Graduation Day

Just before going over to my parents’ for Bassy’s birthday bash, I decided to help Cheesebum out in his small veggie garden.  “I didn’t know you gardened,” he teased.  “Didn’t think you’d want to get your hands dirty.”

“Mom was big on gardening,” I reminded him, “everything Bassy and I ate from the time we were born until the time we’ve grown up, was made from ingredients grown in the garden.”

“Wow – so a special diet eh?”

“I guess you could say that.”

We got to the Community School at 5:30 and then took our seats in the auditorium.  Bassy showed up in his cap and gown, flashing his million-watt smile.  I swear, the kid could be so incredibly cheeky sometimes.

He’d asked me a couple times to help him with his valedictorian speech.  He didn’t need my help, he killed it on the podium.  In fact I don’t even think he used his prepared speech.  “I’d like to thank mom and dad, for being famous enough to hire tutors and choosing not to.  I’d like to thank my brothers for being way older than me and not being around to fight, and I’d like to thank my sister, for braving all those tombs and providing all those relics for the archaeology exhibit, thus giving me tons of extra credit…”  He sure stuffed the pomp down their circumstance.

      

We went to the park for the baccalaureate ceremony.  When I got there, dad was debuting his latest composition, and it was a treat to see him out and about again.  These days he likes to leave the spotlight to the younger folks, but he proves time and again that he’s still Sunset’s greatest performer and will be until he goes to the great beyond.   

Neil (yes that’s him in the orange tie) chose this occasion to debut his new GF, Noelle Hong (in the brown pants).  I’m betting she’s the one behind his new wardrobe.  The Neil I knew wouldn’t be caught dead in that outfit, that’s more Bassy’s taste.  The funny thing about him dating Noelle now is that Noelle was liking Bassy.    

When I sat down to eat, Celina Tripp joined me.  Now who is she?  She’s the daughter of Esther (Hick) Tripp and Antwan Tripp and the half sister of Billy Tripp.  I can’t say I know her well, since she’s a good deal younger than I am.  But she’s a cadet on the police force and has been my main source for Bassy and Neil gossip since I can’t watch them 24-7. 

“You know Noelle has already moved into the mansion?” Celina whispered.

“Really?  Which mansion?”

“The Alto mansion.  Where Neil and his parents live.”

“That’s quick.  How long have they been together?”

“Since they got out of school I think.”

I decided one of these days I need to have a chat with Ms. Hong.   I need to know if she’s true blue or a gold digger. 

Back to work

Well I returned to work after my maternity leave and the ghosts are meaner and nastier than ever. 

 

I was tag-teamed by two of the nasties, who had the nerve to be female.  I get along better with guys anyway, so to have two nasty cave-ladies try to gang up on me was just… no words. 

I sent this one back to the Stone Age.

Next I was called to the home of one Gobias Koffi, well it used to be Gobias Koffi’s house, he’s dead now. 

  

I had to search the whole of the premises for one stinkin’ ghost.  And let me tell you, he has a BIG house.  Almost as big as the mansion.

 

I finally found him – I mean, I finally detected him – in the garden.  His smell gave him away.

He was eventually zapped back tot he 14th century.

Meanwhile, back on the homefront, the twins became teens.  I’m not sure how I’m going to make it. 

Later, Savannah

Educating AJ

AJ finally became a toddler.  And yes, he has BROWN hair.  Neither Andy nor I have brown hair, so the burnished locks could only have come from one place.

Yep, Mom almighty.  I found this pic of her when she was younger.  I’d bet even she’d be shocked at this.  Maybe I should dye my hair that color, lol.

 

At any rate, we’ve begun training him in earnest.  AJ has already learned to walk, thanks to Cheesebum.

And I’ve developed a curriculum for the lil booger.  He said his first words, also.  He’s a quick learner.  

I come from a household where education was prized and valued, so I'm starting early with him. AJ's like his dad in that he loves being outside, so we sat outside the library while I grabbed the skill books. I began with “Being Smart for Fun and Profit” and moved to “Squares are Not Triangles” and “Bluish Eggs with a Side of Pastrami,” among others.  I suspect he’ll be bilingual as well, both Simlish and Arabic are spoken in our home. 

I think I enjoy the actual ‘education’ a lot more than the diaper changes and the feedings and the being awake at night.  Andy, Halima, and I seem to have come to a sort of understanding regarding the nursing and the teaching. 

Baby Blues Part 2

A week on, nothing’s changed. 

I still look down at AJ’s crib and see a creature, a stranger, not my own flesh and blood.

 

Sure, now I’m able to hold him and feed him… but as far as feeling any kind of connection to him, I just can’t.  I want to…but I can’t.

It’s so easy for Cheesebutt, he’s such a natural at this.  Why is it so damn hard for me? 

