The Ramirez Family: Week 4

When the fourth week with the Ramirez family begins, we find Lisa and Tessa there...

...as well as Ramon and his dog Alabama. How are they going to do this week regarding their LTWs?

On Monday, Lisa meets & greets Monica Bratford. I usually have all my Sims greet every New Maximilianian who walks by, because I like the idea that as many of them as possible know each other. For Lisa, it is even more important, because her LTW is to have 20 best friends.

Tessa is promoted to Guild Leader - well on her way to reaching her LTW of becoming Game Designer. Strangely enough, she is accompanied home by a colleague in a cow mascot costume! (The colleague is a townie, Geoffrey Copur, and she says good-bye to him immediately.)

Ramon is now tackling in earnest his LTW of having 6 pets reach the top of their careers and finds a job in showbiz for Alabama.

On Tuesday, Alabama is promoted from Extra to Understudy.

Ramon wants to reward his faithful canine friend and takes a taxi to Pepe's Pets, where he buys several collars and has a look at the animals that can be adopted here.

But he prefers pets that have already learned some commands, and therefore he rings the pet adoption service when he is back home and have the police officer bring a cat, Roux.

Tessa is still 20 days from Elderhood when she comes home that Tuesday night with a promotion to Game Designer - she has reached her LTW and is now on Permanent Platinum, which means I am not controlling her anymore.

Roux is settling in.

On Wednesday, the wealthy Ramirez family enlists the help of a Pet Obedience Trainer. Lisa keeps tipping the woman generously, which could also mean a new friend for her. Roux is now working in the Service Industry and needs to learn new commands for a promotion.

Today, Ramon brings class mate Melrose Moonbeam home from school.

Tessa has just put on one of the pretty dresses her mother has made. This colour combination is, I think, much nicer for autumn.

Melrose and many other male teenagers in New Maximiliania have the same hairstyle as Ramon, and so he decides to change his looks. With longer hair, sideburns and a patchy beard he looks very different - but seems to like it :-) (The outfit is a custom one made for him by Lisa.)

It is Thursday, and Lisa wears one of her new dresses. (Bear with me - she is, so far, the only Sim in my game who can make custom clothes, and so I am having some fun with trying out the various combinations.)

Poor Alabama is fired from her job after taking the wrong decision with a chance card. You can tell from the bright red plumbbob that she is really in a rather bad state after that, with all her needs way down. Luckily, "her" humans take good care of her and make sure she feels a lot better some hours later.

Pablo Picaso returns from school today with Ramon.

The obedience trainer is here again, working on Roux' commands.

Friday morning, we find Lisa in the kitchen, playing with Roux.

Prezioso Picaso, Pablo's twin brother (although you wouldn't think it from looking at them), accompanies Ramon today.

Roux and Alabama finally start taking notice of each other. Alabama has not been pushed into a new job yet; Ramon wants to make sure she has fully recovered from the breakdown after losing her first job.

Tessa, who is not controlled by me anymore, is very good when it comes to sleeping in her own bed (always!), taking showers and using the toilet, and even mops up Alabama's puddles on her own accord.

On Saturday, Roux is promoted to Therapy Pet. What she needs most right now, though, is a spot of sleep therapy on Lisa's bed (her preferred sleeping place).

Ramon, in the meantime, has decided to make omelettes for breakfast for the family. He does not have to go to school today and is looking forward to the weekend spent at home.

Although the omelettes turn out quite a bit darker than intended, his sister sits down with him at the dining table. She gives him some tips about how to make it to the Dean's list, should he decide to go to college (he wants to, but I have not yet decided; he doesn't really need to in order to reach his LTW, but college is always a good place to make friends and find a special someone).

On Saturday afternoon, Ramon invites his half-sister, Silvia Singles, over. She asks whether she can bring along a friend, and I almost always have my Sims accept this - you never know, it might be the long-hoped for 3-bolt-man or -woman for someone in the family :-) In this case, it is Cleo Dreamer; a potential new friend for Lisa. Here, Lisa presents Silvia with a gift of hand-made clothes.

This is another one of Lisa's custom dresses. I really like this one on her.

Silvia, Ramon, Tessa, Lisa and Cleo all enjoy Ramon's chili con carne - this turned out to be a much more successful culinary attempt than this morning's omelettes!

On Sunday, winter sets in with the first snow. Tessa makes sure the oleander shrubs are ready for the cold season. It is so nice to have a neat Sim - even without controlling her, the housework gets done.

Ramon makes use of the morning by teaching Roux to sit up.

Do you remember the "funny incident" I showed you in one of the previous weeks at the Ramirez' house? Alegra and Bailey, two stray wolves, passing by at the same time. And here they are again, this time even stopping for a round of playing! Alabama stays in her dog hut all the time, fast asleep.

Sunday afternoon, Lisa invites over almost all her friends over for a party. From back to front, you can see Desdemona Capp, Jacqueline Jacquet (Gilbert Jacquet's half Alien daughter), Kevin O'Feefe (formerly Beare), Jason Greenman and Jacqueline's Dad.

Albany Capp, Carla Reamon and Daisy Jacquet (née Greenman, former plantsim, daughter of Rose Greenman) are there as well.

I'd entirely forgotten that at some stage during this round, Ramon and Jacqueline developed a crush on each other. On this Sunday evening during the party, the two of them fall in love when Ramon goes to hold hands with her on his own accord.

So, where do we stand at the end of their fourth week with the Ramirez family? Lisa has now 12 best friends. Tessa has reached her LTW already, and Ramon is working on it, with currently two pets advancing in their careers.