The Cooke / Dreamer Household: Moving

The Cooke / Dreamer household is one of the most interesting households in New Maximiliania, I think; the Sims living here have come a long way! Let's take a look who currently makes up the household.

Julien Cooke and his wife Patricia, nee Wan; Julien is a Popularity Sim who has reached his lifetime want of becoming Mayor of New Max when he was 7 days from Elderhood (he is now 3 days older). His wife has the same lifetime want, and her lifetime want nicely complements that of her husband: she is Captain Hero, having reached that goal when she was 9 days from Elderhood (she is now 5 days from there). You can tell that these two have never regretted becoming an item! Together, they look after New Maximiliania so well; Juien on the political and administrative level, and Patricia with her super hero powers - no wonder this place is thriving and home to so many happy Sims!

Julien was once kidnapped by Aliens and came back pregnant. This is his son, Cedric. Cedric Cooke is a quiet little boy who has not turned out spoilt in spite of having been surrounded by four adults who all showered him with love ever since he was a baby. Four adults? Who are the other two?

Darren Dreamer, a widower who lost his wife when they still lived in Pleasantview, and found a second chance at happiness and love when he moved to New Maximiliania. His second wife is Cleo, nee Shikibu, Patricia's best friend; prior to getting married, the "girls" shared a house. Darren's aspiration is Knowledge, and he achieved his goal of becoming a World Class Ballet Dancer late in life - at 55 years, which is truly admirable! He is now 56. Cleo's lifetime want is less honourable; she wants to become Criminal Mastermind, not uncommon for a Fortune Sim like her. She is 8 days from elderhood and currently works as a Bank Robber.

The Cookes and the Dreamers pack up their belongings and move to this house which came to our games with the Mansion & Gardens accessory pack. Why the move? Well, another family member joined them, and the old house was cramped already. Who is that family member? Have Cleo and Darren or Patricia and Julien had a baby?

No. Dirk Dreamer, Darren's son, has graduated from college and is now ready and willing to move back in with his dad. The two of them are very close; after all, Darren raised Dirk practically on his own, and although Dirk missed his mum, he couldn't have wanted for a better dad than Darren. Dirk's aspiration is Fortune and he wants to become Education Minister.

After everyone is settled, he looks for a job and is lucky to find a position as High School Teacher right away on that first Monday of his returning to New Maximiliania.

Of course, when the two families moved in, I emptied the house of its contents (I kept the structure of the rooms) and meksercized it to make it nice to the eye and easy to play. This, as you may have guessed, is the kitchen - spacious enough with a large table for those chatty family meals my Sims so enjoy.

Next to the kitchen is the living room with a tea set, grand piano, a desk with a computer, a quiet corner with a book shelf, and a TV and stereo. The door by the stairs leads to Darren and Cleo's en-suite bed- and bathroom. Shall we follow Cedric and his dad Julien upstairs?

Cedric's room is in his favourite colours green and black, and of course it has a space / Alien theme. Julien thinks it is important that his son does not neglect that part of his heritage. After all, he is Mayor of all of New Max - humans, Aliens, Plant Sims and everyone else, without a difference.

This is the other half of the living room downstairs, with the reading corner and the computer desk. The door next to the shelf leads to the guest toilet.

With more room, the Cookes and Dreamers can entertain guests more easily than what was possible at the old house. Tonight, Gunnar Roque stays for dinner. Unfortunately, Julien and Gunnar begin to argue - no physical violence, but the argument...

...clearly upsets Cedric, who runs from the kitchen and hides in the downstairs bathroom to cry over his beloved Dad not getting along with Gunnar! (I've heard about this, Sim-children getting upset about their parents, but I don't think I've ever witnessed it happening in my own game until now.)

Julien gently explains to his son that adults, just like children, do not always get along, even with their best intentions, but that it does not mean that anyone is going to get hurt. He hugs and kisses his sensitive little boy, and Cedric feels much better.

Still, he prefers to spend the rest of the evening alone in his room, playing with his toy car and boat. (The quilt on the wall above his bed was handmade by Julien, by the way.)

It is Tuesday, and Julien goes to work. The bedroom he shares with Patricia has an "Asian" theme.

By the way, it is only now that Patricia and Julien have 3 bolts for each other - they used to have two before. But I have not changed anything about their appearance.

Dirk is demoted to Elementary School Teacher because of taking the wrong decision with a chance card. He goes straight back to work and is made High School Teacher again upon his return.

