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lorinsv60I'm back with another Mesa Vista update:
Welcome back to Mesa Vista, where our founding family, the Adams, were moving into their larger and much nicer house. But typically, I'm getting ahead of myself again...
Back at the old house, Ryan became a teen.
(Rolled Family – LTW have a golden anniversary *yawn* - that's number four )
Followed by his twin brother Quincy.
"Mom! Dad! When are we leaving this dump again?"
"As soon as we can afford a new one, so either keep whining or get digging!"
(Rolled Fortune – LTW be a City Planner *yawn* - that's number three)
"This stinks! Way to go, Quince."
"Yeah, like you're one to talk..."
Yep, the Adams were a bit short on cash, mainly because the baseball field cost them an arm and a leg in taxes every week, and Business Tycoon Nikki was still the only one working while Zach watched the kids and plotted to make his dream job in the Intelligence career become a reality.
Quincy finally found the treasure chest needed to put them over the finish line.
There was also one more matter to take care of before the move...
Meet Jillian, baby Adams number four and their first daughter.
"Three repeats*! Now can we move?"
"Yes, Quincy, we can move."
*Three quits without saving.
SWAdobeCollection01 by PenChris at MTS was a steal at a little over §51,000 unfurnished, except for the kitchen and bathroom fixtures, but that was no problem – our frugal family brought along most of their furniture from the old house.
The only splurge was on the living room furniture, with the exception of the lamp and coffee table-turned-entertainment center, which were bought at Shin's Orient. Definitely masculine with all the testosterone flying in the house, but I like it, and I'm trying not to go overboard with decorating until Mesa Vista gets a store that sells such things.
Zach was a decent stay-at-home dad (okay, perhaps "decent" was not the most accurate term...), though he tended to eat a lot, I'm pretty sure out of boredom.
With a new bedroom big enough for a toy box, Josh didn't require too much of his father's attention.
Zach might have been going a little stir-crazy, or perhaps the guilt was wearing on him, because Mr. Fortune rolled a want to have ten children, and his devoted Nikki was more than happy to oblige...
Ryan spent a good chunk of his free time doting on his baby sister Jillian.
While Quincy was focused on other pursuits.
Ryan had one Nice point compared to his twin Quincy's ten, but like all my other mean Sims, Ryan was excellent with his younger siblings, more so than his nicer counterpart, so it was only natural that he helped Josh into platinum before his birthday.
And it was Ryan who did the honor helping his little brother grow up.
"Yippee, I didn't get pink pajamas!”
"Can me 'n Quince go into town for some new clothes?"
"All right, but don't stay out too late."
"We won't," Quincy called from the sidewalk. "Thanks, Mom!"
"Sheesh, glad all that family stuff's finally over with."
"Nice try, you know you love it."
"Do not!" Ryan said, giving Quincy a shove.
“Don’t forget it’s Jillian’s birthday tonight,” Nikki said.
“I’ll do the honors, if that’s okay?” Ryan asked quickly.
“Like it’s some kind of prize or something!” Quincy said with a bewildered laugh.
"Shut up," Ryan said.
“I think it’s very sweet,” Nikki said quietly. “Of course you can, dear. Josh, have a good first day at school. See you boys tonight.”
“I will, bye Mom!” Josh sing-songed.
“I forgot what was missing from my life, and now I just remembered: potty training.”
“Really, Zach?!” Nikki said sourly.
“Jeez, I was making a joke, Nikki.”
“Kindly nix the toilet humor from your baby daughter’s birthday, if you don’t mind.”
Ryan rushed his baby sister to the cake, though Jillian’s attention remained fixed on her less than festive parents.
“Say hi to Jillian, everyone!”
"I'm a cutie!"
Yes, you are.
Zach's little birthday joke wasn't without merit, and although potty training was definitely down on the list of parental duties he enjoyed, at least in the new house there was plenty of room for it.
“She’s seriously potty trained now,” Zach said solemnly.
Nikki sighed. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, I don’t know what got into me.”
“Everything okay at work?”
“… Yes. Are you ready to go to bed, punkin?”
Jillian patted Nikki's shoulder approvingly.
“I’ll get dinner,” said Zach.
“Thank you.”
When Nikki returned from work the following day, Zach made sure to ask how it went.
"Fine."
"Leftovers are in the fridge, I'm going for a walk now."
"I would like to come with you, if you don't mind."
