Monday... Today I attempted another painting of Billy. I didn't quite finish it before work, but I did finish it afterwards. It didn't turn out that well, so I will attempt his portrait again. What did go well for me was a raise and a promotion! I am in an orchestra now.



Billy attended a musical seminar at the book store after work and then went by city hall for some work-related meeting while Kane went by the science facility for some school project and then headed to work at the grocery store. By the time Kane got home, his garden wasn't looking so well. We got a sprinkler and he planted a few more seeds. He was so tired when he went to bed after doing his homework that I think he'll have to quit his part time job. We don't need money that badly.



Kara went to the pool and swam for awhile. Then she went to the reading room to do her homework. I sent an apple with her so she had something to munch before going home. It is hard for her when everyone else is busy doing something else. Where did the "good old days" go when she always had a parent or at least her older brother nearby? She is growing so quickly herself and will soon have other interests, besides going to the pool, that will occupy her time.



Tuesday... Today was kind of rough for Kane. His plants are surviving, but with the sprinkler doing most of the watering, Kane doesn't get much satisfaction from his gardening. He did quit his job today and stayed home and played chess, but he needs more fun in his life.



Kara, of course, went to the pool again today after school. She really likes to swim. She comes home in a good mood, showers, and does her homework. She talks to a couple friends on the phone, but rarely goes to their homes or invites them to ours. Ours is still rather sparsely furnished and there isn't that much to do.



Billy was offered a medical job today, but he turned them down. He likes his job as sketch artist, though he did get promoted to "crime scene modeler" now. He painted a couple pieces after work today and one of them was truly brilliant.



I was promoted to first chair today. It is nice to be the lead and to get to do solos. I'll be off for a couple days now so hopefully my guitar skills will be the best possible when I go back to work.



Wednesday... I felt so sorry for poor Kane who always seems to need fun now that he is a teen. We had gotten a lot of extra money lately due to promotions and bonuses, so I splurged again. We bought a television. It isn't one of the most expensive ones around, but it is nice and will let Kane learn about gardening while lounging inside, out of the hot sun, on a comfortable sofa, also new.



Billy and I both had a day off today. He mostly played chess while I tried to gain more guitar skill. His logic skills did improve, but I have a ways to go on my guitar skill.



Kara will soon be a teen. I want her to be a genius like her brother Kane, but I know every child is different and we can't predict what our kids will be or do. I only hope she is happy and healthy.



Thursday... Kane's gardening skills have really improved. His garden looks so nice now. I think this is a great hobby for him.



Billy didn't get a promotion today. He still lacks a little bit of painting skill yet. He did make a really nice painting for Kara's room though. Also, he worked on a book of his own for awhile. It's a science fiction story titled The Day the Aliens Left. He has already sold a few of the chapters.



Kara went to the pool for a bit today. She was gone a really long time. I worried about her getting exhausted. She didn't swim very long, but she decided to run home. That was a long way to run. She settled down in front of the television with Kane when she finally returned.



Even with another day off, I still am not fully skilled on my guitar. I do hope to reach that milestone by the time I go to work tomorrow though. I'd keep my fingers crossed, but then I couldn't play so well.




Friday... Well, I just couldn't do it. Getting that last guitar skill just did not happen before work. I was in a great mood and worked hard, but I didn't get a raise or promotion today.



Billy, however, is now at the top of his career field. He is a DNA profiler. He got a raise and a promotion today. I am a really lucky Sim to have married him.



He is getting 100 simoleans a week for his first science fiction. He has already started another fiction. This one is titled What if there were no Kleptos? He still gets stressed out when he writes for very long though. His dream to be an illustrious author might not be reached.



More exciting than Billy's career progression might be the fact that Kara turned into a teen today. She looks so much like me. She has inherited the Kleptos family trait now. Yes, indeed, my daughter is so much like me, except we don't share any other traits.