Em's Dugger Challenge - "The Duddlys"

This is my second attempt. The first time my couple (The Douglas family) was way too into each other to share the time they could be spending with each other with a housefull of kids, so I started over. I think these two are a better fit for this challenge already.

This is Diana and Derrick Duddly. Both are family sims, of course. I wanted to be different so I didn't make them Cancers. Diana is a Scorpio and I think Derrick is an Aquarius. Anyway, they started out with 1 bolt of chemistry and after Derrick got a job (Diana is turned off by unemployed men.) it went double.



I almost used the random sim that popped up in CAS, because at first I liked her, but then I got a better look at the profile of her nose. Instead I decided to use some of the sims I'd downloaded, because I rarely use downloaded sims. Diana is Sugah's Kiki Madison. I changed her hair and skintone to match my random CAS sim.



I'm not sure who Derrick started as. I think he's from a site that Ari shared a link to once, but isn't he a dish and a half.



This is their lovely home.



I was going to have them run a small farm to suppliment their incomes, but that didn't work out. There's really not enough time to tend a garden with both of them working. Derrick is in the military and Diana is in the intelligence field. Plus it doesn't help that the seasons in this neighborhood are all set to spring. All of their tomato plants died from too much water and too many bugs. Derrick is a big nature lover, so I'm not totally giving up on the idea of living off the land. I think I'm going to build a small pond for them and have them (and the future children) take up fishing. It's more profitable anyway.





The reason this hood is set to all spring is because it's also the neighborhood I'm using for Penelope's Journey, so the Duddlys have a lot of interesting neighbors. This guy just lets himself in without being invited.



Ares, god of war, shows up with his sisters Athena and Artemis (not shown) and picks a fight with Diane. He doesn't have many nice points, if any.



She will not be intimidated. She threatens to go get her husband if he doesn't back off.



Hephaestus, fire god, goes jogging by. Quite a sight to see a big muscluar, red skinned man in a loin cloth doing exercises in front of your mailbox. Diane seems to be getting a kick out of it.



Over a very early breakfast (Derrick has to be at work before dawn) Diane says, "Honey, I'm not feeling well this morning. I woke up starving and feeling in the red this morning. I think I might be pregnant."



Thrilled, they start discussing all the essential things they'd need to buy for a future baby in the house.



While his pregnant wife is off to work, Derrick spends his day off, lazily lounging on the couch, until I make up get up to tend the garden and earn some skill points, mostly to help boost his drooping aspiration meter.



Before you know it the big day is here and it's a boy! They name him Aaron.



Maybe these two aren't any better than my last couple. Only a few hours old, they set baby Aaron down on the lawn and go inside to work on baby #2 - all on their own too. I don't think I'm going to have to make these two try to have 14 kids. Like the real Duggers, leave it in the hands of a greater power, or if you're a sim, ACR.

The last shot of poor baby Aaron laying on the lawn is hilarious!!! Do I need to call Child Protective Services????

Seriously though - that is ONE GOOD LOOKING couple. Derrick is Super Yummy-licious and as Brian was walking by he commented that Diana is a pretty tasty looking morsel. Their children may be neglected and left out on the lawn - but Damn they'll be good-looking!!!

How fun Em - I am SO glad you're playing along with us.

Poor baby Aaron!

I agree with Hunter your couple looks good.

The neighbours seems to be very interesting.

I should let you know that they did go outside and get Aaron right after they finished in the bedroom. He's been a pretty easy baby to take care of so far.

I can't take credit for their good looks. Diane is Sugah's sim. I just changed her hair, skintone, eyes, and make-up, but didn't change her facial structure at all. I didn't do a thing to Derrick. Everytime I click for him to do something and his icon comes up, I think wow, he's a pretty sim! Let's hope their genes mix well and look good for other age groups.

Woah, can you say GORGEOUS! I was thinking "what beautiful Sims!" and then read Diana is my Kiki.
I think it's so cool that you're using one of my Sims and I have chosen one of your Sims (Sapphira) to use in this challenge, Em.

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...but isn't he a dish and a half?

Derrick is dreamy.
I...must...have...him...in...my...game!!!
And where did you find Diane's precious ensemble? She looks great in red and that shirt is adorable on her.

