The Party Place

Hey there, it's Matthew again. Matthew Johnson? Remember, I told you all about what was going on when my friends and I were in college? Well, I'm back in Prosperity now - we all are.

Zoe and I moved in with our friend Amy Jones. See, she was struggling to raise her two little boys all on her own, so we figured she could use our help, you know? And we're all popularity sims, so the more the merrier. Imagine the parties we can have together! This place is going to be the Party Place! Well, okay, maybe it needs a little work first, but between the three of us, we should be able to make enough money to take care of that...


As I said, Amy's raising her boys alone. Alec, their father, deigned to show up once, but he seemed more interested in getting Amy into bed than in spending any time with his boys - when he did talk to them, it was only because she worked hard to convince him to. He's a mascot back at Sim State, and seems to thínk that's more important than a little detail like his kids... I guess realizing that put Amy off him - not that I blame her - because she doesn't talk much about him anymore.


My Zoe really wanted to be an athlete, but couldn't get a good job in that field at first. So she joined the military for a while, and was getting promoted real fast. Guess they know a good thing when they see one, huh? She got this really big bonus from some deep sea exploration thing; don't ask me about the details, I don't get that kind of stuff. I prefer cooking. I'm a chef, and a darn good one, if I do say so myself. Good thing, too, because Zoe sure isn't - she even managed to set herself on fire the other day! Man, that was scary; but fortunately those astronaut suits are flame retardant.


The twins grew up well, and we got them into private school. I think the headmaster was a bit confused about who the parents were - I mean, it was Zoe who gave him a tour of the house, I cooked dinner, and Amy and I sat down to eat it with him. Oh yeah, and Russell's little alien friend from next door, Lucius or Luke or something, was there too - I'm not sure the headmaster didn't think he was one of the boys he was supposed to be considering, at least until his mom showed up to take him home. (Yeah, okay, his stepmom.) She's an old friend of Amy's, you know, and went to college with my older brothers, so it's all connected. Everything here in Prosperity seems to be...


Like that obnoxious Milton Carr popping back into our lives again. We were having this party one day, and Amy had invited him over. I think she's sweet on him... Well, if she thinks he's going to be willing to settle down with her and the boys, she's gonna be disappointed, you know? But if all she's looking for is a flirt, then I guess that's between the two of them. Just leave me out of it - I still don't like that guy.


Mostly Amy's done a great job with the twins, but sometimes, I don't know, sometimes it feels like she's favoring Randall over Russell. He is the more outgoing of them, so maybe it's just that it's easier to get close to him, but I feel bad for Russell anyway. I try to spend as much time with him as I can, and he seems to almost consider me a father figure. He's a nice boy, if not exactly handsome - and there's that weight problem he has - but he's a good kid.


Oh yeah, let's not forget the most important day of my life; the day I made Zoe Barrett my wife. We had a roof raising wedding party, of course. And she's mine, now, mine for the rest of our lives... I'm just plain crazy about her. We've been talking about having a baby of our own, someday soon.

How did a college professor's fingerprints end up on the Maidmobile?

Matthew - reached top of first career and fulfilled LTW, Celebrity Chef; fulfilled impossible want, 30 best friends
Zoe - reached top of first career, General; reached top of second career and fulfilled LTW, Hall of Famer

The Baby Factory

Dear Diary,

Mark is indeed pregnant. He seems to have gotten used to the idea fairly quickly; I guess it helps that he's not the only one around here that it's happened to. There's my stepfather, and Nicole's husband Connor - I told you they got married, didn't I? Mark's kid brother Jack got himself abducted, too. And, you know, Mark loves kids and wants a whole bunch of them. Why should he love this one any less, just because it's part alien?

And being pregnant hasn't made him any less fertile. (That sounds weird, but you know what I mean.) He managed to get me pregnant again, so now both of us are constantly hungry and tired! It's a good thing he's due to have the baby soon, or I'd be worried about Zach getting neglected.

Love, Grace


Dear Diary,

I have an alien stepson. Mark named him Lucius - something about him coming from the lights in the sky, I think. Whatever; I'm going to call him Luke. It goes well with Zach, don't you think?

Love, Grace


Dear Diary,

Sometimes I wonder about that man of mine. We have a toddler and a baby, with number three on the way, and he thinks this is a good time to stargaze all night long? It's almost as if he's trying to get abducted again!

Love, Grace


Dear Diary,

Zach is starting school today. I'm so nervous - my little one is going off without me all day long! Only he's not so little anymore, is he? Everybody says he looks just like me, and I suppose they're right. Except he does have Mark's eyes, brown and myopic. He's such a sweet boy.