Like I said about Bassy, there isn’t anything in the world I wouldn’t do for him.  Same as my nephew, Neil.  But AJ?  I just don’t ‘feel’ anything. 

Of course, it’s not helping that Bassy’s graduation is imminent. He’s been to the house for me to help him with his speech.  And I’ve thrown myself head-long into this new novel.  Funny thing about maternity leaves, they give you time to do things you’ve been putting off.  I guess I’m … preoccupied.

But too preoccupied to deal with my own child? 

Satis and Imsety are feeling the pinch, too.  I just got them the new Simlish chart to help them with the alphabet for easy reference.  They’re going to be teenagers soon, and I’m afraid of that even more than I am afraid of potty training AJ. 

I think I need a nice lie-in at the cemetery. 

Some sleuthing work of my own

Most of you know that I’m a big fat geek.  In my down time I love playing chess, reading, and playing computer games, in addition to painting and writing.

So, I was working on my 3rd novel when an IM comes across my computer screen.  “Savannah, this is Debbie.  I need to talk to you.”

“Debbie” is Deborah Worley, Andy’s boss at work.  And she dropped a major bombshell.

She thinks she could be Andy’s sister.  Biological.

Here’s what happened.  She and Andy were in this orphanage and they were both adopted out and separated.  She’s now dating, ironically enough, Malcolm Landgraab II.  So when she saw our wedding pix in Sim Style Magazine, she tried talking to Andy about it and Andy was incredulous and didn’t believe her.  

Then she sent me a pic.  Hmm. You be the judge.  But I’m almost convinced.  Same russet hair.  Same hazel eyes.  Same olive complexion.  And they’re both in the athletic track.

So when it comes to piecing together my family tree, will I have to make 2 more additions?

Undercover Brother

One good thing about being on maternity leave is it gives you time to do some other things.  Satis, Imsety, and I were at the library doing research for their school project when I ran into a man who introduced himself as Irving Bellingham.

If the name Bellingham is familiar, it should.  It’s my mother’s maiden name.  So you know I was intrigued.  After all, there aren’t too many folks with the surname in Sunset Valley. 

Irving Bellingham was a big hulking guy, could very well be a footy player, was my first thought.  So I asked him what was his mother’s name.  He answered.

“Shandra.”

“Same as mine,” I replied.  “Who was your father?”

“I never knew the identity of my father.  I was midway through my teens when Mom met your father.  When they got married I was already a young man.”

My jaw hit the floor.  But he continued.

“Savannah, is it?  Gosh you look just like mom.”

Looks like mom’s got even more skeletons in the closet…I mean, dad was up-front with the fact that he’d had other kids besides Bassy and me.  He made a list as to who and when.  By the time I grew up, I already knew everything in dad’s past. 

But mom…mom kept a few more things under wraps.  She started telling me some things but there’s still a lot more to know.  And I won’t rest until I do.

   

So the four of us – Irving, Imsety, Satis, and I – went out to eat at the local greasy spoon after we were done researching.  And he continued talking. 

“I talked to mom and stepdad a lot when they were working at the theater.  And boy, did they ever talk about you.”

I chuckled.  “Really.”

“It was ‘Savannah this’ and ‘Savannah that.’ Oh, and they mentioned Sebastian a bit too.  But mostly it was about you.  So, I followed your career.  Read both of your books cover to cover.  Kept every newspaper clipping –“

Okay, now this was beginning to sound totally creepy.  Either this guy was a major stalker – or he was actually my brother. 

I would need to go to mom to find out the truth. 

Valedictorian

I can’t say I’ve been handicapping the valedictorian race over at the school very closely, what with AJ’s arrival and my own life unfolding, but a part of me knew that my youngest brother had the inside track on that honor. And I developed mixed feelings on that.

As most of you reading this blog know, I narrowly missed being valedictorian of my own high school class – mostly because at the beginning of high school, I was so insistent on doing my own thing, which meant skipping class, not doing my homework, and being brought home by the police instead of being in bed and getting ready for school – that by the time I did finally work my grades up, I missed out on being valedictorian by mere percentage points. I missed out on salutatorian as well, ending up ranking 3rd in the class.

So now, when I visited the mansion (it’s so strange calling my house “the mansion” – Andy and I and the kids now live clear across town, by Pinochle Pond), I ended up analyzing my brother’s chances to do something I didn’t – yet again. And they were very, very good – better than even money.

Bassy came up to me after work that night and spilled the beans to me. “Guess what, Vanna?” he began excitedly. “I’m valedictorian!”

“Wow that’s terrific, Bassy, congrats!” I said to him, giving him a big hug.

“Don’t tell mom and dad yet,” he whispered conspiratorially.

“You mean they don’t know?”

“It’s not supposed to come out till next week.”

