The Baldwin Family: Week 1

Tech Terrace, an apartment building in Belladonna Cove, is our next stop. The Baldwin family live here, and I am first going to show you the pictures that were already in the folder when the game started, as well as the biographies Maxis made up for them.

Their family or household biography says:

"Isabel and Benjamin have a great life together – things are next to perfect right now. Will Isabel’s uncle, Carlos, (and his wild exploits) bring shame to the family name?"

Benjamin Baldwin can be seen working on something that looks highly scientific. When the game starts, he works as an Inventor, and his bio reads:

"Benjamin’s love for science and inventions has helped him become great at his career and one of the more prominent members of Belladonna Cove’s high society. He hopes his children will follow in his footsteps someday."

Contrary to this, though, his lifetime want is to become Mayor. Well, at least that ties in with his wish to be part of high society.

This Maxis-made picture shows him with his daughter Sofia. According to Maxis, "Though just a child, Sofia is sharp as an owl and as curious as a cat. She studies hard trying to get the grades to make her parents happy."

And here is the youngest member of the family, little Marcus. Maxis says about him: "Even though he is just a toddler, Marcus is already showing great creativity and charisma! Maybe he'll follow in his father's footsteps as he grows up!"

Isabel is Benjamin's wife and the mother of Sofia and Marcus. Maxis' picture shows her with her children in a room that does not exist in the apartment where Maxis has placed the family, so it must have been taken before they moved to Tech Terrace.

Isabel's bio reads: "When Isabel married Benjamin she settled into family life. Sofia and Marcos [sic!] were born and the future is looking bright. She tries to keep tabs on her Uncle Carlos. Trying to keep his romantic exploits private has been a challenge. His retirement will probably make it much more difficult!"

Yes, Carlos Contender - another Maxis-made resident of Belladonna Cove - is her uncle. But family life is not all Isabel is interested in: Her lifetime want is to become Captain Hero.

As Belladonna Cove's future Mayor and future Cpt. Hero, these two definitely want to make a difference to their town!

The last Maxis-made picture shows the family with Isabel's Uncle Carlos at the dining table. Again, this must have been before they moved to their current place, since the kitchen here at the apartment looks very different.

On their first day here, Monday, several important things happen: 

• Benjamin quits his job as an inventor. Tomorrow, he will start his political career as a Campaign Worker. 
• Sofia goes to school for the first time. Back home, she quickly learns how to do her homework, helped by her Dad.
• Little Marcus learns all his toddler skills, thanks to Smart Milk.
• Isabel does not find a job in Law Enforcement, which is just as well, since she will be busy looking after Marcus while Benjamin is out for work.

Long before she needs to get up for school on Tuesday morning,  Sofia is woken by loud music playing in the apartment next door. Eventually, she manages to get back to sleep, but she certainly does not need her nights interrupted like this.

Meanwhile, Isabel has been successful in entering the career that will eventually lead to her lifetime want being fulfilled. She will start as a Security Guard right away at 8:00.

Since she has not had much sleep yet, what with little Marcus needing her attention, she makes herself a mug of strong coffee in order to be ready for the carpool.

Her husband hires a nanny before he leaves for work. Her name is Mona Kim - yes, Kim, as in the Maxis-made family of Robert Kim. Efforts shall be made to befriend her to the point of moving in.

It is only when she appears that I realise that Isabel did not need that coffee after all: Her work starts at 8:00 pm, not in the morning as I thought!

With Mona there to take care of things, Isabel can catch up on sleep, prepare dinner for the family AND spend a little time with Marcus before she has to be off for work.

She even manages to put in a brief chat with their landlord, a Dongsool Love. Love - another playable name! Remember Sarah Love, a college student? Dongsool is one more potential friend for the Baldwins.

When Sofia comes home, her great-uncle Carlos rings explicitly to talk to her. How nice! She tells him that she will soon have at least two best friends at school.

Benjamin returns from work with his first promotion: He is now an Intern.

Isabel returns from her night shift on Wednesday morning with a promotion to Cadet.

Exhausted but content, she can retreat to her bed, knowing Mona is there for the kids.

Later, with Sofia at school and both parents at work, Mona makes sure Marcus has everything he needs before she takes advantage of her employers' video game system for a round of SSX.

But don't worry, she really is a very good nanny, and Marcus is fond of her.

After taking the wrong decision with a chance card, Benjamin is demoted back to Campaign Worker and sent home for the rest of the day.

Sofia and Isabel are dropped off in front of Tech Terrace at the same time, and both are pleased with their day's work: Sofia brings home her first A+, and Isabel has been promoted to Patrol Officer.

With everything that's been going on, it is hardly surprising that Marcus grows up from toddler to child without anyone noticing. He is looking forward to going to school tomorrow with his big sis.

For the first time since they moved here, on Thursday morning all four Baldwins have breakfast together.

When the kids and Benjamin have left for school and work, Isabel potters about the apartment, then gets dressed and goes out to get the bills. She meets and greets the postie, a Hun Cho - as in Vivian Cho, another playable in this neighbourhood.

When the kids return from school, their parents are still at work, but of course the nanny is there. It is still warm enough on this autumn afternoon to sit on the balcony and play chess before they tackle their homework.

Sofia is over the moon when her great-uncle Carlos makes a surprise visit - she hugs him on her own accord.

Benjamin comes from work; he was given back his former position of Intern. Now it is time to help his son with his first ever homework. Marcus is very smart, but a little hint here and there from Dad does not go amiss.

The evening ends with Isabel returning home with another promotion: She is now Desk Sergeant. At this rate, she'll climb the ranks and become Captain Hero in no time!

Poor Sofia! Once again, she is woken up by noise from the neighbours in the very early hours of Thursday morning.

Luckily, it does not influence her growing up into a very pretty young lady later the same day. I throw my dice for her aspiration, and she lands on Romance.

On Saturday morning, Sofia is found fast asleep on the settee, where she has spent most of the night. You guessed it - the neighbours have been noisy again.

It's the weekend, and no school! Autumn has set in properly, with colder temperatures to match, and the kids dress accordingly when they go out to play in front of the apartment building.

There is no such thing as a weekend off in politics, but having gone to work today pays off for Benjamin when he returns with a promotion to Lobbyist that afternoon.

If possible, I will continue to make Sunday a family day for my Sims. But I also want to keep up my tradition of sending each household to a community lot once during their week, and since Sunday is the only day with both Isabel and Benjamin off work, that's when I send them to the park. (Also, their only relative is Isabel's uncle Carlos, and he has already been visiting on his own accord.)

Everybody seems to love the Human Statue - it's beyond me, I really don't like them in real life. But at least there is one more Sim around who has a playable surname: townie Camryn Lee (you may remember her from New Maximiliania, where I made her playable because of a Maxis-made playable student, Emily Lee.

Back home, Benjamin is out on the balcony making hot dogs.

They are very welcome with Sally Riley, a (playable) friend of Sofia's, who has been invited over. Her dad, Timothy Riley, tags along - a chance for Isabel and Benjamin to make more friends, as needed for their careers.

I enjoyed this week with the Baldwins, although there is a glitch in the game: Service Sims such as the nanny, the landlord or the mail carrier can not be called on the phone, even though my Sims have met them and they appear in their relationship panels.  Apartment lots have always been somewhat prone to glitches, so maybe if the family moves to their own place, it will sort itself out.

Sofia's lifetime want was revealed late, not on the morning after her birthday as usual. She wants to have 20 lovers - one of my least favourite lifetime wants. I guess college will be a good move for her, and indeed she already wishes to go.

Before Round Two will be over, Benjamin will have turned into an Elder, and Marcus into a teenager.