Patricia receives a Bronze Badge for fishing and is very proud of the huge largemouth bass she just caught!

Cedric never fails to greet his dad with a hug when he comes from school and his dad from work.

Cleo is promoted to Cat Burglar.

On Wednesday, Darren follows in Patricia's footsteps and makes his Bronze Badge for fishing, too.

Cedric happily shows is first A+ report to "Uncle" Darren!

Patricia loves their bathroom in this house - it is so much bigger than the old one! She has, by the way, received her membership card to the Peerless Park today. Julien seems to be satisfied with the choice of towels on the rack :-)

Dirk is single, but he has a double bed and an en-suite bathroom, too. So far, there is no-one in sight who he likes well enough to want to invite to move in, but you never know! Today, he has been promoted to University Guest Lecturer and is now brushing up on his skills for the next step on the career ladder.

Very early on Thursday morning, Cleo returns from work with a promotion to Counterfeiter and goes back to work only a few hours later.

When she comes back again, it is with yet another promotion under her belt: she is now a Smuggler.

Cedric brings home a friend from school today, Jacqueline Jacquet. On checking Cedric's family tree, I find out that they are actually half-siblings - their Alien father is the same.

Jacqueline may have green skin, an odd nose and weird eyes, but she is still your typical little girl - heavily into pink clothes and ballet :-)

Dirk is now High School Principal.

Jacqueline Jacquet is not the only guest at the house today; Jessica Pederson stays for dinner, too. It is almost always freshly caught fish from their pond on the table.

Thursdays do have a tendency to be very eventful days in the lives of my Sims, I have noticed! On top of the promotions and everything else going on, at 6.00 pm, Julien turns into an Elder. As he is already on Permanent Platinum, I am sure he is going to be around for quite a long time :-)

Cedric loves playing with his space ships before it is time to go to bed. He imagines his Alien father travelling across the galaxy like that.

On Friday, Cleo has reached her lifetime want: she is now a Criminal Mastermind (although she is still wearing her normal outfit here). She is 4 days from Elderhood.

Dirk is now Senior Professor at College. I wonder whether that's the same college he went to as a student :-)

Sometimes a super hero has to do what a super hero has to do - even if it just means repairing a broken shower :-)

Minutes after finishing the repair, Patricia turns into an Elder. I don't like her clothes, but it is going to be winter soon anyway and then she'll go and get something more suitable.

That Friday is not over yet! Cedric grows up into a teenager. His aspiration turns out to be Fortune, and he dreams of being Chief of Staff some day.

Here we have our latest Criminal Mastermind coming home from work, with fellow-Mastermind Marissa Cleveland in tow.

Saturday means no school! When Cedric is left to his own devices, he either practices at the ballet barre or can be found dancing away to the music from the stereo downstairs.

He did have a bit of a belly - all that delicious food! - but the ballet barre has taken care of that.

Dirk tells his... hmm, what is he? They are not related, but live in the same household, and it is as if they were brothers or cousins with a relatively big age difference between them. Anyway, Dirk tells Cedric about his time at college. Soon afterwards, the wish to go to college appears in Cedric's wants panel.

Patricia has just earned herself the Silver Badge for fishing.

Not surprisingly, with a half-Alien stepson, Aliens is a topic close to Patricia's heart!

Speaking of Aliens...

...on Sunday morning, Dirk is "invited" aboard the Alien space ship! He returns dizzy and feeling queasy. For him, this was not a happy experience; it takes a Knowledge Sim to enjoy an Alien kidnapping, but Dirk's aspiration is Fortune. Well, I did hear the little jingle, so, next time I will play this household, there should be another addition the household - a child for Dirk, and grandchild for Darren.

Patricia truly manages to pull out some impressively large fish from the tiny pond!! This one is about half her size!

Darren has just made his Silver Badge by catching this beautiful rainbow trout.

Cedric had wanted to go to Private School, and on Sunday afternoon, the Headmaster arrives for his evaluation visit. He seems to be pleased at the prospect of having the Mayor's son attend his fine institution.

And yet, with only 93 of the necessary 90 points, Cedric just about makes it! With a sigh of relief (it really was difficult - the Headmaster did NOT want to talk about school or work, although he was duly impressed by the house and the stuffed rainbow trout), and until 14 minutes before time was up, there were only 89 points) we leave the household. What are the adults going to do with their free time, now that they are on Permanent Platinum and - most of them - retired? Is Dirk going to have a half-Alien boy or girl - or twins? Will Cedric meet some nice girls at Private School? Let's check back here soon!