Short update tonight as it’s way past my bedtime…I’ve been having fun visiting all of the new blogs that are popping up! I’ve linked to a bunch of new ones in my sidebar, so make sure you check them out.

Now for the update…I played my Legacy Challenge family for a few hours tonight, but didn’t take many pictures, mostly because it was mass chaos. Also, my lot slowed way down for a bit until I deleted about 30 light fixtures and got rid of some excess landscaping. I really need to save up for a new graphics card or some more RAM or something! I’m not sure which would be better.

Amid the chaos, I did make some progress. I wanted Taryn to fulfill her “Max All Skills” want, so she had this routine: use the energizer to max her needs, don the thinking cap, study until she maxed a skill (putting her in platinum), then hop into the energizer again. Sometimes she’d take a break from studying to make Smart Milk for Callum (since everyone else was in green or worse). Eventually she maxed all of her skills, huzzah! I didn’t take a picture of it, though. Instead I took random pictures like this one…

…in which Devin and a visitor — his brother Liam — play the punching game. I can just hear Devin saying, “You call that a punch, old man? Come on, do your worst! I can take it, I’m a SUPERHERO!” Patrick seems pretty impressed with him, anyway. Zuzu is on the couch in her PJs talking to yet another member of the Stafford family, little Tina. The Staffords are showing up everywhere lately! Maybe it’s because I finally bought them a phone.

Here’s another random picture of Robi, Zuzu, Patrick, and Devin eating breakfast. The kids always seem to want cereal in the morning. I took this picture mainly because of Zuzu — she makes the most evil faces, and I’m not sure why. Every time someone at the table would bring up a new topic of conversation, she would frown and glare at them. The only time she smiled was when she was talking. I don’t think any of my other Sims have done that, at least not to that level of consistency, but maybe I just haven’t paid enough attention.

I should mention that she has a Niceness of 4, which is what everyone else in the house has, and she’s a Leo, just like Devin, Fiona, Taryn, and everyone at Uncle Liam’s. So I’m not sure what her deal is.

So even though I’m not going for Devin’s “Have 30 Best Friends” want, I did want to put him in platinum if possible, and all he wanted to do was make best friends and throw parties. One night he threw a party that brought all of the ghosts out. They kept scaring everyone, particularly Robi, who ended up almost at zero in both Hunger and Energy. I ended up putting him in the toddler suite and had him alternate between napping and drinking juice until he was out of danger. His aspiration meter was dipping into the red, too, so I had him potty train Callum to get some aspiration points.

The ghosts made at least two other Sims in the household wet the floor — they really REALLY don’t like parties! I can’t imagine what it will be like in 9th generation when I throw a party and a dozen or so outraged ghosts come swarming into the house. Right now I’m glad that’s a long ways off.

Sometime that night the mysterious neighborhood hooligans tipped the garbage can over again, so we had roaches the next day. I called for the exterminator, but before he arrived, I found Taryn outside stomping on the little critters. Well, she ended up getting sick from it. I had her call in sick to work and go straight to bed. She had also gotten demoted at work the day before because of a chance card (I picked the wrong answer — AGAIN — darnit).

A funny thing happened when Taryn called in sick to work — her great aunt Kiara answered the phone! Apparently when she’s not haunting the house, she works at a local dining establishment…

So after Taryn maxed all of her skills, I had her move out of the house — I had to make room for Fiona’s next batch of kids. But instead of directing Taryn to read the paper and find her own place, I switched over to Uncle Liam’s house and had him ask her to move in. They had to build up their relationship a bit first while Taryn winced and coughed. I stupidly had them do the family hug and kiss thing, too, so she passed her illness on to Liam! Woops.

I had her bring Zuzu and Callum with her, since Callum is basically a clone of his brother Patrick. I’m thinking Patrick will be the heir because he has 31 personality points, and he’s a Taurus, which is a nice change of pace from all of the Leos in the house. I’m not exactly sure HOW it’s a nice change of pace, but at this point I’ll take anything different! Anyway, it made me chuckle to see Callum come crawling down the sidewalk to Uncle Liam’s house…

So now there are five kids at Uncle Liam’s! Poor guy. Thankfully Taryn is there to help him out. Zuzu seemed to hit it off pretty well with her uncle Rian — I caught them in a cute family hug in the living room.

I noticed that Rian could “Encourage” Zuzu to be Neat — she has a 6, he has an 8 — so I tried it out. Well, Zuzu didn’t like it one bit. She said “Nuh-uh!” and made horrible faces at him. I think that kid is possessed.

But she looks so cute and peaceful when she’s sleeping…

I had to rearrange all of the bedrooms to make room for the new household members, so things are a bit snug, but it’ll have to do for now. I used motherlode initially to enable Liam to move into the house I had built for him, but since then I haven’t given them any more money. They will have to make do with Liam’s Mad Scientist income and now Taryn’s Dishwasher income. I’m also toying with some extra “rules” for their house, but I haven’t solidified any yet. Anyway, it should be interesting!

Here’s a list of who’s living at Uncle Liam’s now:

Liam – 3rd gen, Elder, Knowledge
Taryn – 4th gen, Adult, Knowledge
Maire – 4th gen, Teen, Knowledge
Rian – 4th gen, Teen, Knowledge
Aidan – 4th gen, Teen, Knowledge
Zuzu – 5th gen, Child
Callum – 5th gen, Toddler

It’s definitely the House of Knowledge! Maybe I can get some alien abductions over on that lot, since I’m not having any luck with them in the main house.

I guess that wasn’t such a short update after all…I really am going to bed now! Good night!