Culpepper Pals: Autumn 3: Titan-Ojo

[beanstalk_sims]

Index / Boolprop




I have been so busy with work but I'm back - and we're at the beginning of a brand new season! How exciting! But why are the Titan-Ojos going first? I'll explain that in a moment.

Last time, David and Casey began the summer working on their aspirations, before then discovering Casey was pregnant. Norah popped by and was thrilled by the news of another grandchild. The pregnancy passed by reasonably uneventfully, though Casey did start a new club for mermaids. David and Casey had a son named Riley, and promptly introduced him to cousin Danny Goth. The following day the entire Titan-Ojo family was invited over, which was incredibly cute and nice.






David, Casey and Riley are beginning the new season with a new house. I hated their shack and wanted to tweak it, and they'd saved up a little from David's promotions over the summer.

Well, I kind of went overboard, blew the budget & now the family "owes" money. But it was worth it, because I adore their house now. It's so so much better.




There's even a treehouse/platform thing for when the kids get older.

Yes...kids...




Casey's pregnant again. I had to pause the pregnancy at the end of the last season, before she'd done a pregnancy test, when I clicked the wrong button by accident. I always wanted her and David to have two kids, but I don't like leaving the household while a sim is pregnant. So I paused it until I returned.

So why am I playing this household first? Well Norah, David's mother, needs 4 grandchildren for her aspiration, and I wasn't sure she'd last the whole of autumn, bless her. So David's going first, just this once.

Well, actually, David's not even technically first...




I played a week with Lilith and Candy, so they technically got the first week of autumn. I don't play them regularly, like the other households in the save, just as and when I feel like it. Their son, James Vatore, was born on Spooky Day!

That's another point I need to make: I changed the holidays this autumn. There is no Harvestfest anymore. I'm from the UK, we don't really have an equivalent of Thanksgiving, and I was bored of playing it, so I got rid of it and replaced it with two events that do occur in England in the autumn.

My seasons are set up to run for 14 days, so I added in a new holiday for each week. We now have Spooky Day, which occurs during the first week of autumn and Bonfire Night, which happens in the second week.

I don't know how much people from overseas know about Bonfire Night, but the general gist of it is we commemorate the time Guy Fawkes failed to blow up parliament, on 5th November. There's fireworks and bonfires. We did the whole thing as children, my Dad would light the fireworks and there was that one year we nearly set my Nan's fence on fire with the bonfire, but it was a good time. Nowadays, now I've left home, we just have sparklers in the garden and burgers/hot dogs for Bonfire Night. Or at least, we did before the pandemic.






Anyway, enough ramblings, let's get into the Titan-Ojos - officially first in the rotation, although it's the second week of autumn so they'll get Bonfire Night instead of Spooky Day.

And another family member - which David is thrilled about!




While David and Casey celebrate their news downstairs, Riley has climbed the stairs for the first time to introduce himself to the new unicorn toy.

He's so cute <3




I'm not sure what it is about the new house, but townies now sometimes climb the ladder on the deck and pass through uninvited.

They never stay, they just wander through, and I'm not sure why.




Anyway, a bigger house and the announcement of a new addition calls for a family gathering. Which got off to an interesting start, to say the least - glitches between Norah and Miko, and Lulu deciding she's not a fan of Oli.

Ah, family reunions <3




It's a good chance for the cousins to hang out, even if Ana immediately sets about wrecking the place.

Norah's grandchildren make up a significant number of generation three - there's 4 members so far, and 3 of them are related.




I also kept a close eye on Cass during their visit, as she's inclined to steal things. She took something from David and Casey's bedroom, but I can't for the life of me work out what it was.

I guess I'll have to check her inventory when I get to the Goths.










The afternoon was spent being adorable and taking it in turns to hug one another.




Ana spent the time gently wrecking the place, but of course smiled like butter wouldn't melt.




Would recommend large family gatherings, they're one of my favourite things to play at the moment. Just seeing them all interacting <3




Naturally, once everyone had gone home, I realised Lulu was completely disgusting.

I don't know how the Titan-Ojos end up with these dogs - the kind that are a magnet for filth and puddles. Lulu gets bathed at least once a day.




David and Casey are up very early on Monday morning, preparing a cake for breakfast.

It's not for Riley.




It's for David - he's becoming an adult.

The first baby of the Culpepper Pals - well, first tied with Oli - is becoming an adult! This is a huge milestone!






Casey has a lot of enthusiasm for David's birthday!

I gave David the Frugal reward trait around this time, as the family is next to broke again after all the renovations.




Apparently birthdays are too exciting because Casey then went outside for a nap on the lilo - and completed her aspiration!

She gained the Laidback trait. I haven't picked a new aspiration for her yet.