"... Of course I don't mind, but what about the kids?"
"They're more than capable of getting their own leftovers, and watching the baby."
"... Sure, okay."
He gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek before they left the lot...
"So, this is where they live," Nikki remarked casually, though it was she who had insisted they turn onto Seren Drive, where most of Mesa Vista's first inhabitants lived, and one in particular.
"Yes, shall we continue?" Zach responded lightly.
Kerie looked the Adams' way but didn't acknowledge them, and her snub was not lost on either of them. Nikki wasn't one to waste an opportunity, however, and she said in a friendly tone, "Hi, Kerri, is your son around? I thought Zach would like to meet..."
"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, taken aback.
"He's out with his Uncle Brandon," Kerie answered dismissively. “Talin, let’s go inside.”
Zach grabbed Nikki's arm at the elbow and firmly steered her back to their house.
“When are you going to accept that Kerie wants nothing to do with us? Not with you, and certainly not with me.”
“But don’t you think it’s strange after all these years? I mean…” her voice trailed off.
“What, Nikki?” Zach growled impatiently, bending over her, his eyes boring into hers.
She gazed up at him, feeling a familiar pang of desire before a fleeting flash of a memory made her shrink back imperceptibly.
“Nikki?” he demanded, and anticipation of the moment she would melt in his arms, becoming everything he wanted her to be, stoked his own desire.
“… Nothing,” she whispered and closed her eyes before succumbing to the passion in his kiss…
“Zach, get up, it’s time for dinner.”
"I really don't know what her problem is," Nikki persisted again at dinner one night, peeking up at Zach through her lashes.
“Dammit, Nikki, you're beating a dead llama," Zach said in exasperation. "You have to stop."
"What llama? Can we get a llama?" Josh asked, his interest piqued.
"No llamas, Josh, it's a figure of speech," Zach said tightly.
"Question," Ryan said, feeling the tension between his parents. "If you have breakfast for dinner, is it really dinner? Or is it considered breakfast?"
"How about brinner," Nikki said, upset with herself for pursuing the subject in front of the kids.
"Or dreakfast," Ryan added.
"I know, dinkfast!" Josh chimed in.
"Or dorkfast," Ryan said.
"That doesn't make any sense!" Josh giggled.
"Made ya laugh, didn't it?"
"Bring me your dinkfast dishes when you're finished," Zach said, grateful for an excuse to curtail any further discussion Nikki might want to have about Kerie...
In Ryan’s heart of hearts, all he really wanted was to find someone to grow old with. So, what did he do when Emily Outside unexpectedly admired him after riding home with him on the bus? Why, shut her down completely, of course.
“I wish the girls at school were as easy to talk to as you, little sis.”
While Ryan was a homebody, Quincy could be found in town quite a bit, and his favorite hangout was Pagoda Sushi.
“Welcome back! I saved that stool just for you,” Diane Shin said in greeting.
Zach could sense the times, they were a-changing, partly because his boys were growing up, so it was little wonder that he spent a bit more quality time with Jillian.
Who was also growing faster than either he or Nikki ever dreamed.
Soccer birthday outfits appeared to be as common in Mesa Vista as pink PJs for boys.
After Ryan took Jillian to Re-Nu-Yu and Outside Outfitters.
He wasn't a natural lady’s man by any stretch, but we won his little sister’s heart without even trying.
“What do you want to do today?”
“Swing me around!”
Yup, easy-peasy…
“Did you want to talk to me?” Quincy asked.
“Yes. Are you making plans for college yet?”
“I’m definitely planning on going.”
“Good. How many scholarships do you have?”
“Not sure, I’ll get back to you on that. Um, how are you?”
“I've been better,” Nikki murmured without thinking.
Quincy frowned.
“I’m sorry,” Nikki said quickly. “I’m fine, just a little tired from work.”
“Since the Outside girls have already started up a Greek House at La Fiesta Tech, it’s up to us to establish one for the guys,” Quincy said.
“So you’re definitely going to Uni?”
“Hello, founder’s kids attending said founder’s University. Isn't it a given?”
“I’m thinking about not going, myself,” Ryan admitted.
“Did you not hear what I just said? It’s expected of us, not to mention a lot more fun than hanging around here.”
“Yeah, but Jillian might need me. You know, because Mom and Dad… something’s going on.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You can’t be that oblivious!” Ryan said in an urgent whisper, punching his twin hard for emphasis.
