Gen 5 Chapter 12: Goodbye Cribs and Diapers!

So where was I? Ah, yes, the girls had just left for Prom! 

Well, back at  home, Sage was celebrating his birthday! Happy birthday Sage!

My word, 3 teenagers in this house now. I had a feeling Sage might be a little more of a handful as a teen, but I guess we'd just have to wait and see.

The girls came home just a minute before curfew, and trust me, we couldn't have missed it even if we wanted to. Juniper came running in, showing off the crown she got when she was voted Prom Queen! We were so proud of her. And to top it all off, Jazz finally asked her to officially be his girlfriend. I'm sure you can imagine that it was no small feat to get her to quiet down enough not to wake the toddlers.

And Ginger, when asked about how prom went just shrugged and said, "Pretty good, I guess,"  then went to her room. Confused, we asked Juniper what the deal was, and she said, "Well, when we first got there she got in a fight with someone because they were being mean to the class weirdo, and this one guy named Kidd Goldbeard saw it all, and was apparently impressed with Ginger, standing up to someone like that, and they were inseparable the rest of the night."

I don't know why Ginger kept to herself so much, I knew she was a good kid, and I made a mental note to tell her that I was proud of her for standing up for someone else.

Sage fell right into step with his sisters in helping out with his little brothers. I loved seeing the older ones loving on the younger ones, but there was no doubt about it, Basil and Curry were spoiled rotten. I'd almost bet they were now the most snuggled, tickled, cared for toddlers in all of Barnacle Bay!

"Patience, have you noticed anything strange going on with Ginger lately?"

"Um, no, I haven't. What do you mean?"

"Well, she's been turning down her sister for time to hang out, and yesterday, I saw her talking to herself again, like she used to when she was little."

"Wow, I didn't know that. I remember her having an Imaginary Friend when she was a child, but I thought it was only a phase and she outgrew it."

"Hm. I don't know. She seems more withdrawn. Should we be worried about her social skills?"

"I don't know. I have an idea. What if we take her with us to my boss' party this weekend.? We'll see how she does with new people and such. Maybe that will tell us something?"

"Good idea, if she'll go for it."

So, I asked her the next day, and at first she was reluctant, but when I mentioned that I was concerned about her making friends and getting out more, she quickly agreed.

My little boys were growing like weeds! They were now able to talk pretty well.

"No, mommy, not the claw!!!"

"EEEwwww... I'll be glad when they can use the big toilets like the rest of us."

My onion plant was growing well, and the onions were definitely great, but they were not as good as I was hoping. I really needed a better fertilizer to bring them to the quality I wanted. Looked like some more fishing trips were in my future!

On Friday, we let the kids invite over whoever they wanted, and of course, Juniper invited Jazz over, and Sage invited a boy from school named Topher.

Ginger, as usual, didn't have anyone in particular to invite over. I started to bring up the whole "I'm concerned about your social life" topic again. I suggested that maybe she should find a group or something to get involved in in school, and she at least agreed to try something. I told her she could pick whatever one she wanted, and she decided on a study group that met twice a week. At least she'd be out with kids her age a couple of afternoons a week!

I had to hand it to Ginger, though, she was the best with the twins. She just seemed to be a natural with children. I had a feeling she'd grow up to do something with children someday.

That weekend was the party at my boss' house, and Juniper and Sage agreed to babysit the youngest while we went out with Ginger to the party.

It was definitely a fun mix of people at the party, we all saw friends and acquaintances we hadn't visited with in a while, including some of Phillip's old friends from the School.

And, much to my surprise, Ginger was quite the little social bug! I saw her talking to several people during the party, and they seemed to be having an enjoyable conversation. I pointed that out to Phillip, and he whispered to me, "Maybe we're worrying for nothing." I nodded in agreement.

Jazz and Juniper were pretty serious now. I could tell that she really loved him. And, I'm guessing Jazz must have been feeling the same way, because we had an unexpected visit from him mother, Royal Velvetcake.

It's so nice to finally meet you Royal, come on in!

"Well, I decided it's finally time to meet the family of the girl who seems to have stolen my boy's heart."

Royal was probably one of the nicest people Phillip and I had ever met. 

She and her children had moved here from Sugar Valley after a bitter divorce. We could tell in the short time we spent with her that she was a loving, caring, devoted mother, and I felt so much better about Jazz and Juniper being together after our visit.  It was nice to know that my daughter was dating a very nice boy, with a wonderful parent. The way their relationship was going, I could see them together long term.

Ginger surprised us that next school day when she called us after school to ask to go over to her friends' house. I know, I was surprised too. She had been invited over by that boy who apparently had a crush on her, Kidd Goldbeard. 

What is funny is, they live across the road from us! So of course, I had no problem letting her go.

