Phoebe's World XIV: Happy Winterfest!
Previously: Phoebe and Jane had a low-key at-home birthday party during which I'm happy to report no deaths occurred. Aahana went into labor while visiting her mother's apartment, necessitating a snowstorm trek to the hospital, where a healthy baby boy named Elliot was safely delivered.
Oh, look at that, it's already time for Elliot to grow up into a toddler. If there's one thing I love about this game, it's how the baby stage passes in the blink of an eye, which almost makes up for how woefully boring they are on account of never being able to leave their bassinets.
Elliot is pretty cute and gets pretty much all of his coloring from Phoebe, so it'll be interesting to see how his actual features develop over time. As for Phoebe herself, I think she's feeling more confident in her abilities to parent now - or at least she's gotten better at faking it.
The jury's still out on whether or not Shirley Temple likes her new human brother.
Just kidding, she loves him! Look at that smile and those tiny paws on his shoulders. I'm melting over the adorableness.
Elliot grew up just in time to celebrate his first Winterfest (squint and you can see the decorations)! The weirdness of the seasons compared to Sims' lifespans hits me all over again when I realize that Phoebe's an adult now and this is only her second Winterfest ever, but, hey, it's a lot easier to avoid holiday burnout when they only come once every other Sim decade or so.
(Speaking of lifespans, to go off on a bit of a tangent, I've realized that I prefer my Sims to have fun during their young adulthood and not worry too much about settling down until they're older, but it made me really sad when this meant all of the Sims I started with died before they were able to see their children get married or have kids of their own. So I've been experimenting particularly with the YA/adult/elder lifespans to allow this a better chance of happening, and it's still a bit of a work in progress.)
Anyway, they're planning on hosting a big holiday get together, and Jane has decided that festive attire is required.
Phoebe: Why do we get stuck with these ugly sweaters and you get to be Sexy Mrs. Claus?
Jane: Really? You think just anyone could pull off the Sexy Mrs. Claus look? I'd like to see you try.
Even Shirley Temple is forced into a tiny red sweater, whether she likes or not.
Jane: Aren't you just the cutest little thing on earth now?!? Yes, you are!!!
Joaquin (who by the way unceremoniously moved in at some point): She managed to get you in her clutches, too? Poor girl. These awful sweaters itch to the high heavens!
What's Winterfest without a quick little smooch under the mistletoe?
Meanwhile, Joaquin only has eyes for the conspicuously large piles of presents that have appeared.
Aahana: What are you doing? Those are supposed to be for later. We haven't even decorated the tree yet!
This is my first time watching Sims decorate a tree, and it's so delightfully wholesome.
Jane: How dare you start without me! As if you two could pull this off without my expert eye for design.
Joaquin pitches in, too, even if it's only so that he can start tearing into those presents sooner.
Elliot is sad that he's still too young to help, so he has to settle for watching from his high chair. Meanwhile, Phoebe has decided she's better at encouragement than actual decoration, so she's now coaching Aahana and Jane from afar.
Oh boy, does Elliot's face light up the second he catches sight of those presents. Looks like Joaquin has some competition!
Aahana: Are you sure you've been a good enough boy for that great big pile of gifts?
Elliot: YES! YES! YES! YEEEEEEESSSS!
But first a Winterfest dance interlude in front of the beautifully decorated tree. Having a toddler in the house may not allow everyone to get out to the clubs as often as they used to, but their love of dancing will always bring them together.
I don't have a clever or interesting caption for this one. I just love the sense of family and unity it evokes.
Aahana: What do you not understand about no presents before the party starts, damn it?!?
Jane, can you cool it with the drinks? This is a family party, not one of your crazy club nights. At least hold off until it's dark outside.
The guests have begun to arrive, which means it's the perfect time to sing cheesy carols around the tree.
Although they were once partners in pretentiousness, it appears as though Ivy has abandoned Nico and his studious ways for the undeniable pleasures of dance.
Nico remains perfectly content to sit on the sofa alone with a good book, thank you very much.
Willow, put down that brownie! Do you not see Jane slaving away over the Winterfest feast right behind you? You're going to spoil your appetite for dinner.
The long-awaited moment has finally arrived: present time! Elliot, the household's resident spoiled child, gets to go first.
