Roque - February 2025

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The Roque Family

Yuan is 35, Françoise is 30, George is 10, Charles is 8 and Noémi is 2

(Tao Zang is 71, Yena Zang is 67, Xiang and Xun Zang are 42, Marcus Young is 33, Elisa de Leeuw is 30 and Madeleine Rai is 27, Eleanora Roque is 20 and Brent de Leeuw is 4)

Narrated by Yuan

We have Boy now for about 4 years, and it used to be Fran and I who took care of him the most. Seeing George and Charles were only 4 and 6 years old when we got him, I think that was reasonable.

Now that they are old enough, they both help out with Boy. George is more neat than Charles, and it seems to show in their chores, since George mostly is the one to clean up after Boy.

While Charles is mostly the one who does the fun things with Boy, like throwing a stick. But as long as the boys get along, Fran and I don't see a reason the intervene.

There's one chore we refuse to let them do though. Neither of them is allowed to give boy a bath! I think we would end up with 2 soaking kids and a flooded bathroom, and Boy still dirty, if we would let them. So that's something that still comes down to us.

We got Boy when both George and Charles were older, so we were a little bit affraid of how he would react to Noémi. But he's great with her!

When the boys are at school, she sees Boy as the ideal playmate, and she tries to cuddle him all the time. He's such a good dog, and just lets her.

And she simply adores his bed. Noémi isn't the easiest to put down for a nap, but when she decides herself it's time for a nap, she just climbs in Boy's bed, and she's asleep before we can take her out.

Noémi really doesn't like to be in her crib at all! She doesn't like it when we put her down for a nap or for the night, and she seems to really hate it when we don't get her out as soon as she wakes up!

Otherwise she's a really adorable toddler though. She likes to smile and is always in for a cuddle.

And she's clever, and she doesn't give up. When Fran thought her to walk she seemed as determinded to learn it as we were to teach her.

Now that the boys are older, their differences start to show much more. For example George is always up at 7, and he always makes his bed.

He plays in his room untill the schoolbus arrives.

Charles on the other hand, stays in bed untill the very last minute and has to rush to get ready in time.

They do get along most of the time.

Although they can have their brotherly arguments, but I gues that's just the way it goes with brothers.

Even though it's winter, Fran and I try to get the boys out once in a while. They like ice skating and we are lucky to have 2 skate rinks in SimsVille.

Unfortunatly they still fall quite a lot, and when it has happened a number of times, they get tired of it, and want to go back home.

They also beg us to take them to the playground. I just don't get why, since it's freezing cold, but I gues it has something to do with meeting their friends.

Fran usually is the one who takes them, and since the park is across the street from Elisa, one of Fran's best friends, they make sure to arrange some kind of playdate. I still don't know how they do  it, sitting on a bench when they boys are playing, when it's freezing cold.

Fran tries to meet with her friends outside of playdates as well. I have to agree with her that it's important to keep in touch.

It's not always easy, with kids and jobs and such, but they make it work. Usually they stay in SimsVille and to bowling or something.

I do think they end up at the bar pretty soon, to catch up with everything that has been going on in their lifes.

On Fran's nights out, I allow the boys to stay up later than usual, and order pizza, which they are allowed to eat on the couch.

And after pizza I'll let them play some games before bed, and that way we have a real boy's night.

We both think it's important to keep in touch with our families as well. With Fran's dad out of the country most of the time, it's only her sister on her side.

Ellie loves our kids, she makes time for all of them when ever she visits. I'm sure she'll be a great mother one day.

She loves feeling a little kid sometimes, and when the boys beg her to have a snowballfight with them she hardly ever hesitates.

Her boyfriend is great as well. They have been together almost 2 years now, and he seems to quite like to be around the family as well.

He's pretty famous but whenever we ask the for dinner, he always makes time in his schedule. I'm sure our familydinners can be quite hectic for him, seeing he's been living alone for quite some time.

Once a month dad insits on doing something with his sons. He likes to know what's going on in our lives, and usually takes us out to play some cards, so we can play and chat at the same time.

We don't play for the big money, it's just a nice way to spend the evening and to catch up with everybody.

I think mom and dad miss being around children. Last year they moved from Xun's household, with 5 children, to Xiang's household, with 3 children a couple of days a week, and it was quite an adjustment for them.

They drop by to hang out with the kids, at least once a week. Since all 3 of them adore their grandparents they don't mind at all.

Those days seem like the perfect opportunity for me and Fran to get some time together, and just be us instead of parents of 3.

We don't need much, just a nice, not home cooked, meal in the restaurant just around the corner is more than enough.

We've been talking about getting married for some time now, but kept postponing making it official.

 But on one of those 'date' we finally did. It wasn't something big or very romantic, but it was what and how we wanted it. We still decided to wait untill Noémi is bigger, but at least now we're officially engaged!

Notes:

• This update is a bit longer than I expected, but I had fun with this family :)
• Finally Yuan and Fran are engaged. They didn't exactly roll the want to get engaged, but I figured it was time. They have been together for at least 11 years (I didn't take notes back then the way I do now, so I'm but clueless about that), and they have 3 kids together, so it was time.
  I've set their weddingdate for May 2027, by then Noémi will be a child as well.
• I can't believe that, by the next time I'll play this family, George will be teen! At the same time I'm looking forward to it, because I think he'll be a very handsome teen, and I want to see that!
• I think living with Xiang is quite an adjustment for Yena and Tao. Xun's household was much busier with their 5 kids. Xiang's kids are only with him a few days a week, so the house is a lot calmer. We'll see more of them next time I'll play them.