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These are definitely Ottomas chickens. They started off with 2 and towards the end of the round...11.
And counting...(hint, hint).
This, being not so story-ish, was actually much harder for me to pull together.
What follows are lots of pics and scenes just because I liked them.
(Happy Holidays!)
Sharla can't wait to see what the next everyday is gonna be like.
First they were still at home, at the old home, and then they were on the road and Granny was going
and then she was gone and they were sleeping in the RV and now the RV is gone but they got a new
home and new stuff and Granny is back and she's gonna be her new teacher 'stead of Mom and it's
more even better cuz Gran is cool and Mom just keeps having babies anyway and it's only been, like,
two tomorrows only and a today! This Widespot place is gonna be great, no matter what David says.
That's not exactly what David told her, that it wouldn't be great Boring maybe. But he is willing to go with the flow.
For a while.
After a quick primp—you never know—he was ready to go explore what went on around here.
It was so quiet (and not just because he left Sharla behind).
David was starting to think maybe he should've had that Woody kid show him around...eh.
The first person he saw was another somebody his age so David went over.
She was a lot like most of the girls he'd been friends with back home...
...no muss, no fuss, just fun.
Sharla wasn't the only one happy Gran would be stickin' around for a while.
Dora likes keeping her hands busy in the kitchen and she remembered that name, Beulah Land;
another woman her age in town with a big family to care for, that's what Penny'd said. So she
swung 'round that way—they're farther along down the road, she walked by them gettin' to Weiss—to
introduce herself and be neighbourly like and she came...home...with a pat of beef for some meatloaf.
David came home in a silly mood after meeting Viola.
"Wanna see what I found by the lake?"
Sharla takes things too far, though, sometimes.
"Didn't you hear Gran? Cut it out now, we're in the way."
"Sharla, come here and sit by me so Ma can finish cooking."
Granny and Dad were the law (and David was her idol) so Sharla did as she was told.
She wasn't happy about it but she'd get over it.
(Her mom's word was another matter, Samantha just didn't have the knack with her daughter.)
David made himself useful and went and got Tommy for dinner. Sure smells good! "Right, T?"
Dora was happy to be able to do for her family and have this time with them, no matter what.
"C'mon buddy, what are you doin', get outta there. You don't even like to use your own potty."
"Oh you think it's funny makin' a mess everywhere? Let's get
you out of this nasty puddle before Gran or Mommy sees you."
That's better. Peter wasn't thrilled about Tommy having to wear Sharla's old hand-me-downs
but he consoled himself (and Tommy) by telling him only a real man can pull off pink an' yellow.
There was only one bedroom in the main house so David, Sharla, and Gran got relegated to the
barn, not that he was complaining with the whole loft to himself. He might actually get used to this.
Today was their first day at the school where they'd get to meet all the other kids in town.
Sharla was excited. David, too.
Before she left, though, Sharla had to check on her chickens.
Her mom had decided it'd be a good idea, since they're out here in Widespot,
to raise poultry but so far Sharla had actually taken on the responsibility.
"I gots to go to school now. You be good and lay lotsa eggs for breakfast, k?"
"This place is great," Sharla said when she met the other kids. "You can be outside a lot and watch the leaves
turnin' different colours. And I got my very own chickens. Chickens! Can you believe it? Nobody else gots pet chickens."
*They're not pets, Sharla. Sorry.*
"That's nothing. We have cows and pigs at my house."
"Wow, cows? Hey, you ever tip 'em?—Or, or ride em! I bet it'd be fun to ride a pig. Cuz you
can jump on it easy. And they'd run around squealing and then you laugh so hard you fall off..."
River thought Sharla was a weird kid. But what was he gonna do? He can't sit with the other kids until his
transition and his sister and Rocky were playing with each other like always. Weird wasn't bad or nothin', anyway...
Viola thought she could sneak up on him—HA!
Woody didn't understand, Viola was a friend of his, of course he knew she was a girl. Like, what the hell?
In case anybody was wondering, he'd noticed Dixie was a girl, too.
And he saw her standing around waiting to talk to him.
It's good bein' the new guy in a small town.
"You're a real good teacher, Ms. Ottomas. I been thinkin' I'm-a teach, too, so I can stand in front
of people like Mr. Weiss only with a real mic but you made it fun without none o' that stuff."
~
Samantha woke up in the middle of the night. It was time.
She took deep breaths, releasing them slowly through her teeth.
