a bit more interesting.

Poor Jan - George really wanted a baby, but all she wants is to make money! Now that the baby is born hopefully she'll be able to go back to work. George, on the other hand, has been flying through the Business ranks. He got promoted to Business Tycoon which was his LTW, so I started him on the Criminal career track since that's his new LTW. It fits with my vision of their family - rich, powerful, and not above a little law breaking to make their fortune.

Height and Aging

2009-08-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

After reading Laura's discussion on Sim height and aging, I've decided to use the stretchskeleton cheat to make my Sims different heights. Since I'm a huge math nerd, this meant I had to do several calculations.

First, I looked up average heights for men and women on Wikipedia. (My idea of tall vs. short is pretty screwed up because of the wide range of heights in my family; I'm 5'1", but my little brother is 6'7".) According to Wikipedia, the average height for men is about 5'10", and the average height for women is about 5'4". Therefore, I decided to assume the default adult height is 5'7". This means the average stretch factor for a man is 1.04, and the average for a woman is 0.96. So my conversion chart looks something like this:

5'0" = 0.90
5'2" = 0.93
5'4" = 0.96 (average women)
5'8" = 1.0 (default adult)
5'10" = 1.04 (average man)
6'0" = 1.07
6'2" = 1.10
6'4" = 1.13

I haven't figured out toddler and children heights yet because my neighborhood doesn't have any children yet, but I'm planning to base their heights on age. When they become teenagers, I will transition them up to their adult height.

I'm also working on an algorithm to determine a child's height based on his or her parents' heights, but that's still in the works.

People

2009-08-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Cooper Family
Arcadia

Jack Cooper
life stage: elder
aspiration: fortune/knowledge
education: Class of 2002, Economics Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Business Tycoon (Business)
marital status: married to Jillian Piper Cooper
family: children Jackson Cooper, Rachel Cooper, Piper Smith

Jillian Piper Cooper
life stage: elder
aspiration: family/romance
education: Class of 2005, English Major
marital status: married to Jack Cooper
family: children Jackson Cooper, Rachel Cooper, Piper Smith

Jack "Jackson" Cooper Jr.
life stage: adult
aspiration: family/fortune
education: Class of 2028, Economics Major Cum Laude
career: CEO (Business)
marital status: married to Rose Kauker Cooper
family: parents Jack and Jillian Cooper; sisters Rachel Cooper and Piper Smith; children Darien, Trip, Hadley, and Christopher Cooper

Rose Kauker Cooper
life stage: adult
aspiration: family
education: Class of 2028, Mathematics Major
marital status: married to Jackson Cooper
family: children Darien, Trip, Hadley, and Christopher Cooper

Darien Cooper
life stage: teen
aspiration: family
marital status: single
family: parents Jackson and Rose Cooper; sisters Hadley Cooper, brothers Trip and Christopher Cooper

Jack "Trip" Cooper III
life stage: teen
aspiration: fortune
marital status: single
family: parents Jackson and Rose Cooper; sisters Darien and Hadley Cooper, brother Christopher Cooper

Hadley Cooper
life stage: child
family: parents Jackson and Rose Cooper; sister Darien Cooper, brothers Trip and Christopher Cooper

Christopher Cooper
life stage: child
family: parents Jackson and Rose Cooper; sisters Darien and Hadley Cooper, brother Trip Cooper

The Cooper/McCullough Family
Arcadia Heights, Arcadia

Rachel Cooper
life stage: adult
aspiration: fortune/knowledge
education: Class of 2030, Political Science Major Summa Cum Laude
career: The Law (Law)
marital status: married to Genesis McCullough
family: parents Jack and Jillian Cooper; brother Jackson Cooper, sister Piper Cooper; child Zoey McCullough

Genesis McCullough
life stage: adult
aspiration: family/pleasure
education: Class of 2030, Art Major
career: Wedding Photographer (Artist)
marital status: married to Rachel Cooper
family: child Zoey McCullough

Zoey McCullough
life stage: child
family: parents Rachel Cooper and Genesis McCullough; sister Mary McCullough, brother Adam McCullough

Mary McCullough
life stage: toddler
family: parents Rachel Cooper and Genesis McCullough; sister Zoey McCullough, brother Adam McCullough

Adam McCullough
life stage: toddler
family: parents Rachel Cooper and Genesis McCullough; sisters Zoey and Mary McCullough

