Monday 17 October 2011

Come out clean

Round 32: August 2035 (Winter)

Lake Draper is 78 and Kendal is 59.
(Josie is 33, Troy, Calvin and Aaron are all 32, Rebecca is 26, Elspeth is 21, Chris is 20, Jude is 3 and Felicity is 2)
Narrated by Kendal Draper

I'm not so busy this year, seeing I'm no longer a part of the hood council. I thought I would be sadder than I was but I was kind of happy to hand it all over to Tatiana. It's nice to have just the one job.

It took me a little while to get used to it but I'm now very content that Lake and I are on our own. Because we both already had children when we got married, we've never really had much time alone.

Now that I'm getting over all the kids being out on their own, Lake and I have been taking better advantage of our time together.

He's already nagging me to promise I'll retire the second I turn 65!

I'm already enjoying this slower pace of life, so I think I'll be ready to give up working by then.

Now that Lake is getting ready to pass the store down to Rose, he's scaling back the time he spends there even more.

On his days off, he sometimes minds Felicity while Patience and Rob are working.

Lake didn't ever really think he'd enjoy being a grandfather as much as he does.

He really cherishes that one-on-one time with Felicity. It's the kind of thing I want to do more of when I do finally retire.

I'll have so much more time to spend with the grandkids when I do. Who knows how many we'll have by then?

We have five between us right now and we just found out it will soon be six! Troy and Josie are expecting another baby.

Josie is about 14 weeks along and it's all looking good, so they're telling everybody now.

Troy is going to work from home for a while after the baby comes, with Josie heading back to work as soon as she can. She doesn't think she's cut out to be a stay-at-home parent.

I enjoyed my leave but I wasn't working at a job I loved as much as Josie loves hers. I might have felt differently if I was.

I hope this baby is as easy as Jude was, otherwise I'm not sure how much work Troy will get done.

Jude is such a good little boy. No parent could have asked for an easier first baby.

Troy and Josie waited until now to tell Jude about the baby and they're talking about it a lot with him to prepare him.

He seems excited about it but he's still so little. It's hard to say how much he really understands.

He has decided he wants a dog though. He loves our dog, Fajita and has to be wrenched away from her when it's time to go.

Josie says he asks about dogs much more than he asks about his impending sibling. I think that's adorable.

If Troy and Josie give us the okay, we might look into buying a dog for Jude for Christmas. They both grew up with dogs and like them a lot, so it might be a welcome addition to the family for them.

Calvin and Aaron are currently in the middle of the adoption process and are hoping to be able to wrap it all up in the next few months.

Once they're approved, they'll have to wait to be matched with a child, which could take as little as a few months but could also take much longer.

I hope they don't have to wait too long. I would love more grandchildren but I really just want this for Calvin and Aaron. They'll be wonderful parents and they've been working so hard with this application.

They're very positive about their chances. Aaron especially wanted to adopt right after they got married but they waited until they were in as perfect a situation as they could. Stable, well-paying jobs, their own house, with a small yard which would be wonderful for kids.

Calvin was so keen to show me the nursery they just finished and I was very impressed. It's gorgeous and I'm sure their eventual son or daughter will love it.

Part of the application process involves lots of interviews. Calvin and Aaron have done their fair share of interviews and aren't really done yet. They also asked us, along with other friends and family, if we would agree to be interviewed. Of course, we were happy to.

The social worker who interviewed us was a former student of mine, Rebecca Kirby. I often don't get to find out what my students do after high school.

I wouldn't have guessed Rebecca would end up as a social worker but that's why it's so interesting running into old students. It's often surprising.

We stuck to the business at hand mostly. Lake and I had both already sent a written reference for Calvin and Aaron, so the interview was mostly a chance for Rebecca to clarify and for us to expand on what we'd already said.

Lake and I were nervous beforehand but I think it went quite well. I can't think of anything we said that would have counted against them.

After our interview, we decided to check out the new mall in Exeter. Not long after we'd arrived, we saw Chris's girlfriend, Elspeth.

Or ex-girlfriend, as I found out. She and Chris broke up in March and he never told me. I had no idea.

Elspeth told me quite a few things I didn't know, like how she caught Chris cheating on her and that he is now carrying on with several girls around campus.

I found that so upsetting. I didn't raise Chris to treat girls with so little respect.

Lake had gone to buy us some coffee while I talked to Elspeth, so I filled him in once we got home.

He wasn't nearly as concerned as I was. Lake had a "boys will be boys" sort of attitude about it.

Calvin and Troy were never like that, so I can't accept that this is just the way guys Chris's age are. I couldn't just say nothing to Chris, now that I knew.

I brought it up with Chris the last time he visited, not that he cared about my opinion on the matter.

He basically told me it was none of my business.

Once Chris saw how unimpressed I was with that tone of voice, he changed his tune. Apparently, all the girls he's seeing now are totally fine with the fact that he's seeing other girls.

