Long Hours and Missed Time, 2010

Resar, fall, 2010
Ray and Lydia Wilsonoff are 41, Alia Shae is 6, Ari and Ava are 2

Ray and Lydia were tired of moving. After the birth of the twins, they had packed up their now too small apartment and moved into a tiny starter home.

No sooner had they unpacked

and settled into a routine with the twins

and Alia Shae's school, than they had to pack up again.

This time it was because the hood decided that all detached homes must be classified as residential

which meant their rental village was going to be closed and yet another round of packing up their belongings again and moving.

The residents in the rental area were fairly compensated

and promised first option to buy any detached properties available in the next three simyears.

S'Ahmisa had given them a great deal on one of the units she owned.

"I can't thank you enough, no rent for two simlonic months and no security deposit is really going to help us out a lot."

"Think nothing of it."

The family settled into their third home cautiously and Ray had to cancel his daughter, Emilene's, first trip to Apple Valley. Things were much too crazy and there were boxes everywhere. He did manage to make a quick trip to Simmington Hills to visit his daughter.

They still had dreams of owning a detached home where they didn't have to worry about the kids' noises or the parties waking up the children. However they knew that it would be a few simlonic months until new housing would be released.

Until then, Ray struggled to adjust to the changing schedule of the family. Lydia's job was proving to be very difficult for the family.

One simlonic month, she decided to pose for a calendar raising money for the fire department. Apparently the captain wasn't fond of the fire fighters posing in little more than their boots and Lydia not only got a strict warning, but was also demoted to recruit.

Thankfully she proved herself simweeks later and not only got her old job back, but also a promotion to HazMat Technician. Ray wondered about how quickly she was offered her old job back and a promotion. He felt silly wondering if she was having an affair, but he had done the same to her and he still wondered if she truly had forgiven him.

She said she had and she seemed supportive of his relationship with Emilene, however when he took the last trip to Simmington Hills he couldn't help but notice that her attitude was a more than a bit chilly with him.

Lydia was loving her new position. It still meant long hours and missed time with the family, but they were working it out as a family.

Unfortunately, Lydia managed to get sick. They were not sure if it was something she was exposed to at work or just a common virus, but she made sure to get plenty of rest and fluids. Thankfully she wasn't sick that long and was able to return to work as scheduled.

Of course, the family still had three very active children who were also very expensive and annoying at times.

Alia Shae found great pleasure in alternating between playing nicely with her siblings

and torturing them with their toys.

Her parents had to fork over $300 simoleans thanks to Alia Shae breaking a cello during music class. She swore it was an accident, but Ray wondered how one could accidentally fall feet first on a cello seven times. It sounded more like she had jumped on it.

Lydia tried to get to the bottom of the incident, but Alia Shae wasn't talking. Lydia feared that her daughter took after her in the niceness department, or lack thereof. She hoped that she would grow out of it eventually, but also knew that it would probably just change into passive aggressiveness.

Unfortunately they soon received another phone call from the school. This time Alia Shae had gotten into a fight and was suspended for a day. Lydia sighed, yes, Alia Shae was definately her child, she thought as she remembered her own childhood days and how her parents would often say "I hope your children are just like you."

Ray just wanted things to be stable again, where they were working on the same schedule instead of Lydia working sixteen hour simdays and he having to carry the bulk of the household chores alone.

He wasn't able to eat as well as before and often had to resort to eating leftover cake for lunch at work.

Thanks to that he gained several pounds which he was trying to get rid of with yoga. Yoga also helped him deal with the stresses of juggling household chores alone.

It never failed that whenever he tucked a twin into bed

or started bath time, the phone would ring.

Often it was a solicitor, trying to sell something or the other. However, Ray had a secret weapon.

"Hold on just a moment," he said to the caller.

"Alia Shae!" he called to his oldest,"there's a sim that wants to hear all about your Freezer Bunnies and teddy bears!"
---
Lydia got a bad chance card, followed by two promotions.

Ray and Lydia's work schedules are so off balanced, poor Ray pretty much is a single parent most days.

The next time you see this couple, they will probably be moving...again. I found an affordable home for them and am very excited about moving them into it.

Also, I'm hoping to have little Emilene make a visit to see her daddy.