Birthday Family Vacation

Peacar, winter, 2001
Julio is 34, Rebecca is 31, Abel and Amanda are 5

Peacar starts as anything but peaceful for the Wilsonoff family. Julio and Rebecca are debating what to do to celebrate the twins 5th birthday. Luckily there was the short school holiday so the twins wouldn't miss any assignments.

"I know my brother would love to see them again and we can go to Kimikura again. The twins would love it."

Julio has to agree, the twins would love the culture of Kimikura, but the economy weighs on his mind.

"The trip would be expensive..."

"Yes, but we can afford it, besides. They can have new toys anytime, but there won't be much time for a cultural trip that expands thier minds."

So it's decided, the family, along with Rebecca's brother from Simmington Hills, will be headed to Kimikura again.

Rebecca asks her sister-in-law, Carmela to watch the house while they're gone.


"Oh, Antonio wanted me to give you the photos from the twins photo shoot." She said, handing Rebecca the stack of photos.


The mothers couldn't help but spend a few moments ooohing and ahhing over how cute the twins were as toddlers.

"Stop it!!!! MOM!!!!! Amanda's tormenting me!!!!"


"Am not!!!!"

"Are tooo!!!!"

Rebecca sighed. Yes, they were cuter and quieter as toddlers...but she didn't miss potty training.

Before she can issue a word of discipline, the twins cease thier arguement and instead cry out.

"Uncle Ray!!!! Auntie Lydia!!!"

The twins love thier Uncle Ray and Aunt Lydia. They don't get to see much of them since they lived in Simmington Hills which was far away. The twins didn't mind since they could brag about how many places thier extended family lived. Uncle Roy lives in Murdville, Uncle Alvaro lives in Simborough and is the editor of STAR, the famous magazine that thier mother wouldn't let them read. Uncle Salvador lives in Brisbee Downs. Only Uncle Antonio (Uncle Alvaro's twin brother) and Uncle Jorge (thier father's twin brother) lived in Apple Valley. Wow, that's a lot of uncles.


After lots of swings around the yard, the twins start playing with thier new birthday gift, jump ropes. This frees the adults to discuss adult issues such as the recovery in Simmington Hills, the status of the Toy Shoppe and Ray's own bakery.

"I had a celebrity stop by the shop the other day," Rebecca gossips.

"Who?" Lydia whispered.

"Tatiana Garris-Vanderburg, from Pahala Shore."


"Really? What was she buying in a toy store?"

"At first she browsed around downstairs and picked up a few toys, I think for her nieces and nephews. Then she went upstairs to the nursery section and checked out the cribs."

"Really? So did you see a baby bump?"

"No, nothing. She kept her arm over her belly. But she did place an order for a crib."


"So it must be true!"

"I don't know!"

---

After a long ferry ride, a longer plane ride and thankfully, a short van ride, the Wilsonoff family finally arrived to thier resort in Kimikura.


While Julio checked in, Abel convinced his uncle to spin him around. Amanda was content to watch this time. Amanda did a lot of watching. It wasn't that she was shy, but she rather sidle up next to you and then capture your attention instead of loudly demand for it. Unlike Abel, who then commanded the conversation later about the fish in the koi pond.


"I bet we eat them at the sushi resturaunt!" He bragged. "I bet they don't swim that fast at all! I could catch them with my bare hands! Then we could eat sushi for days! Weeks!"

Perhaps Amanda was a better emotional reader of her family, for she recoginzed the forced smiles and tired eyes and dragged her brother off for a game of catch.

"Why do you talk so much?" She asked throwing the ball at his head.

"Why are you so mean?" He asked ducking.

The adults showered and changed into thier kimonos that they brought last time and the family walked to the nearby sushi resturaunt. The twins ran around the place, ducking under the bridges, dipping thier hands in the koi ponds.

Right before thier table was called, Lydia grew sick to her stomach. She insisted it was nothing, but Ray ushered her back to the resort while Rebecca and Julio exchanged knowing glances.

The family enjoyed thier relatively quiet dinner, though Abel refused to touch the sushi-too squishy, he declared. Amanda on the other hand happily enjoyed every bite. The knowledge that she told her brother that sushi was actually fish droppings and not fish at all made each bite sweeter.

After dessert of flan, cake and green tea ice cream, the family supported Abel in his attempt to sing karoke. Amanda didn't even try to pretend, she stomped off with her hands on her ears declaring the noise too much to bear.