The Gaunt Family
Arcadia

George Gaunt
life stage: elder
aspiration: fortune/romance
education: Class of 2001, Economics Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Criminal Mastermind (Criminal)
marital status: divorced from Jan Gaunt
family: children Edward Gaunt and Richie Gaunt

Edward Gaunt
life stage: adult
aspiration: fortune/popularity
education: Class of 2027, Economics Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Business Tycoon (Business)
marital status: married to Kaylynn Langerak Gaunt
family: parents George Gaunt and Jan Gaunt; brother Richie Gaunt; children Cassiopeia, Regulus, and Bellatrix Gaunt

Kaylynn Langerak Gaunt
life stage: adult
aspiration: family/pleasure
marital status: married to Edward Gaunt
family: children Cassiopeia, Regulus, and Bellatrix Gaunt

Cassiopeia Gaunt
life stage: teen
aspiration: fortune
marital status: single
family: parents Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt; brothers Regulus and Sirius, sister Bellatrix Gaunt

Regulus Gaunt
life stage: child
family: parents Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt; sisters Cassiopeia and Bellatrix Gaunt, brother Sirius Gaunt

Bellatrix Gaunt
life stage: child
family: parents Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt; sister Cassiopeia Gaunt, brothers Regulus and Sirius Gaunt

Sirius Gaunt
life stage: child
family: parents Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt; sisters Cassiopeia and Bellatrix Gaunt, brother Regulus Gaunt

The Gaunt Family - Jan
Arcadia Heights, Arcadia

Jan Gaunt
life stage: elder
aspiration: fortune/romance
career: retired Criminal Mastermind (Criminal); romance novelist (Rhianna's Destiny, Rhianna's Peril, Rhianna's Lover)
marital status: divorced from George Gaunt
family: children Edward Gaunt and Richie Gaunt

The Smith/Phillips Family
Arcadia

Anne Lowell Smith
life stage: elder
aspiration: family/knowledge
education: Class of 2003, Psychology Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Minister of Education (Education)
marital status: married to James Smith
family: children John Smith, Tom Smith, Jamie Phillips, and Alex Smith

James Smith
life stage: elder
aspiration: family/popularity
education: Class of 2003, History Major Summa Cum Laude
career: retired Master Architect (Architecture)
marital status: married to Anne Lowell Smith
family: children John Smith, Tom Smith, Jamie Phillips, and Alex Smith

Pierce Phillips
life stage: adult
aspiration: pleasure/family
education: Class of 2030, Psychology Major
career: Elementary School Teacher (Education)
marital status: married to Jamie Smith Phillips
family: parent Jon Tricou Smith; brothers Justus Lim, Tyson Bruty, and Mayhew Tse, sisters Calista Kratz and Kana Fuchs; children J.P., Jodie, and Parker Phillips

Jamie Smith Phillips
life stage: adult
aspiration: family/popularity
education: Class of 2031, Psychology Major
career: SWAT Team Leader (Law Enforcement)
marital status: married to Pierce Phillips
family: parents James and Anne Smith; brothers John, Tom, and Alex Smith; children J.P., Jodie, Parker, and Peter Phillips

James "J.P." Phillips
life stage: child
family: parents Pierce and Jamie Phillips; sister Jodie Phillips, brothers Parker and Peter Phillips

Jodie Phillips
life stage: child
family: parents Pierce and Jamie Phillips; brothers J.P., Parker, and Peter Phillips

Parker Phillips
life stage: child
family: parents Pierce and Jamie Phillips; brother J.P. Phillips and Peter, sister Jodie Phillips

Peter Phillips
life stage: toddler
family: parents Pierce and Jamie Phillips; brothers J.P. Phillips and Parker, sister Jodie Phillips

The Smith Family - John and Abby
Arcadia

Abigail "Abby" Stein Smith
life stage: adult
aspiration: knowledge/family
education: Class of 2028, Mathematics Major Summa Cum Laude
career: City Planner (Architecture)
marital status: married to John Smith
family: children Jacob and Elijah Smith

John Smith
life stage: adult
aspiration: knowledge/fortune
education: Class of 2028, History Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Entertainment Attorney (Law)
marital status: married to Abby Stein Smith
family: parents James and Anne Smith; brothers Tom and Alex Smith, sister Jamie Phillips; children Jacob and Elijah Smith

Jacob Smith
life stage: child
family: parents John and Abby Smith; brother Elijah Smith