Geez, you and Hunter built such big homes for your Duggar fams.
I am slowly adding on to the Kokopelli's little abode as I go along.
Compared to the spreads you two have built, mine looks like a cracker box! lol

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Ares, god of war, shows up with his sisters Athena and Artemis...
Hephaestus, fire god, goes jogging by.
Quite a sight to see a big muscluar, red skinned man in a loin cloth doing exercises in front of your mailbox.

That's hilarious, Emily! How often do you see a bunch of Gods strolling thru a Simhood?!?
The Duddlys definitely live in an interesting hood.
Bet between the neighbors and all of their children, they'll never be bored!

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Only a few hours old, they set baby Aaron down on the lawn and go inside to work on baby #2 - all on their own, too.

Great screenshot, Em!
What a hoot seeing that baby just lying there in the yard while his parents are getting jiggy with it!
Is the ACR a hack that lets Sims try for babies on their own? Randomly? Woah.

I like the name Aaron, btw. It's always been one of my favorites. I believe it is Hebrew and means "Mountain of Strength" or "Lofty, High Mountain" ... something like that.

This was too much fun! I am so glad you have joined us.
I enjoyed your screenshots and witty captions. Can't wait to load up my game in a bit, too!

I had in mind using one of the sims I'd downloaded from your site or Hunter's. Kiki just stood out to me when I opened CAS. I'll try to look for the site that I got Derrick from, if I can get a chance. I'm pretty sure it was a German site that Ari posted a link to here when she was casting for the part of Shane for EFHIS. I'll try to look up her outfit too, if I can. It's a maternity ensemble (which I knew she would need.). You might be able to find it if you search for Sims 2 maternity clothes. I think that's how I found it.

My first house wasn't that big, but then I realized there's no way I was going to fit 5 beds in bedrooms that tiny, so I went extra large this time. Since you're moving your kids out as you go, you might not need as much room as Hunter and I will if we have 16 sims living in the house at once.

There's usually a Greek god or someone in period clothing walking by their house once or twice a day.

I took some pictures of the walkbys. Here's Zeus. I don't know what happened to his regular outfit. I guess he's trying to blend in.



A satyr.



The old hag from my prologue. I don't know what happened to her hair. She must have gone to the salon. I'm going to have to fix that before I start filming again...



Yep, ACR allows sims to woohoo and try for baby on their own. Thanks for sharing the meaning of the name Aaron, that's very interesting!

Hmmm... Where did I leave off? Oh, right with newborn Aaron on the lawn. lol I'm not at my own computer and photobucket has my images in a random order, so it might take me awhile to sort this out.

Aaron was pretty good as a baby, at least for the first day he seemed like he wasn't going to be a very demanding baby, but the second day he was a little harder to take care of.



But before they know it, it's time for a birthday and Aaron begins his toddler years.





Within hours of becoming a toddler, Aaron is already potty trained! It's the only skill I bother teaching toddlers, since teaching them to walk and talk doesn't really do anything important. I'd rather let them spend their time playing with toys and gaining skill points, which will be helpful as they grow up.





Baby numer 2 is born. Welcome Abigail Duddly! Like her brother, she was born outside on the front yard, right after I send Diane outside to do something.



Like with Aaron, Abigail is deposited on the lawn while Diane goes inside. This time it's to get Aaron out of his crib. Then she goes right back outside to get Abigail.



Now they are a happy family of four.



I have more, but this post forum is acting buggy, so I'll add it later.

I bought Diane a chessboard, since she needs logic points for her job, if she'll ever get a chance to go back to work between being pregnant and raising babies. But there's one problem. "Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" I forgot to buy them chairs. Duh!



Having two babies is hard. Derrick and Diane's hunger, energy, and fun needs have both been suffering since Diane got pregnant with Abigail. I was starting to wonder if Derrick was having sympathy pregnancy symptoms. Luckily the baby years go by fast. Abigail celebrates her todddler birthday just as Aaron becomes a child.



Abigail and her mama.



A cute shot of Diane playing with her children.



