Victoria: ‘Humpty-dumpty climbed a wall.’Braxton: ‘Mom! That’s not how it goes.’
Victoria: ‘The gingerbread man ate the wolf.’
Braxton: ‘Mom!’
As all previous elders in this family, Victoria had gone completely senile when she transitioned from an adult to an elder. The twins were too young to understand what was really happening. Shane was the only one old enough to actually remember how Zion behaved so he wasn’t nearly as startled by his mom’s sudden change in behavior as his brothers were.
It took him nearly his entire adult life but Jason finally managed to reach the top of the architect career. He was relieved to have made it before turning into an elder. He knew it was very likely he’d forget about his job as an elder and get fired before being able to lift a restriction for the family and that was simply not acceptable. *Following are the restrictions I have been playing with for the architect career:
1.) No changing or removing any foundation (including walls, doors, windows, etc) of the house except for the roof (this allows you to build upwards).
2.) Sims must build cars from scratch.
As much as the family wanted to tear down their home and start all over again, they couldn’t move any of the beds or the drum set upstairs because their bodies were still too weak. A complete renovation would have to wait awhile longer. In the meantime though, a pool was installed outside the previous limited 8x8 area. If you look closely, you can see Cadence gliding down the slide into the pool. 
Not more then two days after reaching the top of his career Jason became an elder. It only took him a few days as an elder to miss a day of work and have to quit his job. It’s a good thing he wasn’t still working his way up the corporate ladder, otherwise another family member would have had to repeat all his hard work.
Music and dance were becoming a great past time for the family. Cadence enjoyed teaching the boys how to dance even if they did step on her toes all the time. She figured one day some very lucky lady would be grateful that she taught them the art of dancing even if the boys could have cared less about girls yet.
Shortly after the pool was installed the family wanted to dress the yard up a bit more. They had some tiles put in surrounding the pool, a swing-set put up, a fire pit dug up and a couple cozy pieces of furniture placed around the pool. The family was anxious to enjoy the new area but they’d have to wait for the weather to warm up some.
Well, maybe not. Apparently, Braxton didn’t mind sleeping outside under the stars even in freezing temperatures. His bed must not be anywhere near as comfortable as this hammock. Who would have figured? 
During the day when the boys are off at school and the house gets quiet, Cadence allows herself to get lost to the sound of the drum sticks hitting the drums. Music has become her life. It’s the one thing that can lift her spirits no matter what kind of mood she’s in. She knows she can't play the drums in the attic for the rest of her life but she’s still unsure what to do next. Hopefully, once Tristan comes home he can help her figure it out.
Kyle used to love getting spun around when he was younger and enjoys it just as much now that he’s the spinner and not the one being spun. Every day after school Jackson harasses Kyle to spin him until he finally agrees. However, it usually doesn’t take long for Kyle to agree and start racing Jackson down the stairs to the yard. Every now and then Kyle will even let Jackson beat him outside.
Although, Jason and Victoria are hardly coherent enough to have a proper conversation but they certainly haven’t forgotten about each other. They are as kind and loving to each other as any other couple who have been together for years are. The boys all think it’s gross but Cadence finds it adorable.
Shane had finally earned all the scholarships he could so he headed off to college. Before he left he said good bye to his brothers and made them all promise they’d all follow him to college as soon as they were ready. He knew his parents weren’t going to be encouraging them to attend college so he felt it was up to him to push them. He was sure Cadence would help where she could.
Tristan had invited Shane to move in with him. Shane was a little nervous about that since all he ever heard from Tristan was how crappy his place was. Shane hoped the scholarship money he earned would help make their apartment feel like a home and fortunately it did. They were able to add some square footage to the apartment and divide the place up into four rooms – 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a living area. It wasn’t much but it was way better then what Tristan had been dealing with his last three years at college.
Tristan hopped into the tub first thing after the remodeling was complete. It had been far too long since he had a proper bath. The campus gym did offer him a place to shower but that couldn’t even compare to a nice private bath in your own home. Shane was a very welcome addition to his apartment!