“Chill, bro, Mom’s just a little tired from work, you know, probably because of the baby.”
“Mom said that?”
“Not exactly, but I saw her in the pink PJs and we know that means baby.”
“Well, if it’s a baby, then I guess it’s all right…”
“Is Mommy really having a baby?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“I heard you and Ryan talking in the bathroom.”
“You shouldn’t be listening in on other people’s conversations!”
“Is she?”
“I’m not completely positive. Why don’t you ask her?”
“I will!”
“Are you having another baby?”
“Um, yes. How did you know?”
“My brothers said pink pajamas means you’re having a baby.”
“Oh. Now you’re on to my secret, too.”
“Is it really a secret?”
“Not really.”
“Yay!”
“I’m gonna help you out!” Jillian announced as she washed the mac and cheese bowls from their dinner.
Jillian also started giving her mommy welcome home hugs when she came home from work.
The week dragged on and on for Nikki, but to her relief, it was finally coming to an end.
“Wow, four kids and you haven’t taken one vacation day? You look like you could use one, Nikki. Nice house, though,” Rodney Jung commented.
“I’m sorry, do you mind I’m not really up to entertaining colleagues this evening?”
“No problem, and hey, if you do decide to take some time off, I would be willing to cover for you.”
“Thanks, Rodney, I really appreciate the offer.”
Nikki was ready to crack, but not from overwork...
I can't go on like this... what on Earth am I going to do?
***
And that wraps up the Adams, at least for the time being.
Note: If it seems like time was out of whack in this update, it’s because it was. I played the family for 2 or 3 days before they moved into their new house, which started the week again on Monday, plus I had installed an aging hack that shortened all the child stages, and then decided that wasn’t going to work for my week-long rotations, so now the hack is gone, and I’m going to just keep extending the adult stage to be more in line with the others.
I know Nikki’s purple pantsuit doesn’t have a pregnancy morph, and if her Business Tycoon suit has one, I can’t find a picture of her looking pregnant in it. I do remember seeing her waddle around a lot during the week. :)
I still have three more families to write up before I can call Week 4 finished.
BACC quick stats:
Sim count + graves: 43 (+ 2 on the way)
Sim multiplier: 20
Population: 860
Thanks for reading and Happy Simming!
Welcome back to Mesa Vista, where our founding family, the Adams, were moving into their larger and much nicer house. But typically, I'm getting ahead of myself again...
Back at the old house, Ryan became a teen.
(Rolled Family – LTW have a golden anniversary *yawn* - that's number four )
Followed by his twin brother Quincy.
"Mom! Dad! When are we leaving this dump again?"
"As soon as we can afford a new one, so either keep whining or get digging!"
(Rolled Fortune – LTW be a City Planner *yawn* - that's number three)
"This stinks! Way to go, Quince."
"Yeah, like you're one to talk..."
Yep, the Adams were a bit short on cash, mainly because the baseball field cost them an arm and a leg in taxes every week, and Business Tycoon Nikki was still the only one working while Zach watched the kids and plotted to make his dream job in the Intelligence career become a reality.
Quincy finally found the treasure chest needed to put them over the finish line.
There was also one more matter to take care of before the move...
Meet Jillian, baby Adams number four and their first daughter.
"Three repeats*! Now can we move?"
"Yes, Quincy, we can move."
*Three quits without saving.
SWAdobeCollection01 by PenChris at MTS was a steal at a little over §51,000 unfurnished, except for the kitchen and bathroom fixtures, but that was no problem – our frugal family brought along most of their furniture from the old house.
The only splurge was on the living room furniture, with the exception of the lamp and coffee table-turned-entertainment center, which were bought at Shin's Orient. Definitely masculine with all the testosterone flying in the house, but I like it, and I'm trying not to go overboard with decorating until Mesa Vista gets a store that sells such things.
Zach was a decent stay-at-home dad (okay, perhaps "decent" was not the most accurate term...), though he tended to eat a lot, I'm pretty sure out of boredom.
With a new bedroom big enough for a toy box, Josh didn't require too much of his father's attention.
Zach might have been going a little stir-crazy, or perhaps the guilt was wearing on him, because Mr. Fortune rolled a want to have ten children, and his devoted Nikki was more than happy to oblige...
Ryan spent a good chunk of his free time doting on his baby sister Jillian.
While Quincy was focused on other pursuits.
