The Lomax Family Ch. 2 The Continuing Saga

There have been a couple of events since the last post: Andy is no longer a toddler, for one thing. 

Lately life had become more complicated for the family. The kids were always inviting friends home and while they were welcomed by their parents, dinner sometimes consisted of just grilled cheese or chili, due to tight finances. It got a little crazy at times when there might be 3 or 4 extra kids at dinner. Jenny called it "The After School Madhouse"

This was a typical supper with their friends Lucy Burb, Gareth Caswell and another little townie girl who shall remain nameless. Jenny had to eat in the kitchen.

In a large family, all things seemed to happen around the dinner table. Recently when Larry Max was working evenings, Jenny startled the children by announcing she might have to go away for a week or two to visit her mother in the mountains, who was ill. The children love their grandmother but the thought of their mother being gone for that long really devastated them.

When she saw how upset the children were, Jenny hastily amended that it was only a possibility; that their grandma was doing a little better and if she continued to do so, Jenny would not go at all.

Responsible Mike was worried, though, and mentioned it in passing to Larry Max who was dumbfounded. He had no idea that Jenny's mother was sick. He assured Mike that no one was going to leave the kids to fend for themselves and later on he asked Jenny what the heck she was talking about. Jenny said, "I forgot to tell you about Mom being sick. Anyway, the kids are exaggerating, I only said I MIGHT have to go." Then she changed the subject and flirted with Larry Max and he forgot about it.

In the meantime, Chelsea had a birthday and entered high school. She began to notice things about her mother; things that were different about Jenny from the way she'd always been in their other house. For instance, she was always out and about town. Previously Jenny had been a happy stay-at-home mom and all her hobbies were easily enjoyed in her home; like sewing, painting and pottery. Now the minute the kids were on the school bus, Jenny was continually running the roads. She'd mention to the kids later that she'd spent the day at the park, or went skating or shopping. Nothing wrong with that, but every day? Larry Max was so busy with his job and his greenhouse and fruit trees that he hardly seemed to notice as long as Jenny was there for supper.

Chelsea also noticed that her mother was always trying to meet new people. Now this might not have been surprising since they were still considered the newcomers in tiny Pleasantville, but Chelsea thought it was a bit much that her mother actually RAN out to greet any passerby (especially the men).

 

It seemed to Chelsea that Jenny was pulling back from the family. Every minute that Larry Max was busy in the greenhouse or working, Jenny was on the phone. Chelsea had to wonder if she was on the phone when they were in school, too. She knew some calls were to her mother's female friends, but then one night, when her father was working, Chelsea saw Jenny whispering and giggling into the phone. Chelsea was clearing the table in the dining room where the phone was and she could HEAR that it was a man! And it sure wasn't her dad. Chelsea was very upset but Jenny did not end the call. She glanced at Chelsea and paused. Chelsea was embarrassed and went into the kitchen.  She could hear her mother continue her whispered conversation.

 

Chelsea quickly loaded the dishwasher and then went through the living room and up the stairs to her bedroom. She tried to forget about it that night by working diligently on her homework, but she kept being reminded of it in the following days as she watched her mother get more and more distant.

Chelsea couldn't help but wonder where it would all end...recently the children found themselves around the dinner table with BOTH of their parents absent (Jenny went off saying she needed some items at the art store, and Larry Max was working). But they had an after-school guest, Jeannie Walton, so they tried to put on a brave front. Chelsea had not been cooking long, so it had to be sandwiches. Of course, Chelsea just happened to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, everyone says so.

For the next installment of the Lomax Family go HERE

Next update to blog Glenn Caswell Ch. 1

 

The Larry Max Lomax Family Ch. 1 Newcomers to Pleasantview

The Lomax family moved to Pleasantview from a college town in North Carolina. Jenny Lomax had been a close friend of Melora Lassiter for years. Larry Max wanted to try a new career in the culinary business, but he definitely had to start at the bottom. Larry Max and Jenny had four kids; teenage Mike, Chelsea and Corky who are in grade school, and a toddler, Andy.

Larry Max and Jenny put nearly all their money into the new home and struggled to make ends meet between Larry Max’s salary and some money they put aside for expenses. Larry Max would rather Jenny not work unless absolutely necessary while Andy was so small. 

Jenny loved her children, but she had a restless heart. She was married in her senior year of high school and felt somehow she had missed some experiences along the way. Larry Max was working long hours and doesn't seem to notice Jenny's moodiness. But then, they always had a good relationship until recently. And even then, when Larry Max is home, and not so distracted he and Jenny still enjoyed each other's company.

One thing for sure, the family had some great kids. Even though Mike was at that hard to handle teenage stage, he was good about helping out at home. Not long after they moved, he met Lalique Flynn who lived nearby and was quite taken with her, but she was a senior going steady with Dana Brecht while Mike was only 13. However; she was happy to be his friend.