I somehow doubt that they all even know about it. Elspeth didn't.

I could tell Lake wanted me to drop it, so I did and we talked about everything else for the rest of Chris's visit.

It's still something that's going to nag at me though. It makes me wonder if we went wrong somewhere with raising Chris.

I don't think I'll relax about it until Chris settles down. I don't expect him to get married any time soon but it would be lovely if he'd stick to one girl and maybe bring her home to meet his poor mother.

Notes:
  • Title is from Come Out Clean by Jump Little Children.
  • Once I started thinking about what Kendal would think of Chris's womanising, I had to figure out a way for her to find out! Given the opportunity, I think Elspeth would definitely rat him out. She doesn't want him back but I think she would get a little bit of satisfaction out of the idea of Chris being chewed out by his mother.
  • I don't think Lake would care that much about Chris's behaviour. He's a Romance Sim and I like to think he probably had the same kind of tendencies in his younger days. He settled down, so he figures Chris will too, eventually.
  • More on Aaron and Calvin in their update but there's a little sneak preview of their house. They're living across the road from Caleb and Cara and I finally did the nursery seconds before I took these photos! They sold the $3000 painting James and Madelyn gave Aaron for Christmas (which is what I was intending the painting to be for) and that was more than enough cash. I'll have to remember presents for the adults more often!

19 comments:

  1. Poor Kendal, she would take it to heart and think herself responsible for Chris' behavior. I do hope he settles down some, but Lake is right. If Amar can settle, then I'm sure, in time, that Chris will too. Hope he's a neat guy for some protection!

    It was sweet seeing the nursery and I'm looking forward to seeing the adoption pan out. And Felicity and Jude are beyond adorable! They have some cute grandkids for sure.

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  2. Ouch, I bet Chris didn't like his mom chewing him out, but it was well deserved :)

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  3. Maisie, it's definitely not the kind of issue Kendal had with either of her other sons, so she is wondering what she did differently with Chris. I think he just has one of those rebellious streaks that youngest children often have though.

    I'm looking forward to getting the ball rolling with Aaron and Calvin's adoption, so it was nice to just do a little hint of it in this update. Exciting times for this family!

    Thanks for reading!

    Apple Valley, no, he didn't. But there was no way Kendal was going to let it rest, once she found out. She had to say something.

    Thanks for reading!

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  4. I love the nursery that Calvin and Aaron have. I hope they get their baby soon. Another (grand)baby would be excellent for Kendal and Lake.

    I wonder if Chris will give Elspeth a piece of his mind when he see her. Anyone would be annoyed about being chewed out by their mother.

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  5. Good for Kendal for raking Chris over the coals, he didn't like it, but tough. LOL! Hope the adoption pans out, lovely shots!

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  6. Choco, thanks, I really like the nursery too. I've never used those colours in a baby's room before. Or I guess Aaron and Calvin will be getting a toddler. I don't know if I want to risk a randomly generated baby. They can't all look like Jack. ;)

    Chris would probably like to tell Elspeth exactly what he thinks of her ratting him out but if he's smart, he won't. She won't care that he's annoyed, because that was her aim and he knows that.

    Thanks for reading!

    Drew, heh, that's how I feel about it. Chris has made his own bed here and he'll have to deal with his mother's disapproval now!

    More on the adoption soon. :D

    Thanks for reading!

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  7. I love the interview with Rebecca Kirby, and the way Kendall is a little anxious about the adoption process for Aaron and Calvin. That has to be normal, kind of like a job interview.

    I cannot imagine doing with Elspeth did. That was way out of line. I don't blame Chris for refusing to explain or defend himself. Maybe he should have made it clearer than he was dating around but still. Wow.

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  8. S.B, I would be so nervous if I had to do an interview like that for someone. I don't think I know many people who'd make terrible parents but I'd be so afraid to say something to make the social worker think otherwise! So yeah, easy to see how Kendal would be a bit nervous too.

    Well, Elspeth's tactic is definitely not one I would use either! I'm non-confrontational to a fault and I'm not vengeful either. Elspeth and I are not really alike in this respect, because she's very much about evening things up and to her, it is now.

    Thanks for reading!

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  9. I like the fact that you've added the interview with the social worker here as well, and I really hope Calvin and Aaron will get approval for the adoption soon!

    Even though I don't approve Elspeth's action, I can understand where she's coming from. She's really hurt by Chris, but maybe she shoult talk to her friends about it, and not to Chris' mother.
    I don't think there's one boy out there who would want to defend his actions to his mother, so I think Chris' reaction was normal :)

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  10. Tanja, there'll be plenty more about the adoption in Calvin and Aaron's update. I'm trying to make this waiting time realistic but man, I'm anxious to get these guys a baby!

