Sunday, February 16, 2014

Picking Up the Pieces - Part 3

Raising a toddler and working really takes it out of Greta. She's always exhausted. Mike is doing his best to care for Carrie and keep the house need, plus make most of the meals. New parents have a rough learning curve.

Raindrops on the hot tub. Just thought it looked cool.

 Greta throws up kind of often, so this may mean nothing. She's very sensitive.

Nope, not this time.
Greta: Mike, I want to tell you, I'm pregnant! It know it's soon, but, well, this is what we get for all that whoohoo. 
Mike: Oh, good. I'm so excited to have another baby, Gretzky! I'm just glad I wasn't fattening you up with all those waffles. [Greta runs off crying.] What? Oh, I didn't mean it. Greta... Hormones.

Mike: Greta, look, you're my world. You and Carrie and whoever this is going be in your womb, here. I want to be honest with you.

Mike: I just can't stand that you think I'd ever hurt you, that I'd ever give up the life we've built. Nothing is more important to me then you and my kids. That's why I wanted to protect you. Let me just tell you.

Mike: The woman on the beach, the day of our wedding, that's my sister, Ariel. I don't know how she found out where I moved to as we don't keep in touch, but maybe someone in the family told her the city and she happened upon us. I don't know. She's an addict and a user. Ariel came up and congratulated me on our wedding. I was wary. I couldn't make a scene. I just asked her what she wanted.

Mike: She said she wanted to be a part of my life again, maybe stay with us while she got settled. I told her absolutely not and she had to leave town. She's charming, my sister. She butters me up, makes me laugh, reminds me of when we were kids. Then she asks me for money and disappears for months or years at a time. It's her pattern. I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you to refuse to be with me if my family was so messed up. I realize now that I should have just told you before we even got married. I should have laid the cards out on the table, but who knows if Ariel will show up again for another few years or what?

Mike: I'm sorry I tried to hide it from you. And you made us this amazing house. I was supposed to pay for the honeymoon and had to cancel it all because my sister said she needed my help. I can't so no to her. She gets herself in these awful situations. But, I need to be a united front with you, for us, for our family. I was wrong not to tell you sooner and I hope you can forgive me.

Greta: Mike, why are you telling me all of this now?
Mike: Last night, some weirdos came to the door. They were looking for Ariel. I told them I don't know where she is and I haven't seen her since our wedding day a couple of years ago. They seemed satisfied and left without complaint. I am just glad it was me who answered as you'd have been caught off guard. They didn't seem dangerous and I'm not worried for us. I just want to come clean to you. I hate that you wondered terrible things about me all this time and I'd never hurt you. I used to wonder about staying married, but those days are gone. Our beautiful daughter and the life we have, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Greta: And the baby.
Mike: And the baby, of course. I couldn't be happier. Can you forgive me?
Greta: Of course. Now let's seal it with a kiss and put it behind us.
Mike: With you, just a kiss? [Oh, it was more than a kiss.]

Greta: Carrie, you're going to be a big sister! You're going to have a little brother or sister soon! Want to feel the baby in Mommy's tummy?
Carrie: Bay-bee.

 Greta works on the talking skill while Mike does some laundry.

 Despite growing another person, Greta is doing her best to parent Carrie with a little fun claw action.

All this skill building while pregnant wears her out. Greta really is fragile. She throws up a lot, even while not pregnant, and pregnancy is tough on her. 

Greta: Mike, let's take a shower together, you know.
Mike: Greta, I don't think we can. I mean, logistically...

Time for Greta to go to the hospital. Place your bets now. What'll she have?

Jackson the larvae. Where's my cool printed larvae pods? Bah. Mike loves taking care of the kids. He does a great job, even with Greta's gone all day. This particular day was rough though, so Greta had to look in on a few of Carrie's needs after work and then grab a nap. She woke up Mike to tend to Jackson, which was easy.

 Addition

When you forget to put a roof on your addition, your toddler crawls through a snow drift to her potty. Don't let your toddler crawl through a snow drift to her potty; roof your addition.

This is life when you have 2 little ones.

Last of the skills.

Wait. What's this? Those...those aren't waffles. Call the police. Someone's snatched Mike's body! He's in a pod somewhere. He made pancakes. Police!

Mistletoe. Just what they need. Bunnies can't keep their hands off one another.

Ugh, they're so sappy! 

Mike: Gretzky, how about one more?
Greta: One more, what, sweetheart?
Mike: One more baby. Let's go practice. 
Greta: Let me get back on my feet. Besides not now.
[Plus, you'd ruin the challenge!]

See you later, alligator!

Ugh, not again! Greta's getting a great many handiness skill points. Things in this house break more often than other houses, I'm certain.

Jackson no longer a larvae

Greta called a babysitter over to watch Carrie while she worked with Jackson on his skills. There seemed to be nothing to do when she got there and she kept shrugging confusedly.

Mike: Greta, wanna put Jackson down for a nap and...reconnect in the other room?
Greta: Mike! The babysitter is here?

Mike: Think she feels left out? Okay, she can come, too.
Greta: Mike! [Socks him in the arm.]
Mike: I was just kidding!

 Potty is done, now for walking.

 Solved the laundry-all-over-the-house problem by converting the old nursery into a laundry room and moving the laundry basket in there. I didn't realize it was trapped in the corner by their dresser because they were able to put laundry in, just not get laundry out. Sigh, pathing issues.

Last skill, finished! I don't consider a "raise the kid" level complete unless the toddler has all 3 skills done. Both of mine did. Having a problem with the money as I shot myself in the foot with that artisan thing and the money's been slow in coming. I did sell everything in the inventory and am still 20k short of winning the challenge. I like this family and think I'll keep playing them for fun.
In the next part, barring anything unforseen, we'll see if I either make enough money to win or end up losing. Also, if she gets pregnant again, I'll lose. And these bunny killers...you never know.

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