They had never been too close when they lived at home but they were both older now and had a lot more in common. Shane had loads of questions about college life and Tristan had plenty of answers for him. After a few weeks Shane stopped asking so many questions and started adjusting to college living. Tristan was glad to see Shane fitting in so easily.
Although, he clearly missed his brothers and they missed him. With three brothers living back at home Shane was on the phone with one of them usually every night. If Shane didn’t call home, one of them called him. It was like he took the parental role in their lives since their parents had lost their minds.
With all his free time the past three years Tristan had maxed his cooking skills. This allowed him to cook lobster for Shane and him whenever he so desired.Shane: ‘You’re going to make some woman very happy.’
Tristan: ‘Because I can cook lobster? Nah, I doubt it. Women are way more complicated then that. Us men are way easier and probably would be completely happy with a woman that could cook a good meal.’
Shane: ‘I guess I should have said you’re going to make me one happy man if you keep cooking all these wonderful dishes.’
Tristan’s cheerleader friend still dropped by frequently. When he expressed to her that he wanted to be strictly friends with her she went a little nuts. She started a fight with the first woman she saw in his home. Tristan couldn’t figure out why she’d attack the cow mascot of all people, but thought maybe there was some type of rivalry going on between them.
Near the beginning of his final semester, Tristan met Solveig at a local hang out spot. She was kind and caring, both qualities Tristan wanted in a woman. It only took a few weeks before they were seeing each other exclusively. He didn’t know for sure she was the one, but he wanted the chance to find out. 
With the scholarship money they earned the previous semester they were able to buy a jute box. For years they had seen sims on the tv dance the smustle and so badly wanted to try it but dancing hadn’t been allowed in their neighborhood until recently. Thanks to Tristan’s mom, these two guys can now smustle the morning away.
Tristan’s spirits have been lifted thanks to Shane joining him at college. He had struggled for three years too long to survive college but ever since Shane joined him he’d been able to relax and enjoy the college life. Before, if it rained Tristan would have locked himself inside his apartment and studied. That’s all changed though and life is fun again!
Tristan and his girlfriend’s relationship continued to get stronger throughout his last semester. He was fairly certain he could spend his life with her, but wasn’t sure she’d feel the same after she learned about his family. Tristan tactfully danced around the subject of his parents whenever it came up. He knew he’d have to tell her everything eventually, but hoped by then she’d be too in love with him to care that his mom’s a zombie.
Tristan’s graduation was bittersweet. For such a long time he couldn’t wait to graduate but ever since Shane arrived and he met Solveig that all changed. His last year at college was the happiest of his life and he didn’t want to give that up. As the taxi pulled up to take him back home he just hoped that there were more good years to come for him.
Kyle was the only one awake when Tristan arrived back home. It was almost one o’clock on a school night so Tristan couldn’t understand why he was still up.Tristan: ‘Don’t you have school in the morning?’
Kyle: ‘Yes, but don’t worry, my grades are good. Besides, I have to make sure mom and dad don’t harm themselves.’
Tristan: ‘What do you mean?’
Kyle: ‘They say crazy things sometimes and I’m worried. Grandma Crystal died in a kitchen fire because she was delusional.’
Tristan: ‘Go to bed. You’re parents will be just fine. I’ll keep an eye on them from now on.’
As Tristan searched the computer for a good job he wondered how long Kyle had been staying up late taking care of his parents. He knew Shane and him talked a lot but he wasn’t sure if Kyle ever shared his fear with him. Tristan completely understood Kyle’s fear but it wasn’t good for him to be so worried either. A child should never have to take care of their parents.
Apparently, Tristan arrived home just in time to see the twins grow up into teens the next day. They had planned to transition at the same time but Braxton was in too big of a hurry to wait for Jackson. Just like his two older brothers, Braxton decided to pursue a life of popularity. That should be easy for him with his 10 nice points.