She wasn't about to scream and wake up the whole family.
But she woke up Peter. "Go get your ma," she said, "Hurry."
He came back with Dora in tow.
"Why're you standin' like that? You said it was time, get back in the bed!"
"I want you to leave, Pete. Your ma's here, we'll handle it."
"Oh come on, not this still—"
"Go on, Petey. Just sit on the stairs or somethin' 'til it's done."
Bein' a midwife had been real helpful with this growin' brood. Samantha never trusted doctors, she
was real down on the idea of anybody lookin' at her area; even Peter had never been let in the room.
But he popped up from the stairs as soon as he heard Ma say "it's a girl".
Sammie started to send him away but more contractions kicked in she clamped
down on his hand and ordered him not to look but not to go anywhere either.
(Peter peeked at the birth of a second baby. Two! And this next one was a boy!)
*Yes, I do think Peter's sleep ensemble is hilarious, from every angle! Couldn't help myself.*
His ma had already told them it would be twins but Peter took the time to take it all in.
A new daughter and another son! He done damned good, he thought. Two-for-one!
The twins both checked out their womb-mate, face-to-face.
('You again?')
Dora went back to her bed (in the barn) hoping for 30 good minutes
of shut-eye before she headed over to Weiss to open up the school.
*Apparently Ottomas, and would-be Ottomas, women are born knowing to look to their men.*
Introducing Jim and Tammy Faye.
Now 100% less naked and more colour-coordinated.
Giving birth to twins wasn't going to slow down Samantha.
She still got up to make breakfast for her Peter.
Peter felt it was about time he found a job but he wasn't cut out for a farmer.
Sam reminded him that in a growing place like this, he's sure to find something.
This harried mother home mostly alone with newborn twins and a tantrum-prone toddler did not
bother to stop the one from playing in that awful filth. She just cleaned up behind him.
Tommy is a brat but she finally got him down for a nap long enough
to tend her neglected garden before the twins' next feeding.
By the time the relief crew took over, Samantha was flat out exhausted.
"Dad, phone."
*Twin spam*
"I got a lead on a job from that guy who bought the RV. Need to
go check it out. But that was great, hon," Peter said.
"You go ahead and get some rest. I'll bring the babies up here so you can hear 'em."
And with that, Peter jumped up and got dressed.
He headed out to follow up a lead on where a man might find a job in this town.
Down the road he found there was extra cash to be had for anyone with two strong hands.
The owner, Daytona, was a funny old broad but they got along right off and she offered him a
job, full-time. Even suggested she might need somebody soon to take over in the office.
It wasn't office work yet, though. Peter came home worn out.
Granny Dora does not play. He's had a bottle and his bath so he can cut out all that fussing.
The twins are more than enough diaper duty for one family so it's time to become a big boy.
This time Tommy was good for Gran, quiet anyway. He didn't fuss, he just waited out her patience.
Much as Dora loves her family, this ain't exactly the adventure she had planned.
Dora doesn't do everything around here, though. Not by far.
She hasn't helped much with the babies at all since they were born
and she only ever cooks when she gets good and ready.
It hasn't occurred to Samantha that she's weaning them off relying
on her so much but, surprisingly, Peter seems to get it.
Homework always gets done.
"Don't stay up too late, me or Gran'll help you finish in the morning."
Dora gave it yet another go with the stubborn one. And again it didn't work.
"Good morning, sunshine. You bein' a good boy for Granny? Yeah, I see.
Look at you eating up all your food so nice. Now Mommy's going to eat, too."
"Good boy my big left toe. Talkin' to him like it's an accomplishment when he does the things
he wants to do. 'Course he ate all his oatmeal, you make it so sweet and I didn't have no time
for fixin' up a new batch..." Dora complained out loud the second Tommy started screaming
bloody murder, but her daughter-in-law was no longer in earshot, having dashed off to beat
Dora to the hot water for the shower and leaving her to finish cleaning up in the kitchen.
"Don't you make that face at me, if you'd gone potty like I told you, you wouldn't be in this fix."
~
"Hey. Your sister said you were back this way. My little brother is outside with her."
David was a little surprised to see Dixie but not completely.
They got to talking about what it's like in Widespot.
David bragged about his old job back where they used to live. He hated havin' to quit.
He bet nowhere in Widespot or the next town even had a music store, did it?
"You kidding? Hell no we ain't got nothin' like that around here. But," she
leaned in, "there are some pretty cool spots if you know where to look."