Ryan had one Nice point compared to his twin Quincy's ten, but like all my other mean Sims, Ryan was excellent with his younger siblings, more so than his nicer counterpart, so it was only natural that he helped Josh into platinum before his birthday.
And it was Ryan who did the honor helping his little brother grow up.
"Yippee, I didn't get pink pajamas!”
"Can me 'n Quince go into town for some new clothes?"
"All right, but don't stay out too late."
"We won't," Quincy called from the sidewalk. "Thanks, Mom!"
"Sheesh, glad all that family stuff's finally over with."
"Nice try, you know you love it."
"Do not!" Ryan said, giving Quincy a shove.
“Don’t forget it’s Jillian’s birthday tonight,” Nikki said.
“I’ll do the honors, if that’s okay?” Ryan asked quickly.
“Like it’s some kind of prize or something!” Quincy said with a bewildered laugh.
"Shut up," Ryan said.
“I think it’s very sweet,” Nikki said quietly. “Of course you can, dear. Josh, have a good first day at school. See you boys tonight.”
“I will, bye Mom!” Josh sing-songed.
“I forgot what was missing from my life, and now I just remembered: potty training.”
“Really, Zach?!” Nikki said sourly.
“Jeez, I was making a joke, Nikki.”
“Kindly nix the toilet humor from your baby daughter’s birthday, if you don’t mind.”
Ryan rushed his baby sister to the cake, though Jillian’s attention remained fixed on her less than festive parents.
“Say hi to Jillian, everyone!”
"I'm a cutie!"
Yes, you are.
Zach's little birthday joke wasn't without merit, and although potty training was definitely down on the list of parental duties he enjoyed, at least in the new house there was plenty of room for it.
“She’s seriously potty trained now,” Zach said solemnly.
Nikki sighed. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, I don’t know what got into me.”
“Everything okay at work?”
“… Yes. Are you ready to go to bed, punkin?”
Jillian patted Nikki's shoulder approvingly.
“I’ll get dinner,” said Zach.
“Thank you.”
When Nikki returned from work the following day, Zach made sure to ask how it went.
"Fine."
"Leftovers are in the fridge, I'm going for a walk now."
"I would like to come with you, if you don't mind."
"... Of course I don't mind, but what about the kids?"
"They're more than capable of getting their own leftovers, and watching the baby."
"... Sure, okay."
He gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek before they left the lot...
"So, this is where they live," Nikki remarked casually, though it was she who had insisted they turn onto Seren Drive, where most of Mesa Vista's first inhabitants lived, and one in particular.
"Yes, shall we continue?" Zach responded lightly.
Kerie looked the Adams' way but didn't acknowledge them, and her snub was not lost on either of them. Nikki wasn't one to waste an opportunity, however, and she said in a friendly tone, "Hi, Kerri, is your son around? I thought Zach would like to meet..."
"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, taken aback.
"He's out with his Uncle Brandon," Kerie answered dismissively. “Talin, let’s go inside.”
Zach grabbed Nikki's arm at the elbow and firmly steered her back to their house.
“When are you going to accept that Kerie wants nothing to do with us? Not with you, and certainly not with me.”
“But don’t you think it’s strange after all these years? I mean…” her voice trailed off.
“What, Nikki?” Zach growled impatiently, bending over her, his eyes boring into hers.
She gazed up at him, feeling a familiar pang of desire before a fleeting flash of a memory made her shrink back imperceptibly.
“Nikki?” he demanded, and anticipation of the moment she would melt in his arms, becoming everything he wanted her to be, stoked his own desire.
“… Nothing,” she whispered and closed her eyes before succumbing to the passion in his kiss…
“Zach, get up, it’s time for dinner.”
"I really don't know what her problem is," Nikki persisted again at dinner one night, peeking up at Zach through her lashes.
“Dammit, Nikki, you're beating a dead llama," Zach said in exasperation. "You have to stop."
"What llama? Can we get a llama?" Josh asked, his interest piqued.
"No llamas, Josh, it's a figure of speech," Zach said tightly.
"Question," Ryan said, feeling the tension between his parents. "If you have breakfast for dinner, is it really dinner? Or is it considered breakfast?"
"How about brinner," Nikki said, upset with herself for pursuing the subject in front of the kids.
"Or dreakfast," Ryan added.
"I know, dinkfast!" Josh chimed in.
"Or dorkfast," Ryan said.
"That doesn't make any sense!" Josh giggled.