It seemed that Lydia's illness didn't get much better and after Julio took a look at her, he advised the couple to return home and be closer to thier hospital. The twins pretended not to be upset that thier family trip was cut short and instead packed thier things without asking.

Upon thier return home, Julio discussed the possibility of signing the twins up for extracurricular activities.

"There's not enough on this island for them to chose from. Each group that starts only has about two maybe three children in it. That's not enough for a soccer team even!"

"How many players are on a soccer team, daddy?"

Julio stumbled around for an answer, sports were not his thing, he preferred his bugs and medical journals. "Um, four, sweetie."

"Four? That doesn't sound right?"

"How about a game of catch after dinner?" He said bribing his daughter.

Afterwards he couldn't help but hope, please don't let her be a sports fanatic...please oh please!

Celebrating the Season, Mourning the Life

Givar, winter, 2001
Matthew is 71, Cassandra is 69, Grex is 29, Ginger is 29, Bryant is 6, Annie is 6

The month started out fairly mundane for the Grey family.



Ginger kept getting bigger with the newest Grey family addition (or additions)


The twins had celebrated thier 6th birthday earlier that year now they're in started first grade and are constantly teased by thier classmates thanks to thier grandmother's handsewn clothing. Grandmother Cassandra figured that life on the farm called for durable clothing and that said clothing should be worn to school as well. Not that clothing made from flimsy fabric that tears easily.


Grandmother Cassandra could never answer little Annie when she asked "Why do you wear clothing of filmsy fabric then grandmother?"


Grex struggled to gather the last of the harvest before the frost arrived. The winter started out fairly temperate, but Grex knew that a frost could kill all his months of hard work. So with the help of the twins, especially little Bryant who loved the feel of the dirt under his fingernails, he harvested all the fruit from the orchard.


The vegetables were not a big rush since thankfully many simyears ago, Grex invested in a greenhouse. Thank goodness, since now he could harvest vegetables regardless of the height of the snow outside. Which meant that he could always have fresh vegetables for the market.


Fruit on the other hand, was packed into crates and promptly sold to the neighboring families. He couldn't wait until the twins got older so he could take them to the family market to help out.


True, it was next door to the farm and they could run over any chance they wished, but at the age of six, they're not much help. Cute, but not much help.


During the holiday season, the market was always busy. Residents wanted fresh produce for Blessed Harvest Day and Christmas. Also, the fresh fish was slowly growing in popularity thanks to the culinary article in the paper about fish being a great alternative to turkey for holiday meals. This year, Grex made sure to slip Jolie Dawson (in the purple) an extra bass in her shopping bag for the welcomed article and boost in sales. Perhaps he should also slip newspaper editor, Li Sweeny (in red) a small fish or discount as well.


At the farm, preparations were in full swing for the Christmas holiday as well. Ginger was placing decor in every nook and corner while the twins bounced happily around admiring everything.


Besides "how will santa come when there's no fireplace?" question from the twins, the other question on the family's mind was when would the little one make its apprearence? Ginger was tired of carrying the blessed burden. Her feet were swollen, back aching and let's not even mention what was going on to her digestive system. Grex guessed that the baby (or babies, let's not forget that Grex and Ginger are both twins as well as Grandmother Cassandra and Bryant and Annie) would come at a surprise time. Most babies do anyway, though they seem to perfer in the middle of the night or right after a bath, so that everyone rushes in the bedroom or bathroom once the cries of labor are heard.


Meanwhile, Grandmother Cassandra and Grandfather Matthew were conspiring for a surprise of thier own.

Grandmother Cassandra helped Ginger with the cooking that evening and in an rare event, the dinner was burned. The family struggled to eat the extra crispy roast chicken, due both to Grandmother Cassandra's forgetfulness and Ginger's increasing need to run to the bathroom every 5 seconds. In the midst of the family's debate of if the twins should have snow boots or regular boots, Grandfather Matthew burst through the door with a shout-"surprise!" and a large skinny tree.


The twins jumped up from the table and even Grex was relieved to have an excuse to stop forcing the charred remains down his throat. However, closer inspection of the tree revealed a small family of chipmunks, so Grandfather Matthew bundled Bryant and Annie in thier winter gear and they hiked off to find another tree.

They quickly returned because Grandfather Matthew was, to be honest, plum tired. So Grex took the twins to the nearest store, picked up an artifical tree with all the trimmings and placed it in the living room. It didn't have that pine forest smell, but it was late and it was on sale.