Jackson went for some variety and decided all he wanted was a nice family. The only other family sim this household has seen was Jackson’s great-great grandma Marylena. She wanted to marry off six kids back in her day and had the six kids to achieve that but many of them never tied the knot. Hopefully, Jackson has better luck!
The twins look nearly identical even as teens. It’s extremely easy to confuse one for the other. Luckily, there are more clothing options for teens so none of their clothes match which helps quite a bit.
Braxton had become friends with this stray dog that roamed the neighborhood. After a few visits he decided to give it a name and take care of it. He named the dog Max and showed him into their home. Braxton wanted to teach him some tricks as soon as possible. He was hoping Max could reach the top of the pet services career.
Jason had brought home this drafting table one day after work but it had never been used. Kyle decided to see what he could do with it. It didn’t take long before he got bored and put the pencil down. He figured he’d rather draw a nice colorful painting then a sketch of some building that would never be developed. 
Jason and Victoria may not be communicating to their sons very well but they seem to understand each other just fine. They can usually be found together as long as they're both awake at the same time and Victoria isn’t working. While Jason has gotten fired from his job for missing a day of work, Victoria has successfully managed to go to work every day so far.
Speaking of jobs, Tristan snagged a job in the athletic field. He’s currently a MVP and is quickly working his way up the corporate ladder. With the exception of some charisma skills, he had learned everything he needs to be successful in this field back in college. It shouldn’t take him long to reach the top.
Kyle had feared leaving for college because he wasn’t sure his parents would be okay. Tristan has reassured him that they’d be fine though. It may be true that they aren’t completely with it anymore but they would never intentionally harm themselves. Kyle was still uneasy about his parents safety but he knew it was time for him to leave the nest so he pushed himself out the door.
Kyle was anxious to make some friends so the first thing he did after he unpacked his bags was head to the campus’s library. He figured most students stay up late studying and could use a friendly face to distract them for awhile. It turns out he was right. There were several sims there and they were all very eager to take a break from their studies.
One girl, Brenda, even decided to show him how to do the school cheer. He’d only been on campus for a few hours and already was making lots of friends. He was certain the next four years would be a breeze.
The school cheerleader, Christy, didn’t stop coming by even though Tristan had left. She was bound and determined to keep up the school spirit! Shane and her actually seemed to have a lot in common, but he didn’t want to cross any lines with her out of respect for Tristan. He knew about their history and thought it would be a bit weird if they ended up going out.
It didn’t take Kyle long to find a girl he liked. She had the same taste in clothes as he did and enjoyed listening to rock just like him. Meredith was a bit older than him but he didn’t mind. In fact, he thought it was hot!
She would be leaving campus at the end of the year so they tried to keep things as casual as possible. Neither one of them were looking for a serious relationship just yet. Kyle was way too young to be settling down already. There was nothing wrong with enjoying each others company in the meantime though.
Shane’s love for music continued to grow the more and more he listened and danced to the jute box. He had almost every current song memorized by heart. Whenever his favorites came on he would stop whatever he was doing and get up and dance. He didn’t care what he looked like or who was around. All he wanted to do was boggy to the tunes coming through the airwaves!
Shane enjoyed hanging out around campus when he wasn’t busy studying. One day he met this guy that kind of reminded him of his brother, Kyle. At least his choice in clothing was similar to Kyle’s anyways. The two had a great conversation and hit it off immediately.
It wasn’t long before they were tossing around a football and laughing about something that had been on the news lately or a rumor that was floating around campus. There would be many occasions to come where they’d tossed around a football like this before they graduated. From that day on they remained good friends.
Back at the main lot, Victoria had started using the ballet bar Cadence got from work. Ever since Cadence became a World Class Ballet Dancer the whole family had taken up some form of music. It was proving to be a great way to spend your free time. 
Like all typical teenagers, Braxton and Jackson picked fights with each other constantly. They were always trying to one up the other. Braxton was generally too nice to instigate a fight but once Jackson pushed him a little too far he wasn’t afraid to throw out a punch. Of course, neither one would ever intentionally hurt the other one. They were just having fun.
