Say it ain't so

Round 23: Spring 2018

last update/next update

Charlton and Aphrodite Nihill are both 73, James Novak is 43, Madelyn is 38, Aaron is 15, Ethan is 12 and Connor is 5.
(Maia Novak is 16 and Calvin Clarke is 15)

When Aaron and Ethan were younger, they were very close but once Aaron started high school, they didn't hang out together quite as much. Now that Ethan had joined him, they were once again best buddies.



They did, after all, have a goal to reach. Both Aaron and Ethan were intent on finishing the insect collection Raffaella never completed. Neither of the boys were close to being finished but they had plenty of time.

All the bug hunting earned Aaron an invitation to Peerless Park and the first time he visited, Ethan tagged along.

Where they did yet more bug hunting.

Now that Aaron and Ethan were old enough to fend for themselves for a few hours and to watch Connor, if need be, Aphrodite and Charlton could take advantage of their new-found freedom and really enjoy their retirement.

Champagne at 10am? Well...it's 5 o'clock somewhere, so why not?

James and Madelyn decide to take their own freedom one step further and go away to the beach for the weekend. They've both been wanting to take a break for a long time and this is the first time everything has aligned perfectly to give them the opportunity.

So they leave the boys with their grandparents and check into a little bungalow on the beach.

On their first day, there was a thunderstorm so instead of hitting the beach, they settled themselves into the bungalow.

The sky had cleared by sundown and they were able to go out and enjoy the beach without the blistering sun Cape Elizabeth was famous for.

There was time enough for the sun tomorrow and Madelyn even got a nice little tan from it.

All the swimming Madelyn did had the unintended side effect of shaving off a few extra kilos she'd been carrying around lately. The extra kilos never bothered James but he was definitely noticing a difference!

James and Madelyn were both feeling very romantic upon their arrival back in Sullivan, although the atmosphere at home wasn't quite as wonderful as it was on Cape Elizabeth.

Aaron was starting his first job. He was manning the drive through at a burger joint. It definitely wasn't glamorous but the pay was okay and when he started applying to university next year, having an after school job would look really good.

Aaron's best friend Maia had been thinking about college a lot too lately. After showing no interest all through high school, she'd suddenly decided she wanted to go.

Aaron was briefly excited, thinking that maybe Maia had finally decided to take school seriously for once in her life.

But no, it was what Aaron feared in the back of his mind. Maia's boyfriend, Jacob, was going to college next year and Maia wanted to be sure she'd be there with him the year after that. Aaron thinks that's a terrible reason to attend college.

Aaron offered Maia his tutoring services anyway - he's a year behind Maia at school but he's pretty sure he could handle Maia's classes now - but she refused. Shouldn't they give her credit for just getting on the bus and showing up? That was enough of a trial!

Ever since Ethan had had his twelfth birthday and discovered the wonder that is girls, he'd taken to following Maia around whenever she visited, fawning over her.

If only Maia was inclined to date 12 year-olds! Ethan would be ready and willing, that's for sure!

At least Aaron is (finally) having more luck on the romance front. Up until now, Aaron wasn't quite sure if he was ready for a boyfriend but he was getting a little tired of being single.

Aaron still hasn't told his parents that he's gay. Perhaps if he just keeps making out with Calvin in the front yard, his parents will eventually peg on and he'll be able to avoid that awkward conversation all together!

Random pics:

Aww! I love those 10 nice point Sims. Madelyn is always grinning at her family members when they're nearby and it's so cute.

Notes:

• Title is from Say It Ain't So by Weezer. I hate that the only videos you can find for some songs are on that stupid Vevo thing - so laggy, for some reason.
• Aaron and Ethan are taking forever to find bugs! I forgot to check how many they have so far but the "You've found a such-and-such" pop-ups are few and far between. I've prepared myself for the fact that there is probably no reward for completing the collection but I'm hoping to get one Sim to finish it anyway.
• I did a chemistry experiment a while ago with my teens and with turn ons matched, Ethan and Maia actually have 3 bolts! Their turn ons aren't matched right now, so they're only 2 bolts but I thought that was interesting, in light of Maia and Aaron's relationship. Aaron and Ethan are clones, so if Aaron was straight and their turn ons were matched, I'm guessing she'd have 3 bolts with Aaron too. Shame Aaron only likes boys!
• Speaking of Aaron, I was waiting until Aaron rolled some romantic wants before I hooked him up with Calvin. The kid is like a monk though - I don't think he's rolled any at all until this round and it was probably only because it's Spring and love is in the air and all that junk. Anyway, Calvin and Aaron are officially dating now. But Aaron is super-super shy and I imagine that talking about love and dating would be extremely difficult for him. He's so very cute when he flirts and is flirted with!
• As for Christmas, I've got a little mini-update all ready and set to be posted on Christmas Eve (probably the 23rd for most of you). I probably won't play again until Boxing Day - day after Christmas - so the last family of Round 23 should be posted sometime after that. I don't need to travel for Christmas, as all my family are here in Sydney, so I shouldn't be away for too long.