The Singles-Subject Household: Week 3

The third week at the second household by the surname Singles is about to begin. Erin is now 57 and has 15 best friends (her LTW is to have 20). Nervous is 55; his LTW is to graduate three children from college, and his oldest son, Shaun, has recently graduated. Neither Erin nor Nervous are holding jobs, but by digging up their yard for sellable things and selling the odd painting every now and then, and especially by living very modestly, the Singles have managed to scrape together 4.708 Simoleons.

The younger two children, twins Selma and Stig, need some cheering up before leaving for their very first day at school. Selma gets some fun out of the story her Mum is reading to her...

...while her brother Stig uses his parents' bed as a trampolene.

When the schoolbus has left with the twins on board, Erin welcomes Shaun back from college. He has graduated Cum Laude in Political Sciences and will now dedicate all his time towards reaching his LTW - it is the same as Erin's, having 20 best friends. Of course his years at college were useful towards that goal; he has 15 best friends just like his mother. He adds a modest 1.066 Simoleons to the family account. Also, Lola Singles, one of the four young women Erin originally started out with when she first arrived in New Maximiliania, died recently and left her friend 448 Simoleons. For the time being, nobody will need to find a job here.

Shaun has only just moved back in and is already on the hone. He makes his best friends # 16 and 17 today: Jill Smith and Tara Gieke.

I decide to give him the same hairdo as his father. He is obviously not happy about this, but I'll stick with it nonetheless.

When the kids return from their first day at school, Isabella Indie, Mitch Indie's half-Alien daughter, gets off the bus with them.

Once the children have been tucked in, Nervous and Erin take a moment to hold hands and tell each other how happy they still are together after all these years. (They did that on their own accord, and I found it rather sweet!)

On Tuesday, Shaun gets up from the bed he slept in already as a little boy, still sharing the large landing with his younger brother. He hopes to make more best friends today.

I make him salvage the bin, and he finds this measuring cup which he sells for 8 Simoleons.

Björn Beaker, who is one of Loki Beaker's half-Alien children and was born while Nervous and Erin still lived with the Beakers at their large house, walks by and is of course greeted by Erin.

It is only their 2nd day at school, and already Selma...

...and Stig come home with A+ reports!

Meanwhile, Björn has discovered Selma's small "gallery" upstairs. It's not very nice of him - he stands there and laughs out loud at the drawings, clearly knowing who made them.

He, too, has recently graduated from college, just like Shaun. Nervous sits down for a meal with the two young men. (Note how Nervous made sure Shaun's diploma is displayed where everyone can see it, not somewhere upstairs, on the wall next to Shaun's bed or some place like that.)

It is Wednesday. They may be very bright kids and doing extremely well at school, but both Selma and Stig do not seem to enjoy school at all. Their fun bars are very low, and they need to play "red hands" several times before I can even think about making them do their homework.

Stig loves his building bricks, while Selma prefers to draw.

On Thursday, Nervous and Erin decide their kids need a treat for all their hard work at school, and the entire family visits Hunter's Park.

On Friday, Shaun makes his 18th best friend in Marcel Jocque. Erin is patiently waiting her turn to use the phone. With two Sims wanting to have 20 best friends, I have to make sure both get enough telephone time to mainting their existing friendships and establish new ones.

Graham Grunt accompanies the children home from school today. He is, I think, Buck Grunt's half-Alien son.

Still on Friday, Nervous gets out some of the party balloons he had in his inventory (obviously bought at Ty Bubbler's shop).

In the open-plan kitchen/dining/living area on the ground floor, a second table is set up with two birthday cakes.

Selma and Stig's last moment as children!

Now they are teenagers! For Selma, the lot decides on the Fortune Aspiration; her LTW is to become Space Pirate. Her brother ends up a Knowledge Sim with the LTW of being Mad Scientist.

Several members of the other Singles household as well as the whole Beaker family have been invited to the twins' birthday party. Puck Summerdream, Trisha Traveller, Daisy Jacquet and Gordon Greenman are there because Erin thought it a good way of strengthening their friendships.

Shaun's inventory contained, among other things, this berry pie. Most of the party guests seem to prefer bags of crisps, though.

On Saturday, Erin maxes out her creativity skill.

Stig, after adopting the same hairdo as his father and older brother, applies for scholarships and then moves to college...

...followed shortly afterwards by Selma. We are going to catch up with the twins there next. (Just as in Shaun's case, I deliberately cut short the twins' teenage "years" and sent them to college as soon as possible, so that Nervous does indeed have a chance to see his three children graduate.)

On Sunday, Shaun adds # 19 and 20 to his list of best friends (Guy Wrightley and Gunnar Roque) - he is now on Permanent Platinum, 25 days before Elderhood.

The Beakers are invited over to celebrate.

Only Beta, their youngest child, came with them; Barry and Björn have moved to their own places upon returning from college. "So the twins have left for college yesterday?" Loki enquires. "Then you'll certainly reach your lifetime want, Nervous!"

It's been Nervous' want for a few days now to win a cooking contest, so I have the three of them say good-bye to their guests and take a taxi to Sue's Secret Kitchen.

And who should Nervous bump into there? Loki Beaker :-)

He prepares Grandma's Comfort Soup for the contest.

He submits his food... and then a long wait begins.

Two more contestants show up, one is a professor, the other one is Sharla Royce, head of Sue's Secret Kitchen. It takes a long time until the fourth slot is filled...

...by Dirk Dreamer. Now, who is going to win this contest?

The food judge takes his time.

But in the end, it is our Nervous who happily walks away with the blue ribbon and gold medal!

Of course, he and Erin sit down for a bowl of the winning soup, and toast Nervous' culinary skill, their love and life in general.

Late on Sunday evening, Erin reaches Permanent Platinum, too, when Barry Beaker becomes her 20th best friend. She is now 64, Nervous is 62. I think there is a fair chance that he will live long enough to see Selma and Stig graduating.

It was fun to play this household; with little money and requiring some time management where telephone times and bathroom visits were concerned. Next, as I said, I am going to play the twins' first year at college.