They asked the younger sibs if they wanted to come-with but Sharla and
River were just gearing up for a heated game of shoot 'em up. Plus
Sharla knew the little sister rules, probably better than she knew any others.
Dixie took him to this out-of-the way field across town.
Dora tried her hand at gettin' Tommy toilet trained again.
But she gave in easier an' easier.
"Oh, now you want somethin' from me, huh? What about what I wanted from you to do."
"Uuuhhh", he whined, bouncing hard on the floor and kicking his legs.
He knew they understood him, he didn't have to use words if he didn't want to learn.
(Just like he didn't have to learn to go potty, but she had to pick him up and take him
to get a bottle and none of that milk stuff, or worse, water. No. No. Apple juice.)
Tommy want apple juice.
But he was not going to learn how to say it.
Tommy did get his apple juice.
Dora didn't sign up for a constant battle of wills with a toddler, not if his parents
refused to reinforce anything she taught him. Big baby like that still crawling around,
in a diaper, and grunting. Sharla was impressed, but not exactly happy
watching him still get special treatment even though he's not the baby any more.
Dixie spotted one of her dad's co-worker and jumped up.
"It's getting late," she said.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You can't just kiss me and then just leave."
"Yeah, I can."
"Oh come on then if you're comin'. We do live on the same road..."
David gave her what he knew was a stupid grin and they walked off together.
"Do you think we should give Dave a curfew, Pete?"
"Oh, I don't think so. He's a smart kid, he can handle himself in this little town."
"That's not what I meant. It is possible to give a boy too much freedom, don't you think?"
In fact, Peter didn't agree. "Don't worry," he said, "once he's working again he won't have
time for finding trouble. I'm hoping the permit should come through any day now."
Samantha crawled her way back upstairs to bed, hoping to catch a few more hours good sleep
before Tommy and the twins woke up screaming. Peter and Dora and the kids would be out
the door, leaving her to manage on her own. (And there's Peter already dreaming...)
Truth be told, Sammie was always better at running a classroom full of other people's
kids than managing a household crammed tight with her own (but don't tell her that).
And so it begins, another day. That sun just never stays away
long enough. But at least the twins haven't started in yet.
Samantha tried so hard and still her garden was dying.
Peter got the call he'd been waiting on, Daytona had put a rush on his business permit.
It was all good.
"Prime location, eh? Right off the main road and across from that house we wanted.
If I can get a few more strings pulled we'll be able to move in there by winter and you'll be all set."
"In the winter...you still expect me to stand out here? There's no inside. What am I
s'posed to be sellin' anyway once we're out of apples and carrots and stuff. Just eggs?"
"You got no vision, kid. I know it's not music but it's gonna put money in our pockets and how do you know who
you might meet? It's not gonna just be people in town, all kinds of people will be passing along the highway here."
"And stopping to buy fruit?" David shook his head, "Okay, Dad. It's something to do, anyway."
Samantha had absolutely no cause to be surprised, seeing as how she's the one
who initiated the baby try and should by now be an expert at reading the signs.
Sharla was eager to help when David took her to the stand, promptly overwatering
the tomato plants like she does at home until David saw and yelled after her to stop.
No customers were stopping so David took a break when Viola came by.
When someone finally came and David dashed off, Sharla wanted to get in her turn.
"Sorry kid. Another time, I promise."
She didn't believe her.
Peter was so intent on finally getting Tommy to walk he left Tammy Faye upstairs all by herself.
"Easy does it. Balance? Check. Now. Come to Dad."
"Yeah buddy!"
(Ha ha bitchez, look who's walkin' now.)
Tommy was inordinately proud of his one skill.
Seeing how he categorically refused to learn any others I doubt Jim & Tammy Faye are
much impressed. But with two of them and their mother already pregnant again they probably
won't fare much better. Only room for one brat in the family, though. Fair warning kiddos.
Math test. (Let's just say that *Woody* passed.)
Woody kept going, though. They hadn't talked much since that day they met and then again
when David was new at school, and it doesn't look like Gran is gonna be movin' in with them, so...
David went in to tend to the little sibs. It took his mind off that test—he used to be so good at math,
or so he thought. That Mr. Weiss was a hard teacher when he wanted to be, expecting them to
know stuff like they're all being shoved into the advanced class, it's not fair. He's gonna talk to Gran.
(For once Tammy Faye got the preferential treatment and Jim was not amused.)
"Here ya go, T," David said, making the rounds.