I bought the family a ballet bar since Aaron is into music and dance. He's a Leo and so is Abigail, but she seems to have a different predestined hobby. I don't think she's discovered it yet. Aaron found his calling right away. Derrick uses the dance bar to gain body points for his work with the military. He's slowly climbing the career ladder and making enough, along with Diane's paid maternity leave to furnish and remodel their home.



As Abigail reaches the end of her toddler years, Diane and Derrick start thinking about having another baby. Diane is kind of afraid to have another baby, wondering if a new little one will take away from the children they already have. When they get a little alone time they spend it talking and cuddling more than trying to add to their family. When they do try, it's unsuccessful, so I have to give them a little push until they do get pregnant again. I can't have that nursery sitting empty for too long.



I tried to nab a shot of Aaron and Abigail dancing together after school one day, but as soon as I got close, Abigail quit. Camara shy, I guess.



This creeped me out. One night this scary looking woman just walked into Derrick and Diane's bedroom and started talking about how she and Derrick shared a special bond from the rhythm of the dance or something whacko like that. Talk about creepy. Between her and the downtownie stranger who keeps calling to invite Derrick downtown, I think these folks need to lock their doors. Derrick is attracking too many lady stalkers. Meanwhile his buddies from work call to chat with his kids.

h

Typical, the men sleep while Diane goes into labor with baby number 3.



"Good morning, daddy. Guess what? We have a new baby."

"Hold on, sweetie. Let me make the bed first."



Hurray! It's another boy. His name is Ace.



And now we have a happy growing family of 5! All very close and thriving!

Wow - that's a busy household Em!

What beautiful children though! I JUST love how they are often left out on the lawn. I haven't had a Sim do that in ages!!! I want to especially comment on Abigail........GORGEOUS.

I really love this challenge - for me it's as fun to read you guy's posts as it is playing it myself. I've backburnered the Fuggars for a few days to play the Liz Taylor challenge - I should be posting pics soon - then I'm back to the Fuggars.

It's really hilarious how you have Greek Gods in your neighborhood. I have GEEK Gods in mine

lol - Zeus trying to blend. I think he's forgetting that his BLUE SKIN is a dead give away, eh?

Very cute so far. I may have to jump in on this one pretty soon.

Ari, I sooo look forward to you participating in this challenge.
The more, the merrier!!!

Em, what a busy household! I guess I'm not as patient or adept a Simmer as those
of you who have no problem with several little ones in the house at the same time.
It gets too chaotic for me, if I am not using cheats (MaxMotives & MotiveDecay off, eg).
I admire your ability to juggle such a household. Believe me!

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Here's Zeus. I don't know what happened to his regular outfit. I guess he's trying to blend in.

Yea, right. Like Ari said, did he forget his skin is blue? lol

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Like with Aaron, Abigail is deposited on the lawn while Diane goes inside.

That is TOO FUNNY!

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One night this scary looking woman just walked into Derrick and Diane's bedroom and started talking about how she and Derrick shared a special bond from the rhythm of the dance or something whacko like that. Talk about creepy.

That is wild, Em! Weird stuff! (The something whacko part made me laugh. lol)

Congrats on a lovely, thriving family thus far. You are really rockin' and rollin', lady!
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed all your screenshots and witty captions, as always.

PS Thank you for using my walls!

Thanks everyone!

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lol - Zeus trying to blend. I think he's forgetting that his BLUE SKIN is a dead give away, eh?

I guess so! LOL

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That is wild, Em! Weird stuff! (The something whacko part made me laugh. lol)

I couldn't remember what her exact words were, but they sounded really creepy coming from someone who just walks into your house and stands over your bed while you're sleeping.

So far I've only had two little ones in the house at once (toddler or infants) so it hasn't been too bad. I'm not using cheats either, btw. Aaron will be a teen soon, so the adults will have some older kids to help out soon.

It makes such a difference when the teens are there to help out, Em.
Doesn't it?
I love having teens in the house when there are infants and toddlers about.

Oh, I forgot I was going to comment on using your walls, Sugah. I don't usually download walls or floors, so yours are pretty much the only custom ones I have. It's funny I don't even remember downloading that particular wall covering, but I like the shade of green. I did notice it was one of yours when I tried it out on the walls.

