Round 1: Oldie 1

Round 1: Oldie 1
The Happiest Kid on SimEarth

Coral and Herb Oldie, the adoptive parents of Mary-Sue Pleasant, have had an empty nest for several years now. How will they finish out their golden years?

Me: Hello, Miss Coral. My, what a pretty flower arrangement you're making.

Coral: Thank you, dear. That lovely Florence Delarosa from Bluewater, such a sweet young lady, came over yesterday and gave me a lesson.

Coral: I made a bouquet for my daughter Mary-Sue. Herb and I took it to her house yesterday evening when we went to meet our two new grandbabies, Emma and Emily. Oh, they are so precious! And Herb and I are tinkled pink because Mary-Sue and Daniel told us they are adopting another child.

Coral: After Mary-Sue and Daniel told us they were adopting, I got to thinking. "Herb, dear" I says to my hubby, "Herb, why don't we adopt another child?"

I think I gave Mr. Oldie the shivers there, I did. Here we are in our golden years, fixin' to have another child. But we got such a joy from raising Mary-Sue, our dear sweet precious baby girl. The adoption agency we worked with in Takemizu was wonderful, such dear sweet people, and very professional.

Anyway, Herb says to me, "Well, Mrs. Oldie, we do have the space. If you reckon we can keep up with a youngin, by golly I think we can too." So Herb called up the agency this morning. They were thrilled that we wanted to adopt again. They said they would bring the little tyke by tomorrow morning.

Now, dear, can I fix you a cup of tea or a glass of lemonade before I leave for work?

Me: *snoring* Oh, excuse me, Miss Coral. I must have dozed a little. Um, burning the midnight oil at work, you know.

Coral: Oh, yes, work. I must be on my way, dear.

Later that day...

Me: Welcome home, Mr. Herb. Congratulations on your promotion to Piano Tuner.

Herb: *grunts*

Me: Welcome home, Miss Coral. Congratulations on your promotion to...Numbers Runner? Um, Miss Coral, do you know that is illegal?

Coral: Oh, yes, quite illegal, dear, but I'm so good at it. I've always had a head for numbers.

Me: *facepalm* You could be in big trouble with the adoption agency if they hear about this, not to mention the Wrightsville Lottery Commission, and the SBI.

Me: Given your advanced stage in life, I think it's wise that you've chosen a child. I just hope the Social Worker doesn't ask for employment references.

Coral: We used the income from our part time jobs to fix up a bedroom for the little tyke.
Me: It's very cute.

Me: Welcome to the Uberhood, Larry!

Larry: Hiya.

Me: I'm sure you'll like it here. Mr. Herb and Miss Coral are very nice people. Just don't get on Miss Coral's bad side, though, ok. I wouldn't want to see you sleeping with real fishes.

Larry: 'Kay.

Me: *struggling to resist a Diff'rent Strokes reference*

Larry: Wahoo!
Me: Enjoying your helicopter, I see.

Larry: Miss Coral, it's always been my dream to play the violin.
Coral: Is that so? My Herb was a concert master in his day. Mr. Oldie played the sweetest concertos, he did, such a talented dear. Why I remember once he performed in Simnegie Hall...
Me: Make a run for it, kid!

Me: You're pretty good with that thing, Larry.
Larry: Mr. Herb has been giving me lessons.
Me: They are paying off.

Me: It's so sweet of Herb to read Larry a bedtime story. It's also safer. One of Coral's stories would make the poor kid comatose.

Me: Do you like your new playground, Larry?

Larry: Miss Coral, you and Mr. Herb are the best parents in the world!
Me: I'll take that as a yes.

Me: Congrats on reaching the top of the Music career, Mr. Herb.
Herb: *grunts*
Me: Is it me, or do you just not say much?
Herb: Sorry, it's a habit. You've met my sweet Coral, right?
Me: Yes.
Herb: I love her as the day is long but that woman is a motor mouth. This is the longest two- sided conversation I've had in fifty years.

