Back at College with Newsons, Ottomas, Patel and Picaso

We are back already at the Mille House Dorm at Académie Le Tour, because I am still playing the Newson family, and it is now Garrett and Georgia's turn.

       Here is Garrett, writing his term paper. This is his last year at university.

        His sister Georgia is also diligently working on her term paper, and will graduate the same day as Garrett.

       The Ottomas twins are still here, too: Oliver is not very well...

       ...but Olivia is fine.

        Paola Picaso and Parvati Patel, who were newcomers last "year", are now Sophomores.

        Life at the dorm is not very exciting. Most of the time, if left to their own devices (as all of the NPC students obviously are), the dorm mates dance the hula and think little of cleaning.

       There are exceptions, though. Garrett is often seen grabbing a mop and wiping the floor, or doing some other chore.

        Paola even tries (not very successfully) to produce a late night meal every now and then, after the dorm cook's working hours.

        By the time everyone has acquired their necessary skills and written their termpapers, they are welcome to do as they please. Sometimes, Olivia and Garrett (who fell in love autonomously) even manage to sleep in the same bed :-)

        Towards the end of the first semester a magic lamp is left on the doorstep. For now, it'll just sit there. Nobody here has a particularly difficult lifetime want, or any other need for the lamp.

      Paola could really do with losing some weight, and so I don't object for a change when the campus coach bullies her into working out.

        It's the same with Oliver.

        Olivia and Parvati make best friends over breakfast and a conversation about rocket science.

       Georgia and Garrett are the first to have their end-of-semester exams, and are now entering their very last semester. Where did the years go?

        Oliver and Olivia are next.

        It is skilling time at the dorm, as nearly always at the beginning of a new semester.      

Now that spring is here and summer is just around the corner, everybody changes into something lighter.

        Parvati and Paola have done well in the first half of their Sophomore Year.

        Olivia is quick to finish her term paper, but she is suffering from a bad cold.

       Garrett starts browsing the web as soon as he has typed the last fullstop on his very last term paper.

        Oliver finishes next, using the computer in Georgia's room.

        Of course, now that Garrett and Georgia do not need to be controlled for the rest of the semester, they are seen dancing the Hula as often as the NPC students.

       It was Olivia's idea to wipe the bathroom floor, not mine. Changing the sanitary equipment for better (and more expensive) stuff was my idea, though.

        Garrett and Paola have not initiated any romantic interaction this semester until now. Georgia is watching her brother closely! During her teenage years, she once happened to witness Ripp Grunt kissing another woman while at the same time he was dating - and having children with! - her big sister Ginger. This must have traumatized her.

       The Newsons invite their siblings over. Here comes Gavin, followed by Ginger and her new husband, Clover.

      At the same time, Olivia and Oliver return from their end-of-year exams; they are now at the start of their Senior Year.       

They go upstairs to study instantly, while everybody else enjoys...

        Garrett's graduation party!
       

The rest of the Newson siblings, Gabriella and Gallagher, arrive as well, and Georgia has invited her already graduated sweetheart Justin Kim for the party, too.

        A looooong kiss from Garrett for his Paola. She will have to stay for another two years before these two can think of living together.

        Georgia gives Justin a tender look. She is about to leave college for good after her graduation; will she move in with him?

        Garrett's last deed at the dorm (without me telling him to!) is trimming the hedge.

        He then boards the taxi, followed minutes later by his sister.

       Just as the taxi disappears round the corner, Parvati and Paola return from their end-of-term exam. There are only four playable students left at this dorm. Are they going to move to a smaller dorm, or join forces with my other playable students at Sim State University?

The Newsons: Week 5

Click here for Week 4.  

One of the liveliest households in New Maximiliania and one of the first to have moved into a Downtown house are the Newsons.

      Here, we have Ginger (who is obviously not very well at the start of this week), a typical Family Sim who wants to graduate three children from college...

        ...her firstborn, Nigel...       

...her brother Gavin... (his LTW is to earn 100.000 Simoleons)

        ...and the twins, Nelson and Nellie. The father of Ginger's children is Ripp Grunt, who did this mainly to help her with her lifetime want, but also because he wants to have 20 lovers and Ginger was one of them.

       On the Monday morning of their fifth week in New Maximiliania, Snow Day is announced which means Nigel does not have to go to school. He enjoys playing with his younger siblings instead.

        Ginger meets and greets Clover Capp and finds they have a very similar sense of humour.

       Even after he has long gone home, she can't stop thinking of Clover. (He is one of Tybalt Capp's plantbabies.)

        In the afternoon, the other Newson siblings are all seen heading towards the house. Here are Georgia and Gallagher.

        Gabriella and Garrett arrive at the same time as Ripp Grunt. Why are they all here?

        It is the twins' birthday today! Ginger can hardly believe her babies are already going to be school children!

        Nelson never makes it downstairs to his birthday cake; he age-transitions on the upstairs landing next to his toys.

        Nellie is brought to her birthday cake by Uncle Gavin and cheered on by the whole family, including her Dad, Ripp Grunt (in the purple polo shirt).