I let them take a little break from baby making after Abigail was born. Now that the older ones are getting to the age where they can help around the house a little more, I think they can handle more little ones now. Diane has basically been a stay-at-home mom since Aaron was born, but she's getting paid leave at the same time, so she really has the best of both worlds.

You know how much it tickles me to see my walls in others' games, Em.

I'm glad you like that particular one.
That wall is called Grenada Green (if I'm remembering correctly)
and is from my (warning ... shameless plug here) Islands of the Caribbean set.

Thank you for your support, as always.

Sugah Sim wrote:

It makes such a difference when the teens are there to help out, Em.
Doesn't it?
I love having teens in the house when there are infants and toddlers about.

That's what the Duggars do. They have what is called a "Buddy System". All of the older children are assigned a younger child to "buddy" with. It seems to work perfectly for them.

After Ace is born, Diane finally gets a chance to go back to work for a day, while she's inbetween pregnancies. Derrick has the day off, so he stays home with the baby while the older kids are at school. He takes his duties very seriously and even brings Ace into the bathroom with him while he's cleaning.



Before you know it, it's birthday time again! Aaron grows into a handsome teenager and takes the knowledge aspiration. (Actually Chase chose it for him. I was holding him on my lap while I was playing and he pointed at the knowledge icon on the screen, so I said, ok, let's pick that one. lol If I had chosen randomly, by my system, he would have ended up knowledge anyway.)



Ace turns into an interesting looking toddler, with dark eyebrows. And I think he has pointy elf-like ears too. I'm not sure where he got them from. The other kids don't have them, as far as I've noticed. He's a Gemini and quickly discovers a love for tinkering.



The brothers get together for a birthday picture.



Aaron is a helpful big brother and agrees to change Ace's diaper when the little guy asks him too. (Isn't it funny that sim toddlers can ask to have their diaper's changed, even before they can talk? lol) Diane looks on, appreciative for the help, but she holds her tongue when she watches Aaron just fling the dirty diaper on the floor. Gross!



Abigail desperately wants a piano, so the family scapes together some extra money to buy one. She practices playing everyday after school. The creepy music lady pops in to stare at her while she plays.



Ace is a little more challenging than his older siblings. He resists potty training at first, but eventually gets the hang of it.



Yipee! It's another baby boy! They name him Adam.



Baby #4 brings the Duddlys to a family of 6.



The buddy system is definitely in effect in this house. Unfortunately for first born, Aaron, he's the only one old enough to be a helpful buddy. It seems like he takes on the duties of watching the little ones while Mom and Dad get some much needed sleep. He even watches them on his own on for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon while both parents are at work. And the poor kid is doing all of this while suffering from a case of food poisoning. I feel kind of bad for him, but promise to make it up to him once the other kids get a little older and can help out more too. He doesn't really complain about it though. He's a trooper.



They are a very close knit family though. Diane and Derrick are bffs with all of the children. Aaron and Abigail are really close too, they are also the very best of friends.



Abigail quickly grows into a lovely teenager. Her random aspiration is wealth. She still hasn't discovered her one true hobby, but she has a high enthusiasm for music.



Since the oldest two are both teens now, it's time to do away with the coed sleeping arrangements. Abigail gets her own room. Aaron gets his. The babies in the family (Ace and Adam) share a nursery for now. As they get older they'll share Aaron's room and any future girl children will share Abigail's room. The house is coming along nicely. They finally have walls and floors in every room of the house. There still aren't any windows or walls on the outside of the house though, but who cares.



It's time for Adam's birthday, but nobody is feeling this party, not even the birthday boy himself. They blow out the candles and nothing happens. So Adam gets to stay an infant an extra day until he decides to grow up on his own.



They enjoy eating the cake anyway and pretend it was for Ace's birthday instead. Now I thought he was an interesting toddler, but as a child . . . I noticed the last time I was in CAS I'd downloaded some male hairs that looked odd at the child stage and I think Ace got one of them. Either that or I misread the male / female sign when he was born . . . but looking at his everyday clothes, I'm pretty sure he really is a male. My first thought was, I've got to change his hair ASAP! But then I got curious, I wonder what hairstyle it's going to be when he gets older, so I let him keep it, for now. I promise though, if it's still like that when he's a teen I will change it to something less feminine. I'm starting to think that Ace is just an odd duck. He's definitely an individual. lol Thanks to lazy cc creators.



