beanstalk_sims | Culpepper Pals: Summer 3: Bell

I've just started playing Autumn 3 in game, when I told myself I wouldn't until I'd finished writing up Summer 3! They're all just too much fun to play! So I'm desperately trying to catch up so I don't get too far ahead again!

Last time, the family gained a new pet – Butters the dog – and a new teenager, when Tania celebrated her birthday. Tania was thrilled to be the same age as her friends again, ditching school to meet with them in a bar. She also made friends with Johnny Zest. Later on in the week it was discovered that Travis had a child from a relationship prior to Adora that he knew nothing about – and he decided he wanted to raise the daughter with his current family. Brianna Caliente joined the Bells, which unsettled things for a few days before becoming a bit more normal. Towards the end of the season, Cookie the raccoon unfortunately passed away.

We're back in Oasis Springs, where naturally, someone is grilling when I arrive. It's usually Travis.

He takes his role of "Dad" very seriously.

There's also another new family member here - Shadow McMullen!

I decided I didn't really want to leave Shadow and Rosie in the care of Akira, which would be a bit like limbo as I never play him. I also found two more kittens when I moved them across, who were also rehomed with Culpeppers.

So the Bells have got Shadow - they would have had Rosie too, except the house was too full, so I'm guessing Rosie is pregnant again. I found out via MCCC that Shadow is the mother of Bruno and Geppetto, the kittens that were given to the Brows family & Ember family.

Rosie was sent to live with the Goths, as they were the last family without a pet of any kind. One of the kittens, Tanner, was sent to live with Dolly Vatore. The other kitten, which my game apparently named Cat, was sent to live with the Titans.

Now absolutely every household has a furry friend, no one is allowed anymore pets.

Shari is absolutely thrilled to have another four-legged friend, at least. Cookie the ~~cat~~ raccoon passed away last season, and this is the first time they've had a cat since then.

Right! Now all the admin of arriving with the Bells is out of the way, let's get into the fun stuff!

The entire family is off to spend Sunday at the park! Why, I hear you ask?

I changed Brianna's aspiration! She's now a Social Butterfly kid!

I was in the middle of doing Whiz Kid with Caroline, plus Tania was a Whiz Kid...I just felt like it was time to do something different. So I purposefully gave Brianna my least favourite childhood aspiration.

I really wish there was more than 4, I must admit.

I'm not sure why I do this to myself, I always find the Social Butterfly one the most stressful.

But it's fine. It just means we'll be spending extended periods of time at the park this summer.

Not that it's such a bad thing. It gives the family time to spend together outside of their house.

"Adora, are you going to make a move?"

"Yes, in a moment...I'm definitely not looking up the rules for chess..."

The other Culpepper children were called in to hang out and bump up Brianna's friend count.

I love watching them all interacting <3

Travis gave up on chess and became a sea monster, which I found hilarious.

He's such a good dad and a total delight to have around.

Caroline Ember ended up being invited back to the house. She and Brianna are pretty close, and therefore Caroline became Brianna's BFF for her aspiration.

Adora managed to grow a cowplant at the end of the last update, but now it finally has a name:

Meet Bessie! She's a much loved member of the family!

That evening, Tania decided she's going through a rebellious phase, and headed out to Windenburg to throw a dance party.

Because what's more rebellious than that, I suppose!

She had a whim to have a water balloon fight instead, though. Luckily Johnny Zest was on hand to help her out with that.

What a unique man he is.

There's no DJ for some reason, and apparently Taeko is very mad about this.

Tania and Johnny don't need any music to have fun, they decided to have a dance battle regardless.

Loving Malcolm Landgraab's summer look, honestly.

As I was playing this, I was watching Taeko getting more and more upset in the background like "Dang, what's wrong??"

But I just remembered: she has the Loner trait. She is hating this right now.

Tania is much more free-spirited.

Oh, while we're here, it's also worth me pointing out I gave Tania the wrong aspiration. I gave her Archaeology Scholar when I actually meant to give her Jungle Explorer. It just felt like a bit of a better fit.

Anyway, after dancing the night away, Tania heads home to her homework.

She's not that rebellious, really.

It's Monday morning!

What do you mean you don't start the week petting a cowplant?

I think Tania was a little apprehensive about not being the youngest sibling, but she's definitely come around to the idea.

She and Brianna are pretty close now <3

I try to play Shari and the vet clinic on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so that's what we're up to today.

Also it's a really hot day and...well, that's certainly a look Catarina is sporting.

Caleb was also poofing around the waiting room whilst waiting for Shari to see his dog, Bella. Please, Caleb, take a seat or something.

It is always neat seeing sims you know drop by with their pets <3

After the work day - and the school day - was done, Tania received an invite to the Humour and Hijinks festival, and I agreed.

I think it was Johnny who invited her, and then Tori just happened to be there? But I'm not sure. Might have been the other way round.

The festival is Johnny's natural habitat, anyway.

"Let's send a selfie to my Dad, he hates it when I hang out with you!"

Tania and Johnny were both on the Jokestars team, and they won.

It's Tuesday morning, and Adora's having a burger for breakfast!