Love, Grace


Dear Diary,

I have a daughter! Serenity Lawrence was born yesterday, and we now have three children. The boys seem to accept the new addition without trouble, Zach especially. He's always offering to play with Luke so Mark and I can feed Serenity or change her diaper. I try to treat all the children the same, but there's just something about Zach...

Love, Grace


Dear Diary,

I think I'm pregnant again...

Love, Grace


Dear Diary,

We had a double birthday here today. Serenity is now a toddler - she's so cute! - and Luke is due to start school. I'm not sure where he got those clothes; I certainly didn't buy them! I think I'm going to sit down with Mark and discuss discipline. I'm all for letting the children have a say in their own lives, but there's gotta be some limits, right?

Love, Grace

Tough boy Lucius talks to his unborn brother or sister.

Grace - fulfilled impossible want, 30 best friends

The ABC Kids Grow Up

My children are growing up. It makes me both sad and proud at the same time. I mean, it's supposed to be that way, right? And they're turning out great. Any father would be proud. But at the same time... I miss my babies, my little ones.


Aisling is a teenager now. She's a fortune sim, and says she's going to be incredibly rich some day. I don't know whether she's inherited it from my father and grandfather, or if it's due to some old memories from when she was a baby and we had so little money, we had to put her crib in the living room-slash-kitchen.


Ciaran is in school, and doing very well. I don't think I've ever seen anyone quite that blond before, but Meadow says she had that color hair as a child, so maybe it'll get darker as he grows up. He seems to have inherited his mother's lack of cooking skills, as well... I myself am a chef now, so I guess I'll have to teach him how things are done.


We had a big party the other night, something of a three-in-one: getting Ciaran into private school, celebrating Bridget's birthday, and saying goodbye to Aisling as she was leaving for college. She's going to do very well there, I'm sure - she's a bright kid, my girl.


Bridget is a family sim, like myself and Meadow. She says she wants a life just like ours: happy marriage, three kids, nice house... When your child tells you that, you know you've done a good job!



Riordan - reached top of second career, Celebrity Chef
Meadow - reached top of first career, Visionary; reached top of second career, General

The Trouble With Roommates

I remember when I thought having a roommate would be fun. I figured "Colin is popularity, I'm romance - he can make friends with my lovers, and I'll woohoo with his friends. It'll be great!"

Um, yeah. Right.

I had no idea he was going to turn out to be such a prude! Everytime I invite someone over for some fun, he goes all judgmental and morally superior on me. If I happen to flirt with them, he drops whatever he's doing and starts making faces at us, acting all disgusted. What's up with that?

You know, Colin and I first met on the 'net. He was in college, I had just moved into this place, and I guess neither of us had anything better to do right then. We got along pretty well, so we started to chat regularly, especially after we figured out who the other was - not only are we both from Prosperity, but his brother was engaged to my sister! (I hear they're married now, by the way, with a little kid and another on the way. So not the life for me...) Anyway, he didn't have a place to live lined up for when he left college, so I suggested he move in with me... My mistake.


Lately I've taken to meeting my lovers in town instead. Public woohoo is fun, anyway! And it gives the store clerks something to talk about; I bet it's the highlight of their day. One guy in particular is kinda cute... Too bad he's so young. I draw the line at robbing the cradle.


But I can't stay in town forever. And at home, it's back to the same old - Colin, looking like I'm committing some heinous crime just because I believe in free love. As if he's so much better, with his constant partying. Do I complain when he brings over new friends every day and expects me to help him entertain them? Entertain them, just as long as I don't flirt with them!


Since when does he make the rules, anyway? It's my home, isn't it? Maybe I should make that clear to him...

Follow that sim!

Deirdre - reached top of second career, Celebrity Chef
Colin - reached top of second career and fulfilled LTW, Hall of Famer; fulfilled impossible want, 30 best friends

So Alike, And So Different

You know, when my boys were young, a lot of people had trouble telling them apart. Even Joe and I would sometimes mistake them for each other if they were trying to play tricks on us, as boys will do. And they don't just look alike, their personalities are very similar as well.

So how did they turn out so different?

Daniel went into crime, like his father before him, then switched to business. He's devoted to his wife, Shanna, and could not have been happier when she told him they were going to have a baby. He wears his hair very short, almost in a crewcut, and is determined to advance in his career, and make a fortune while he's at it.