About this time, Juniper decided she really wanted to learn guitar. I'm not exactly sure what inspired her, but when she asked if she could get a guitar, I told her she could have my old guitar, one that had been passed down for generations in the Song Family. She loved it!

And, my co-worker did end up taking that job in Bridgeport, and naturally, his vacant spot fell to, ME! I was now the Executive Chef at the Scrumptious Nibbles!

The promotion I received also meant I got off work a little bit earlier, which apparently was needed now that there were 3 teens and 2 toddlers running around, keeping Phillip busy. One evening I had come home from work, and I happened to walk in the door right as Juniper and Jazz were making out on the couch! Of course, as soon as they heard me shut the door, they flew apart, and awkwardly sat in silence until I went to my bedroom to change.

Ginger was still going strong with her rock collecting.  She still hadn't found that particular rock she had been looking for ever since I could remember, but that didn't stop her from searching and taking copious notes of her ventures.

Time had finally caught up to my darling Phillip. His elder birthday came just as mine did, quietly and without too much fanfare. My Phillip looked took to old age well. He still had that twinkle in his eye that captivated me the moment I met him.
Happy Birthday!

But Phillip wasn't the only one with a birthday around here, Curry and Basil would be leaving their toddler days behind, and heading into childhood.

Happy Birthday Basil!

Happy Birthday Curry!

That was it! This house was officially done with cribs, baby toys, and potty chairs. A bittersweet feeling, for sure! But I was nothing but proud of my brood. 5 Song kids, all on their way to becoming the great people I knew each of them would be.



*Buckey's Notes*- So, this chapter was short, but there is only one more chapter left in this generation!
I've had a small hiccup with Patience, however, and I'm actually quite nervous, I don't know if I'm going to be able to pull off her finishing her LTW.  If you visit the Wishacy forum on the Sims 3 site, you know what I'm talking about. I have no idea when I'll get the last chapter out now, as it will all depend on if I can come up with a non-cheating solution to my problem. Soooo.... hopefully this won't be the last generation of the Song Wishacy! We shall see.....

Oh, and for those of you with the Pets EP, I'm sure you are realizing that Sim pets are wreaking havoc in your Wishacy households. Never fear, all of us over at the forum are talking through how to add rules for the Pets EP that are Wishacy friendly. So, look for changes to the rule page coming soon. :) 

And the Winner Is.....

With 13 votes, the winner of the Generation 6 Vote is...




I will have 2 more short chapters to finish up Patience's generation, and then, Miss Juniper will take it from there. Thank you so much to those who voted! Look for the next chapter in a few days, and check in my studio in the coming weeks to download Juniper or any of her siblings. I'll slowly add them as I can. My studio can be found here: Buckeygirl80's studio

Generation 6 Heir/Heiress Vote!

Wow, here we are, almost time to start the next to last generation! Woo! I'm excited about this vote, because I'll be pleased no matter who wins this time, as it seems each kid will bring something new into the Wishacy. Their personalities and interests are so different! And in my opinion, wow, they are all so gorgeous as Young Adults! That's right, this time around I decided to show grown-up pics instead of teen. As soon as the kids age up to YA, I'll put them up on the exchange as well.

Without further ado, let's introduce Generation 6, and get voting!

Ginger Song:

  The only reason she hasn't turned Blinkie real is that I've had the most difficult time ever finding a Rainbow Gem in Barnacle Bay. If anyone has any help on that one, I'd love to hear it! Other than that, my plans for Ginger include trying the home day care career, if she wishes for it. She wished for her LTW herself, and since it's one I haven't completed yet, I accepted.

Juniper Song:

My guess is Juniper will be the first one married of the Song kids, as she is a Hopeless Romantic, and is constantly rolling wishes involving Jazz. I'm seeing blue babies in her future! Juniper has also taken up with her mother's guitar (that yellow one from Mikie's wife, Jeanna back in Gen. 2!) and wished her LTW for herself.

Sage Song:

Sage is currently a teen in game. He has set all kinds of pranks up around the house, and it's a miracle he hasn't got grounded yet because of it. I have a feeling he's going to be a little on the wild side!

Basil Song:

Basil is currently a child in game. His personality is an interesting mix, with being Grumpy and Friendly. I'm planning on adding some kind of romantic-type trait in there at some point, other wise, he may be single for  a long time! He also looks great in glasses, which I might be giving him once he ages up.

Curry Song:

Curry is currently a child in game. Curry is the first Evil kid in this Wishacy! I have no idea what that will mean for him, but he's handsome, evil, ambitious, that's one interesting combo, that's for sure!


So, do you see what I mean? All gorgeous, all interesting, please help me make a choice! The vote will be up for about 5 days, so make sure you put your vote in now! The Poll is at the top right-hand corner of the home page, as usual.