"Made ya laugh, didn't it?"
"Bring me your dinkfast dishes when you're finished," Zach said, grateful for an excuse to curtail any further discussion Nikki might want to have about Kerie...
In Ryan’s heart of hearts, all he really wanted was to find someone to grow old with. So, what did he do when Emily Outside unexpectedly admired him after riding home with him on the bus? Why, shut her down completely, of course.
“I wish the girls at school were as easy to talk to as you, little sis.”
While Ryan was a homebody, Quincy could be found in town quite a bit, and his favorite hangout was Pagoda Sushi.
“Welcome back! I saved that stool just for you,” Diane Shin said in greeting.
Zach could sense the times, they were a-changing, partly because his boys were growing up, so it was little wonder that he spent a bit more quality time with Jillian.
Who was also growing faster than either he or Nikki ever dreamed.
Soccer birthday outfits appeared to be as common in Mesa Vista as pink PJs for boys.
After Ryan took Jillian to Re-Nu-Yu and Outside Outfitters.
He wasn't a natural lady’s man by any stretch, but we won his little sister’s heart without even trying.
“What do you want to do today?”
“Swing me around!”
Yup, easy-peasy…
“Did you want to talk to me?” Quincy asked.
“Yes. Are you making plans for college yet?”
“I’m definitely planning on going.”
“Good. How many scholarships do you have?”
“Not sure, I’ll get back to you on that. Um, how are you?”
“I've been better,” Nikki murmured without thinking.
Quincy frowned.
“I’m sorry,” Nikki said quickly. “I’m fine, just a little tired from work.”
“Since the Outside girls have already started up a Greek House at La Fiesta Tech, it’s up to us to establish one for the guys,” Quincy said.
“So you’re definitely going to Uni?”
“Hello, founder’s kids attending said founder’s University. Isn't it a given?”
“I’m thinking about not going, myself,” Ryan admitted.
“Did you not hear what I just said? It’s expected of us, not to mention a lot more fun than hanging around here.”
“Yeah, but Jillian might need me. You know, because Mom and Dad… something’s going on.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You can’t be that oblivious!” Ryan said in an urgent whisper, punching his twin hard for emphasis.
“Chill, bro, Mom’s just a little tired from work, you know, probably because of the baby.”
“Mom said that?”
“Not exactly, but I saw her in the pink PJs and we know that means baby.”
“Well, if it’s a baby, then I guess it’s all right…”
“Is Mommy really having a baby?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“I heard you and Ryan talking in the bathroom.”
“You shouldn’t be listening in on other people’s conversations!”
“Is she?”
“I’m not completely positive. Why don’t you ask her?”
“I will!”
“Are you having another baby?”
“Um, yes. How did you know?”
“My brothers said pink pajamas means you’re having a baby.”
“Oh. Now you’re on to my secret, too.”
“Is it really a secret?”
“Not really.”
“Yay!”
“I’m gonna help you out!” Jillian announced as she washed the mac and cheese bowls from their dinner.
Jillian also started giving her mommy welcome home hugs when she came home from work.
The week dragged on and on for Nikki, but to her relief, it was finally coming to an end.
“Wow, four kids and you haven’t taken one vacation day? You look like you could use one, Nikki. Nice house, though,” Rodney Jung commented.
“I’m sorry, do you mind I’m not really up to entertaining colleagues this evening?”
“No problem, and hey, if you do decide to take some time off, I would be willing to cover for you.”
“Thanks, Rodney, I really appreciate the offer.”
Nikki was ready to crack, but not from overwork...
I can't go on like this... what on Earth am I going to do?
***
And that wraps up the Adams, at least for the time being.
Note: If it seems like time was out of whack in this update, it’s because it was. I played the family for 2 or 3 days before they moved into their new house, which started the week again on Monday, plus I had installed an aging hack that shortened all the child stages, and then decided that wasn’t going to work for my week-long rotations, so now the hack is gone, and I’m going to just keep extending the adult stage to be more in line with the others.
I know Nikki’s purple pantsuit doesn’t have a pregnancy morph, and if her Business Tycoon suit has one, I can’t find a picture of her looking pregnant in it. I do remember seeing her waddle around a lot during the week. :)
I still have three more families to write up before I can call Week 4 finished.
BACC quick stats:
Sim count + graves: 43 (+ 2 on the way)
Sim multiplier: 20
Population: 860
Thanks for reading and Happy Simming!