Me: Larry, it's very late to be selling lemonade. I'm sure you'll attract more customers in the morning.

Me: Awww....

Larry: Mr. Herb helped me with my homework last night, and I got an A+.

Me: Way to go, Larry!

Larry: I bought a friend home from school, too.

Me: Why, it's Chloe! She is becoming quite the social butterfly. You couldn't have picked a better person to share in the news of your good grades, Larry.

I think these two would be a cute couple. Too bad the alphabet twist won't let them be together.

Me: Miss Coral, I hope you don't expect me to congratulate you on reaching the top the Criminal career!

Me: Uh-oh! Looks like Chloe stayed too long. Brandi has come to fetch her.

Me: The poor kid is pooped, but he had a fantastic week. He is definitely the happiest kid in the Uberhood!

The Oldies were fun to play. I'm glad Herb and Coral both made it through the week. I was worried they would pass on before Larry became a teen. If you're not from the South, you're probably wondering what all the Miss Coral and Mr. Herb was about. I was brought up to speak that way to my elders. I'm well into my thirties, but I still refer to older people this way.
Larry is a really sweet kid. Herb and Coral spoiled him rotten, and he was in platinum mood nearly all week. I think he's going to be a Fortune Sim because he kept spinning up wants related to the lemonade stand.

Yay! We made it through Pleasantview! It's hard to move on to Strangetown because I am very attached to the Pleasantview Sims. Will Don win over Dina? What will Chloe be like as a teenager? Will Daniel get his boy? Will Cass find a guy whose name starts with C or will she have to wait for Christopher to grow up? So many questions that can't be answered just yet. Anyway, the Curious Brothers are up next. Stay tuned!

Round 1: Burb 1

Round 1: Burb 1
Working Mom

After establishing their careers in the big city, John and Jennifer Burb have decided to return home to Pleasantview to establish their family. Let's see how the Burbs are doing...

Me: Good morning, Burbs!

John: ... And now that we have the house set up and Lucy is settled in school, I think it would be a good time to add to the family.

Lucy: You guys are having a baby?

Jennifer: Babe, I don't think now is a good time to discuss this.

Me: I have to agree with Jen on this one. Not cool to bring this kind of conversation up in front of the little one.

Jennifer: Babe, I was thinking that we might want to wait a couple of years before we have another baby.

Jennifer: There is an opening with the SCIA, and I think it has potential. I could see myself running the place someday.

John: Where is this coming from, Jenny? I thought we agreed that we would move here to expand our family.

John: Things are going well for me on the force. I can provide for the family. We're still young. This is not the time for you to start a new position.

Jennifer: John, do you expect me to sit around the house all day swapping gossip with the Bluewater ladies? I have dreams I want to pursue.

John: I thought having a family was your dream.

Jennifer: *sighs* John, that's your dream. Don't get me wrong. I love being married to you and giving birth to Lucy was the happiest day of my life. But I need more.

John: It's late. Let's discuss this more tomorrow.

Me: Congrats on your promotion, John! Any progress on the baby front?

John: I'm hoping to make some tonight.

Jennifer: You said you could provide for the family, and we can't even afford a TV. Do you know how embarrassing it was to serve those Bluewater ladies Jello because our grocery budget is too limited for a pie or Baked Alaska? John, after the baby is born, I'm going back to work.

Me: After the baby is born? You're pregnant?

Jennifer: *sigh* Yes, I took the test today. It was pink.

John: *beaming* This is great news, Babe!

Me: So, sweet. You're tucking your firstborn in.

John: It'll be nice to have a baby in the house again. Lucy is growing up and will be a teenager soon.

Me: Excellent, I see my favorite little girl in the Uberhood came home from school with you today.

Lucy: No fair. You're not supposed to play favorites!

Me: I ain't your mother, kid. I don't have to like you all the same.

