Boxes and Buckets, A TPC: 1.3

[beanstalk_sims]

Back again! It's been a bit of a manic week, what with a new(ish) full time job and having to squeeze real life around it! So this is a drive-by updating. Also, anyone who has dropped me a comment on the previous updates, I have seen them, I enjoy them, and I will ping back responses when I have a wee bit more time!

Okay? Let's get started!

Previous updates are here.




And we rejoin the family on Lauren's birthday!

You may recall there was a butt load of tension between founder Stanford and his missus in the previous update. Well, it has now settled into a frosty silence - they tend to move around each other, but not really interact.




Anyway, this part isn't about Stanford and Meadow being awkward, it's about their interesting offspring!

Lauren's a little neat freak, which will no doubt be useful with her siblings around!




The next day, and the plants FINALLY start showing fruit. I feel like I've been waiting on it forever - probably because I don't want to go to Walmart daily anymore!

Of course, all of them were very bland, and one plant died. The Buckets aren't very green-thumbed, I'm afraid.




With Stanford and Meadow ignoring each other, they're finally paying attention to the kids. It's probably the first time they've paid attention to Phil since he was small enough to need nappies changing.

And then of course, the game with its surprises, decided to throw something else my way...




Apparently, ACR didn't get the message about these two being mildly angry at each other.

They are slowly repairing their relationship, but not enough in my opinion to get pregnant with the fourth, and hopefully final, pregnancy! Dammit, ACR!

Oh well.




Summer arrived, and apparently I didn't have as much for the yard sale as I thought I did. A fair amount, but not tons of stuff.

Plus I lost an item of inventory, what with Doug decided that he was going to chew on the only bone I hadn't flagged for sale. Typical, really.




"Do I want an old cake with a slice missing? Hmm..."




"You know what? Yes, I do! I do want that old cake that isn't all there!"

"You're a good man, sir, with an eye for a bargain!"




"Come on, why wouldn't you want a treasure chest? It's like, the classiest decor ever!"




Overall, the yard sale went quite well, and the family have enough scratch now for beds!

All the kids can sleep! Until Lauren grows up, I think.




"My wife cheated on me and now I'm angry at her, tee hee!"

"That gossip is awesome, i love this place!"

Stanford's sales tactics are quite interesting, but they seem to be working.




With the yard sale cash, the family could finally afford a mate for Doug.

"Don't I know you? Aren't you the slackers I met two chapters ago?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."




Well, the new family member may look like a ferocious man dog, but this is actually Buffy, a lady dog.

Here's hoping she takes a liking to Doug.




On yard sale night, Phil decided it was time to grow up in the dark on the edge of the lot.

Probably just so I couldn't get any good pictures.




I'm pretty sure he grew up in green or platinum, and he'll need all the help he can get now I can't control him.

He rolled Romance, and a LTW I can't recall right now.




"Aw, baby, have you been in there all day?"

The problem with yard sale day was that everyone was too busy to let Lauren out the crib, so she spent the day chilling there, other than the occasional bottle.




"Oh! I don't want to do this again."

After this time, you won't have to!




"Let's play fetch all night instead of sleeping, Doug!"

"Woof!"

"Well, of course you can dig up the yard while I complain that I'm tired!"




"Lemme out!"

Lauren really does live in the crib. And this upsets Buffy because all she wants is to sniff that toddler.




"Eat the fish, sell the boots next summer! It's the perfect solution to all our troubles!"

"All of them? Even our awkward marriage?"

"ALL the troubles!"

I think Stanford might be in denial there, a little.




The first decent look I can give you of Phil as a teen, and he's smustling. Gah.

Anyway, he's Stanford with Meadow's nose, pretty much.




"There's no stock and your employee keeps noogying me!"

"What? We're not even open! Are you sure you're not just an angsty teenager?"

"I'll be angsty all I want! I'm the customer, I'm ALWAYS right!"

"We're not open!"




Oh look, someone let Lauren out!

And now she's playing in the pee puddles that seem to constantly decorate the porch.




Chances are, she'll mop those puddles up now instead of splashing in them!

I think she's pretty cute.




"We're surrounded by dogs and pee!"

The porch is probably not the nicest place to hang out on the lot.




"Look, Doug! We can play fetch in the house and no one minds!"

I've never had a house with a long enough/clear enough space for that before.




Phil got himself caught in a little loop here - mop up puddle then complain about the environment, by which time another puddle had formed, so mop that up, complain about the environment...

It wasn't til he was shattered that he gave up.




The dog house is empty, but Buffy will sleep on the floor anyway.

Where is the logic?!




Elsewhere, a weeny little oven was purchased so the kids can eat and I don't have to keep sending adults to Walmart.

Of course, Lauren abused this and started making cakes when she wasn't even hungry.

i wonder if I can tag the muffins for sale at the next yard sale...




Lauren's adorable, and always up to mischief.

Which I didn't expect, but it's kinda neat.




Surely I should get a point for having all the babies of this generation born in the same room, during the night ;)

Well, let's meet the last baby!




"Dad, Mum's in labour! Wake up!"

"It's just a bad dream Phil, go back to bed."

"Dad!"




"Alright, I'm up, what did I miss?"




"Twins? :("

I was wondering if that would happen at all this generation.

Anyway, we've got a boy and a girl here - Stanford is holding Mary, and Meadow is holding Minimum Wade. Yup, you heard me - I'm still continuing with the name scheme of Cletus-from-the-Simpson's kids. He'll be known as Wade from now on, but no one forget his true name!




To celebrate the birth of his twins, Stanford went out and got sprayed on by a skunk.

"Could this day get any worse?"




It could, only this time, it was for Phil. I had Meadow influence him to flirt with the townie girl he'd brought home from school, and well, things didn't go well.

"You don't even know me, you can't just hold my hand!"

Why do they never go for low level flirts when influenced?




Jeez, make your mind up! Is he hot or not?




"We can't breed....I mean 'woof'!"

Yup, I made a booboo with the dogs again - turns out Buffy is an elderly dog, and past puppy-bearing age. I was so frustrated!

So now I've got to pump Doug full of elixir kibble (is that allowed?) so that he remains young for when i can get a new dog. Though that won't be until Buffy dies.

I just can't seem to win as far as the dogs are concerned.




Anyway, it's time for another teenager!

Birthday's having a birthday!




She's gorgeous! That's Stanford's nose - it's slightly smaller on females.

Birthday rolled Family. Again, didn't note the LTW. It wasn't really worth it - I doubt anyone here will be getting their LTW.




Birthday then cracked a massive fart which annoyed her neat-freak little sister.

I haven't seen this happen for so long! I love Lauren's face.




Well, what do you know - Birthday's sharing her birthday with a set of twins!






Wade looks a lot like Phil did if you ask me, and Mary looks like she's a clone of her mother - but of course, I won't know for sure til they grow a bit.

That's all I have for this update! It's time for me to go to work (again)!

See you soon!