- - - Update 15.4.2012 - - - When we come back to the Hart-Stacks household, we find that the adults have been shopping while I have been playing other households: the children's oven and the toy box were in their inventories, and so they are placed in Helena's room.
She starts Monday morning by making herself a cupcake.
Her parents are still asleep - they are glad for any chance they get, with Hailey now being a toddler!
When neither Helena nor Hailey demand his attention, Matthew studies his spellbook diligently.
Jane relaxes by doing the crossword.
A thunderstorm sets the tree next to the house on fire, but the rain quickly puts out the flames.
Jane was so close - I expected her to catch fire any moment, but she never did, thankfully!
After her first day at school, Helena brings home class mate Melrose Moonbeam. Matthew is clearly pleased to see his daughter make friends so easily!
Later, he meets and greets Pauline Aspir.
Everyone joins the waterballoon fight in the back yard. It is such a lovely day, the end of spring and the beginning of summer.
Before she goes to bed, Helena plays with the jack-in-a-box; it was made by Sophia Jocque, I think, and her parents must have purchased it at her shop.
Tuesday morning, when Jane gets up, I notice something funny: up until now, she used to wear a white dressing gown. I have not changed anything about her wardrobe, and yet today, she wears a pink dressing gown.
Matthew switches from reading about spells to making reagents.
Helena must be an exceptionally bright child (she was, after all, fed smart milk several times during her toddler-years): it is only her second day at school, and she already brings home her first A+!
Her parents are very proud of her.
Matthew tries to cast a spell on Helena to make her happy (her fun-level has suffered badly at school), but the spell remains without effect. I do not play Warlocks and Witches very often in my game, and therefore I don't know much about them; is it normal that spells can not be cast on children?
It is still Tuesday - the day baby Hailey turns into a toddler. But - oh dear! Look at her poor ugly little face! Where has she got those terrible eyebrows from? They make her look grumpy (which she is not). Hopefully, she will look nicer as she grows up.
Wednesday morning sees Jane in her white dressing gown again.
The Harts make sure Helena never feels any reason for jealousy towards her little sister, and sit down with her for meals as often as possible. "Are you soon going to have two best friends, sweetheart?" her mother asks.
Possibly - because today, Helena brings Myra Moonbeam home from school, Melrose's twin sister (although they do not at all look alike).
The two girls spend a fun afternoon having pillow fights...
...and eating Hamburgers. By the time Myra leaves and Helena sits down to do her homework, they are friends.
On Thursday, Jane maximizes her body skill. Yes, this is the same Jane who started her uni days overweight and a bit on the plain side!
Every day, Helena brings a different class mate home from school. Today, it is Stig Singles.
It is Friday morning, and Jane is back to her pink dressing gown.
Matthew turns from a Nice into a Good Warlock and autmatically changes into his "magic" outfit again. I have him change back into his normal clothes after that; I don't really like this one.
After school today, Helena had brought home Paola Picaso, but I forgot to take a picture of her. In the evening, Helena turns into a teenager - her childhood passed so quickly, didn't it! The lot decides on her to have the Popularity Aspiration, and her lifetime want turns out that of wanting to become Rock God.
Her hairstyle was the same one EVERY girl in my game seems to get automatically... I change it into this one, which I think suits her better.
Saturday morning, Helena proves to be a very good big sis and makes smart milk for little Hailey.
Over breakfast with her mum (a cupcake and a piece of birthday cake), she asks: "Do you think Daddy will one day teach me some magic?" - "I don't know, love, you'll have to ask him, but I think for now, he is still studying a lot himself", Jane tells her daughter.
In the evening, Hailey finally finishes her toddler "years" and turns into a child - of course with the same hairstyle as all the other girls in my game... Her face looks a bit prettier now than when she was a toddler, but one can hardly call her a beauty, I'm afraid. Good job our Sims aren't so shallow as to only go for appearance!
n Sunday, I decide to let the children have a real fun day. Selma and Stig Singles are invited over...
...as are Myra and Melrose Moonbeam...
...Lilo and Lance Langraab (Lance is not pictured here) and all three Picaso siblings (that's Placido in the background).
Jane leads the crowd in a fun round of smustle dance. Even Tramp, a beautiful stray dog, comes to have a look!
Everyone worked up quite an appetite by all this smustling, and Matthew makes piles of burgers to feed the hungry mouths. Isn't it funny that Placido Picaso (Pierre in the background), the only overweight kid, is the first to sit down and wait for his host to serve the food?
The kitchen is filled with happy kids, chatting away and munching on their burgers.
Jane later amuses her young guests by showing them how to juggle. This really was a fun day to play; I left the children entirely to their own devices, and apart from one moment where Melrose Moonbeam teased Stig Singles, everyone was playing nicely, and obviously enjoying themselves.
Jane and Matthew can be proud of the happy little family they have! And I am really looking forward to playing this household again.