Lucy: Mommy, will you love the baby more than me?

Me: Great, I gave the kid a complex.

Jennifer: Of course not, honey. When a Mommy has another baby, her heart doubles its size, so that she has room to love that baby just as much as her first.

Me: Nice save, Jen.

Me: Congrats on another promotion, John. Are you sure you're not a closet Fortune Sim?

John: No, I just believe protecting my family and the Uberhood is very important.

Me: Happy birthday, Lucy! Where are your parents.

Lucy: They're upstairs having a "discussion."

Me: Oh, well. At least Beau and Lisa are here to help you celebrate.

Me: Wow, you've very pretty, Lucy, but I don't think your dad is going to approve of that outfit.

Lucy: He's too busy arguing with Mommy to notice.

Me: Good point. So what do you aspire to be?

Lucy: I love learning, especially about science.

Me: Interesting. You don't really strike me as the mad scientist type, but ok.

Me: And since Lisa's name also starts with L, she gets to grow up too.

Me: What's with you girls showing off your belly buttons?

Me: A roach or two is not worth crying about. Pull yourself together, man.

John: I'm not crying about the roaches. I'm crying because I caught the flu.

Me: Oh, puh-leeze! I was laid up with a stomach virus for three days after Christmas. You get no sympathy from me. You're a Family Sim, so make yourself some Comfort Soup and be done with it.

Me: Besides, your wife needs you well right now.

Me: Welcome, Kevin!

Me: Wow, Jen! You waste no time.

John: Babe, I really wish you would reconsider. Don't you think Kevin would do better being raised by you rather than a nanny?

Jennifer: John, I'm going to work today and that's final. If you're so set on our son being raised by his parent, then you can quit your job.

Me: Tough break on the demotion, Jennifer.

Jennifer: I'm still a Gumshoe.

Me: But had you gone to work in a better mood you would have come home as a Private Eye.

Jennifer: So, it's not a demotion. It's a lateral move.

Me: Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Me: I see Pascal is out for a stroll.
Jennifer: He says he was abducted by aliens and impregnated. The Agency will definitely be interested in this.

Jennifer: This kid is half-alien. So the rumors about Strangetown are true. I bet this will get me promoted.

Me: Hmm, Johnny and Jules...

Me: Happy birthday, Kevin!

Me: He has your hair, but I think he looks more like John.

Me: And we have the first snowfall of the season.

Kevin: Da-da.

John: Good boy, Kevin!

Me: I see you guys are now able to afford a TV.

Me: Kevin's training has fallen mainly on your shoulders, huh?

John: Yes, Jenny is busy studying for the Private Eye certification exam.

Me: Lucy, you'll catch your death of cold out there.

Lucy: Hmm, it seems like something is missing.

Me: Here's a hint: Frosty would tell you himself if he could.

Me: Too bad they didn't notice you were in the bathroom.

Lucy: I don't qualify for any scholarships. I don't think I'm ready to go to college yet.

Me: You're not ready. You're only 14. I've devised a calendar and aging system. One of your days is equal to one year my time. When my visit began with you on Monday it was the year 2000. Now it is the year 2006.

Lucy: So, I get to stay around another week?

Me: Only until next Friday. You'll be 19 then and a freshman at La Fiesta Tech.

Lucy: Cool!

Me: I only wish I had thought of this sooner. I sent Alexander Goth to college already and he's only 16.

Lucy: I guess he's a child prodigy!

This is the first time I've enjoyed playing the Burbs. They've always been boring to me in the past.

I also feel the need to give a disclaimer about Jennifer's personality. She's a Fortune Sim, so I felt she would not be content being a stay-at-home mother. This is in no way a knock against stay-at-home moms. Ideally, I'd like to be one myself someday.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my ABCs versus Birds and Bees post. The Alphabet Twist is going to stay.

The Oldies are up next, and then we move on to Strangetown!