Novocaine for the soul

Round 22: Winter 2015

Last update/next update

Adam Gottlieb is 60, Athena is 55, Amelia is 26, Wade is 25 and Sophie is 2.
(Joanna is 20, David is 33, Camilla and Lila are both 2)

Narrated by Adam Gottlieb

Even though Sophie is 2 already, I still can't believe that my son is a father himself now!



Amelia is already talking about another one. Wade's not so sure, as much as he loves Sophie. Sophie wasn't planned and he thinks they should wait a while.

Amelia has been a bit sulky about it, so she started looking for other things to do, until Wade comes around.

She bought herself a toymaking bench and started practising but found it hard going. She'd never really picked up a hammer before and the standing around meant that her muscles were constantly sore.

Luckily, Athena knew just the thing!

Amelia was a little surprised to get a gift from Athena - it wasn't her birthday.

But she was definitely appreciative - the scent of the flowers really makes standing in front of that bench for hours on end a lot more tolerable.

She just made painted bricks at first, which Sophie loved - maybe just because she knew her mother made it for her.

Since I turned 60, I've been wanting to retire - leave the TV cooking shows to the younger chefs out there.

If I did, it would mean that Wade and Amelia could cancel the nanny service. I'd still keep the restaurant but I could go in only when there was someone home to watch Sophie.

Amelia is constantly talking to me about the restaurant. I think she might be hinting that she'd like to take it over one day. I haven't really given much thought to that. I always assumed Joanna would take it over but she's such a brain. Maybe she'd rather do something more cerebral.

We won't have to worry about that for a long time though, because I'm not giving it up any time soon. I love every minute of running that place!

Well, I don't love arriving in the morning and finding dirty plates still on the table. My waitress is not perfect.

Maybe it was Aislin's way of letting me know she was underpaid - I hadn't done a performance review in a couple of years and she was definitely due for a raise!

I gave Corbin a raise while I was at it - he's an excellent host.

Amelia is getting pretty clever with this toymaking stuff.

I can't resist playing with them myself whenever Sophie leaves them strewn all over the floor (which is always).

I was a bit embarrassed when Amelia walked in on me playing with one of her fire engines but she didn't seem too surprised by it.

I've even been trying to figure out that brick thing she made. I swear I saw it standing up on its own the other day but no one was there to witness it!

So far, Amelia is only making toys for Sophie (and me!) and to give to her brothers as gifts for their kids. David was very grateful at the fire truck and jack in the box she made for Camilla and Lila.

Amelia was just grateful he brought her nieces over.

They got sick of being incessantly cuddled after a while and they played with Sophie at her activity table (one of the few toys Sophie has that Amelia didn't make).

Joanna came to visit us over the weekend. She called us before she arrived and said she had some really exciting news for us.

Her first piece of news was that she had qualified for early graduation. It turns out that some of the classes she took at high school counted for credit at university so she would be graduating a year early. Her second piece of news was that once she graduated, she was planning to go travelling around the world for a couple of years, all by herself! I don't think either Athena or I knew what to say about that at first!

After we recovered from that shock, Athena said she thought it was a great idea.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't think it was a great idea at all. I thought it was a terrible idea! I didn't want Joanna traipsing around the world by herself, so far away from her family and friends. What if something happened to her?

Of course, Joanna insisted nothing would happen to her but that she'd be extra careful, just for me. I know I can't stop her, seeing she's an adult but I'm going to worry about her every day until she's back home.

Random pic:
Just because Camilla is so cute and I like the angle.

Notes:

• I'm going to start linking to YouTube videos of the songs where get my titles from when I can. They don't always have anything to do with the content of the entry but I think it'll be fun anyway. Today's title is from an Eels song.
• Amelia rolled my easy ROS this round - "Get a gold badge". She's not yet up to her gold badge but she's got a silver, so she'll get there. She'll be only my second Sullivan Sim to get a gold badge in toymaking (Ione Romilly is the other). I'm sick of giving the dogs baths, so I want that sprinkler!
• Amelia is on birth control but she and Wade try for a baby about 50% of the time. If Wade spins up the want, I'll take her off birth control. If not, I'll make Amelia wait until Sophie starts school, which is probably the same tack I'm going to take with David and Kirstin.
• I've already graduated Joanna so by the time you read this, her profile should be updated (she looks the same though, except she now has one of those dorky BV backpacks on!). I'll do a little grad post for her along with the Spring birthdays, which is also when she's leaving. I'm sending her away because the girl is bored! She maxed out all her skills either at the end of her sophomore year or the beginning of her junior. She needs a new challenge and travelling the world solo seems like a good one. I plan to send her to all three vacation destinations. My aim is to have her get all of those vacation memories (I will cheat for the Bigfoot one, because I'm not having a Bigfoot in my hood).
• I'm not sure how long Joanna will be gone for yet. I want both the Gottliebs and Rose to have at least one update where she's not there.
• I'm going to go back and read about Lakeside Heights's Amelia's trip to Takemizu when she was in college because there are probably some good tips there for making this work, even Joanna is no longer in college. If this works out well, I'm seeing a lot of potential! Business trips, rock stars going on tour...I'm excited!