End of round 7

So finally it's the end of round 7, and as promissed there will be some changes in round 8. More about that later. First of all I want to congratulate our university graduates:

From left to right:
Sya - Catherine - Annie - Abby

Also, Jack and Lewrence Penninkmeijer, and Elisa de Leeuw have succesfully finished their first 1 year.

So, now it's time for the rest:
First of all there is going to be a change in the rotation. From now on a round will start in the winter, instead of the fall. So round 8 will start in the winter of 2014 and will end in the fall of 2015. This means there will be no fall 2013.
I changed this because it will be eassier for the new birhtday-system; from now on there will be no birthdays during the time I play with a family. Every birthday will be celebrated in the winter. If someone will be 55 in 2015, he will celebrate his birthday in the winter of 2015.
Also new in round 8, will be the schools. I have desided to have a primary and a high school in SimsVille. Principal of the high school will be Hans Mokara, and principal of the primary school will be Marie Gerrits, who you will get to know during round 8. I'm not as creative in contructing schools, I'm recently rebuilding Upper SimsVille, and it takes up almost all of my building creativity, so I downloaded the primary and high school available at Sullivan (thank you Carla). I've put schools in because, hardly any of my sim-children are teens know each other, and I want that to change. I don't think I will blog about the schools, after all I don't blog about university either, but I haven't desided about that yet. I will try to upload a school picture every round.

To finish this of, I'm thinking about introducing ROS in my hood, I'm still working an a ROS-file, I don't know when it will be ready, but I hope it will be by the start of round 9.

Zanobi 2 - Summer 2013

Last update/Next update

The Zanobi Family
Dimitri is 31, Andrea is 33, Matthew is 8 and Marlys is 4

Dimitri: I wish we would be able to do something more with the the house. It's nice, it's Andrea's dreamhouse, and I like it too, and Andrea did a great job decorating it. But we didn't have enough money to do something with the garden. It's summer now, and I would love to have a garden to enjoy!
I work hard to earn more money, to be able to do something with the garden, but it just doesn't seem to be enough. Animal paradise is going so well, but maybe I can promote it even more, by breeding pets my own! Andrea isn't thrilled about the idea, and the kids can't wait for me to bring home some animals.
I'm a little bit worried about Andrea's job at the moment. I knew she didn't have a job you could talk to others about, but I never asked questions, if something would have been wrong, she would have told me. Lately I have seen her go out, dressed like a robber!
So one night, before she had to leave for work again, I talked to her about my worries. She said it was silly for me to worry about such things, that she wouldn't take any risks with 2 kids at home. She agreed her job wasn't safe all the time, but she would certainly be carefull! I know she's right, but I just don't have good feeling about it.
The kids are fine, doing great in school. Matthew has taken it upon him to teach Marlys to play chess. She's not very good at it, and I think Matthew enjoys the fact that he's able to win. When he plays with me, I don't let him win, so he hardly ever wins, but I have to admit, he's getting beter, and it's becomming harder to win from him.
At school he's going fine too. He used to ask us to help him with his homework, but now he wants to proove he can do it on his own. When we try to help, he just says we have to leave him alone. We just let him, his grades are still good, so there is no need to worry.
Marlys recently started school, and she still needs our help. I know it hurt Andrea a little bit, when Matthew refuses to let her help him, and I can see it makes her happy that Marlys still needs her.
When I see my kids spending time togethetr, I start thinking about the time Lucas and I used to spend together. So recently I started calling Lucas a lot more, and we agreed on going bowling one night, it will be nice.

Mokara 1 - Summer 2013

Last update/Next update

The Mokara Family
Hans is 40, Yin is 37, Melina is 8, David is 2 and Sam is 1

Yin: We have been living here for some time now, and I still feel the same as before; I love living here! I wish we would be able to buy the house, that way we could add an extra room, but that's just not possible.
Anyway, the rent isn't very high, but it still isn't the same as your own house. The neighbors aren't great, but as bad as where we used to live, that's hard to get, so we are happy with them.
But like I said before, the house isn't that big. We only have 3 small bedrooms. It's a good thing the boys are so close in age, so they can share a room.
Speaking of the boys, they are doing great! They are growing so fast, and ask almost all of our attention.
It's hard to find a shedule that works for both Hans and I. Since Hans works in the education, he's home during the weekends, so that's no problem. But during the week one of us always needs to take some time off, we don't want to hire a nanny, and we both want to be with the kids as much as we can.
And then of course there is Melina. My sweet, sweet, Melina. She still doesn't bring home a lot of friends, but she seems to be happy. I mostly come from work, when she comes home from school, and I try to take some time to sit down with her and talk to her. I don't want her to feel left out when we are both taking care of the boys.
She doesn't ask for any attention at all, not even when she's doing her homework. I don't think she ever asked for our help. Apparently she doesn't need our help, because her grades are really good!
We always try to have dinner together, as a family. We even try to have the boys there too, but they are still so young, so it's not always possible, but it's always nice to have the whole family together.