Gen 5 Chapter 11: Adventures in Raising a Family

Sage's party was a blast. Everyone we invited came, and soon it was time for the cake!

Happy Birthday Sage!

Such a cutie pie!

The cake was definitely a hit! The way everyone swarmed around it, I was sure we'd have no leftovers.

After cake, everyone ran off to play outside or chat elsewhere in the house, and I got to chat with my boss a bit. I really wanted to convince him that I was ready to come back to work and he could end my maternity leave early. But, he wouldn't hear of it.

"Patience, we are fine without you for a few more days, and your job position is safe. I want you coming back to us completely recovered, you understand?"

"Yes of course Gil, I do." Drat. I wish he would have changed his mind!

After the guests left and we finished cleaning up from the party the girls' birthday came. Happy Birthday Ginger and Juniper!

Oh, my girls! They were beautiful. I couldn't stop gazing at their new, more mature looks. I didn't want to get all weepy eyed, but I couldn't believe that my first little bundles of joy were now entering high school!

Phillip and I got everyone into bed, but before we turned in, I had to snuggle my new little sons one more time.

As is tradition in our family, I got to work on renovating the girls' room to look a little more "teenage" as their birthday gift. New wallpaper, carpet, bedspreads, and lamps. I think I did a pretty good job! I decided eventually to renovate the whole house!

Basil and Curry were the object of much affection now that our girls were teens. Raising twins was much easier with 2 extra sets of hands around every evening. 

What was amazing about Basil and Curry, was how strikingly different their personalities seemed to be from our other children. Even if Basil was fed, changed, bathed and snuggled, he would still cry for no reason. There just was no pleasing that kid! 

And, Curry, well, there was no way for me to put my finger on exactly what was different about him but I assumed as he got older, I'd be able to figure him out a little bit better. There was definitely something there, though, that's for sure.

The night before I went back to work caught me off guard. It was my elder birthday! 

Happy Birthday to me!

Ok, so yes, my hair did turn gray, but what surprised me most about becoming an elder, was that I didn't really FEEL old. I had always had such a hard time aging before, but honestly, I didn't feel that way at all this time. The thing was, I tried to find something in my old age to be depressed about, and I couldn't do it! I had the love of my life, Phillip, I had our darling 5 children. FIVE! And I lived in a beautiful town and worked in one of the best Cafes in the tri-county area.  There was just no room for a pity-party over my age.

My 1st day back to work was awesome! Well, not at first. My boss came up to me the minute I entered the kitchen and said, "Sorry, we're keeping Luis as Pastry Chef. He really knows what He's doing." My heart sank. This is what I was afraid of. Then he said, "Go get your apron on, you are the Sous-chef tonight!" Sous-chef!!??!! YES! This was a promotion!

Phillip was doing well in his job, but he had a different response when he was promoted to Middle School teacher.

"Honey, I want to quit."

"What? Quit your job? Why?"

"My heart just isn't in it anymore. I want to be at home, helping to raise our newest little ones. I want to be a stay at home Dad."

"You're kidding me, my adventurous Phillip wants to stay at home more?" It was a sincere question.

"Yes, I do. Our finances are at a place where I don't  need to work. Shoot, we could even start planning that trip to France we've always wanted with all the money we have saved up."

"That's true. Well, if this is what you want, then I'm all for it! But I don't want you to go stir crazy. I mean it, the minute you start feeling a little antsy tell me, ok?"

"Ha-ha. Ok, sounds like a deal to me."

To be honest, it was wonderful having Phillip home. I felt infinitely less guilty over returning to work with him there full time. But I made sure I made time for each of my kids in some small way every day.

"..And that's how the city of Barnacle Bay got it's name..."

*Yawn*

"I love that story Mom. Thanks."

"Love you too Sage," and with a kiss I let him drift off to sleep.

One of Ginger's new obsessions as a teen was a strange hobby that I didn't quite understand her sudden interest in: rock collecting. She had found a ton of every kind you could imagine, and almost every night after dinner, she would leave to collect, and come back late at night, just barely in time for curfew. I bought her a special map of Hidden springs that shows the best gem and rock hunting places, which turned out to be her new favorite thing. I guess there were worse hobbies to be involved in, so although I didn't understand it, I tried to be supportive anyways.

On the morning of the twin's birthday, I got up early to make my kiddos breakfast before they headed off to school, and Phillip was on diaper duty.

 I knew with Basil and Curry becoming toddlers, all of us would be busier keeping little hands away from danger, and training them in walking and talking and such, so it would be important to have a nice big breakfast to eat on all week long.

And then, it was upon us: Basil and Curry's birthdays came. Happy Birthday Basil!

Happy Birthday Curry!