Milton, on the other hand, is in show business, apparently very successful, and wears his hair very long. (Sometimes my hands itch for a pair of scissors! Call me oldfashioned if you will.) He has plenty of lovers, and I don't think he's ever even laid eyes on that little girl he fathered on Mackenzie Darnell. I didn't even know she existed until Joe told me. My granddaughter! It amazes me that Milton just doesn't seem to care; it can't be that he has something against children, because he adores his little sister. I'm going to have to sit down and have myself a talk with that boy; he's got to take some responsibility.


Speaking of my stepdaughter: Aaliyah has grown up into the most beautiful little girl. Very tidy, always cleaning up after the rest of us, and she never seems to run out of energy. She also has this funny little quirk - she only wears green. Ever.


But we do have another baby in the house, Daniel and Shanna's daughter. Would you believe they called her Iona? Iona Carr - is that supposed to be funny? Well, it's their decision, I suppose... Shanna is lovely, a popularity sim just like me. She dreams of being an athlete, and works out as often as she can, given that she has a baby to take care of.


As for myself... well, I'm starting to feel old age creeping up on me. It's not simply the fact that it seems every time I turn around, I have a new grandchild. My bones are creaking, my bladder isn't working like it used to, I get tired much more quickly, and I never seem to feel warm enough. Joe had an open fireplace installed when I told him that - isn't he adorable? I love him more every day.

Joe and his children have a late brunch together.

Daniel - reached top of first career and fulfilled LTW, Criminal Mastermind; reached top of second career, Business Tycoon; fulfilled impossible want, earn 100 000
Milton - reached top of first career, Icon

To Tell Or Not To Tell

I'm faced with a terrible dilemma. Do I break my father's heart, or do I let him live a lie?

This is all about my mother, you see. She's going through some sort of midlife crisis, I guess. She dyes her hair to cover up the grey, wears her work clothes all the time, as if to remind everybody that she's still young enough to have a successful career. That wouldn't matter, though, if it weren't for the rest.

She's having affairs on the side.

I know she's a romance sim, but I always believed she was faithful to my dad. They had such a great relationship. In fact, with all us kids running around the house, I don't see how she could possible have found a chance to carry on an affair in secret. But now...


Not long after the birth of our son, Neil, Maeve went into town to buy him some toys and stuff. She came home looking shell shocked, and told me she'd seen Carol - that's my mom - with some young guy, flirting and making out. Then they disappeared into a clothing booth together! Maeve couldn't stand to watch, so she hurried out of there as soon as she could, but it was clear enough what they were doing in there.

I was horrified, of course. Who wouldn't be. But I needed to be sure, so - and I'm not proud of this - I found my mother's diary and looked through it. She had written quite a bit about that guy Brandon she works with; apparently she's been sleeping with him, too. When I confronted her, she told me it was none of my business. She didn't even try to deny it! She said she'd spent her life trying to be something she's not, and now she was making up for it.

Where does that leave my dad?!?!


He seems so happy with her. If I told him the truth... I don't want to think about what that would do to him. He loves her so much. And she says she isn't going to leave him; she says if Maeve and I just keep our mouths shut, nothing has to change.

Well, one thing has changed already, and that's our relationship. I can't even stand to look at her. The other night, while dad was at work, she invited the sim who delivers our groceries to stay and have a dip in the hot tub... I went upstairs as quickly as I could, so I wouldn't have to see her put the moves on him. But apparently Grandpa's ghost showed up and scared her, so she put it off for another time, I guess.


I just don't know what to do. There's no good solution here, is there? Either I keep quiet, becoming my mother's accomplice in her cheating, or I tell the truth, and break my dad's heart. Is preserving the peace a good enough reason to live a lie? I tried to talk to Maeve about it, but she says she doesn't have any answers for me.


What's a sim to do?

Careful with that hand, Gramps!

Henry - reached top of second career, Cult Leader
Maeve - reached top of second career, Ecological Guru

A New Arrival, A New Departure

Michelle's journal continued...


This house is certainly a good place to be if you wish to study life in all its forms. And I'm not just talking about the ghosts, either, although they do offer plenty of opportunities to catch a glimpse of the supernatural.

Jack and Derek were both in shock when they heard that their brother Mark had been abducted and was expecting an alien baby. Personally I saw it as fascinating, but I'm afraid they didn't share my view of the matter. Well, Mark has his own place, but I was soon to get a chance to watch a male pregnancy much closer to home.