The rest of Monday passed uneventfully, working on Riley's toddler skills ahead of his birthday...




...which took place on Tuesday morning!

It's cake for breakfast again!




David playing his vuvuzela, just like he did as a boy <3




Riley takes after David a lot. He's different in a few ways, but it doesn't look like there's much of Casey in him overall.

Riley got the Happy Toddler trait, and rolled the Good trait, which might conflict a little with David's Evil trait!

I also gave Riley the Artistic Prodigy aspiration.




Finally, a child old enough to use the treehouse <3




How can you tell you've got a creative kid?






For the most part, Tuesday is a quiet and uneventful day.

Although Riley did discover a huge bonus of having a massive family - he received loads of toys from relatives as birthday gifts.




The kids club was invited over at the end of the day, so Riley could meet some other people his age.






Time flies here.

I don't feel like I take many pictures of the Titan-Ojos, because their weeks are just peaceful and calm to play. I could create drama here easily - David throws a lot of whims up to mean to people - but I'd rather enjoy how relaxing their household is.




Both David and Casey had the Laidback trait, and honestly, that's the entire vibe of their household.






Wednesday morning arrives, and it's gloomy.

And not just because Riley is starting off the day with some homework.




The chores continue as David gives Lulu her morning bath...




...and interrupts Casey's bath to fix the toilet.

"David! Can it not wait five minutes? You're kind of ruining the relaxing bubble bath thing I'm going for."

I'm guessing he's just restless because a certain person is due to go into labour today...




David was also the first one to notice the labour as well, somehow.

Casey probably wanted to nap for five extra minutes.






David was by her side the entire time <3




"David...we have a daughter."

"She's perfect, like her mother."




Ladies and gentlemen, meet Samantha Titan-Ojo! David cuddled her autonomously <3

After he put her back in the cot, I immediately aged her up, as per tradition:




I melted when I saw her. She's so freaking cute.

I think she's 100% Casey, to be honest, I don't think she takes after David at all. A tiny bit disappointed the kids aren't a little more interesting genetically, but it is what it is.

Samantha is a mermaid like her Mama, and rolled the Independent trait.




She also immediately befriended Lulu <3




With pregnancy done and dusted, Casey headed out for her first swim in a while.




And the neighbourhood was treated to a double rainbow!

A pretty good Wednesday, all in all.






It's Thursday, and we're having sandwiches for breakfast.

Can't have cake everyday, afterall!






It's also Bonfire Night!

I'm very excited for a brand new holiday!




There's no colour scheme really, so it kinda looks like the Titan-Ojos just threw whatever lights they found all over the house.

I'm totally okay with this.




Apparently the fact it's Bonfire Night means cocktails before lunchtime is totally acceptable :D






Of course I can't not gather the extended family for an occasion, but I also decide to let Riley invite over the other kids in the save.

So Tarin Ember is here - and Brianna Caliente too, somewhere.






Around mid-afternoon, the bonfire is lit. I couldn't wait any longer, apparently, I was too excited.




Of course David had to fire dance




Riley is given the child's version of fire dancing - a sparkler.












Afternoon slipped into evening as the family played with sparklers and caught up with one another.

Time for some larger fireworks, right?




Wrong.

David would go to light the firework, then t-pose and it would drop out of queue, and that would be it. I tried it with CC out (I'd forgotten how much I hate the default ts4 skins??) and it still happened. So I have no idea what was causing the problem.

Probably just the Sims 4 being the Sims 4. I was pretty disappointed.




At least there's sparklers.

It's all I'd have for Bonfire Night in real life, so why not in the sims?




Friday morning has arrived!

What's on the to do list?




Bathing Lulu of course!

"Can you please stay clean today, Lulu? Please?"




Venus and her girlfriend also randomly dropped by - apparently they'd made too much food and had leftovers to share.




The kids really appreciated the free food.






The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, which actually seems to be the theme of this household. "Nothing but peace and quiet, it was awesome", that kind of thing.






Saturday morning, and the last day of the rotation.

Typically I'd throw another family gathering, but David's got work today so it's going to be a quiet Saturday for the little family.




Samantha's determined to make the most of the day, though.




David came home in the late afternoon - with a promotion!

He's now level 8! So proud of this guy <3




Riley's also got the gang over, which means Casey is having a busy evening.

"Okay, I won't be mad, I just want to know...who threw this paint?"




Aww, Tarin decided to help out!

90% sure it wasn't him who threw the paint. He's a good kid!




It's another low-key evening after Riley's friends depart.

Picture perfect <3




And that was autumn with the Titan-Ojos! A low-key, laidback time, but I genuinely really enjoyed myself here!




These guys will be back to their usual position of second in the rotation next season :)

But we have several households to visit before we get to winter! See you next time for Norah Titan and her family!