Unfortunately, you sometimes get what you pay for as the women of the house discovered as they were cleaning the dinner dishes and preparing for the next day.

"Did you burn something else?" Grandmother Cassandra asked, sniffing the air.

"No..."Ginger replied annoyed with her mother and fighting uncomfortable back pains, before glancing in the living room. "The tree!!! The tree is on fire!!!"


Ginger worked to put out the fire, while Grandmother Cassandra clutched her shirt and fretted this way and that way and this way and that way. By the time Grex made it downstairs, the fire was out and the tree only suffered minor damage.


Perhaps it was the trama of a near death experience, or the physical labor of putting out the fire, or perhaps the newest Grey simply wanted to see what all the fuss was about for it was at that moment that Ginger felt the pangs of her first contractions.

"You better call Julio." She whispered through her teeth to her husband, before doubling over in pain. Grex instead ran to Julio Wilsonoff's house, while Grandmother Cassandra helped Ginger change into her birthing clothes. Grandfather Matthew was instructed to sleep in the twins room to make sure they didn't barge in at the wrong time.

After hours of gritting her teeth and squeezing her bed posts in pain, Ginger, with the help of Julio, delivered a healthy baby boy named Gregory. Grex grinned like an idoit at the sight of his newest son and briefly wondered what life would be like if he had ten children instead of his three. Ginger must have read his thoughts as she shot him a nasty glare, "Only if you plan on adopting."

Grandfather Matthew paid Julio his $1000 fee while Grandmother Cassandra cleaned up tiny Gregory. The twins slept through it all and would have to meet thier new little brother in the morning.

What a morning it was! It was Christmas day! Little Gregory's first Christmas, Ginger mused while feeding him a special formula of barley and milk. The twins loved Grandmother Cassandra's handsewn teddy bears, unlike the itchy pajamas she also gave them.


Grex couldn't help but spoil his oldest son with a baseball bat, ball and catcher's mitt, which Bryant promptly decided to try playing in 12 inches of snow.

Grandmother Cassandra's gift was perhaps the best.

"You two go upstairs. I have the baby and the twins."

Ginger smiled shyly at Grex and he took her hand and led her to the bedroom...where they both fell asleep.

Unfortunately, the family's joy quickly turned to sorrow. Early one morning, Grandmother Cassandra crept into baby Gregory's room. Instead of the cooing infant she had come to expect, she found baby Gregory cold and ashen.

The scream echoed throughout the house. Feet pounded the wooden floors, voices were raised, phones were off the hook dialing for help, breaths were being delivered. One-two-breath...another round of chest compressions. Julio, the resident doctor, came in his PJs and one slipper-the other one buried in the snow from his run. It seemed like hours, but only three minutes had passed. One-two-breath...another round of chest compressions.

It happened so quickly, Gregory's funeral was less than two days later.

"It was SIDS...poor family...SIDS?...so sad." echoed softly around the hood. The church was silent, but the thoughts were loud and clear above the noise of the piano.

"Do you think baby Gregory will get married in heaven?" Annie whispered.

"Babies don't get married."

"When he grows up, he will."

"Babies don't grow up in heaven." Bryant whispered back.

"I never thought I would have to bury another grandchild." Grandmother Cassandra whispered bewteen tears.

She thought about her sons, Clark and Astaire, both of them dead too soon. Astaire's death in a bus accident, Clark and his wife and her three grandchildren...victims of the great disaster. Thier wives and her three grandchildren all dead. Now a fourth grandchild is added to the list in heaven.

"No parent in the world should have to feel this." Grex mumbled to himself.

"I know..." his wife sighed in agreement.

The memorial service was quick at the request of the family. A simple hymn, a short service and a blessing for the tiny life that was.

After the memorial service, the family took the slow hike to the forest. Jorge told Matthew about a clearing that provided a clear view of the sea. They passed the urn around. Each said thier final goodbyes. The ashes were scattered in the wind. Drifting to sea, drifting to the tree tops, drifting to heaven.

Goodbye, baby Gregory.

---

This is another one of those glitchy things that happen to me. I had to use my old backup of the neighborhood after a recent hack and as a result, baby Gregory wasn't anywhere around. I didn't want to risk having another baby and it looking nothing like baby Gregory, or it being a girl. So, since Gregory was an oopsy on Grex and Ginger's part, we just had baby Gregory meet his end. It was actually pretty sad since the family was actually moping around...it was as if they knew a part of the family was missing. What about you? Any glitches cause a drastic reworking of plans in your hood?