Elijah Smith
life stage: child
family: parents John and Abby Smith; brother Jacob Smith

The Smith Family - Alex and Piper
Arcadia

Alexander "Alex" Smith
life stage: adult
aspiration: knowledge/family
education: Class of 2033, Biology Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Medical Researcher (Medicine)
marital status: married to Piper Cooper Smith
family: parents James and Anne Smith; brothers John and Tom Smith, sister Jamie Phillips; children Joey, Lizzie, Alice, and Charlie Smith

Piper Cooper Smith
life stage: adult
aspiration: family/knowledge
education: Class of 2033, English Major Summa Cum Laude
career: novelist (Cloud Nine Crying, As She Lay Dying), children's book author (Amy and the Ladybug, Bella the Bluebird)
marital status: married to Alex Smith
family: parents Jack and Jillian Cooper; brother Jackson Cooper, sister Rachel Cooper; children Joey, Lizzie, Alice, and Charlie Smith

Josephine "Joey" Smith
life stage: child
family: parents Alex and Piper Smith; sisters Lizzie and Alice Smith, brother Charlie Smith

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Smith
life stage: child
family: parents Alex and Piper Smith; sisters Joey and Alice Smith, brother Charlie Smith

Alice Smith
life stage: child
family: parents Alex and Piper Smith; sisters Joey and Lizzie Smith, brother Charlie Smith

Charles "Charlie" Smith
life stage: child
family: parents Alex and Piper Smith; sisters Joey, Lizzie, and Alice Smith

The Bui Family
Arcadia Heights, Arcadia

Phoebe Dai Bui
life stage: adult
aspiration: knowledge
education: Class of 2031, Economics Major
career: Senator (Politics)
marital status: married to Adrian Bui
family: children Diana and Lucas Bui

Adrian Bui
life stage: adult
aspiration: popularity/fortune
career: Horoscope Writer (Journalism)
marital status: married to Phoebe Dai Bui
family: children Diana and Lucas Bui

Diana Bui
life stage: toddler
family: parents Adrian and Phoebe Bui; brother Lucas Bui

Lucas Bui
life stage: toddler
family: parents Adrian and Phoebe Bui; sister Diana Bui

The Cornwall/Gaunt Family
New Athens

Arthur Cornwall
life stage: elder
aspiration: knowledge/family
education: Class of 2001, Physics Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Mad Scientist (Science)
marital status: married to Rowena Cornwall (deceased)
family: child Eleanor Cornwall

Eleanor "Ellie" Cornwall
life stage: adult
aspiration: knowledge/fortune
education: Class of 2029, Philosophy Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Media Magnate (Journalism); mystery novelist (The Long Sleep, Under a Dark Sky)
marital status: married to Richie Gaunt
family: parents Arthur and Rowena Cornwall

Richard "Richie" Gaunt
life stage: adult
aspiration: fortune/knowledge
education: Class of 2029, Economics Major Summa Cum Laude
career: Head of the SCIA (Intelligence); science fiction novelist (Invaders)
marital status: married to Ellie Cornwall
family: parents George Gaunt and Jan Gaunt; brother Edward Gaunt

Morgan Cornwall
life stage: child
family: parents Richie Gaunt and Elle Cornwall

The Miller-Kim Family
New Athens

Miranda Kim
life stage: elder
aspiration: knowledge/fortune
education: Class of 2003, Political Science Summa Cum Laude
career: The Law (Law); mystery novelist (The City, Mystery Abroad, Murder in the Bamboo)
marital status: dating Martin Miller
family: child Madison Miller-Kim

Martin Miller
life stage: elder
aspiration: knowledge/fortune
education: Class of 2003, Physics Summa Cum Laude
career: Chief of Staff (Medicine)
marital status: dating Miranda Kim
family: child Madison Miller-Kim

The Smith/Miller-Kim Family
New Athens

Madison Miller-Kim
life stage: adult
aspiration: romance/popularity
education: Class of 2030, English Major
career: Supporting Player (Show Business)
marital status: dating Tom Smith
family: parents Martin Miller and Miranda Kim; child Brooklyn Miller-Kim

Thomas "Tom" Smith
life stage: adult
aspiration: romance/knowledge
education: Class of 2028, Drama Major Cum Laude
career: Hall of Famer (Athletic); owner of Olympic Gym
marital status: dating Madison Miller-Kim
family: parents James and Anne Smith; brothers John and Alex Smith, sister Jamie Phillips; child Brooklyn Miller-Kim

