The Gavigan-Swain Family - Week 12

Week 11 with this family is here.

The Gavigan-Swain household now consists of only four instead of six family members: Gerlinde Gavigan and Sirius Swain, both 58 years old and on Permanent Platinum...

...as well as their younger twins Gary and Gavin. Their older two, twins Helen and Clarence, have only just graduated and moved into rented apartments nearby.
Gary (pictured here) is a Family Sim who dreams of seeing 3 children graduating from college. Gavin sees himself as a future Rock God, not unusual for a Sim with the Popularity aspiration.

The week here begins on a Saturday, and is off to a firey start when during a late spring thunderstorm the hibiscus shrub near the front door is hit by lightning and catches fire. Good job the rain does not stop, and quickly puts out the flames.

Gary had wishes around his older siblings (tell jokes, play with them) and so Helen and Clarence are invited over for the day. The lady in the back is the Gavigan-Swains' landlady, who has just been repairing a broken bathtub upstairs.

For Sirius, the week begins similar to how the last one ended - preparing Lobster Thermidor for his loved ones.

Sirius does not feel too brilliant on Sunday morning.

The boys enjoy another day without school and stay in their PJs all morning.

Like last week, Gerlinde decides to pet the skunk on her own initiative - with the same result as last week.

It's a beautiful day, the first of summer, but Gavin prefers playing darts in the garage. That's teenagers for you!

Later that afternoon, Gerlinde is picked up by her limousine car pool for work (she still performs as a World Class Ballet Dancer), leaving the three "boys" on their own for the rest of the day.

I catch Gerlinde and Sirius in a romantic mood early on Monday morning.

The boys come home from school with one of their many half-siblings in tow, Priya Patel.

But she is quickly sent on her way and the two buckle down with their homework.

The reason? Their parents both do not have to work today, which is why I have planned a family outing to a community lot. First stop is Nerissa's Own Clothing Store.

Gerlinde's wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired; she does not really have any suitable summer wear. That can be remedied.

Next, the family direct their taxi to Le Magnifique and enjoy a good meal there. By the time they head home, the boys are so tired they do not need to be reminded that they have to be up at 6:00 the next morning - they go straight to bed.

Gerlinde can be found at the grill in the back garden on Tuesday afternoon.

While Sirius is at work, she and the boys enjoy a batch of hot dogs. It will be her last meal with the teenagers.

Waiting for the taxi that is to take them to college, the brothers spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening playing darts at the garage. Gavin wonders whether the two of them will make it on the Dean's List like their older siblings did.

Finally, Sirius is at home, just in time to witness first Gary...

...and then Gavin leave for college. Now the couple are on their own! Will they move to the Senior Residence?

On Wednesday, Helen and Clarence move back in with their parents. I did think a while about it and then decided to go ahead; somehow, it seems something this family would do. Neither Clarence nor Helen need a partner or children of their own to fulfill their lifetime wants, and the family seems so attached to their snug little rented house that Gerlinde and Sirius do not want to give it up in exchange for the Senior Residence.
Helen aspires to step in her Dad's footprints and become a Celebrity Chef as well, which will be easier for her when she lives with him and can benefit from his knowledge and experience. Clarence won't have to work but can fully focus on his 50 1st dates.

Still, it does feel a bit strange to be back in the old room, he muses, even if it is furnished a little differently now.

The first thing Helen does is make omelettes for breakfast - this time, without any mishap!

"Have you and Dad still not considered getting married?" she asks Gerline as the two women enjoy the omelettes on the patio. Gerlinde just smiles; in fact, neither she nor Sirius have ever rolled that wish.

I decide to give Helen her former hairstyle back. She is also much happier in the dress than in the dungarees she age-transitioned into.

Clarence does indeed work hard on his lifetime want and manages to get in several more 1st dates that day. The Matchmaker introduces him to a police officer...

...a townie lady...

...and an Atrociously Evil Witch. Seriously, an evil witch for a blind date? Funnily enough, the two get along like a house on fire, but this relationship definitely has no future, and so Clarence ends the date soon. He has now reached # 21.

Early on Thursday morning, Sirius and Gerlinde have a romantic dance in the company of the equally dancing fireflies.

The patio is the place to be on this summer morning for breakfast. You guessed it - it was Helen who made the omelettes. She has not yet found a job in the culinary career, but it's early days yet.

Meanwhile, her brother Clarence has been keeping up the string of first dates arranged by the Matchmaker. He is now at # 25 and half way through with his lifetime want.

Helen and her Dad have breakfast together on Friday morning. "You know, sweetheart, you can't learn everything about cooking from books," Sirius wisely tells her.

Autumn has set in, and the landlady takes care of the leaves in the back garden.

Every day since he moved in, Clarence has rolled the wish to buy new clothes, and he can really do with something better suited for the colder season. I send the family to "Papaya Regime".

Odell Ottomas and Ratna Walter are among the customers.

Clarence makes his purchase, and the four head back home.

There, in one of his brand new outfits, Clarence has his 1st dates # 26, 27, 28 and 29. All this is of course costing a lot of money, and soon he will have to find other ways to achieve his lifetime want.

In spite of what her father told her this morning, Helen keeps studying cook books and is rewarded with a membership to Sue's Secret Kitchen. She wisely uses the time until she finds a job in the culinary career for skill building, made easier because it is autumn.

This is where the week with the Gavigan-Swain family ends, but the two younger siblings still are due a few more days before their week is full. Therefore, we'll see them through their first semester at uni next.