Spirit of the Community Award 2002

The Spirit of the Community Award will be given every two years, and will be worth $3,000 in simoleans, a relaxing vacation worth $5,000; a $1,000 certificate to The Toy Shoppe, a $750 certificate to The Farmer's Market and a $500 certificate to CupaJava.

The Spirit of the Community Award is for sims nominated based on a criteria of community service and good old-fashioned "neighborliness". The award recognize sims because of something unselfish. Not necessarily a local hero, but close to it.

Voting will begin (in the sidebar) in Resar (fall) of 2001, and last through Lovar (spring) 2002. The winner will be announced in Patar (summer) 2002.

Carmela Herendez

Carmela is the president of the Homemaker Society and serves as the Community Director in Apple Valley. She has hosted various events at her home for neighbors including a baby shower for five babies. Carmela has dreams of starting an art foundation and reviving NewRIP (New Resident Iniative Program).

Lyndon Humphrey
Lyndon is the pastor of Apple Valley. He can be found at any home moments after a crisis or celebration to rejoice or mourn with the family. Lyndon has plans of hosting weekly dinners at his home after church services.

Julio Wilsonoff

Julio is the local Medical Director and an active leader of SimScouts, a nature and leadership building club for children and teens. He can be found jogging daily, however during his daily jogs he is often observed picking up trash, pulling stray weeds and running off skunks. Julio has plans of petitioning for a nature preserve to be opened.

Strange Things Are Happening

Resar, Fall, 2001
Lyndon is 47, Nicole is 45, Faith is 17, Harvis and Susie are 15

Resar marked the start of Faith's senior year of high school. In addition to skill exams, which she passed with flying colors, college applications-she had been accepted to Pierce University, and scholarship applications, Faith had to be concerned about her music. Her record label, SiMusic, annouced that her sales were low and she was in danger of being dropped. As a result, Faith often spent her nights practicing her violin and experimenting with new melodies for her next CD and her senior recital. She claimed that practicing in her formal attire made her more focused, but not focused enough since she still had the habit of sneaking out with her boyfriend, Bill.

Lyndon tried to turn a blind eye towards his eldest nightly activities. She would be in university soon and there was nothing he could do to stop her activities. To be honest, Faith was the least of his worries at the moment.

He had to keep his eye on Harvis. Reports were coming in from around the nation that UFOs were targeting blue alien descendants for abductions. Harvis had already been a victim of such an abduction not too long after his older brother was taken. Rumors of an alien attack of blue vs green aliens was on the minds of a lot of residents.

It didn't help matters that Harvis insisted on continuing his stargazing and searching for his blue ancestors. Every night it seemed that Harvis was drawn outside by some invisible force, his eyes glued to the sky.

"I don't know...it's like a siren call." He explained to his sister, Susie.

Susie nodded. She hated the fact that her brother wouldn't forget about thier blue alien ancestors. It was hard enough trying to fit in and find a boyfriend, or any boy to kiss you, but when your twin brother wouldn't stop talking about blue aliens and space men, well...boys don't exactly line up at your door.

The closest she had to her first kiss is when she bumped into the newspaper delivery guy and his sister at the new gym. She barely got the chance to chat for more than a few minutes before Harvis came around the corner.

"Susie, can you hear them?"

"Erh...hear what?"

"The voices in your head. The aliens are trying to speak to us. Stop talking and listen!"

The last she saw of the newspaper delivery guy was his back as he ran around the corner.

Perhaps it was her need for connection that attracted her to the strangeness of Liam. Maybe it was her brother's persistent interest in his alien heritage. Maybe it was she destined for it, after all her ancestors were known for thier interest in the paranormal. Whatever it was, Susie couldn't help but listening as Liam talked about a world of glitter and butterflies where tables were always full of food and love overflowed.

"You should join us." He offered.

Susie nodded. She wanted to be a member of a club, her foster parents were members of clubs and even Harvis was a member of Aspirational Laboratories.

Susie wasn't prepared for when Liam started mumbling some strange phrases and waving his wand about. Nor was she prepared for the abundance of glitter and butterflies that surrounded her. It was as if her skin was glowing!

That afternoon, Liam taught her as much as he could concerning the Order of the Way of Light. Susie learned about regents, some basic spells, broom manevuers and creed of the order.