Elliot: WHERE DID MY PRESENTS GO?!? MORE PRESENTS! MORE PRESENTS!
Aahana: *is not at all prepared to handle her child's first ever temper tantrum*
Sorry, Elliot, but you got plenty of new toys already, and it's only fair that the presents go around.
Why is it so thrilling to watch Sims open boxes? The world may never know.
It's nice to see that disturbingly glitchy animations are just as entertaining in TS4 as in other iterations of the game. Although maybe this isn't even a glitch. Maybe this is further evidence to support my theory that Willow and Preston claim to be in a relationship with one another despite never having actually made skin-to-skin contact.
Joaquin: Kids these days, I'll tell you...
Preston: Whew, that was hot! Is anyone else feeling steamy in here, or is it just me?
Phoebe: I support your union, but I can't say I understand it.
People! Stop raiding the fridge for random leftovers and wait for dinner like proper adults, goddamn it!
Joaquin: Attention, guests! Put down the junk food and grab a plate of this delightful tofurkey feast. I just so happen to know the chef, and she's amazing!
During dinner, Elliot becomes the center of attention with his adorable if sloppy approach to eating. (I'm also crying over how precious he looks on that pile of pillows. I knew I randomly plopped them there when I was decorating so long ago for a reason!)
His storytelling skills are already top-notch, even at such a young age. He's got Aahana wrapped around his little finger with whatever yarn he's spinning now.
Meanwhile, Shirley Temple is knocked the fuck out after having an extra-large holiday helping of pet food.
Oh, hello, turquoise-haired Father Winter. I thought we needed a fireplace to summon you, but I see you have no qualms with letting yourself in through the front door when there isn't one. Cool, cool, come right in.
The good thing about Father Winter barging in without preamble is that it means more presents, and Joaquin couldn't be happier it's finally his turn to open one. The wait has been truly torturous!
Jane's just happy the party's finally winding down so that she can treat herself to the greatest gift of all: booze.
Aahana: The three of us gathered around the bar at midnight, it's just like old times! If only...
Jane: No, I can't handle it. Don't you dare say it.
Phoebe: *sigh* I miss her, too. Let's pour one out for Melinda, girls!
The winter festivities over for another year (or several), Phoebe reads Elliot, who is crashing hard after an extended present high, to sleep. Aww, I think she'll turn out to be a great mother after all!
Oh, look at that, it's already time for Elliot to grow up into a toddler. If there's one thing I love about this game, it's how the baby stage passes in the blink of an eye, which almost makes up for how woefully boring they are on account of never being able to leave their bassinets.
Elliot is pretty cute and gets pretty much all of his coloring from Phoebe, so it'll be interesting to see how his actual features develop over time. As for Phoebe herself, I think she's feeling more confident in her abilities to parent now - or at least she's gotten better at faking it.
The jury's still out on whether or not Shirley Temple likes her new human brother.
Just kidding, she loves him! Look at that smile and those tiny paws on his shoulders. I'm melting over the adorableness.
Elliot grew up just in time to celebrate his first Winterfest (squint and you can see the decorations)! The weirdness of the seasons compared to Sims' lifespans hits me all over again when I realize that Phoebe's an adult now and this is only her second Winterfest ever, but, hey, it's a lot easier to avoid holiday burnout when they only come once every other Sim decade or so.
(Speaking of lifespans, to go off on a bit of a tangent, I've realized that I prefer my Sims to have fun during their young adulthood and not worry too much about settling down until they're older, but it made me really sad when this meant all of the Sims I started with died before they were able to see their children get married or have kids of their own. So I've been experimenting particularly with the YA/adult/elder lifespans to allow this a better chance of happening, and it's still a bit of a work in progress.)
Anyway, they're planning on hosting a big holiday get together, and Jane has decided that festive attire is required.
Phoebe: Why do we get stuck with these ugly sweaters and you get to be Sexy Mrs. Claus?
Jane: Really? You think just anyone could pull off the Sexy Mrs. Claus look? I'd like to see you try.
Even Shirley Temple is forced into a tiny red sweater, whether she likes or not.
Jane: Aren't you just the cutest little thing on earth now?!? Yes, you are!!!
Joaquin (who by the way unceremoniously moved in at some point): She managed to get you in her clutches, too? Poor girl. These awful sweaters itch to the high heavens!