Jason had never really been one for science but with no job and nothing better to do he took up stargazing. He’s yet to see a shooting star but if he looks long enough he might just see one. Maybe he’s wondering what awaits him up there in the sky. By the looks of it he doesn’t need to worry about that for quite some time still.
It looks like all that studying has paid off. Tristan has maxed his skills and like any good knowledge sim is just thrilled. Fortunately, there’s still a lot for him to learn about fire safety and some other areas. He does have the whole couples counseling thing down though.
Grandpa Zion’s ghost scared poor Braxton so badly one night he almost wet his pants. Nobody in the house can figure out why their ancestors ghosts keep roaming around their home at night scaring them. Did they think it was funny? They have to know it’s plain mean to keep scaring innocent sims that are minding their own business.
The weather’s finally starting to warm up again so that means the family can start using the pool they had installed. Cadence was very eager to jump in. The cool spring water feels great against her skin. She finds it easy to get lost in her thoughts as she floats on her back when nobody’s around.
Tristan and Solveig haven’t seen each other in some time so he asked her to come over. He wasn’t sure how she’d feel about his mom but it was time he found out. The minute he saw her it was like they had never separated. It felt so good to see her again after such a long time. 
Tristan had asked his mom to introduce herself after he had a little time with Solveig first. When she came over to say hi a huge smile came over her face.Solveig: ‘Oh my god! You’re my idol. I have almost every dance video you’ve made and come to see you live whenever I can. Tristan, how do you know Cadence, the Dancer?’
Cadence: ‘He’s my son. I’m so glad to hear you’re a fan.’
Solveig: ‘Wow! How didn’t I know that?’
Tristan: ‘I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.’
Solveig: ‘That’s okay. I understand. I can’t believe she’s your mother though.’ *looks at Cadence* ‘You are such an inspiration to sims everywhere.’
Cadence: ‘That’s very nice of you to say, thanks.’
Jason and Victoria are worse now that they’re older then when they were adults. These two sims cannot keep their grubby little paws off each other. Their sons are constantly disgusted by their interactions. They can’t figure why they don’t just go to their room and close the door!
Jackson really liked this girl at school so he asked her to come over. They played some video games, did a little studying and then she said it was getting late so she needed to go home. Jackson almost missed his opportunity but before he let her leave he went in for a kiss. He was so glad to feel her kissing him back. It was the right move after all. They’re now going steady.
It took him longer then expected, thanks to long breaks between promotions, but Tristan’s officially a Hall a Famer. During his acceptance speech, he made a point to say none of his success could have been possible without his mom. At the mention of Cadence, the crowd went wild. Together, this mom and son duo, have strengthened not only the bodies of their neighbors but their spirits. As Tristan walked off the stage the crowd chanted, ‘Tristan, Cadence’. 
Tristan: ‘Mom, did you hear the good news?’Cadence: ‘Yes, I’m so proud of you.’
Tristan: ‘Thanks, but the neighborhood is right, you are the true heroin. I am so lucky to have a wonderful mother like you.’
Cadence: ‘Don’t make me cry.’
Tristan: ‘Sorry, I just want you to know how much you mean to me. So, listen. I think it’s time we move out into our own home. If it’s alright with you I’m going to ask Solveig to move in with us. What do you say?’
Cadence: ‘Absolutely! I’m so happy you found someone to love who loves you too.’Tristan: ‘Me too, mom. Me too. Well, I should start packing. Is it okay if we leave in the morning?’
Cadence: ‘Sure thing.’
Cadence has been around since the day Victoria was born. The only time they didn’t see each other on a daily basis was when Victoria was in college so saying good bye to her was going to be difficult, especially with Victoria’s state of mind. Cadence could tell she recognized her, but nothing Victoria said made any sense to her. She did seem happy though and that was all she could wish for. Cadence pulled her into a long hug good bye. 