        She is happy to be a "big girl" now, and heartily tucks into her birthday cake.

       Later, she goes out on her own accord, making first a snow angel and then building a snowman in the back yard.

        Ginger, whose wish it was to throw a birthday party for her twins, now wants nothing more than to get married. She knows she won't ask Ripp - that would be a marriage destined to be unhappy, what with their conflicting aspirations.

        The baby cribs and changing table are gone. Nellie has her bed in her mother's bedroom.

       Gavin, who so far has been sharing a room with his nephew Nigel, has the formerly empty ground floor transformed into a comfortable bachelor pad.

        So far, he has only been earning money by selling his paintings. The easel is on the balcony, but it is too cold this time of the year to hold a paintbrush properly.

       Therefore, the easel and all his paint things are moved downstairs to Gavin's new apartment, and large windows are put in to allow for all the natural light necessary to produce his master pieces.

        Nelson and Nellie love playing together, now that they are finally "big".

      Nigel is not particularly happy at school; he'd much rather spend the entire morning jumping on his bed than getting on the school bus.

       But now that his younger siblings are also going there, he is a little less reluctant.

        In fact, on this Tuesday, he brings home his first A+!

       Not only that, but also a class mate, Stephen Riley...

        ...as well as Meike Riley, who is instantly "captured" by Nellie, who is happy to have another girl her age in the house, even if only for a little while.

       I just love family meals!      

Wednesday goes by uneventful, with the kids at school and Ginger and her brother spending time doing household chores, talking to friends and family on the phone and (for Gavin) painting. On Thursday, both Nellie and Nelson bring home their first A+. You can tell these kids were raised on SmartMilk!

        It is also the day Nigel turns into a Teenager. The lot decides for him to have the Popularity Aspiration, and he dreams of being Hall of Famer one day.

       "Now I will soon be old enough to go to college and help our Mom to fulfill her lifetime want," he tells his little brother.

        Have I mentioned yet that I love family meals?

       I really do!

        The snow has gone now, and Ginger enjoys a sunny Friday morning in her brother's ground floor room doing the crosswords. Her life has changed; from looking after babies and toddlers for so long, she now has the whole morning to herself while the kids are at school.

       She has been seeing Clover again. Today, he arrives at the house just as the school bus is pulling up.
      

Sadly, every time Ginger and Clover interact romantically, Ginger's children cry and fret. Although they hardly ever see their Dad (Ripp Grunt), they seem to hope that one day, their parents will be together. Ginger knows this won't be the case, but the kids don't understand.

Later, though, Nigel congratulates her on having found someone to love. He as the oldest knows a bit more about life than his younger siblings.
       

On Saturday, Ginger and Gavin take the kids to the park at SimCity Centre North. It started to rain minutes before they boarded the taxi, but had stopped by the time they arrived at the park.       

As if on clue, everybody crosses the bridge.
       

Nigel's first ever attempt at making hotdogs is not very successful, but everybody eats them nonetheless.
       

Ginger enjoys seeing her twins so happy and playful. The less than pleasant scene when Clover's and her budding romance caused the children to cry is forgotten.
       

The Newsons return home in the afternoon, with the little ones being so tired they need a nap. Ginger asks Clover to come over and proposes to him. Needless to say, he accepts - and their marriage will not only make Ginger very happy, but also help Clover's father Tybalt towards his lifetime want of marrying off six children.
      

A thoughtful Ginger rests on her bed that evening, thinking of how her life will change once again from tomorrow onwards, when she will marry Clover. Hopefully, once they are husband and wife, her children will come to terms with their Dad not living with them, and accept Clover as the kind, gentle man he is.
      

Nellie has woken up from her nap and spends the remainder of Saturday quietly reading on her bed.
       

On Sunday, Nigel is the first to get up. A bit of cleaning of the boys' bathroom is in order.
       

Gavin has prepared omelettes for breakfast.
       

This gives everybody enough strength to help with the setting up of things for the wedding.
      

Georgia and Gabriella arrive, wearing matching dresses. Clover is accompanied by one of his brothers.      

Some more of Clover's siblings have been invited to attend the wedding, and of course Garrett and Gallagher can't miss this important celebration, either.
      

Clover and Ginger exchange their vows and are now Mr. and Mrs. Newson!
     

Everybody, including the children, applauds the newlyweds.       

Weddings are the perfect occasion for a large family to gather, and Ginger happily watches as her little sister Georgia gets along so well with Nellie.      

After the party has ended and nearly everybody has gone home, Nigel leaves for college.        

Clover has just taken the medicine he bought from the Gypsy lady to make him entirely human. He still has his pointed ears :-)      

Gavin wonders what life is going to hold for him. Almost all week, he has rolled wants about kissing, flirting and dating; not about anyone in particular, but wishes typical for spring. 

Is he going to find someone to help him fulfill these wants? Will he ever reach his LTW of earning 100.000 Simoleons by nothing more than selling paintings?
Are Ginger's children going to fully accept Clover into the family? How is Nigel getting on at college?

[Sorry about the odd formatting of this post - blogger has been acting up on me for two days now.]