"My family will be home soon," Susie worried.

"Don't worry," Liam reassured her. "I stopped time with a simple spell. We still have a few moments before the border bewteen reality and magic start to crack."

By the time her family returned home, Susie and Liam had everything cleaned up and Susie was dutifully doing her homework.

What they forgot to think about is that Nicole wasn't your average mother. She was from Sokitumi and was very familar with what other residents would call strange paranormal ways. Voodoo, witch doctors, ghosts, telepathy, extra-sensory perception, psychokinesis, she had seen or heard it all. She could smell the magic in the air. Saying nothing, she pretended to read a book with her husband as she watched the teen move about the house.

"Susie," Nicole whispered to her foster daughter after cornering her in her bedroom. "Next time you and your friend meet, perhaps you should go to his territority for training."

Susie gasped.

"You're glowing, Susie." she continued. "Go wash your face and get ready for dinner. Also, tell your brother to stop looking for another UFO."

---

With all the "odd" activities going on in thier house (the pastor's house! Lyndon argued as if his occupation would make the children persue stamp collecting instead of magic, talking to alien ancestors and sneaking out with boyfriends), the family looked forward to an evening out.

As soon as they arrived to the shopping square, everyone scattered. Susie had breakdancing lessons. After several unsuccessful attempts with the piano like her grandmother, Squirly, Susie decided that maybe dancing would be a better avenue for her creativity. She was right, as even her instructor praised her on her quick study of the movements.

Faith browsed in the local thrift shop, hoping to avoid seeing anyone from school and hoping to find a nice dress for the upcoming formal.

"Faith? What are you doing shopping here?" S'Ahmisa Warwick said passing by.

"Oh, I was bored and decided to try on some clothes." She lied to the middle school student. "I'm not actually shopping. I would never shop in a thrift store."

S'Ahmisa nodded in the face of the lie. Apple Valley was tiny, so it was no secret that the Humphrey family struggled with finances, especially with a tiny pastoral salary. She said nothing, especially since anything she would say would be ignored since S'Ahmisa was a trust fund baby. Her university was already paid for, her family enjoyed numerous trips and designer clothing-something Faith would only be able to dream about.

"I do that too sometimes." She said lying along with her neighbor. "I'm looking for some funny costumes for the Sweeny triplets. I babysit for them a lot and they love to play dress-up."

"Why shop here and not some designer store?" Faith asked.

"This thrift shop benefits the interhood orphanage and my family likes to support them." S'Ahmisa continued, surprised that the senior would still be talking to a middle school student. But then again, Apple Valley is a very small island and when most schools have more students than you have residents, well...everyone tends to talk to everyone else.

Nicole and Lyndon enjoyed thier couple time as the children persued thier own activities. A horror movie with lots of fake blood and cheesy snacks followed with some very teenaged like necking in the back of the theater.

After the movie, the couple enjoyed gyros and hot dogs in the snack bar.

"This reminds me of when we were in college." Lyndon said.

"You mean when I traveled to visit you and you took me to that desert casino for dinner?"

Lyndon nodded and they both smiled thinking about thier younger years. Now thier eldest would be headed off to university as well.

"Time flies, huh?"

"It sure does."

"Mom? Dad? You guys ready to go home yet?" Faith said poking her head into the snack bar.

---

This family/generation is one of my favorites(my favorite family across multiple generational lines from TS1 to TS2 is the Herendez). Nicole and Lyndon met via a SUN Exchange when they were both in university. Nicole was from another simmer whose hood name was Sokitumi. After graduation Lyndon left Apple Valley for like in Sokitumi with Nicole. They were so cute and I was able to get them to rejoin Apple Valley permenantly (asked the simmer if they could be permenantly housed in my game) and the rest is history. They have changed from a wilder uncoventional couple (Nicole was a drama major and used to be an actress) to the pastoral family that adopted thier family. Faith is technically adopted-she is genetically Nicole and Lyndon's child and I was playing around with some hacks and *poof* goes the family. Faith wasn't a part of the family anymore and since I didn't have photos of the birth and such, I had them adopt her. So that's an ancient simmer secret that Faith is biologically Nicole and Lyndon's child---shhh. Harvis and Susie are from Simmerville and descend from blue aliens. To be honest, two aliens, a witch, a former follower of volcano goddesses and a rebellious teen doesn't seem like a weird combo to me.

What about you? Do you have any odd combinations in your hood?