Click here for week 5.
The dear old Smiths' house - who has not played there at some stage or other?
Of course, now that I am playing this neighbourhood, New Maximiliania, in its 6th year (currently at Round 5), a few things have changed here. But it still is essentially the way it was set up by Maxis when the very first Sims 2 game appeared, and this house was part of Strangetown.
Jill Indie, nee Smith, widow of Mitch Indie, lives once again at her childhood home. Both her parents have long died. Her lifetime want changed earlier on this round; she now wants to have 20 lovers. Her score currently is at 7.
Her older brother Johnny is still here, too. He died stupidly of exposure to the sun while he was a vampire, soon after his mother was still grieving for his father, and so I could not do this to Jenny (apart from always having had a soft spot for Johnny), which made me go against my own rules and have Johnny resurrected.
He reached his LTW of being Mayor a long time ago, meaning I do not control him. His vampire love, a contessa, still shows up in his relationship panel as his only love interest, but he does not roll one single want about her all week.
And there is Isabella Indie, Mitch's half-Alien daughter and Jill's step daughter.
Isabella is a typical teenager and seems to have gotten over her father's death remarkably well. She wants to become Professional Party Guest one day.
Bailey the family cat is still there, too.
The week at the Smith-Indie family starts on a Sunday, but I have decided to change that and play this household through until the next Monday, so that it is like all other households in New Max.
I find Johnny working out and Jill gardening this Sunday morning.
Isabella makes sure the cat dish is clean before she feeds Bailey. Her hairdo is courtesy of Charlie Cho, the only Sim in New Max to have a Silver Badge in cosmetology.
Later that day, Jill makes Gavin Newson her lover # 8.
The video game set is one of the major attractions in this house. Bailey likes to watch!
Johnny approves of Isabella diligently doing her share of household chores.
On Monday, the first thing Johnny does is to have a bath.
Bailey has a habit of sitting on the kitchen counter.
Jill completes the gardening she started yesterday. It is finally warm enough to be out in a sleeveless top and sandals again.
Later, when Johnny is at work and Isabella at school, she enjoys a nap in the sun on the patio near the swimming pool.
After school and work, it is playtime for everyone: Isabella and Johnny have a water balloon fight (I wouldn't do this still wearing a suit, if I was Johnny!), while Jill plays with Bailey.
At night, Isabella rolls the wish to catch fireflies. I let her do it, but make her release the fireflies instantly.
It is Tuesday morning, and Johnny cuddles Bailey affectionately.
Meike Riley comes home from school with Isabella today, just as Marcus Baldwin arrives upon invitation of Jill, who still has a lot to do before she will have reached her LTW.
I kept wondering why it took Isabella so long to do her homework, and why her fun level suffered so much from it - and finally realized that nobody ever taught her how to study! She now asks her step mother for help.
Several attempts later (the stairway was blocked when Jill wanted to follow Isabella upstairs...), they succeed.
Isabella celebrates her new skill by making hot dogs for everyone.
Marcus, Isabella, Meike and Jill enjoy the hot dogs. I wonder whether Jill is trying to tell Marcus here that, while she does want him as her lover, she and he will never be "an item".
On Wednesday morning, a thunderstorm results in Johnny being hit by lightning just outside his own front door. I didn't see it happening and only understood what had been going on when I caught Johnny running to the toilet looking like this.
Clover Newson (one of Tybalt Capp's plantchildren, turned human and now married to Ginger Newson) walks by, and of course Jill seizes the opportunity to meet a potential candidate for her list of lovers.
She is very frank about her intentions!
Johnny may not be the most intelligent Sim when it comes to taking care of his personal needs, but he certainly knows how to take care of a house, and frequently can be seen cleaning.
Thursday's breakfast consists of a bag of crisps for Johnny.
I send Jill to clean Bailey's bed.
But she decides to clear up the old newspapers all on her own.
Step mother and daughter enjoy a splash and paddle in the swimming pool that afternoon.
On Friday, Jill makes use of the quiet time at home alone by studying fire prevention (a wish of hers).
Uh-oh - it has happened again! This time not through lightning, but when I told Johnny to repair the computer. Thankfully, this time it did not result in a house fire like at the Singles-Ottomas household.
Isabella loves her handheld game console and can often be seen playing.
Today, Marcus Baldwin becomes Jill's lover # 9. That is nearly half her LTW complete - not bad for someone who started so late to work on their goal!
Meike Riley and Perseida Powers walk by, and of course I have Isabella welcome her friend and her half-sister.
Meike leaves shortly afterwards, but Perseida stays for dinner. Both girls have been over at Charlie Cho's for their hairdos :-)
It is Saturday morning when I find Bailey fast asleep on the kitchen counter - I don't think I've seen this before.
Jill has made omelettes. and for the first time this week, all three family members can sit down for breakfast together.
Bailey, who was 36 years old, leaves this world for ever after a long and happy life as a much loved family cat.
Johnny is super fit already, but he still likes to work out every now and then (this is the second time this week that I see him on the exercise bike).
Sunday is off to a fun start for Jill and her step daughter.
Johnny has stopped playing with the RC car in order to play fetch with a stray dog - named Bailey, just like the family cat who died only yesterday.
Jill has invited Clover Newson over again, while Johnny greets Jules Cleveland (nee O'Mackey).
Looks like Jill is getting closer to her # 10! (Not just yet, though.)
A cheerful bunch of party balloons has been tied to the garden gate, and Isabella greets her friend Meike Riley, Meike's cousin Stephen and some of her many half-sisters, Deirdre and Dora Dreamer. Altogether, Isabella has 21 half siblings in New Maximiliania. Well, actually, she has 18, because three of them have died through various unfortunate circumstances (fires, mostly).
Why the party?
Because it is Isabella's birthday!
She did roll the want to go to college during the earlier part of her teenage "years", but she does not need a diploma for her LTW of being Professional Party Guest. Also, the want did not come back all week, and so I decided to not send her to college.
But she can finally use the facelift machine that has been waiting for her upstairs ever since she moved in!
This looks rather painful, to be honest...
...but I think the result is well worth it. I did not give her a new face from one of the "whole face mould" options, but gave her a nose, made her eyes smaller and her mouth bigger. Of course, with growing up, her special green hairdo was lost. Maybe she'll be invited to the Cho-Riley house next round and will have another makeover.
Her luck does not end at a successful facelift - Isabella also finds a job in her coveted career straight away. Round # 6 will see her starting as a Convenience Store Clerk.
In the meantime, downstairs Jill has made a delicious berry pie for the birthday guests.
And Sunday ends just the way it began for Isabella - with a pillow fight :-)
Johnny still has not found anything else to do with his life than his work as Mayor, but somehow he seems less listless than earlier this round. Will he ever see the contessa again?
Jill divides her time between looking after the house and garden and working on her list of lovers. Will she get together with Shaun Singles once her LTW is achieved?
How is Isabella going to fare in her career?
