Round 26: Spring 2023
Narrated by David Sitko
Since Collette's death, I think everyone in our household is coping as well as can be expected. Dinner was very quiet the first couple of nights but I just wanted to make sure everyone ate something. Kirstin and Julian didn't have much of an appetite.
Kirstin has been more upset by her mother's death than someone looking at our family from afar might expect. Sometimes, Kirstin and Collette didn't even appear to like each other much; they argued so often. Once you consider that Collette argued with everybody and that Kirstin is similar in that way, it starts to make a little more sense. They definitely fought but there was a lot of affection too.
I'm really glad Kirstin hasn't responded by hiding herself away at the office. No matter how much she's grieving right now, it's not healthy to work as hard as she does and the girls need her at home too.
Especially Camilla. Of our three daughters, she's the most sensitive and she's really missing her grandma right now.
Lila seems okay, apart from being quieter than normal.
Adelaide has been asking where Grandma is and we've talked about death with her. I don't think she quite grasps the concept yet though.
Julian is, understandably, heartbroken.
He's coping the way I feared Kirstin might and he's spending a lot of time at his office, or at the diner.
He took a couple of days off but then insisted on going in, because he'd heard rumours that a reviewer from the newspaper was coming to check out the diner.
It's always been a point of pride for Julian that he still runs the diner himself and has done since before Kirstin was born.
Still, it might be nice if he'd slow down a little. It's certainly interesting listening to Kirstin telling someone they work too hard!
Julian's adamant though. He never wants to retire.
We can't complain though. He gets home from work before Kirstin or I do and he's the one who got Adelaide up to speed on her homework this week.
Collette's death has made all the family rally together, which has been nice. Amelia comes around just to make sure there's nothing we need.
She usually ends up making us dinner, which is very welcome! Neither Kirstin or I can cook. Julian can but he hasn't really felt up to it lately.
Amelia is a great cook though and it's been wonderful to eat something other than macaroni and cheese.
Amelia usually brings Sophie with her as well, so the girls can see their cousin.
Camilla and Lila especially are so close with Sophie.
Adelaide is more fond of Noah but she's in her cousin Veronica's class at school now and they've become very close as well.
I'm very happy at work for the time being. I was promoted to Chief of Staff, which means shorter hours and more days off. I'm really loving the extra time I have at home.
Right now, some of my extra time is being taken up by Cara, who's interning at the hospital right now. She started in the summer though, which means she's due to wind up in a few months and then maybe I can get even more time to myself.
Kirstin was promoted too and she's already working on her next one. I hear her practising in the mirror in the bathroom after the kids have gone to bed, almost every night.
Kirstin's brother Owen's visit was what really lifted Julian's spirits. Julian isn't Owen's biological father but they've always seen each other as father and son. Kirstin says she was probably 10 before she realised there was no way she and Owen could have the same father. It just was never an issue for their family.
Yeah, I'm still thinking about a fourth. I haven't really said anything to Kirstin because she's made her feelings clear. I really have to let it go and just be satisfied with my girls. I don't want another baby if Kirstin is so opposed.
Kirstin is usually fairly indifferent about other people's children, so I was kind of surprised at how much of an impression Tatiana's new baby son, Brendan, made on her. She thought he was the most adorable little thing ever, our own kids aside.
Holding, or even looking at a little baby is enough to get me started on really wanting another one but Kirstin doesn't have that issue.
She can admire a baby and then quite happily hand it back to the parents when she's done. Kirstin is absolutely positive she doesn't want to raise any more babies. I'm still a little sad about that but I'm doing my best to push it aside.Notes:
- Title is from In Limbo by Radiohead.
- A-ha! So the reviewer does come to restaurants! I think I was wondering out loud about that either here or at N99 a few weeks back. I don't think it's ever happened to me before.
- Trying out the harder grades hack and I really like it! None of these 3 girls has an A+ right now; Camilla has a B, Lila has an A- and Adelaide has a C. So right now, I'm forcing the kids to do their homework and letting harder grades handle the grade variation. It seems much more realistic so far.