Adam finally transforms into a toddler. I was starting to wonder if he was going to be a baby forever. His sign is Pisces.



Creepy music lady is back to watch Ace as he sleeps. They really need to lock that front door!



Surprise! It's baby number 5. This time it's a girl. I really debated on her name and went back and forth between Adelaide and Adele. I think when the box came up I settled on Adelaide. Or Addie for short.



"What do you mean only 9 more kids to go? You've got to be kidding us! We're getting tired of this!" Poor Diane and Derrick. Will they make it through this challenge?

Derrick and Diane look positively WHIPPED. Aaron is such a handsome and sweet young man though!!

You are right Em about Ace being an interesting toddler. Diane hasn't been stepping out on Derrick has she??

Seriously - they are a dear family. I'm sure they WILL make it.

HARD isn't it!!!

Only nine left, wow I think they can do it!



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I'm starting to think that Ace is just an odd duck

He might end up like a swan.

Keep up the good job!

Ullwera wrote:

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I'm starting to think that Ace is just an odd duck

He might end up like a swan.

You might be right Ulli. You may be right.

What a neat family, Em! You're making some major progress here!

Aaron's a sweetie pie helping out with his younger sibs.
I love to see that with the teens.
I love it when the whole fam is very close (all BFF), too.

The creepy music lady was trippin' me out. EGADS!
Doesn't she have a home of her own? lol
Ya just can't keep these hobby enthusiasts OUT, huh?

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It's time for Adam's birthday, but nobody is feeling this party, not even the birthday boy himself.

Too funny!

I think you're right about Ace. He IS an odd sort. Can't wait to see what hair the poor thing ends up with.
That is TOO weird!

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Poor Diane and Derrick. Will they make it through this challenge?

I look forward to finding out. So far, so good, Em.
I'm enjoying your Duddly Fam and look forward to seeing more.

Thank you for sharing. I sure do miss my Kokopellis.
Don't know when I'll get to fire up my game again, but I hope it's SOON!

Grrr! I was just about to send my post when I got sent back to the log in screen again and lost the whole thing. Stupid work computers!

Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm really enjoying this family. They're all very sweet and interesting.

Up until the last time I played, only Aaron and Abigail were best friends. They're both really good kids, helpful around the house and with their younger siblings, skilled at the piano and A+ students. They do have their moments though . . . it's just good natured brother-sister teasing.



It's birthday time again! I'm to the point that I forget whose birthday is whose with these pictures. This must be Adelaide's.



She grows into to a cute toddler with her bobbed hair and pretty blue dress.



The household is really busy, but Derrick tries to make some time to go fishing with his son.



It's pretty easy for me to keep the kids' aspiration scores high when they're younger, but I've been struggling with the teens, Aaron and Abigail. All they want is to go to college or be accepted to private school. Talking about their hobbies with each other is about the only thing keeping them in the green, so on a crazy whim I decide to take a chance and call the headmaster and see if I can make their dream of going to private school come true. When Aaron calls, the headmaster says he'll be there at 5, which is less than an hour later. Aaron, Abigail and Ace scramble to clean up the house while their parents are napping.



Aaron greets the headmaster and offers him a tour, while Abigail whips up the best dish she knows how to make, spaghetti.



While this is going on, Adam transitions into a child. Aaron is not happy that he's blocking the doorway while he's trying to show the headmaster the house. "Get out of the way!"



The headmaster didn't seem to think much of the house. There really isn't much to show him. Aaron sits down with him for dinner, while Abigail shows of her piano skills by providing some background dining music.



Since Aaron seems to be doing most of the work in attempting to impress the headmaster, Abigail decides to do her part and chat with the headmaster. It doesn't go so well. Aaron was having better luck, so she leaves it to him. Time is running out!



"I know our family doesn't have much, but we're all hard workers. We just want every opportunity we can to learn and prepare for good jobs in the future."