What's Winterfest without a quick little smooch under the mistletoe?
Meanwhile, Joaquin only has eyes for the conspicuously large piles of presents that have appeared.
Aahana: What are you doing? Those are supposed to be for later. We haven't even decorated the tree yet!
This is my first time watching Sims decorate a tree, and it's so delightfully wholesome.
Jane: How dare you start without me! As if you two could pull this off without my expert eye for design.
Joaquin pitches in, too, even if it's only so that he can start tearing into those presents sooner.
Elliot is sad that he's still too young to help, so he has to settle for watching from his high chair. Meanwhile, Phoebe has decided she's better at encouragement than actual decoration, so she's now coaching Aahana and Jane from afar.
Oh boy, does Elliot's face light up the second he catches sight of those presents. Looks like Joaquin has some competition!
Aahana: Are you sure you've been a good enough boy for that great big pile of gifts?
Elliot: YES! YES! YES! YEEEEEEESSSS!
But first a Winterfest dance interlude in front of the beautifully decorated tree. Having a toddler in the house may not allow everyone to get out to the clubs as often as they used to, but their love of dancing will always bring them together.
I don't have a clever or interesting caption for this one. I just love the sense of family and unity it evokes.
Aahana: What do you not understand about no presents before the party starts, damn it?!?
Jane, can you cool it with the drinks? This is a family party, not one of your crazy club nights. At least hold off until it's dark outside.
The guests have begun to arrive, which means it's the perfect time to sing cheesy carols around the tree.
Although they were once partners in pretentiousness, it appears as though Ivy has abandoned Nico and his studious ways for the undeniable pleasures of dance.
Nico remains perfectly content to sit on the sofa alone with a good book, thank you very much.
Willow, put down that brownie! Do you not see Jane slaving away over the Winterfest feast right behind you? You're going to spoil your appetite for dinner.
The long-awaited moment has finally arrived: present time! Elliot, the household's resident spoiled child, gets to go first.
Elliot: WHERE DID MY PRESENTS GO?!? MORE PRESENTS! MORE PRESENTS!
Aahana: *is not at all prepared to handle her child's first ever temper tantrum*
Sorry, Elliot, but you got plenty of new toys already, and it's only fair that the presents go around.
Why is it so thrilling to watch Sims open boxes? The world may never know.
It's nice to see that disturbingly glitchy animations are just as entertaining in TS4 as in other iterations of the game. Although maybe this isn't even a glitch. Maybe this is further evidence to support my theory that Willow and Preston claim to be in a relationship with one another despite never having actually made skin-to-skin contact.
Joaquin: Kids these days, I'll tell you...
Preston: Whew, that was hot! Is anyone else feeling steamy in here, or is it just me?
Phoebe: I support your union, but I can't say I understand it.
People! Stop raiding the fridge for random leftovers and wait for dinner like proper adults, goddamn it!
Joaquin: Attention, guests! Put down the junk food and grab a plate of this delightful tofurkey feast. I just so happen to know the chef, and she's amazing!
During dinner, Elliot becomes the center of attention with his adorable if sloppy approach to eating. (I'm also crying over how precious he looks on that pile of pillows. I knew I randomly plopped them there when I was decorating so long ago for a reason!)
His storytelling skills are already top-notch, even at such a young age. He's got Aahana wrapped around his little finger with whatever yarn he's spinning now.
Meanwhile, Shirley Temple is knocked the fuck out after having an extra-large holiday helping of pet food.
Oh, hello, turquoise-haired Father Winter. I thought we needed a fireplace to summon you, but I see you have no qualms with letting yourself in through the front door when there isn't one. Cool, cool, come right in.
The good thing about Father Winter barging in without preamble is that it means more presents, and Joaquin couldn't be happier it's finally his turn to open one. The wait has been truly torturous!
Jane's just happy the party's finally winding down so that she can treat herself to the greatest gift of all: booze.
Aahana: The three of us gathered around the bar at midnight, it's just like old times! If only...
Jane: No, I can't handle it. Don't you dare say it.
Phoebe: *sigh* I miss her, too. Let's pour one out for Melinda, girls!
The winter festivities over for another year (or several), Phoebe reads Elliot, who is crashing hard after an extended present high, to sleep. Aww, I think she'll turn out to be a great mother after all!