beanstalk_sims | Henstead Island: Autumn with the Ottomas Family

I was just going to post this via a queue on tumblr, but I don't actually like doing that. I have like 25 pictures or so, which seemed like enough to post a proper account of their Autumn.

Um, so in case you don't follow my simblr, I loaded up Sims 2 for the first time in months to find a little neighbourhood populated by no one but a cyclops. And I started to play it, and post little bits to tumblr. You'll find the picspam here, if you're interested.

It's probably worth pointing out that this isn't a challenge, it's just me having fun :)

Autumn began with a photoshoot for the Ottomas family - I pictured Samantha as wanting to decorate her house with pictures of her kids, and rather than going to the hassle of recolouring objects, I got a bin sim I wasn't planning on using with the artist camera to help them out.

They're a little bigger than I remember! Chances are, it's going to be a struggle to find space for the other children when Samantha and Peter stop having children!

Usually I play Peter as some sort of wannabe-stud who hits on his female neighbours, but this time I discovered early on that he is actually interested in nature!

So instead of helping Dora and Samantha with the kids, he's out catching butterflies.

Being heavily pregnant with a toddler in the house does mean Samantha has little time to pay attention to the other kids - Sharla here came home from her first day of school with an A+ and Samantha has no time for that!

Sharla doesn't look very impressed, does she?

Later than night, Sam went into labour - in the bathroom, of course.

Where else would a sim go into labour?!

Sam brought twin boys into the world, Ryan and Kelvin! I *think* Sam is holding Kelvin.

One more baby, and we'll have achieved Dora's LTW of 6 grandkids!

"Oh, GROSS!"

Sam and Peter got to work on the finally baby as quickly as they could, and naturally one of the kids had to walk in on it. Only it was David, the only one old enough to know what was going on under the sheets!

I feel Peter may have discovered why bug hunting in your undies is a bad move.

With all that had been going on - babies, bees, trying to care for a rather large family - Tommy's toddler skills had been neglected!

So Dora sat him down two hours before his birthday, force fed him smart milk, and got him talking. In the nick of time, and all that.

"Look, Dad! An A+! How good am I?"

"Son, you're in the way. I need to go squeeze your mother and scar our children for life."

He really did just stand there complaining he couldn't get out. I guess the Ottomas family doesn't care for academics?

Anyway, the last couple of hours of Tommy's toddlerhood disappear, and it's time for him to grow up!

He's adorable - I do think Tommy is one of the cuter Ottomas kids.

Poor picture but I have NEVER seen this happen in my own game - a child rubbing their feet on a rug and then shocking someone! I've only ever seen it happen in other people's games!

I found it super funny, even if Dora did not.

"Oh! I'm pregnant!"

"If I can't see it, it's not happening."

Floating baby birthday!

The twins had to grow up outside, I literally couldn't find space inside. The house is in desperate need of a remodel.

This is Ryan, with a massive mouth of doom!

He got a personality of 5/5/10/6/9

And little mobster Kelvin! With a personality of 4/7/6/6/5

This is where it got really hard to keep them all alive and well!

Especially when Peter insists on bringing home the flu!

"Grandma, I'm not even sick, why do I have to eat the comfort soup?!"

"Everyone's having some! Eat up! Good and healthy!"

"But it's so gross..."

It seemed to do the job, anyway.

Things didn't go well for David the next day - on path for a promotion, and then a bad chance card lost him his job!

So he won't be an overachiever afterall, like Dora wanted him to be.

Luckily for David, his massive family cheers him up, which I find odd as I always pictured him wanting to escape the chaotic lifestyle!

Sims will constantly surprise you, right? :)

That evening, it was time for another teenager!

Sharla rolled Family, and it was only afterwards I realised that I'm not playing a challenge, I don't have to roll! D'oh!

She also randomised as straight, and got a new hairstyle because the angles of her face looked odd with her old one.

With another teenager in the house to help out with stinky toddlers, homework, and making meals, David was able to escape and claim his independence - at university!

We'll be catching up with him soon.

So after days of worrying that Dora might not live long enough to see the sixth baby that Sam and Peter only had for her benefit, Sam went into labour (in the bathroom!) before Dora kicked the bucket. Hooray!

Sam gave birth to a little girl named Joanna, who apparently I took no pictures of.

Just in time, too, as Dora passed away that evening in the unfinished part of the house.

But Joanna's birth did mean hula girls were present, so all was well.

So here's what the Ottomas family looks like at the beginning of winter! I know David's technically away at uni, but I had to put him in the picture for completion's sake. :)

Chaotic little family - I hope you enjoyed this glimpse at their life!