- - - Update 20.1.2011 - - - If you have been following my other stories from New Maximiliania, you will remember that, not long ago, Matthew was indeed initiated into the world of witchcraft by his friend Herbert Goodie. Herbert passed away shortly after he had started to lead his younger friend along the path of light, but because he knew his time was coming, he had given Matthew his spellbook, cauldron, broomstick and a stock of ingredients. On top of that, Matthew inherited a small sum of money. Now, back at his own house, on this Monday morning over breakfast, Matthew remembers his deceased friend by wearing the warlock outfit. And as you can see, he has something rather specific in mind: he wants to get married to Jane, his three-bolt-love.
The week is off to a fiery start when the pretty Christmas tree on the front porch bursts into flames.
Good job nobody is outside at this early hour, so neither Matthew nor Jane start to panic. Instead, Matthew calmly calls the fire brigade, and the flames are soon put out before anything worse can happen.
With both her parents being at home all day, it takes little Helena only one day to learn all her toddler tasks.
But having a toddler is not just pure joy, as every young parent in your circle of friends and family will confirm :-) Interrupted nights are the norm for Jane and Matthew, but since they do not need to go to work, they always have the chance to have a nap during the day if necessary. With the money inherited from Herbert Goodie, their household account is at 7.510 Simoleons - not counting a few things in their inventories they can sell if need be.
Tuesday sees the neighbourhood covered in a thick blanket of snow. For two days, nothing very remarkable happens. Helena plays with her bunny rabbit, while her parents invite in whoever happens to walk by their house: Albany Capp on Tuesday, and Pascal Curious on Wednesday.
Very early on Thursday morning...
...Matthew is kidnapped by Aliens. For him, this is a very traumatic experience - after all, he is not a Knowledge Sim.
Only later, when Helena grows up into a child on the same day, he manages to leave the troublesome adventure behind and focus on the present.
Until now, the whole upper floor of the house was unused. With Helena outgrowing her crib and other baby things, a pretty "princess" room is furnished for her upstairs. This leaves the household with 4.628 Simoleons (of course the Tuesday and Thursday bills have been paid, too), still plenty to live on for another while before anyone needs to think about getting a job or selling something out of their inventory.
For Matthew and Jane, Helena's move to the upper floor means they can finally enjoy some peace and quiet in their bedroom again :-)
Friday is supposed to be Helena's first day at school...
...but it gets called off because of the amount of snow covering New Maximiliania!
Jane decides to celebrate "Snow Day" by making a batch of Christmas cookies.
On his way to breakfast, Matthew suddenly notices his belly growing bigger - well, it was to be expected, wasn't it!
The family enjoy their breakfast of Christmas cookies.
Later, I decide to send Helena to school in spite of it being Snow Day - she should not miss out on the chance to meet other kids, and I suppose her parents have important things to discuss :-)
By Saturday, the snow has gone, and Matthew notices a hole in the front yard, dug up by a stray dog. Matthew, I don't think you should be shovelling dirt in your condition!!
With the onset of spring, Jane changes into another one of the outfits Matthew brought for her last week. Mother and daughter prepare omelettes together.
On Sunday morning at 12 minutes past 10, Matthew's half-Alien daughter is born! She is named Hailey - I wanted her name to start with an "H" because of Matthew's surname, and Hailey reminds me a little bit of Halley, which is the name of a comet and befits her heritage from outer space. Little Hailey has, thankfully, a human nose and mouth. Look at Matthew's face - the traumatic Alien kidnapping seems to be completely made up for!
Helena is pondering what it means to have a baby sister, and one with an Alien father.
By Sunday afternoon, it is warm and sunny enough to finally do what Matthew and Jane had decided earlier this week.
They invite their friends (from back left to front right): Edwin Sharpe, Guy Wrightly, Jessie Pilferson, Jonah Powers, Allegra Gorey and Bianca Capp. Bianca has done this before - she keeps appearing at other people's weddings dressed like a bride! I wonder what's wrong with her.
Another friend who is invited to the wedding is Mickey Dosser; he used to be in a fraternity with Matthew during their college days. And who is the elegant beauty behind him? Her name is Melanie Hart. She is a townie, but I found her in Matthew's phone book, and as they share the same surname, I treat her like a relative of his.
The two "thrones of light" Matthew received from his deceased friend Herbert Goodie are set up for the bride and groom; their choice of dress is a bit odd for a wedding, but that's our Sims for your!
While everyone else is watching the newlyweds cutting the cake after the ceremony, young Helena is entertaining herself by splashing about in a puddle. Not the best idea when you are wearing a floor-length dress :-)
Helena can of course have as much wedding cake as she wants, but only the adults are having champagne, toasting Mr. and Mrs. Matthew and Jane Hart. (Helena's surname is still Stacks, her mother's maiden name.)
The party really gets going when someone switches the stereo on and the guests salsa the afternoon away. On this happy note, we leave the Hart family and will be back to accompany little Hailey through her toddler "years".
Will Helena find friends at school? How are Matthew and Jane going to pass their days with neither of them working? Will they manage with the money for another full week?
