Willow and Her Cousins

Two little monkeys racing on the bars

Life is great when you’ve got cousins. And when they just live across the street, it’s even better!

Kourtney and Poppy visited often.

“And then! The giant dinosoaur! Ran across the street!”

Both girls are friends with everyone at Cradle Rock. If anyone’s upset, Kourtney tries to make them feel better.

“Hey! I-dub! Wait”

“Wait for me!”

“Don’t be mad at the trash pile, I-dub! It didn’t make itself there just to be mean to you! Trash just happens!”

Though nobody in the family made much of it, Willow turned out to be quite an amazing child. An A student, she also completed two childhood aspirations, Artistic Prodigy and Rambunctious Scamp. (I learned a lot about bringing up successful kids through the Wonder Child challenge!)

Of course, like any successful child Sim, she hardly slept. After becoming an artistic prodigy, she spent her nights practicing typing, swimming, and playing on the monkey bars. Rambunctious by nature, the constant activity suited her well.

Yes. We got pools.

Palo Verde coached her swimming. He’s a good coach, alternating between shouting out encouragement and smiling his mile-wide smile!

“Keep swimming, Willow! Just 25 more laps to go! You can do it!”

Sooner than I could believe it, it was time for Willow and her cousins to become teens. Palo Verde threw a joint party for all of them over at Manzanita and Eleanor’s house across the street.

The family really came together!

I mean… the family merged. Check out this Manzanita/Cassandra morph!

Manzanita’s mansion was a great venue for a party. The best part for me was that Uncle Mesquite’s ghost was there (he’s a playable member of the household), and he was happy!

I still can’t quite get over this amazing coincidence that the ghost of the gen 2 spare is living there at the mansion of the gen 3 spare! It’s like some wild scheme I’d plan if I were creative enough to dream it up! And that it happened through the game-gods… I just love it!

Yay! It’s Mesquite’s ghost and he’s happy!

I’ve been wanting to check up on how Manzy’s doing with her family. Judging by Kourtney’s expression, it might not be all that well.

“My mom is just… evil.”

And she yelled at Eleanor around the supper table. Afterwards, she chatted nicely for a while, then off she went, feeling happy. But look what she left behind her. An angry Eleanor and Kourtney, and a very sad looking Poppy.

“Grrrr. She just says whatever she wants to make us furious! Then she walks off all happy-like!”

She’s still a loving sister, though.

“Hey, big brother! It’s about time you and the family came over!”

Soon it was time for the cake. I was feeling both nervous and hopeful for the trait/aspiration roll. I always hope for the exemplar trait of goofball!

Willow! You’re gorgeous!

Willow rolled gloomy and the Joke Star aspiration, just like her dad! Through PV, I’ve come to appreciate the gloomy trait, and Joke Star, as PV showed, is very fun to work towards.

We tried to age-up Poppy, and then the game glitched and crashed. Take two. (So don’t be surprised that Willow is dressed in different attire.)

I was thinking that since I was aging them up, I could roll traits for Poppy and Kourtney. Nope. The game did that.

“Spin and burn, Poppy, spin and burn!”

I’m not sure what Poppy rolled. Judging by her hotdog hat and by her standing off in the corner talking to herself, I’m guessing, maybe, insane?

Sing it loud, Willow!

Then came Kourtney’s turn to spin.

“Whoa! I feel all aglow!”

Through conversation with her, I-dub learned that Kourtney gained the good trait. I’m happy! And yet… if her mom is evil. Oh, dear. I smell conflict! It fits, though. Kourtney has always been the one to be most upset by Manzanita’s evil deeds, and she’s always been so good in her actions with others. I love when the Sims’ true inherent traits are brought to fruition by the game.

Remember how I’ve always felt that Kourtney and Kamden could be siblings by birth? Just look at them!

Siblings by birth

Willow and I-dub are another handsome brother and sister duo.

Look up, Willow! Show everyone your gorgous face!

As soon as Willow got back on the home lot, she instantly lost about 20 pounds! I’m not sure what triggered that! I anticipated that she’d be a slender teen since she spent so many hours as a child swimming and playing on the monkey bars. Towards the end of her childhood, she was actually a thin child. I’m not sure why she aged up a little heavier and then lost the extra weight after the load screen to bring her home.

I-dub seems to enjoy having another teen in the house. Homework is a little less boring now.

Sibling study session

I spent so much time zooming in on Willow and feeling amazed at how beautiful she is that, of course, I forgot to take photos. Don’t worry! You’ll be seeing lots of her!

When the kids went to high school the next day (High school! Our baby’s in high school!), it was time for yet another party.

This one is for Princess.

What are you wishing for, Princess? “I wish someone would pick up that trash pile.”

Princess has been so much happier after El and M moved out. I think she felt lost and overlooked when the household was so full. It was too much for her quiet and reserved personality. She loves the harmony of the current household. She feels a special affinity for Willow, since they are both quiet, refined, and elegant by nature.

Twirling through the cyclone of time

Even though she’s glad that El and M have moved out, Princess still enjoys a little quiet card game with them. What a nice way to celebrate her elder day!

A quiet game of cards in the desert morning sun.

During Willow and her cousins’ party, we got the message that PV should make the most of these days. Oh, legacy life! You move so quickly. Before we know it, cousins have grown up, beautiful women have become beautiful elders, and the heir moves towards the realm of air.

Let me remember: Make the most of these days. For our lives, too, move ever towards that final period.