- I know I said Cara wasn't doing the post-grad program Josie will be doing (and she's not) but I am getting a feel for what I want to do for her by playing Cara. Internships are usually only one year and they begin upon completion of med school (at least here, not sure about the States) so when Josie graduates, I'll probably give her a crappy job during medical school and then move her into the medical career after that. Or maybe in her final year of med school, seeing she won't start out at Intern level anyway.
- David and that baby want! I actually unlocked it but it's quite persistent. Oh well. He's not getting another one, if I have any say. Three is enough for this family. And Kirstin was being so weird with Brendan - very unlike her! I had Tatiana feeding him at the dining table and Kirstin just sat there watching and grinning at them the whole time. It was very cute but strange for her.
Wow, he is all about that baby and it hasn't rolled away. Come on...give in...be a good sim goddess :P
ReplyDeleteI noticed the coffeepot was in the corner in the kitchen. Is it still usable like that? If so, how did you get it to be useable?
I think another baby would be very welcome, and "divine intervention" would be okay in my book to get it :P
ReplyDeleteIt seems like the family is holding together pretty well, but that Collette is still sorely missed.
Apple Valley, David's very keen for a fourth but I so rarely let my Sims have four kids! Both Sims would have to want it before I'd allow it, unless a third pregnancy results in twins. Then I'm obviously lumped with four! If Kirstin ever rolls the want (doubtful, because she never did for the twins, or for Adelaide), then I'll consider letting them have another.
ReplyDeleteThe coffee pot is functional in the corner but I use the Slot Enable Package to make it that way. You can get it here
. It's a global, so you don't need to do anything in game to make it work. You can just start placing stuff on all your corners. It's great.
Tessa, ah, as gorgeous as Camilla, Lila and Adelaide are, it is very unlikely that there'll be a fourth child for David and Kirstin. It's really rare that I let my Sims have that many kids.
Thanks for the Slot Enable Package link :)
ReplyDeleteKirstin seems so much softer nowadays. I guess losing her mother has really affected her.
I'm definitely gonna download that harder grades hack. Lately Wellington kids only do their homework if they get the want but I'm so freaked out about the want. However the idea of the social worker taking the kids away freaks me out so the hack is much better.
Camilla, Lila, and Sophie look like they are having a lot of fun together, skipping through the house.
ReplyDeleteThose family-sims and baby-wants, it can get annoying at times!
ReplyDeleteBut with some families enough is just enough!
The girls seem like they are having a great time!
WOW on the slot enabler package, that's totally cool. I've looked at that thread before, but my eyes glaze over when there is lots of wordage. I'm definitely downloading it once I finish this comment.
ReplyDeletePoor Julian, he seems so sad and lost without his wife. Spending all that time at the diner, he probably could have taken some more time off, and spent it with the kids. Though I'm sure the normalcy helps too. Probably not good to spend all day crying at home.
I actually think Colette wanted them to have one more... cause the girls are cute, and really. Poor David. All he desperately wants is another baby, perhaps a son... a son to fish with, and camp with, and you won't let him. I think you should put this up for a vote... a nice little poll at the top corner would do nicely. ;)
I'll be curious how you do all your medical. In my world, I do 6 years of college for medical students, 4 at the university, then 2 at home basically. I have a full staff now, but eventually I won't, and I may try out your system as you publish about it.
On the wcif, I'll get that for you over the weekend when I'm on main computer.
Carla, I have to add, (apologies to Maisie, I sympathize with you), that it seems you are standing up for Colette, in not giving David what he wants. My two cents is, don't run a poll unless you want to.
ReplyDeleteHe can take his girls camping, fishing, etc :-)
Sari, Kirstin does seem a little softer. It's all game play though - that's just how she's acting lately! Softening in her old age, perhaps!
