The Jocque Family: Week 4

Welcome back to the Jocque family! This is their 4th week in New Maximiliania.

The week begins with a burglar boldly entering the house by the front door. Of course, the burglar alarm goes off instantly...

...waking Violet and her parents.

Violet is the only one to be downstairs in time for witnessing the fight between the officer and the burglar. Her parents have already gone back to bed when the officer wins the fight and leads the handcuffed burglar to his car.

Still on Monday, Sophia makes her Gold Cash Register Badge when ringing up Cleo Dreamer's purchase.

The family enjoy a delicious dinner together.

On Tuesday morning, Marcel has to spend some time doing repairs and other necessary housework.

Violet makes sure the yard is clear of leaves.

A very happy Sophia has just managed to raise her business to rank 9, while her husband has received his Bronze Restocking badge.

When not busy otherwise, Marcel likes to paint.

Violet starts most mornings posting something on her blog, and this Wednesday is no exception.

Sophia is manning the cash register while Marcel makes his Bronze Sales Badge.

Later, while Sophia and Violet are taking a badly needed break, Marcel finds himself alone at the cash register and a queue of customers waiting to be served.

He does not even have a Bronze Badge for the register yet, and is clearly not dealing very well with the situation.

Finally, it is Mitch Indie's turn; General Buzz Grunt, behind him in the queue, is getting more and more impatient and angry by the minute.

He ends up throwing his shopping bags on the floor and leaving the shop in a huff, much to Marcel's dismay.

Thursday starts off with Violet and her Dad making breakfast and cleaning the kitchen respectively.

Sophia is still upstairs; she really needs to make more toys for the shop before they can open for the day.

Later, she tells Violet that they should make sure that there is always two of them in the shop, to avoid happening again something like last night, when Mr. Grunt left without making his purchase. In the meantime, Marcel has received his Silver Sales Badge.

Friday sees one fifth of Sophia's lifetime want come true: Her toy shop is now on rank 10!

Violet makes her Gold Badge for restocking. I love the way she looks in this picture!

This clearly calls for a party, but strangely enough, in spite of the shop being closed for the day and all customers having left, Violet is only able to invite three of her friends. She chooses Calvin and Shane Cho (students) and Jacob Martin.

Crêpes Suzette are her choice for the party food.

Without me wanting it, by doing some classic dancing together, Violet and Shane fall in love with each other.

Saturday morning sees Violet up early. She has only recently started to venture into toymaking to support her mother, and makes her Bronze Badge today.

There is now an impressive amount of over 145.000 Simoleons on the Jocques' bank account. With her first business being on rank 10, it is time for Sophia to buy a community lot and start a 2nd business.

She buys "The Frippery Frock", a Maxis-made community lot, and goes there with her husband while Violet stays behind making toys.

The shop is left largely as it is, but the counters are rearranged and Sophia decides to sell jewellery. A comfortable armchair is placed in the corner for her and a telephone installed; the music system is taken down, while some of Marcel's paintings now adorn the walls.

Marcel makes the first sale to a townie.

How nice - a good witch casts her beautifying spell over the shop, right in time for the opening!

Sophia thanks her warmly for her support.

It was a good day with Marcel finally making his Bronze Badge for using the cash register and his Gold Badge in Sales. After the good witch had left, a bad witch caused an infestation of bugs. While Sophia, so tired she can hardly stand up, calls the taxi to take them home, Marcel is getting rid of the bugs.

After a good rest at home in her bed, Sophia decides to use the rest of this Saturday evening to celebrate the successful opening of her new business. This time, she can invite 8 guests, and has just gotten out the leftovers from last night's party, when suddenly and completely unexpectedly...

...the Grim Reaper and his Hula Girls appear next to her. I really did not expect this to happen; last time I looked, Sophia was 68 and her lifetime bar was not full yet! All the party guests flock into the kitchen...

...and everyone witnesses Sophia's passing away. (She was on Gold aspiration status at the time.)

Poor Marcel! He is devastated, and maybe it is a good thing that Sophia's friends are still there to offer consoling words. Sophia's home business and The Frippery Frock both go to Marcel.

On Sunday morning over breakfast (burnt pancake for Marcel and a bowl of cereal for Violet), Marcel suggests to transfer the business ownerships to his daughter. After all, it is she who dreams of having five top-level businesses, not he.

Violet agrees and they go together to The Frippery Frock. Taking turns in serving the customers, restocking and making sales is certainly a good way to work the shop. 

Even Miss Crumplebottom accepts Violet's suggestion of jewellery! (I was hoping she would buy something, but she didn't.)


Something I've never tried in my game before and had not even known about: Violet and her father had the options to "suggest outfit to..." and "suggest jewellery to..." their customers. Suggesting an outfit resulted only once in an additional menu opening, where I could choose from the categories everyday, formal, swimwear etc., and Brittany Upsnott indeed bought the outfit suggested to her and changed into it immediately! This has, as I said, worked only once, though, and never with the jewels.
Does anyone know more about this?

Marcel even grills hotdogs for themselves and their customers. Together, father and daughter manage to raise the business from 0 to rank 4, and a good review is written, too. 
This looks hopeful for their next week. How long is Marcel going to live? Will he now, as a widower, act on his 3-bolt-attraction for Opal Contrary? Is Violet going to see Shane Cho again?