I called the school and yes it’s true. My darling not-so-little-anymore brother, Sebastian Ryan Plumb, was just named valedictorian of this simyear’s high school class! And I’m the first person he told, even before he told mom and dad. Another thing, unlike my situation, where there were 3 good candidates, in his case it wasn’t even close. He blew them all away.

Valedictorian! Gosh things just came so easy for him. Everything. He was not only the smartest kid in the class but the most popular as well. He wasn’t much of an athlete but he was first chair in the school orchestra, he played Romeo in the school play, in addition to being in the honor society. It was just so smooth and effortless. He didn’t break a sweat at all. I can’t help but be a little bit jealous.

Dad dropped out of school, Noah was a B student, I barely missed valedictorian, and now he’s actually valedictorian. See a pattern?

I found this old pic of him and Neil while I was going through some things. How time flies, Neil is already YA while Bassy has a couple days left before his graduation and his birthday.

Now that Bassy is actually valedictorian – he wants to be a rock star??? Seriously, with that head on his shoulders, he could be a doctor or something. He’s selling himself way short.

I love my brother, in fact there isn’t anything in the world I wouldn’t do for him. He’s now beaten me at 2 things – first kiss and valedictorian. My brother has more talent in his pinkie than I have in my whole body. When it came to handing out genetic blessings, mom and dad saved everything for him. There’s a part of me that’s just a little bit sore. But there’s another part of me that’s proud as hell. I’ll be the crazy lady in the front row, clapping the loudest at the graduation ceremony.

Sometimes, it’s the little things

Since I now have 3 kids to travel around town, I traded in my Kenspa (I’ll still use it on adventures and stuff) for a 2011 Ford Fiesta.  I was lucky, they had one in my favorite color! 

 

Did I mention that Halima is an absolute godsend?  I know I didn’t hire her to deal with our biological children but she’s been a big help with AJ.

We were watching the cooking show (egads!) on Sims Food Network and she was cradling AJ in her arms.  I actually think he’s going to grow up bilingual – both Simlish and Arabic are spoken in our home.  I don’t want my children to grow up insulated like I did. 

“What shall I call you, Mrs. Plumb?” asked Halima, attempting (if clumsily) to make conversation.

“No, please, I’m just Savannah,” I laughed.  “My mother is Mrs. Plumb.”

“All right, then, Savannah it is, then.”  A few minutes later she startled me by asking if I had a problem.

So I spilled and told her.  Everything. 

We ended up talking for three hours. 

“So you adopt children and then have a baby too?” she repeated in adorably broken Simlish. 

“I adopted kids, then got married, then had a baby.  It all happened so fast – I’m just not used to any of this.”

“Your family want you to marry and have baby, am I right?”

I nodded.

“In my country girls are considered property of their father.  It is custom for girls to be married off very young.  I was married to friend of my father’s.  I could not give him child so he married another and got child.  He died at old age and I came here.”  She paused for a moment.  “Savannah, did you not want marry?”

I had to think about the answer.  I didn’t have one right away. 

Oh, and we got hit again.  Same burglar.  And the same dolt assigned to ‘protect’ us. 

And the same result.  Yep, he got creamed. 

Quite frankly, Stacey was more interested in my husband than in actually catching the robber.  Pfttttt.  Whatever.  He should hand over his paycheck if I’m going to do his job for him. 

Maybe I should get myself a badge.  I’m doing a better job catching burglars than any of these dolts in uniform. 

Baby Blues

I’m not sure if I could get used to being a parent. I’m not even sure if I’m cut out for this. Whatever, it’s done, and I’m stuck with him, for life.

Thank goodness for Halima. I know I didn’t bring her over from Egypt to nurse my biological kids, but quite frankly if it weren’t for her, Andy and I wouldn’t get any sleep – and I have no clue how to deal with a baby.

What’s wrong with me? I just had my first child, I should be over the moon. Instead I’m completely miserable.

Being stuck behind these four walls, with a crying, shitty baby is NOT what I had in mind.

On a more positive note, I picked up Annabelle Smith’s latest piece of trash, er, romance novel. Mostly out of curiosity, because this was the new book that had dethroned both my novel and my dad’s autobiography on the bestseller list. I wanted to see what the hubbub was about.

First of all, Annabelle’s editor should be fired. I’m no Simlish grammar expert, but I counted at least three badly misspelled words – and that was in the first chapter. In addition to that, I found numerous subject-verb agreement errors, problems with prepositions, dangling modifiers, and misused words – or at the very least, words in the wrong places.

There is an adage in publishing that you're only as good a writer as your editor makes you. Well, Annabelle's editor is complete garbage and should very well have helped her get this book ready for publication. As it stands now it's NOT ready for prime time. This passes for literature these days?