He spotted Dixie hovering around outside.
Now, her, he thought it was a good idea to keep gettin' to know.
"Need a hand?"
"Where's your brother?" Dora asked cleaning up after what she was sure was his mess.
"With his new girlfriend," Sharla announced, "prolly kissin'."
"I meant Tommy," Dora said after it sank in, "not David—which one of 'em is it? You know?"
"River's sister. I don't 'member her name."
"Bet it's the one showin' all that skin," Dora muttered under her breath.
"Yup!"
Dora was thrilled that she was actually getting her sixth grandchild but she didn't need
no great-grands. She tried to talk Sharla into going 'round the barn to be her spy but Sharla
emphatically refused. Little sister rules. David's incentives were even stronger than Gran's.
Dixie never said nothin' 'bout David bein' her boyfriend but he is the only guy
around who's not her brother, or Woody, and she's makin' the most of it.
David's got no complaints.
"Granny was lookin' for you," when Tommy walked over and took a toy from her box.
He scrunched up his little face at her and kept on smashing the sailboat against the floor.
Sharla wasn't sure Tommy was a good idea sometimes, or the twins—she showed zero
interest in them—but he was her other brother (plus Jim?) so she tried to make the not-worst of it.
David was the brother that she loved best.
*And he's certainly got at least a mild case of 'first-born male' syndrome. (He and Scot Land should get along great.)*
But David was the son and grandson of teachers. He might not be as
smart as some kids but he couldn't be failing now. Not Dora's David!
Determined to salvage as much as possible before winter sets in and kills off the rest
of her crops, Samantha enlisted Sharla again, she's a pretty good little helper. Sort of.
"You know you're more than welcome to stay. Widespot seems
like a good place in any case. I'm glad we came."
Dora didn't answer her daughter-in-law.
It was time for Tommy's transition.
He stood up...
...and then he slumped down again and started whining.
'Sleepy, no grow up now, no'...is what that tantrum surely meant.
But, unfortunately for Tommy (or rather, very fortunately) he didn't have a choice in the matter.
Welcome to the world of words and bladder accountability*, young man.
Peter missed the transition, walking in two seconds too late.
Where was he?
Samantha didn't ask questions, she just turned and headed upstairs with the baby when
Peter walked over to high-five his grown-up boy. "Yeah, l'il man, that's how you do it!"
(Let's never mind why he's got woohoo on the mind, he's a romance sim, that's why.
The least we can do is leave a man to think his own thoughts in private...)
Dora handed over the other baby and nodded at him to get on up the stairs, after his wife.
She's a family-first sort, just like Samantha, and just like she taught her Peter.
This was a big moment he missed so nothing to do but make it right with his wife.
Sleepy Sharla led the way out to the barn.
Tommy was too big to stay in Mommy and Daddy's room now
so he naturally graduated to the barn with the rest of the family.
Samantha didn't care to hear why Peter couldn't make it home on time.
She only wanted to get the babies down quickly and get to bed.
"I signed the lease," he said, turning the corner on the landing. "That house
we wanted, the first one, it's ours. Soon as we can get packed up."
Tommy ran all the way back for Ted-Buddy.
Mommy and Daddy weren't up there, though, just the babies.
Jim is a cranky baby.
Tommy's glad he's a big boy now and can get away from the noise.
*Like he's one to talk!*
He carried Ted-Buddy in his arms out to the bedroom in the barn. Granny was already sleeping.
He tucked in his bear—he wasn't leaving that for the twins o'course, what could
they do with him, he's Tommy's toy—and he crawled in right beside her.
Technically, Sharla's room was the one reserved for Tommy and she was supposed to
end up sharing with Gran since she didn't move away with that funny old man but
Sharla wasn't voluntarily giving up her very own bed for her little brother. No way!
Peter couldn't figure Sam—she loved that house! This pregnancy must really be
knocking her through it. Maybe this should be the last one...least for a while.
Well, looky here. Somebody's imprinted on ol' Granny even through all the fussin'.
But, sorry Tom, those cold little feet aren't the ones Dora means to wake up to every morning.
Tommy didn't want to grow up so it's no wonder he dreamt about his "replacement"
but, alas, "l'il man", childhood awaits. And so does your mom with her handy
bowl to snip those unruly tresses since you are "a boy, for Petey's sake..."
~
*One, he's a sim, Two, I've got Inge's bedwetting hack installed so we'll see how he manages...
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