Odyssey: Sound of Music, Chapter 10

Winterfest has come and they haul the tree out of inventory.  Once they figure out how to reset everything, they redecorate it and get the presents all set out again.

While they are decorating the tree, Coco has her birthday and becomes an elder.  Now it will be possible to tell the difference between Coco and Mata.

While Teresa is making the grand feast, Grace sneaks a present.  Something to sell as she receives a digital camera.  After they eat, there are more presents all around.

They receive a new grill to replace the barrel they have been using since Marilyn began the challenge.  They are allowed to keep it since the fridge has been unlocked.  They also receive some upgrade parts, which are all funneled to Teresa.  She will be able to make the last upgrade to the stove now.  They also received several decorative items and a tea brewer, which I am also allowing them to keep at this point.

After they opened presents as a family, while waiting for Father Winter, Howl went up to practice the piano.  He had just a little bit remaining before mastering it, and he wanted to get it done (he did).  While he practiced, Teresa is painting so that she can have items to sell to bump her up for her aspiration.  She needs §18,000 more in income to complete the Fabulously Wealthy aspiration – her second.  Grace is spending the day reading.

While Teresa was leveling handiness, she made all of the sculptures.  These don’t count as a collection, but she kept one of each, at excellent quality.

After Father Winter came and they opened his presents, and went through the second round of gifts, they ended up selling a computer and karaoke machine plus several other items to clean out their inventory.

Deciding to work on another collection while they wait on Grace to take over the challenge, Teresa buys a fuckton to holiday crackers.  Everyone pitches in to open the crackers, looking for the holiday plushies.

Then I realize that Grace had taken a bubble bath beforehand and damned if she isn’t hysterical now.  She is sent to calm down and get ready for school while Teresa and Howl continue to open way too many crackers.  They have already completed the collection at this point, but there are still more crackers to open.

The collection of holiday plushies makes the fifth complete collection.

Teresa and Grace get home at the same time, and Grace has gone from hysterical to mortified.  The roller coaster emotions of the teenager are as turbulent as those of the toddler.

She asks Teresa for advice and whatever it was boosts her conflict resolution at the expense of her emotional control.

They have a quiet evening around the house and then Howl comes home with a promotion – he is now a Symphonic String Player, level 8.

Teresa heads out for a evening jog because she noticed that her hips are spreading, and maybe some jogging will slow that down a little.

Since Howl still needs to practice for work, he decides to pick up the violin for the rest of his promotions.

Louis is either singing along or begging him to stop.

And Coco is sick again.

This time, Coco has Squirrel Scratch Fever, and of course Howl chooses the expensive treatment option.  With a quick shot, Coco is feeling better and they both head home.

Grace had a really rough day at school, and even the calming chamomile tea and a bubble bath didn’t help.

It was the Night Out on the Town holiday, and I was thinking they had to actually leave.  Then I realized that just ordering from the food stall across the street would count.  Done.  Everyone was able to be in bed asleep by 10 pm, including Howl who gets home from work at 9 pm.

I still don’t know if this is a glitch or if the cats are supposed to be able to sleep with the sims, but awww.

Grace is finding that reading books helps with her lack of fun a lot more than it helped when Teresa was a teen.  It is also helping her complete the first tier of her aspiration.

Howl was out working in the garden but when he was done he decided he wanted tea, and he wanted tea, Right.Now.

Grace also took a mug of tea.  Teresa had made a pot of Healthy Green, so maybe that was what was drawing everyone in. (nope, just the normal obsession with tea).

The cats look like they are having a secret meeting.  It isn’t quite a secret since they are having it in the middle of the inspirational room, but it is cute.  They are always hanging out together and playing together (even Coco plays now).

Sunday morning breakfast – this challenge, so far, has allowed for the family to have breakfast together more than most of my challenges.  Although it doesn’t look like they are eating, they have all eaten in stages close enough to say they ate breakfast together and have already cleaned up their plates while Teresa is the last to finish.

Teresa and Howl both have the day off and they are going to work on Howl’s second aspiration today – soulmate.  That means Grace gets to tend to the garden for the day, and it will help her learn some gardening since she will be having the responsibility at some point anyway.

After she finishes with the garden, she calls Elsa and invites her over.  Elsa has finally made it to teenager, so they have more in common again.

When Grace hears that Marilyn’s bonds are weakening, she goes out to strengthen them, and she strengthens Jake’s also.

Howl’s first two dates only needed to be dates, but gold is easy to get, so they went for gold on both dates.

Then they became best friends.  Teresa really needs a bath before they start on the next two dates.

These dates just need to be silver, but once again they will be going for gold on both dates.

Howl is on the last tier – 50 romantic gestures and three gold dates, but it is almost bedtime and they will finish up the aspiration next time they both have the day off from work.

Teresa tries to grab  bite to eat but Louis is begging for food.  This is one thing he refuses to learn.

Grace was working on her needs and had everything but fun and energy.  She was hoping to use the new stereo tonight but she will be going straight to bed instead.

Taking a break from practicing any instrument, Howl goes for a jog for the first in, well ever.  Then, he goes to work.

Teresa and Grace still get home at the same time.  Teresa completed the Fabulously Wealthy aspiration with her paycheck today.  That is two aspirations for her – Painter Extraordinaire was the first.

Grace came home, still a teenager.  Today she is on the Edge of a Breakout.  Teresa tries to talk her through the mood swing and then tries to help her redirect her mood.  Neither worked.

Then Grace tried to help her with her needs (lack of anything fun to do) by making a fun face at her.  This, surprisingly, helped improve her mood a lot.  She was at least willing to read a book afterwards, which improved her fun back into the green.

Of course, she is still in the middle of a mood swing, but at least her fun is improving.

With her mood improved somewhat, Grace repairs her first object.  After which she tends to the garden and finally gets to bed early the next morning.  Teresa and Howl were both in bed at a reasonable hour.  Sucks to be the heiress sometimes.

Simmers!

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