Dear Lucy,
I know I teased you (a lot!) about lending a helping hand even when it wasn’t specifically asked for, but I could use some of your guidance right now. I found Tom curled up on the bench near your tombstones and it looked like he fell asleep while talking to you two. Been there, done that.
Sarge stood guard and kept him safe while he slept.
Sarge even tried to cheer him up by presenting his latest finds (Ruby, Diamond and Supernovium), but even that didn’t bring Tom out of his funk.
How I wish you could look over things and let me know if I’m doing things right. Raising a family isn’t something I thought I’d be doing anytime soon, but it’s the card I’ve been dealt so I’m trying my best to win this game.
Speaking of games, I miss our games of dominoes. Cass sure had some lame jokes, but he could get you laughing at every single one of them. As much as I groaned out loud, I still appreciated them because he had a knack for diffusing tension and calming down many of the hotheads we had to work with.
It makes me sad to think that David and Mark won’t have any idea of who you are/were.
I’d like to think that you’re here, somewhere, watching over us and bringing a smile to our day.
Although that silly dog might challenge you in that area. He makes the boys giggle with glee each time he tries to help turn pages in their picture books.
He has a knack for knowing when things are getting too hectic to handle and goes out hunting.
I never know what he’ll drag home next!
Without Sarge, we’d really be struggling financially. Between his collections and Tom’s talent for finding wildflowers that sell well (don’t ask me why, but some sims pay good money to collect these things) we’re able to pay our bills and make changes sooner than expected.
I worry that my not being able to go out and about, earning my share, is making us grow apart and have them lose respect for me. Both seem fine with the way things are, but Sarge is certainly easier to read than Tom.
The improvements being made around here should help improve moods as bright and cheery replaces old and dreary.
Taking care of the little ones takes the majority of my time … well, that and the garden. I had no idea how much time is needed to water, weed and feed plants so perhaps planting such a large started garden wasn’t the smartest thing to do. It’s beginning to yield extra produce that the grocery store is willing to buy so I’m pleased about that.
Addy’s Note: Children can’t sell fruits and vegetables at the grocery store, which I didn’t know or notice before now, so I pretend that Tom can. I give him any extras and have him sell it through his inventory.
Another thing that I’m pleased about is the progress I’m making with the truck.
The repairs to get it running again weren’t too expensive nor was the cost of body filler, primer and paint. Doing a little bit each day gave me some much needed me time as I’m going pretty stir crazy being housebound. How do stay-at-home parents do it? I can’t say whether I admire them for their commitment to their families or want to tell them to run and get away while they can.
You don’t have to worry about my running away. Your children are growing on me and I won’t let anyone tear our little unit apart.
Speaking of tearing apart, you most likely wouldn’t have appreciated the noise or mess we made while creating a small third floor and extending the roof. But feelings of pride and accomplishment while looking at the end results overshadows the frustrations it took to get there.
Germaine and Grady brought a small crew with them and between all of us, we got the job done quicker than I ever expected. It pays to be on good terms with the professionals. I’m learning a lot.
I wish you could see how your plans are turning out. I like to think that you’d be glowing with pride because I know that I am.
Well time to go shake off some of this dust and start dinner.
Love,
Luke
Have I Got A Story for YOU! 
Yay for a dog to go out and find things for you! I like the way he doesn’t see his sister. The old barn has definitely come a long way!
Thanks, ciane 🙂
I wanted Luke to have a way earn income while lot-bound that suited his personality & back-story. Training dogs seems like a perfect fit for a military-minded sim.
Yes, the old barn certainly has! The first thing I did when loading this reno challenge was to take a good look at the barn and sketch out the potential. Lots of erasing took place but I came up with a design that I really like and then I began to play.
Oh. The dog is really helpful. And I had no idea children couldn’t sell at the grocery store either.
Dogs are good income earners so I’m sure cats can be as well. I already know horses can bring in decent money via the races but I didn’t want to have a horse this time.
There might be mods that let children do more than EA allows, but I don’t want to be tempted to use things that would make me cheat on this challenge. So I pretend that Tom can sell at the store since Luke is not supposed to leave the lot before David and Mark go to school.
“How do stay-at-home parents do it? ” I hope you’re not writing from experience. 😉
No, I didn’t think about my own experience while writing this letter. You might recall that this challenge has the special restriction of Luke being lot bound until David & Mark go to school.
Not leaving the lot after a certain period gives the moodlet “stir crazy” which gives -15 points, I think, to mood and stays until the sim leaves the lot … meaning Luke has this and can’t do anything to get his mood back to full at this time in the game.