The DeBateau Family: Week 3

This is the DeBateau Town House, almost a mansion - with its heli pad and the elegant decorative elements. The first two weeks at this household are, sadly, lost; when last year in spring we were not able to upload our stories to the exchange anymore for such a long time, I deleted all my pictures and therefore what I write now is overwriting the old chapters. Why are we here now, though? Last, we were visiting with the Baldwin Household; there are several more families on the alphabetical list before reaching "D" as in "De Bateau".

We are here because of her: Isabel Baldwin, still legally married to Benjamin, but moved in with her 3-bolt-love. Quite unusual for a Family Sim, isn't it, to leave her husband and children for romance's sake! Isabel wants to raise 20 puppies or kittens, and the cat she already had back when she was still with her family went with her.

She already was accepted as a member at the Platinum Gym and today, on Monday, receives her membership card to Sue's Secret Kitchen.

This is her three-bolt-love: Beaumont DeBateau, resurrected father of Armand DeBateau and New Maximiliania's one and only zombie. Beaumont's aspiration is Popularity, and were circumstances different, he would have tried to become a Celebrity Chef.

This is Melanie DeBateau, Beaumont's former wife. Former, because with death, their marriage was dissolved, and although they get along well enough, there is no love between them anymore. Melanie has moved to the small building next to the big house when Isabel joined the household. She spends now almost all her time painting and has just been rewarded with her membership card to the My Muse Art Studio. She is a Knowledge Sim and would have liked to be Education Minister, but at her age, it is too late to start such a career. Like Beaumont, she has been resurrected, too, but "properly" and not as a zombie.

And here we have Armand, the somewhat lonely son of Beaumont and Melanie, adoptive father of Tara. He still has not found a suitable wife - although all he dreams of is celebrating his Golden Anniversary with The One for him.

Tara has graduated Summa Cum Laude in Philosophy and returns home from college on Monday, bringing more than 14.000 Simoleons with her, not to mention the objects in her inventory she exchanged for her grant money before leaving campus. She is a Knowledge Sim like her adoptive grandmother Melanie and is an aspiring World Class Ballet Dancer.

Melanie in her little house has just reached maximum enthusiasm for arts and is rewarded with the special plaque she now proudly displays above her bed.

Tara is upstairs in her old room and immediately sets about finding a job in the Dance career. She is lucky and can start as an Interpretive Dancer right away.

I have not introduced the four-legged household members yet, have I! The cat is Snowflake which Isabel brought with her when she moved in; so far, Snowflake is the only pet (of 20!!) she has raised. Bailey used to be a stray dog until Isabel adopted him. Now she is trying to find a female companion for him so that she can raise some puppies.

Tara is going to work for the first time, full of optimisim.

On Tuesday morning while it is still dark, Isabel manages to find the companion for Bailey: Alabama, a female stray dog, is adopted.

Alabama and Baily get along fine from the start, much to Isabel's relief.

Armand is, by the way, a "Sociable Celebrity" - I don't know what he did to become that, because usually I do not pay attention to the "reputation" feature in the game which was introduced with "Apartment Life".

He flies his heli over to town to get some groceries and - hopefully - meet some nice female Sims.

Scoping the room, he finds that a certain Marla Biggs is quite attractive...

...and introduces himself to her. He does, however, only have one bolt for her and so is not going to follow up on this. Also, I seem to remember that Marla already is in a relationship.

Instead, he just finishes his groceries shopping and heads back home.

We have not seen her in quite a while, have we? :-) I wonder what that green-red thing is supposed to be that she is knitting.

Isabel is happy to see Sake again, a stray cat she would love to adopt for Snowflake as male companion.

She lets Sake into the house and has fun playing with both cats. But... adoption is not possible, as Alabama, the dog, is going to have puppies soon, and there can only be so many members to a household.

You can tell Alabama needs more rest than before. Let's hope all goes well with her little ones when they are born.

On Wednesday, Tara has a day off and visits Nerrissa's Own Clothing Store to find herself something a bit better looking than what she has been wearing since her age transition from young adult to adult.

As it is winter, a woolly jumper and long trousers are a sensible choice.

Later that evening, she receives her membership card for the Art Studio.

This is Tara, by the way, in her Tap Dancer's outfit - she has already been promoted on her first day at work.

Thursday morning, Alabama's puppies are born! They are both female, and while I managed to name one "Abby", somehow my fingers slipped on the keyboard and, before I knew it, I had saved the second puppy with the name of "Female Puppy". Sorry, little pup!

Still on Wednesday, Tara is promoted to Ballroom Dancer, and because there is still time left, she heads straight back to work and is promoted yet again - this time to Flamenco Master.

That's the Flamenco Master's outfit - the same one as the head of the My Muse - Music & Dance studio wears.

Armand only has a few days left before turning into an Elder, and if he does not get married before long, he won't have a chance to fulfill his lifetime want. Desperately, he gets engaged to the only woman he has ever had woohoo with so far - no other than Chastity Gere, who is certainly not the most suitable of wives, with her lifetime want of having woohoo with 20 different Sims...!! Sadly, I find out after the super-fast engagement, that they can not get married - once again, the game kindly informs me that there would be too many members to the household. Now what? Someone has to move out, but who...?

It is Saturday, and Tara has just become World Class Ballet Dancer! Doesn't she look pretty in her new work outfit? She is now on Permanent Platinum and still has 23 days left until Elderhood. Congratulations, Tara!

The only event worth mentioning on Sunday is when Melanie becomes a member at the Dance Studio. So, what is going to happen during the DeBateau family's fourth week in New Maximiliania? Is Armand going to move in with Chastity so that he can get married before turning into an Elder? Or is someone going to move out so that she can move in? Does Isabel have a realistic chance of raising those 20 puppies and kittens? What is Tara going to do with her life now that she has reached her lifetime want? And is Beaumont going to stay a Zombie for ever?