Week Two Part Four: Whitfill Ranch

It seemed like only a few days had passed before Blake turned 13. He was a very outgoing young fellow and said he wanted to charm the ladies when he grew up. Larita discouraged such talk. She was happy that Blake didn't let his aspirations get in the way of his obligations to his family. He studied hard and helped out plenty around the house, especially with fixing the very unreliable plumbing.





The other kids weren't far behind Blake; next thing Larita knew it was time for the twins' 13th birthday. Larita couldn't afford a party, but the kids seemed to enjoy the occasion anyway; a lady who happened to be walking by heard them singing "Happy Birthday" to Rishell and came over to congratulate her.

I decided to teach myself to use Picasa.
My first lesson: Text over photos.

Of course, the kids weren't the only ones getting older. Larita was beginning to feel her age. Sometimes she worried whether she'd live to see her kids grow up. Could five teenagers take care of each other if she was gone?

Then one day a gypsy woman came and gave Larita a magic lamp. Of course, Larita didn't really believe it was magic, but she was never opposed to free stuff.

Naturally, she was struck dumb when she rubbed the lamp (just to polish it up, you understand) and a genie popped out! He offered her three wishes, and she wished for peace of mind, riches, and a long life. The genie said that her wishes were all granted and left in a puff of smoke, leaving sacks of money in his wake.

The kids didn't believe the story Larita told about a genie; they figured her friend Mr. Riedmayer had left her some money and she was just getting a little weird in her old age. At any rate, they suddenly had enough money to build a small but comfortable house--with a kitchen! Being hungry teenagers, the kids liked that part best. They cooked all sorts of food the first 24 hours in their new house, starting with spaghetti.





The next day, they had omelettes for breakfast.













Then they had hamburgers for lunch.













Last of all, they cooked a whole turkey for dinner.













Of course, they did still sometimes indulge in their old standby of pre-baked cookies.












This is what the house looked like at the end of the week. On the left, a bedroom with a ballet barre and two easels. Larita and Jihoon slept there. (Let's pretend my Sims live in a culture where a woman sharing a bed with her [adopted] teenage son is normal. Double beds are a lot more cost-effective than singles.) Behind that is a tiled area (the someday kitchen) with two more beds; one for Blake and Donte and one for Veronica and Rishell. On the right is the common area, with a small kitchen, a battered sofa, a bookcase, and a chess table. There are also two bathrooms; that felt indulgent but it really is necessary in a house with six Sims. (I find 2-3 Sims per bathroom works nicely, though I've definitely done 8 sims in a one-bathroom house before.)