The headmaster seems to like Aaron, but the house and the dinner wasn't good enough, so he says there isn't a place for them at the academy at this time. Oh well, the family will just have to keep on the way the have been. The kids all have A's and the older kids have at least 20 skill points each. Who needs a fancy private school anyway?



Even by the 6th time, labor doesn't get any easier.



It's a boy! Welcome to the family, Adonis Duddly.



It's nice to see that taking care of 3 younger siblings has not dampened, Aaron and Abigail's enthusiasm. They're thrilled to have a new baby brother



Apparently the next few days were uneventful, because the next thing you know, it's time for Adonis' birthday. The whole family gathers together to celebrate.



Abigail thinks this would be a prefect photo opportunity. Adelaide just wants out of her highchair.



Adonis as a toddler. He has such an interesting combination of light hair and dark skin.



Finally, it's Ace's birthday too. I've been waiting for this since he grew up with that funky, girly hair style. Aaron is shocked that his little brother is now as tall as he is!



Ace's teen style is weird looking, so I send him to the mirror and change it to something similar. And wow, is he freaking gorgeous! I'd say he definitely turned into a swan! I wish I knew how to add the freetime jewelry accessories to a sim outside of CAS, because I could totally see him with an earring at the top of his ear or an eyebrow ring. I have a feeling he's going to be slightly more rebellious than his older siblings. He's still a good kid and helpful around the house, but I think he has more of an edge than his more conservative knowledge sim brother and wealth sim sister. His random aspiration turned out to be romance. So far my random choices seem to suit them.



It's also Adelaide's birthday. She grows into a pretty girly girl dressed in pink. She and Adonis are both Aquarians, like their father (if I'm remembering correctly.)

Welcome Adonis! You're right. He has interesting coloring.

Ace does have a nice face, Em! He looks pretty dang cute, actually. Whew!
Was rather iffy there for awhile, huh?
(Gotta hate those dang Maxis eyebrows, though. UGH!)

What a nice family!
I'm sorry they didn't have much luck with the snooty school master.
Who needs to be in a stuck up old private school anyway?
(Even on my best day, I could never accomplish that, for some reason.
I used the "Bribe the Headmaster" hack, back in the day.lol)

You're doing well.
I sure I hope I can load up my game again soon.
Maybe after Snacky and my mom-in-law turn in, there'll be some quiet time to play.

Keep up the great work! I'm glad you're enjoying the Duddlys.
That's such a big part of a challenge that takes time, such as this!
Helps us stick with it longer, if we really get into and like the fam we're playing, huh?

You're really making some serious progress, Em!

The headmaster is kind of a pain, but you need to fix him at least a 5 cooking point meal - like pork chops, and all the rooms you show him need to have a high room score. Schmoozing with him over a mixed drink if you have a bar or in a hot tub earns some extra bonus points.

Ace is beautiful! What a nice face he has, nice lines and angles, and perfect features. He's a winner alright, and would look great with an ear ring. Unfortunately, the only way to get one is to go downtown somewhere where they sell jewelry then bring it back home to put it on.

Looking great so far!

I have default replacements for the Maxis eyebrows. I think I removed the bushiest eyebrows though, because I didn't really like the replacements in the set I'm using. Maybe I need to find some different ones.

I'm usually pretty good at getting them into private school, even without fixing a high point cooking meal. I just had a feeling it wouldn't work out with this family. Not enough well decorated rooms and too many kids running around to really spend time cooking for him and impressing him. Oh well, I only wanted to do it to get rid of that want in Aaron and Abigail's want slots. Too bad they don't have a bar or a hot tub. Abigail rolled up the want for a bar after that, maybe she knew something that I didn't. lol

Thanks for the tip about the jewelry, Ari. I never would have known that. I wonder if there's a shop at home option, so I don't have to send my sims downtown.

I don't know what my problem is. I remembered you and Ari seemed to have no issues with getting your
Sim kids into private school. But even when I had a great, nicely decorated abode and had my Sim serve pork chops, turkey or lobster...I was never very successful.
I've probably drowned more fat, bald, snooty head schoolmasters than I care to admit to. lol

I didn't know we could do eyebrow default replacements!
I need to look into that. Good deal!
Maxis are kaka.