ReplyDeleteThat's why I use harder grades as well. I don't want the social worker to take my kids and my teens never roll the want to do homework (really - NEVER!) and none of them would ever get into college if I left it up to them. Harder grades it working out well though.
Francesca, they're actually smustling!
And don't worry - I always do what I want and in this case, it happens to be what Kirstin wants as well. David loves his girls. I don't take him for the kind of father who feels like he's missing out on anything by not having any boys.
Tanja, Family Sims never seem to stop with the baby wants sometimes! I don't know if I've ever noticed them wanting a fifth though. I'll have to watch Jonas and Tatiana's wants.
The girls are very sweet together. The twins are teens next round!
Maisie, I'm the same with those kinds of threads but eventually, I go back and read it and force myself to puzzle it out!
Julian is sad but he's rolling some wants that have given me an idea for him, so watch for that next round. Might cheer him up. And he's a Fortune Sim, like Kirstin, so working is his favourite thing to do. Not a viewpoint I can sympathise with but hey! Different strokes and all that.
Collette had actually rolled away the want for another grandchild before she died, so she'd accepted that 5 was it. ;) And David will live too! He's not really the fishing type.
I think my medical thing will be better once I put in a hospital. Which I AM planning on but have been too lazy as of yet.The work component is probably going to be mostly novel writing, disguised as thesis and term papers and the like.
I think I'm probably doing my further schooling wrong in the medical career. I have no clue, lol! I know they have to do undergrad pre-med, which would be their first four uni years. And you're right about the internship year, then three resident years (though in their residency, they are considered doctors, right?)
ReplyDeleteBut how many years of medical school are there (after pre-med, and before the internship?) I think I did that wrong with Mariah in my hood, lol! I sent her straight from her undergrad to her first intern year. Maybe I'll have to revise that, to leave her in school for longer.
Anyway... I'm with Kirstin here (she's totally my new favorite!) - let other people have the babies! David will have sons-in-law some day, that's good enough, lol!
Laura, Kirstin thanks you for your support! LOL. Three kids is more than enough!
ReplyDeleteI actually looked up medical education on Wikipedia but I ended up taking bits and pieces of it for the game because hell...it was really long and a bit boring!
From what I could gather though, the internship starts after the final year of med school and residents are considered full doctors. I'm not sure how long residency is though. Hmmm...that's one thing I forgot to look up!
Mariah is doing psychology, right (I'm assuming, because you have her counselling Dakota)? In Australia, as far as I know, that's how it would work. You'd do your undergrad and then you'd move into an internship, which I think is called a certification period here. I think it's 2 years.
Anyone reading this is probably thinking "It's just a game, nerds!" LOL.
That's sad about Collette, but glad to see the family is doing ok. It does feel like ages ago with the whole Galen scandal. You haven't had anything as scandalous happen since then, have you? I can't think right now.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Harder Grades is working out for you :). I also use another hack from Simbology called Homework Sometimes where sims who learned how to study and have higher grades won't always get homework. It won't lower their grade for not doing homework either (since they technically didn't have any). It helps with getting varied grades, too, since they might be stuck with a B+ for a few simdays. In case you or someone else down the line is interested, it's here http://www.simbology.com/mods/index.php?dir=al/&sort=date&order=desc lumped with the school bus hack (2 separate hacks).
And I've been meaning to ask you how you got your coffee/espresso machines to be functional on a corner counter since probably round 10 lol. Thanks for the link.
Danielle, hmmm, I think Galen and Collette still might be my biggest scandal actually! There was Jesse and Abigail, but no child resulted from that. And I guess that seems slightly less scandalous since they ended up together. But I haven't really played a Romance Sim like Galen since then. My Romance Sims right now are all either settled down and monogamous or in open marriages.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out Homework Sometimes as well! I really like Harder Grades, so I might see how this one works out for me as well.
I was happy I was able to find that link! I've been using that hack for so long that I forget you can't really do it in game under normal circumstances! I use custom counters sometimes and won't why it won't work!