I'm pretty sure this is her last full day, so honestly, she can have whatever she likes.

Max and Taeko were invited over to visit, Adora doesn't get to see them as much now Taeko has left home.

I did take a family portrait, too, while everyone was about.

Adora has raised four girls in her lifetime, only one of them was genetically hers. Such a fun mishmash of a family <3

Akira also showed up for some reason, and then a bunch of them decided to crowd the bathroom.

Naturally.

Johnny Zest also shows up, because the house isn't full enough, and THEN Brianna's biological sister, Dina Caliente, asked if she can come over.

Dina's a plantsim at the moment, as she's friends with Elsie Ember, who grew the fruit and I wanted to know what it did. It's only temporary and not that great. I miss plantsims.

Dina, maybe don't do that...

I am concerned that Bessie is an accident waiting to happen, but also I like having her and refuse to get rid of her.

I hope you learned your lesson, Dina.

It had just become Wednesday when this happened.

I expected it, but it's still super sad. It sucks letting go of sims.

Maybe don't taking selfies as your step mother dies, I don't know.

And then because she's Incredibly Friendly, Tania introduces herself to Death and befriends him.

Pretty sure she's the first one in this save to do that.

Grilling just isn't the same :(

Goodbye Adora

Your life went in a totally different direction to what I thought would happen, and it was a total delight watching it unfold <3

It's going to take a little while for the family to feel okay again.

So even though it's a Wednesday, Shari isn't going to the vet clinic today.

Instead, Shari calls up the old gang. David is still her best friend, afterall.

They help a little bit <3

Taeko was there, she's part of the club the first wave kids are all in, but instead of hanging out she went and took a nap with Bessie :(

That evening, despite everything, Brianna heads to the park to make more friends.

This aspiration is so weird, why on earth does she need to befriend adults?

She does also turn Danny Goth from an acquaintance into a friend, though.

Thursday morning.

Shari has taken over the duties of caring for Bessie.

The day passed uneventfully.

And once again, there was a post-school park trip for Brianna. It's just the best place to meet people.

Would you believe it, I managed to complete it!

All hail the power of cloud gazing! Brianna's a teen very early next season, so it's good I managed to knock this out before the end of this season.

Back home, Tania's invited the girls over.

She's the youngest out of the four of them, but she'll catch up to them soon.

I love that Brianna hangs out with them too. Like my younger sister hanging around me and my friends once upon a time.

I don't know how this happened, I thought they were taking good care of Bessie :(

I left the skeleton there. I don't think the family will be growing a new one any time soon.

As Thursday slips into Friday, Travis starts to feel a little better.

He's up before everyone else, and it's rare for him to have a quiet house to himself.

Apparently he has quite the to do list to get through before breakfast.

The sun was up by the time someone else joined him.

"Happy birthday, Tania. I tried to make a honey cake...it's what Adora made for all of your birthdays..."

"Oh, Dad. It's perfect."

Have I mentioned recently that I love Tania? Because I do.

Anyway, her final trait is Adventurous which feels fitting, don't you think? She also got the Mediator and Responsible traits. I feel like all of my sims end up being responsible.

So what's first on Tania's to do list now she's a young adult?

She's meeting up with Johnny Zest, of course. He's one of her closest friends.

"Johnny, I heard there's this town a little further south, right, and it's got some really odd stuff going on?"

"What kind of odd stuff?"

"I'm not even sure, but I wanna go check it out."

"Well...I have some things I'd need to tie up first...I can meet you down there if you like?"

"Yay! Johnny, I promise you, we are going to have a GREAT time in Strangerville!"

"That town name doesn't make the alarm bells in my head ring at all..."

So Tania has left home and moved in with Johnny, and they'll be the Zest household next season.

There's a whole update dedicated to Tania's time in Strangerville, which I'll post in between Summer 3 and Autumn 3, as it's more of a side adventure rather than an actual rotation.

Anyway, with Tania off on her first adventure, Shari had to return to hers - it's time for another day at the vet clinic!

It's at three stars now!

I was a little disappointed when I later sent Lilith Vatore here while I was playing her, and instead of Shari serving her it was some random vet clinician. Oh well.

Friday night, Adora's ghost makes her first appearance.

Perhaps she knew Tania had moved out and the house was a lot quieter - that Travis could do with the company.

Well, she decided to take a nap before anything could really happen with Travis, so I decided not to push it.

It's Saturday, and the last day of the rotation!

Shari doesn't seem to mind that she's spending it washing the dog.

Weekends are traditionally hang out days for the kids, and this one is no different.

Brianna's got both Caroline and Danny over to play voidcritters.

Travis also decided to check in with Tania that morning.

"Hi, Tania, you're not busy are you? I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

He paused for a moment, listening to her reply.

"I don't see why you couldn't go on an adventure a little closer to home, you know. Here, in Oasis Springs."

After his phone call with Tania, he decided to dance aggressively next to the voidcritter match. As you do.

And that was it for summer! There's never a quiet season with these guys, something always changes. It'll change again next season, when Brianna becomes a teen.