Jack was abducted, you see. My own husband! I almost wished the aliens had taken me instead, but I've never heard of a female sim returning pregnant from an abduction, so I guess this gave me something else to study instead. Because yes, Jack was pregnant. He seemed of two minds about the whole thing - on the one hand, he was disturbed by the abduction (he wouldn't even talk to me about it!) but on the other, he very much wanted the child. I watched carefully and took notes throughout the pregnancy, which seemed very similar to a normal sim pregnancy, interestingly enough; from the initial nausea to the expanding belly. I do wonder about that - men don't have a uterus! Just where does that baby grow inside their bodies?


When the baby was born, Jack named her Skye. Trite but appropriate, I suppose. She looks different from Casey when he was a baby, and not just in coloring; her eyes are huge and strangely shaped, her nose is very small, and her cheeks almost hollowed out. But in every other way she seems like any other baby. Fascinating. I wish I could study her DNA more closely, to see if I could detect what the differences are between sims and aliens - but I suspect Jack would object to me dissecting his daughter. (And she's too cute, anyway.)


Then, just as we were getting used to having an alien in the house, tragedy struck. My sister-in-law Laura decided to fix the microwave before going to bed, and managed to electrocute herself! Poor Jack and Casey watched it happen, and were absolutely traumatized. Derek was upstairs and couldn't make it in time to plead with the Grim Reaper for his wife's life, so Jack tried to do it, but he failed. It took him very hard, I know. Saving people is what Captain Heroes are supposed to do, and this was his own sister-in-law...


Despite her mother's tragic death, Teresa managed to collect a fair number of scholarships, and left for college. She said she couldn't stand being here any longer, that she was constantly expecting to see her mom around the corner, and then remembering she would never see her again. Poor girl. Poor Derek, too - both his brothers have been abducted, his wife is dead, and his daughter isn't living at home anymore.



I haven't told anybody yet, but I've been thinking about something... In my career in the paranormal, I have gained access to something called a "Resurrect-o-nomitron," which is supposed to be able to bring people back from the dead. I was eager to use it to summon back Donna or Zedekiah, to question them about life after death, but Jack and Derek both insisted that their grandparents had lived long full lives, and should be allowed to rest in peace. Well, Laura died before her time, so surely that objection doesn't apply to her? It would make such a fascinating case study... Perhaps I should just do it, without asking their opinion first. It would make a surprise to top all surprises, wouldn't it?

Skye grows into a toddler.

Happy Family

Hey, it's me again - Byron Preston.

I gotta tell you, life is pretty darn good. I mean, there's still stuff I want to do, like earn a whole lot more money, but just being happily married and watching my daughter grow up... Well, it's pretty darn good.

Julia is a child now, and a smart, pretty, happy child at that. Okay, maybe I'm just a little bit biased. Still, she's great, you know? Sometimes I just look at her and can't believe she came from me. She gets good grades at school, and she loves when mom teaches her stuff. She's already saying she's going to go to college one day, and I don't doubt that she's going to do very well when she does.


It's funny how Faith and Julia are so much closer in age than Faith and I are, even though she's my sister and Julia's aunt. Well, it happens like that sometimes, I guess. Anyway, Faith studied real hard, got herself a bunch of scholarships, and left for Sim State. I worry a little about how she's going to cope socially, seeing how very shy she is - that can't be easy for a popularity sim... But there are some other Prosperity kids her age going too, so maybe they'll look after each other. After all, we did when Isabel and I were in college!


Isabel decided she wanted to be a chef. She started making candies, and watching cooking shows, and said she wanted to have one of her very own one day. Of course she did it, too - nothing gets in her way when she makes up her mind about something like that. Then after she proved that she could do it, she turned right around and went back to the army again. Go figure. But when she isn't working, nothing makes her happier than painting. Julia likes it, too, and they have these two easels standing right next to each other in the living room... I love seeing them together like that, laughing and talking about their paintings.


In fact, I just love my wife and daughter, period. They're the greatest. Isabel and I have decided not to have more children; why would we want to, when Julia is everything we could ever ask for? And, you know, the baby-toddler stage isn't that much fun, honestly. It takes up so much of our time - time that we can spend together now, instead of changing dirty diapers.

I'm in business now, and my stepfather Komei has apparently decided to go into politics - and you know, I'm still not sure what it was he did before. Doesn't matter, though, as long as he makes my mom happy...

"I really wish I hadn't had a hamburger for lunch..."

Verity - fulfilled impossible want, max all skills
Komei - reached top of first career and fulfilled LTW, Criminal Mastermind
Isabel - reached top of second career, Celebrity Chef