Birthdays - Summer 2013

It's time for the birthdays!
This season we celebrate Anabel and Anthoy Spits' 1st birthday.
So this is Anthony, who doesn't look a lot like his father, at least I don't think so, and I'm really bad in seeing similarities in parents and their children.
And here is Anabel. Both children have brown eyes, but both Kristianne and Jason have brown eyes too.

Belio 1 - Spring 2013

Last update/Next update

The Belio Family
Bram is 38, Ling is 37, Johanna is 14 and Steven and Stephan are 4

Ling: Bram and I both have been really busy lately. I have been working hard to get a promotion, wich I got, and we really needed the money. Bram on the other hand has opened the shop a lot lately, again because we really need the money.
I wish I could have stayed home a lot more, and spend more time with my children, but it just couldn't be. Steven and Stephan recently started school, and that's pretty much all they talk about.
Jo on the other hand is rather distant lately. Most of the time she's on her own, or on the phone with her cousin, Anna, and when she has the chance she goes over there.
We asked Jo to look after the boys in during the weekends when we are at work, and she does stay at home, but most of the time she stayes in her room, leaving the boys downstairs with their toys.
To encourage her a little bit more, we agreed on letting her go out 1 night in the week if she does a little bit more around the house and spends some time with us. I have to admit, she does everything we ask, but ... I don't know how to say it but she's just not the same.
One day I talked to her about it, but she keeps her distance. She just asked when she could have her night out. It hurt me, because I always saw myself as a mom to who you can tell everything, and talk to about everyhting, but apparently Jo thinks about it differently.

Min 1 - Spring 2013

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The Min Family
Quan is 42, Chu is 41, Anna is 13 and Benny is 7

Anna: I was only 2 when mom and dad desided to move to SimsVille, so I don't know how we used to live. But sometimes I wonder why mom and dad made the desicion to move, or how my life should have been if we hadn't moved.
But then I think about the house we live in, and the room and friends I have here, and I'm glad they moved! I love the privacy of my room, a place where I can be myself. Maybe if we hadn't moved I was forced to share a room with Benny, and he would see me play with my toy-robot! I don't think I could have handled that.
He already feels so much better than me somtimes; always doing what mom and dad expect. Most of the time he even goes to tell them he did his homework and I didn't. I just hate that!!
No, I don't think sharing a room would have been a great idea.
Mom and dad don't listen to me, when I tell them about my frustrations. They just think it's sweet that he does his homework, and that I'm just being a pain in the ass for not doing it. So to get my frustrations off I'm on the phone all the time. I call Laura (my best friend) and Johanna (my cousin) a lot! Johanna knows what I'm talking about, she has 2 little brothers, and Laura just listens, wich helps so much.
On top of it all, mom and dad think I'm too young to go out! They don't even let me go to the parc on my own! Sometimes I don't think it's because they think I'm too young to go out, but because Benny is too young to stay home alone. So instead of letting me go out, the agreed on having Johanna over for a sleepover! We had a great time, I didn't even mind that Benny was there too!
I think mom and dad were happy when we finally went to bed. They enjoyed the peace and quiet, I guess, because they stayed up to play some chess.

Zang 2 - Spring 2013

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The Zang Family
Wang is 52, Chao is 49 and Bai is 20

Bai: Another move! I'm getting a little bit tired of all the moving, but this time we had no choice, because the building we were living before, is getting demolished. This apartment is beter anyway, but all the moving ....
Anyway, life is so boring! Even though the apartment is beter, the neighbors aren't. There isn't one sim living in this building that is a little bit interesting! I don't have a job yet, and I'm getting bored. How many times can you read a magazine before you know it by heart?
I hang around in my PJ's all day. One day I got lucky, and saw a girl walking by. She was in her PJ's too. I ran downstairs and started talking to her. We kind of connected, two souls in PJ's. I want to meet her more often, but she refuses my calls, so I don't know how this will turn out.
Mom has been talking to me about getting a job. She doesn't want to force me into anything, she never was like that, but she would love for me to get a job. It's not necessary, we don't need the money or anything, but it would get me out of the house, give me a chance to meet new people.
Dad recently got a promotion, and is now working nights. This means he works nights, and he's home during the day. I have to watch everything I do, because he wakes up with every small sound.
So since my rest at home is gone, I desided to take mom's advice at heart, and found myself a job. It's not much but it's something. I wanted to go to work and meet a lot of people, maybe bring home some girls, but instead I brought home a promotion. I know it's good thing, but I really wanted the girls!