Wow, finally one of my kids got my black hair! But where on earth did this blond hair come from? I vaguely remember a great-great grandpa of mine having blonde hair. Maybe that's where it came from. Either way, the smiles on both their adorable faces could melt my heart in a second.

Phillip and I wasted no time getting to developing Curry and Basil's skills. Phillip decided to tackle toilet training first, thinking that it would be most helpful to have the twins out of diapers ASAP. 

And with me working, well, I could only help out on occasion, but that didn't mean that I didn't help, I worked with both of them as soon as I was home from work, or waking up.

Ah. It seems there is one of my children I haven't yet updated on yet. And that would be my dear Juniper. 

She had developed into quite the hopeless romantic lately. All she seemed to care about was experiencing her first kiss. And it just so happened that she hit it off with a new boy in town, Jazz Velvetcake.

 He and his mother, Royal Velvetcake along with his toddler little sister had just moved into town, and Jazz and Juniper soon became inseparable after that. Juniper even asked Jazz to prom, and he said yes! All she talked about was shopping for her dress, and helping the prom decorating committee.

 

The older twins were so wonderful with the younger twins, too. Ginger especially seemed to enjoy playing with her little brothers, and they adored her to death. "Gigi" was their special nickname for her.

Basil just about had the hang of walking. I had a feeling any day now he'd take off with no help from anyone.

The afternoons sure did seem to fly by on the days I had to work. All of my time off actually was helpful once I got back to the Cafe, because I spent so much time perfecting all of my recipes and learning new ones.

 As Sous-chef, I had so much to offer the Executive Chef I was under, substituting my own dishes when we would run out of whatever the special was that night. Rumor had it that our Executive Chef might be applying for a job in Bridgeport, and if he ended up leaving... well, I had a feeling I might be getting a promotion soon.

Ginger still spent a lot of time with her good friend Sage, from elementary school. He was a pretty shy kid, but very respectful, and always welcome in our house. He came from a pretty large family too, his parents had 4 kids.  He and Ginger were both the oldest, and I think that's why they were such good friends, having that in common.

And, of course the littlest Song boys were growing and learning, and amazing us every day.

"Good Morning Basil! Ready to get up?"
"Up! Up!"

Both of the twins had mastered potty-training, so walking and talking was the new focus for Phillip and I. Curry was especially trying, sometimes I think he was purposefully trying to give us a hard time when it came to teaching him things. But just when you were about ready to put him in a time-out, he'd shoot you one of those adorable smiles, and well, it was just too hard to punish him.

Mornings seemed to prove the best time to catch up on anything going on in the kids' lives.

"And then, he dared me to put the dirt in my mouth, and I did! I got 5 Simoleons!"

"Aw, Sage, you've got to be kidding me, that's disgusting!"

*giggle*

"Shhh... please, I only have one math problem left!"

I decided since I felt a promotion coming on at work, I should improve on one of my best recipes so I could serve it when I became Chef. I decided I would improve the stuffing for my Turkey recipe, and in order to do that I needed some amazing onions. Not the kind you got at the super market. I needed some that have been babied, and grown just right.  So, I started with a very decent onion from work, took it home and planted it.

And, what's the best fertilizer for a growing plant? FISH! So, I set out on my day off, and went fishing at one of the beautiful parks in Barnacle Bay. The sun was just right, the wind was just right, it was a gorgeous day to be outside.

I caught a few good fish to try out as fertilizer, and some to make dinner with later as well.

And lucky for me, I got back just in time to help the girls get ready for their big Prom night! 

Ginger was going just to say she went, but Juniper, well, she had Jazz as her date, and you could tell she had a lot riding on this evening. She tried a million dresses until she found the right one, along with shoes, and spent monumentally more time getting ready than Ginger did.

But in the end, both girls looked gorgeous! Phillip decided to surprise the girls by renting a limo to pick them up. Oh, they were thrilled! 

And off they went to prom. Which, we would find out later, turned out to be a big night for both girls. And Sage as well!

*buckey's notes*- So there are the 5 kids that make up Generation 6! For once, I really don't have a favorite. They are all unique, and I think will have a very different story, no matter who is picked. So, be looking for the Heir Poll coming soon! Oh, and due to infinite problems trying to travel with this family using WA, there will be no more travels for the Song family. I tried taking them to France, and when I tried to play that file again, it crashed my game. So, Phillip's LTW has been changed to "Surrounded By Family".
As for a couple of the guest stars in this chapter, Jazz Velvetcake is actually an Organic Berry Sim I made; in my Sims 3 Studio he is Blu Nadar. I used CAS to make a family with him, and his mother is Sraina's Royal Velvetcake, and his toddler sister is a toddler-version of Royal. If you are interested in adding them to your game, check out the Organic Berry thread found here: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/15/395927.page