At the end of last semester Meredith moved back home. There was no commitment between them so Kyle is moving on. He’s enjoying making new friends, especially when they are pretty girls. Unfortunately, none of them seem like girlfriend material. He’s not entirely sure that’s what he wants yet anyways so maybe it’s for the best.
Without even realizing it Shane and Kyle started a morning ritual. Every morning they ate breakfast together and gossiped about who did what the day before. One day it was how Jimmy’s underwear got pulled over his head. Another day it was how Allyson kissed the Llama mascot. There was always something different each day and the boys couldn’t get enough of it. 
Shane wasn’t having much luck with the ladies on campus so he decided to go back to the main neighborhood and see if he could meet a nice woman there. He didn’t meet anyone special but bumped into Narissa again. Although, he thought Narissa was cute there was no way he’d get involved with her. She clearly had some issues to work out. That didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends though.
They spent the afternoon acting like kids and laughing about how silly they were being. For the first time since Shane met Narissa she seemed to be happy if only for the moment. Their wonderful day had to end eventually though.
Shane promised he’d call her and stay in contact. Narissa said she’d like that very much. As they parted ways, they looked over their shoulders and waved good bye.
Not long after that Shane was introduced to Kana through a friend. He thought she was gorgeous and easily forgot about all his problems when she was around. Her smile could always cheer him up. They started off as just friends and for awhile that was enough but Shane eventually wanted more.
He invited her over one day when he knew Kyle would be in class. When Kana didn’t show up on time Shane started to get nervous. Just as he was about to lose all hope the door bell rang. Shane couldn’t wait another minute to know how Kana felt so as soon as the door was closed he went in for a kiss and she kissed him back! They giggled for a few minutes over how long it took this moment to happen but then they went right back to kissing.
Back in the main neighborhood, Tristan was asking Solveig to move in with him and his mom. They had already built a three bedroom/two bath/one car garage home that she could move right into with them. Of course, Solveig said yes and moved in on the spot. 
Cadence was so happy to have Solveig as part of their family. After she showed her around the house they started chatting about their college days when they both realized they were part of the secret society on campus. They started swapping stories and they burst out laughing about the secret handshake they used to do. Almost instantaneously the two women went into the motions for the handshake.
Yay! I finally was able to build my apo family a descent home. It has 2 floors, 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, a deck and a 2 car garage. Would you like a tour? If not, just skip the next series of pictures.
Oh my goodness…shame on me. I completely forgot the lot is not suppose to have grass since Natural Science hasn’t been lifted. I’ll fix that next time I visit the lot. Oops! Anyways, as you can see I built a pool and a deck in the back along with a fire pit and swing set.
The front entry door is to the left of this picture. This is the family’s living room. It has a big screen tv and a desk off to the top left side. Behind this picture is also a stereo system.
Right as you walk in the front door, there’s a ½ bath on the left hand side for guests to use when they are visiting. Not long ago the idea of a guest bathroom wouldn’t have been possible, but things are a changing!!!
The kitchen can be found at the opposite end of the front door. The cabinets and appliances are the same as before but the wet bar is new. There’s also a lot more room so nobody’s bumping into each other to get food.
In the rear center, to the right of the kitchen is the dining room. Six sims can comfortably fit in there. They no longer have to sit on patio furniture to eat like they did in their old home. 
The master suite is on the main floor, to the front of the kitchen. The bedroom furniture was moved from the old house to their new house. The family couldn’t part with the bed every member of their family had slept in since the beginning of time.
Attached to the master suite is a private bathroom.
On the second floor there’s three bedrooms and one bathroom. Here you can see one of the bedrooms and the third bathroom. The bedroom is definitely set for a girl.
On the other side of the floor are two more bedrooms. The beds are all from their old home. In the hallway between the rooms are some miscellaneous skill building items the family has acquired over the years. Well, that's the tour of their home. I was trying to keep it as small as possible since the lot will start to lag if there's too much on it.
The boys enjoyed having a dog around to play with. Max did keep to himself more then they would have liked though. Jackson usually had to look all over the house to find Max and more often then not Max wasn’t up for playing. Nobody could figure out why though.