Brooklyn Miller-Kim
life stage: child
family: parents Tom Smith and Madison Miller-Kim

The Riley Family
Backdoor Apartments, New Athens

Whitney Riley
life stage: adult
aspiration: knowledge
education: Class of 2032, Art Major
career: Surveillance Operator (Intelligence)
marital status: single
family: child Keiran Riley

Keiran Riley
life stage: child
family: parents Abhijeet Turner and Whitney Riley

The Turner Family
Warehouse Apartments, New Athens

Abhijeet Turner
life stage: adult
aspiration: romance/pleasure
education: Class of 2031, Art Major
career: owner of Downtown Gallery
marital status: single
family: child Keiran Riley

the magnificent Gaunts

2009-08-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

2001 - George Gaunt is 23.

Even before it was the town of Arcadia, it was the home of the Gaunt family. They assumed it always would be. But financial ruin, death, and disaster wiped them out and drove them far away.

After his parents died, George left the house behind, but he couldn't stay away. After he graduated from college, he moved back, determined to rebuild the family fortune.

star struck

2009-08-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

2001 - Arthur Cornwall and Rowena Ravenclaw are 23.

Arthur falls in love with Rowena the first time he sees her. She lives down the hall from him in college, and the first time he sees her in the cafeteria, he knew he was in love. He's always been more focused on school and studying than romance. That doesn't change; he'll always be more comfortable with physics and math than people. But he's surprised by how much he loves her. Some nights he even puts his telescope away to cuddle under the stars with her.

He proposes to her at the beginning of their senior year, and right after graduation they get married and move to a townhouse in New Athens. He never saw his life going this way, but he's surprised by how much he likes it. He always imagined he would devote his life to science, but now he's happy to devote his life to Rowena.

Family Trees

2009-08-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is where I keep track of the ever-evolving family trees.

The symbol (m) indicates marriage, (w/) indicates in a relationship, and (d) indicates divorced or broken up.

I've given each of the five original families a color to help keep track of how the families are related. So since Piper Cooper married Alex Smith, on the Cooper family tree Alex's name is written in red, while on the Smith family tree Piper's name is written in purple. Names in gray indicate that Sim is deceased.

Cooper Family

Jack Cooper (m) Jillian Piper Cooper

Jack "Jackson" Cooper Jr. (m) Rose Kauker Cooper

Darien Cooper
Jack "Trip" Cooper III
Hadley Cooper
Christopher Cooper

Rachel Cooper (m) Genesis McCullough

Zoey McCullough
Mary McCullough
Adam McCullough

Piper Cooper Smith (m) Alex Smith

Josephine "Joey" Smith
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Smith
Alice Smith
Charles "Charlie" Smith

Cornwall Family

Arthur Cornwall (m) Rowena Ravenclaw Cornwall

Eleanor "Ellie" Cornwall (m) Richie Gaunt

Morgan Cornwall

Gaunt Family

George Gaunt (d) Jan Gaunt

Edward Gaunt (m) Kaylynn Langerak Gaunt

Cassiopeia Gaunt
Regulus Gaunt
Bellatrix Gaunt
Sirius Gaunt

Richard "Richie" Gaunt (m) Ellie Cornwall

Morgan Cornwall

Miller-Kim Family

Martin Miller (w/) Miranda Kim

Madison Miller-Kim (w/) Tom Smith

Brooklyn Miller-Kim

Smith/Phillips Family

James Smith (m) Anne Lowell Smith

John Smith (m) Abigail "Abby" Stein Smith

Jacob Smith
Elijah Smith

Thomas "Tom" Smith (w/) Madison Miller-Kim

Brooklyn Miller-Kim

Jamie Smith Phillips (m) Pierce Phillips

James "J.P." Phillips
Jodie Phillips
Parker Phillips
Peter Phillips

Alexander "Alex" Smith (m) Piper Cooper Smith

Josephine "Joey" Smith
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Smith
Alice Smith
Charles "Charlie" Smith

Bui Family

Adrian Bui (m) Phoebe Dai Bui

Diana Bui
Lucas Bui

Riley Family

Whitney Riley (d) Abhijeet Turner

Kieran Riley

starting out

2009-08-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

I've decided to chronicle the lives of my Sims in a blog. Right now the city is pretty empty, and only a few families live in the neighborhood, but hopefully this will be the first generation of a many generation saga.