Note: Just like the Terrano family, the Zang family had to move, because of the changes in Upper SimsVille. The Draper family also had to move, but because they owned their house, I let them move in there again, and decorated it like it was before, so it doesn't look like they moved.

Birthdays - Spring 2013

First we have the announcement of a new arival in SimsVille soon. In the fall of 2013 Tosca and Xun Zang are welcomming their first child, this will be the 2nd grandchild for Tao and Yena.

At the Verbon household, they are celebrating a double birthday. Morgan and Zenzi are celebrating their toddler-birthday.

(the one to the left is Zenzi, and the one to the right is Morgana)

If Mia already thought is was hard handling them as baby's, she will have her hands full now they are toddlers.

Zang 1 - Winter 2013

Last update/Wedding/Yuan's next update/Next update

The Zang Family
Tao is 58, Yena is 54, Xun is 29, Tosca is 25 and Yuan is 22
(Robin is 22 and Françoise is 19)

Xun: So I'm a married man, I still can't believe it! I felt a little bit sad that I wasn't able to give Tosca a proper honeymoon, she really deserves it. But I promissed her that, one day, we will have the honeymoon she always dreamed off!
Mom and Tosca are getting along really well. I know Tosca wasn't too keen on living with my parents, but everything is settling into place. I know she will always be dreaming of her own place, but she understands that living here is for the best.
Tosca always wanted a large family, I knew it from the start, and ever since Lewis has been born, that want has grown stronger. Mom and dad are eager to have another grandchild too. And to be honest, I can't wait to have my own baby in my arms either, so I hope I can soon tell mom and dad that they will be having another grandchild soon!
Mom recently celebrated her 55th birthday, and I love watching mom and dad together. They have been having their differences, but somehow they always managed to get through it together.
But lately mom has been having some arguements with Yuan, and I have no idea if this will ever turn out for the best. After Xiang's wedding, and mine right after that one, mom has been talking to Yuan about settling down, and being a little bit mature. Sometimes she just stands in front of the pictures in the livingroom, dreaming about a famiy for Yuan too.
She never agreed with his choice of girls, but Yuan always kept seeing them. He even invited Fran to my wedding, and mom and Fran really seemed to get along. And now she wants Yuan to settle down with her.
But Yuan still has other girlfriends on the side. I don't know if mom knows about them, and I have no idea how he does it, without them finding out about each other. He goes out and isn't home untill really early in the morning.
There was no way mom wasn't going to find out he also lost his job! It came to a huge arguement, after wich Yuan packed his bags and moved out! He moved in with Fran and her parents. I don't know if he realizes that he has been giving mom what she wanted, even though it's not the way she wanted it: Yuan and Fran together.

Wagtmans 1 - Winter 2013

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The Wagtmans Family
Harry is 43, Mairi is 42, Camden is 2 and Collin is 1

Mairi: I don't what I had to expect when I agreed on having kids, but I'm sure it's not this! Don't get me wrong, I love my boys, I can't imagine a world without them.
But it's just so hard! Maybe it's because they are so close in age, but we don't seem to get any rest! Weekends especially are the hardest. During the week, there still is some distraction, but during the weekends it's just Harry and me, and the boys.
We try to divide the work. One day one of us get's up early to look after them, so the other one can catch up on some sleep, the next day it's the other day around.
But it still is hard. I'm always wondering how parents of twins can cope handling them both. They look so cute when they are in their high chairs, but when they don't get their lunches soon, they can scream so hard, you want to run away!
But when they had their lunch, they can be so sweet, when they let Harry and me have our lunch in peace and quiet!
And when they take their naps, they can even be much more sweeter! Those moments Harry and I even have some time together. We mostly spend it playing chess, but it's something.
When the boys are playing together, I try to spend some time with Lulu too. I have her since we moved here, and ever since we had the boys, I have been neglecting her a little bit. Like I said before, and I'm going to keep saying it, it's hard!
The day Cambed turned 4, was an amazing day. He was such a sweet toddler, and so eager to learn. But now he's a child, and he can do some things on his own, and he doesn't need our assistance all the time.
Soon Camden will start school too, and will be even more independent. The day Collin will start school too, the house will be so quiet, but it will be a great day!
Harry and I have been talking about having more children, and it may sound slefish, but I don't want any more, I want to be able to buy myself some things, and do something with the house and the garden, and ... well I just don't want any more children, I'm happy with my 2 boys!