 

Then there was the irrepressible Chelsea. She looked just like her mother and never knew a stranger. She probably made the most friends the fastest of the entire family. She often played with Andy in the playroom, he mostly chews on the blocks at this stage.

Over at Damon Ottomas house

With Elise Miguel

With Lori Lassiter

Having supper at Elle Broke's house:

Corky was a little shy (but really only in comparison to Chelsea!) He made friends though and did extremely well in school. He also loved playing the piano like his father. 

Corky with his friend Colby Trimble.

And Andy was just the adorable and adored baby of the family

For the next installment of the Lomax Family go HERE

Ottomas Family Ch. 1 When the kids leave home...

When they moved to Pleasantview, the Ottomas family (emerging from the bin) was large and and growing larger. There are the parents, Pete and Samantha, oldest son Dylan (I renamed him from David since I already  had a David in town), Dylan was a teenager, elementary school daughter, Sharla (often seen around town before that visiting various children's houses) and toddler, Tommy, plus Pete's aged mother, Doralee. Samantha was highly pregnant with what would become the Ottomas twins (the infamous Ottomas twins), named Brian and Bridget. 

The family moved one of the town's largest homes and then proceeded to add a third floor. Now most of the children are grown. Doralee had extensive plastic surgery and began a career in the military. She and Sharla moved to a new, modern home to pursue their respective careers. Tommy got a job in another state, whether forever or not, no one knows. The twins are away at college. Only little Damon, the boy that Pete and Samantha adopted as an infant, remains in the home. He's in elementary school now.

Dylan (David)

Sharla

Tommy

 

Dylan and his new wife Elaine

Doralee's new look

 

Nana with Sharla

The twins Bridget and Brian with their parents and younger brother Damon

 

Pete Ottomas

 

Samantha Ottomas

Youngest son, Damon:

Pete would like to open the house to paying boarders. There are three vacant bedrooms and the whole third floor is unused except for Samantha's art studio, which could be moved to the 2nd floor. Of course, Pete just doesn't want to leave his beloved greenhouse, fruit trees and the pond where he fishes. Samantha, on the other hand finally has time to pursue the business career she has wanted for so long. She'll be tired at the end of the day and she doesn't want to come home to a houseful of "strangers". She favors moving to a smaller house. Pete points out their excellent location; not far from the shore, with great neighbors who keep their homes well-groomed. He has taken early retirement and wants to supplement their income with the boarders. Sam points out that means a lot of work; the house is huge and even with a maid coming in every day, it’s hard to take care of, she thinks they would need to hire a full-time cook. Both Samantha and Pete are living in somewhat of a dream world, because they are not getting any younger, the idea of boarders is probably not a good one, on the other hand, Samantha's dream of achieving the top of her field in business may not be practical when most of her contemporaries are checking out retirement options. She vowed she would never get caught up in the youth craze like Doralee and have a ton of plastic surgery, but Sam is not coming to terms with her age this way, either. At this time Pete is stubbornly clinging to his idea of keeping the house, but Samantha is consulting with a realtor to find a new, smaller home.

Next update: The Larry Max Lomax family Ch. 1

 

Genetic Problems

The two oldest children of my first family, the Lassiters, have reached adulthood. Grace and David always looked a little quirky, but I hoped it would come out in the wash. Some Sims 2 kids who are kind of ugly turn out quite well as adults. In this case, though, it seems they took the worst attributes of their fairly attractive mother (based on a real person) and made them a little more extreme. John, the father, is just a basic good-looking type Sim that I tweaked a little to make him look like a character in a story I wrote. Melora, the mother, is actually based on a person in real life so her features are a tad more customized, but hardly extreme. So I don't understand what happened to their oldest son and daughter, the daughter's mouth is extra small, but that would be okay, but her eyes; even with makeup they are not as nice as her mother's while David's mouth is just downright weird. When he eats he looks like a bulldog. So I'm a little worried about what will happen when they go on to marry whoever and have children--how weird will John and Melora's grandchildren be?

John Lassiter, the patriarch of this family:

Melora, the matriarch of the family:

Okay here are shots of the kids, Grace and David:

See? Below photo shows Grace's upper lip is even shorter and she just has no eyelid. You can't even hide it much with makeup. All the eyeshadow won't stick on her very well and leaves dark smudges under her eyes. There are weird planes to her face, too.

John in profile, showing his normal length upper lip.

Profile view showing David's shorter short upper lip and the white streaks at the corners of his mouth. he did not have these as a teenager.

 See what I mean about the white streaks?

Candid shot of Grace:

Well, we love them, no matter what, their parents and I, but I can't help but wonder what went wrong in the Sims 2 gene pool. 

Next update to Blog Ottomas Family Ch. 1 HERE