    Well, for Elspeth, telling Chris's mother was the whole point. She knew it would result in a lecture for Chris, which he wasn't going to get if she told one of her friends (and they all know). But yes, Chris's reaction is about how I'd expect any guy to react. Or any girl, really.

    Thanks for reading!

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  11. Kendal and Lake are cute together. They make a great couple.

    I'm happy she chewed out Chris even if he didn't care much about what she said.

    I can't wait to see who Calvin and Aaron get matched with.

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  12. HeredonCove, I adore Kendal and Lake. They're probably my favourite empty nesters (equal with Jace and Magdalena).

    Kendal just had to make it clear she didn't approve, once she found out. Maybe Chris will go home and think about it, maybe he won't. But Kendal said her piece.

    I keep changing my mind about Calvin and Aaron. There are some cute toddlers in the adoption pool but maybe I want to roll that dice and get a newborn baby for them. I'll figure it out by the time I play them, lol!

    Thanks for reading!

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  13. I'm glad Kendal and Lake are enjoying their alone time and settling down in their advancing years.

    I knew Chris wouldn't want his mother in his business; time will tell what he ends up doing.

    I was wondering what Rebecca was doing in this update, and I was tickled pink when I saw. It's funny how the jobs can intertwine like that, and I can't wait for the next baby that comes around!

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  14. Fini, heh, I'm sure Chris wishes his mother was still that little bit more busy. If she was still on the hood council, she may not have had the time to go wandering around the mall, talking to his ex-girlfriend!

    Heh, I try to write the jobs in when I can, just so they're more than disappearing off the lot for 8 hours a day. We'll see Rebecca again in Aaron and Calvin's update.

    Thanks for reading!

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  15. Aw, Kendal... I love how she can be (nicely) intrusive in her kids' life, even when they're not kids anymore. That's cute.
    I imagine how she's been upset to learn what happened between Chris and Elspeth!
    It's great that Aaron and Calvin are adopting! the nursery is lovely!!!

    And yeah for a doggy for Jude! :D

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  16. Sandy, I'm sure her kids don't think Kendal's nosiness is so nice sometimes but she does do it out of love (and in some cases, a desire for more grandkids!) Once all her boys are happy and settled down, she'll be happy as well. So Chris's current lifestyle is not really one she can understand or like.

    I'll have to make a note of that dog thing for Jude, or otherwise I'll forget!

    Thanks for reading!

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  17. The nursery is gorgeous! I love those colors. I hope Calvin and Aaron get their baby soon.

    I know you're wondering whether Josie and Troy will have a more difficult baby the second time around, given their personalities. It should be interesting. :)

    I can't blame Kendal for being concerned about Chris's reputation--no one wants to hear that their kid's actions are hurting others, and it was clear that Elspeth was hurt by Chris's womanizing. Here's hoping Chris grows out of it, or that at the very least he's telling the truth when he says all the women he's seeing know that it isn't exclusive.

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  18. It was nice to see the progress Aaron and Calvin are making in the adoption process. I can't wait to see what little boy or girl they end up with. I know they'll be great parents. Rebecca's new office looks great and the nursery for their child is really nice. That child will be surrounded by lots of loving folks.

    Like I said at N99, I thought that was my mall lol. I recognized the brick (and the fact that you said it was a mall :p). Glad it's been "christened" by some drama already lol. That is too funny that Elspeth spilled the beans on Chris and how Chris was so nonchalant about the whole confrontation with Kendal. I admit that I told someone's mother about their wrong doings one time *giggle*. But he's my husband now so I guess it all worked out :p.

    It was great to see little Felicity again! She's so stinking cute! And Jude too! I know I say that about pretty much all your toddlers lol.

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  19. Rachel, thank you! I hadn't used those colours before in a nursery. I usually go with yellow or orange for my gender neutral nurseries but I liked this colour combination a lot.

    It will be extremely interesting to see what kind of baby Troy and Josie get this time around. I'll be pretty much stunned if they get another nice one. The odds seem to be against them.

    I don't think Chris has really discussed anything with any of the girls he's seeing, so he was mostly just fobbing off his mother there. :\ Kendal is probably happier not knowing the truth. Though she's probably just going to worry anyway. It's just in her nature and she wants her boys to treat their partners well. Two out of three, so far.

    Thanks for reading!

    Danielle, that's the same office Rebecca has always had, actually. ;) I've totally forgotten what the kids in the adoption pool look like, so I'm quite excited to find out who Aaron and Calvin are matched with too! There are definitely plenty of family members around to dote on them. :)

    LOL, well, all's well that ends well then, seeing you married him. I don't see it ending that way for Chris and Elspeth though! I've long admired your mall, so I was glad to get to use it in my own hood and as the setting for some drama, no less!

    Felicity and Jude...ah, I love them! They make cute kids, my Sims! ;)

    Thanks for reading!

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