The Newson Family: Week 6

Click here if you want to (re-)read week 5. 

The "main" Newson family still lives in this Maxis-made townhouse in Downtown New Maximiliania. We've already visited with some of the siblings, so who is here at the moment?

Gavin Newson, a Fortune Sim who originally wanted to become Business Tycoon and later inexplicably changed his lifetime want to earning 100.000 Simoleons. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in Biology many years ago but never did anything with his studies; instead of finding a job, he decided to stay at home and earn as much money as he could by selling paintings. It's not going too bad, but I doubt he'll ever make 100 grand with it.

His sister Ginger is still here, too. Her LTW changed as well: instead of celebrating her Golden Anniversary, it turned into graduating 3 children from college somewhere along the line. Her oldest child - Nigel Newson, whose father is Ripp Grunt - has recently graduated in Political Sciences.

Ginger married Clover Capp (one of Tybalt Capp's Plantbabies) last round. He took her surname and moved in, looking forward to the day when they both will be elders and can celebrate their Golden Anniversary.

All three adults get along very well. On this Monday morning, just after Ginger's twins Nellie and Nelson have left for school (you'll see them in a bit), they spend some time in front of the house tossing a football.By the way, Ginger and Clover had "only" two bolts between them. After I made them both wear glasses, they became three-bolters for the rest of the week.

Nigel returns from college, much to his mother's joy. He will now start to work towards his LTW of becoming Hall of Famer.

When Nelson arrives home from school, he is happy to see his big brother has moved back in with the family.

Nellie feels the same.

It's wonderful to have the family reunited again - it's been too long since they have all sat down for a meal together!

When Nigel left home for college, his younger siblings moved into his old room. Now that he is back, he is going to share his Uncle Gavin's bachelor pad on the ground floor. It won't be for long - you'll soon see why :-)

Tuesday morning, Nigel is lucky and finds a job as Minor Leaguer on the Simternet.

The twins are only just getting up by the time Nigel has already signed his work contract.

Ginger and Clover make a great team in the kitchen and elsewhere.

That afternoon, Nellie turns into a teenager. The lot falls on Family as her aspiration, and her LTW is to become Education Minister.

The ever-same hairstyle has to go. Now that I have such nice new clothes, objects, walls, floors and hairstyles in my game (thanks to Twoyys4me!), I enjoy choosing a different one for Nellie. Isn't she really, really pretty? The outfit she found in the wardrobe once used to belong to her Aunt Gabriella, I think.

Even though they are twins and I expected them to grow up at the same time, it takes Nelson several hours more before he, too, turns into a teen. He is now a Popularity Sim who wants to be Mayor of New Maximiliania one day.

Wednesday starts with Gavin busily painting away at his easel. Those 100k won't come without an effort!

Ginger is also busy: the cleanbot (a gift from friend Angela Pleasant) needs repairing.

The twins come home from school accompanied by Stacy Stacks.

Nigel comes home from work with his first promotion: He now is a Rookie.

Thursday has more repair work in store for Ginger.

Today, Meike Riley gets off the school bus with Nellie and Nelson. The three teenagers spend most of the afternoon watching TV together.

Nigel has been promoted to Starter.

All adults in the family show the wish to go fishing, and so everybody piles into the recently bought car (a wish from Gavin) to drive somewhere with a pond or river.

This is SimCenter South or something like that; an (of course) Maxis-made community lot also in Downtown New Max.

While the adults indulge in fishing, the teenagers head straight for the espresso bar.

The otherwise really nice family outing comes to a sudden end when a thunderstorm breaks out and Nellie is hit by lightning. At home, she showers and eats and goes to bed early - no permanent harm done.

On Friday after school, the twins make their respective phone calls and move to college. True - they have been allowed to be teenagers only for a VERY short time, but they both know it is their beloved Mum's big dream to see them graduate just as their big brother Nigel did.

Speaking of Nigel, he diligently works on his body skill - he wants more promotions.

With her two younger children gone, Ginger is a bit at a loose end. Before the "empty nest syndrome" can fully set in (Nigel is back, yes, but he works all day), she invites her younger sisters Gabriella and Georgia over. They don't live far.

Castanea Landgraab comes home from work with Nigel today. She is not only Nigel's colleague, but also Clover's sister.

Speaking of Clover - knows just how to deal with his lovely wife's empty nest syndrome!

Good job he did what he did when he did it - because the next morning, Saturday, he is decidedly unwell and can hardly finish his breakfast without a coughing fit.

For every Newson, family is first and foremost. Today, Ginger invites her younger brother Garrett and his sweetheart Paola Picaso over.

Clover wants to see his family, too, and invites is father Tybalt and some of his siblings over.

For some mysterious reason, Paola and Clover can not stand each other. Something very strange happens then - I don't think I've ever saw this in my game before: On his own initiative, Clover offers Paola 50 Simoleons if she "bugs off" (that is what the message appearing on my screen said!). Do you know of this? Paola takes the money but does not leave.

Looks as if he brings up the subject in front of everyone at the table! I wonder why these two sit next to each other when they so heartily dislike each other.

Eventually, they engage into a fist fight on the top floor landing. How embarrassing and totally inappropriate!

The evening ends with Nigel flying the kite in the back garden. I don't blame him for wanting to be out rather than in, with such goings-on!

By Sunday morning, Gavin has earned 37.500 Simoleons altogether. Can that really all be from his paintings? No. There were still several items in his inventory (from uni and shopping at community lots while I was playing other households), as well as in the other family members' inventories. I sold everything they did not want or need, and that contributed quite a bit to the sum total.

Later, it is his turn with the kite.

Nigel gets his last promotion for this week - he is now an All Star.

Here, you'll be seeing Ginger as an adult for the last time.

Two birthday cakes are set up in the kitchen for her and Gavin.

Ginger is the first to blow out the candles. She age-transitions into a rather flamboyant dress - one I've not seen before, it must have come with one of my new download packs. Look at Clover's face - it appears as if he is not overly happy about his wife looking as many years older than he as she is!

Gavin is next. By the way, you can't see any Newson siblings among the party guests because I had Nigel invite to the party - all week he'd been rolling wishes to throw a party, and this seemed to be a good occasion.

Here is Gavin as an elder, and the week ends.

How much longer until Clover will be an elder, too, and finally celebrate the Golden Anniversary with Ginger?
Are the twins going to do well at college?
Is Nigel going to find himself a girlfriend, and will Gavin ever make 100.000 Simoleons?