Not long after moving into their new home, it became very clear why Max was so lazy. He had been nearing the end of his life and he didn’t have the same energy a dog younger then him would. The family hadn’t realized how old Max was. The boys were very sad to see him go.
Jason and Victoria were right at home in their new place. They wouldn’t have even realized they moved if it wasn’t for so many fewer stairs to climb. 
The boys have been working very hard for scholarships to head off to college with. Braxton had already reached the top of his teen career but Jackson was a little behind. That didn’t stop him from wanting everyone to notice him when he got back home though. Silly family sims!
Braxton patiently waited for Jackson to catch up so they could leave for college. With all his free time Braxton got into plenty of mischief. If Victoria had seen him drinking milk from the carton when she was still sane, he would have been in some serious trouble. Braxton knew he could get away with way more now and took full advantage of it.
One evening Jackson came home and announced he’d been promoted to the top of his teen career. That was all Braxton needed to hear before he got on the phone and called the local university. In under an hour the boys were heading off to meet up with Shane and Kyle. 
Josh (Victoria’s brother) and Theresa lived just down the street. One day Victoria randomly wandered into their home and found her niece sleeping in her crib. She stood there watching her until Josh realized she was standing there. For a moment, he thought she had remembered but when she spoke he knew it was just coincidence that she’d shown up.
It was their daughter’s birthday that day. Josh was glad his sister was there to watch but wished she was more coherent. He missed the woman she once was, even if she was always pushing his buttons. 
After the transition, Josh handed Rose over to Victoria to hold for awhile. He watched as she gently rubbed her back and playfully tickled her. Rose appeared to really like her. Later that night when things calmed down, Josh walked Victoria back home and kissed her on the cheek goodnight. 
Soon after Rose became a toddler, Josh and Theresa learned they had another little one on the way. They were so happy to finally have the family they had waited so long for. Each night before bed they thanked their lucky stars for the health and happiness of their loved ones.
Gina lived next door to Josh and Theresa. However, life was not going as smoothly for her as it was for them. Her lifetime want is to have 20 lovers but she’d already messed that up by getting pregnant. Gina told Juan about the baby over the phone and he insisted on coming over to talk with her. Gina prayed he wouldn’t do something as noble as ask her to marry him.Juan: ‘Wow! How far along are you?’
Gina: ‘I’m in my second trimester.’
Juan: ‘Are you sure I’m the father?’Gina: ‘Yes.’
Juan: ‘What are we going to do about it?’
Gina: ‘You don’t have to do anything.’
Juan: ‘Oh…but what if I want to?’
Gina: ‘What is it that you want to do?’
Juan: ‘I don’t know…be a part of the baby’s life.’
Gina: ‘I think that would be nice.’
Juan: ‘Okay, so I can come by and visit when I want?
Gina: ‘Anytime.’
Gina was so relieved to know that Juan hadn’t come over to propose and glad that he wanted to be part of this child’s life. She gave him a big hug to show her gratitude. As she was pulling away, he planted a big wet one on her lips. A part of her said to stop but she couldn’t. She was a romance sim and would take whatever affection she could it.
Although, she couldn’t get pregnant twice at the same time she hesitated to woohoo with Juan again. She didn’t want him getting the wrong idea and thinking their relationship could become something more, but she was weak and gave herself freely to him. In the middle of the night, he snuck out when he thought Gina was sleeping. She heard him leave though and relief swept through her body.
A few days later when Gina was feeling brave she introduced herself to a stranger walking by her home. She talked him up for awhile and when she felt things were going rather well she tried sweet talking him. 
He did not want any of that though and left instantly. Gina stood watching him as he walked away. She wondered if she would ever be with a man again that she didn’t already love. If nothing else the baby she was carrying would definitely make it more difficult to do.
Late one evening just before bed, Gina went into labor. She screamed out in pain for a few minutes before Janel was born. She certainly got her father’s complexion and hair color. Gina stood holding her new baby wondering what her future would bring her.
