Need Your Input Re: Sending Sims to University in Sims 3

For many of you reading this blog, you're more than familiar with this family and all it's dramas. But I've come up with a dilemma here that I need your advice/input with.

As you know, in Sims 2, Ambrose and Virginia met in college, graduated, moved back home, married and started a family.

In Sims 3, sadly college was not an option. They met as Young Adults, got married and had their kids. Or at least some of them. The youngest - Tristan - is still a baby. All the rest are teens, all 3 girls. Helen, Violet and Susan.

I've tried sending Brosie back to college from his home town, but I've been met with disastrous results. There's a glitch in game that prevents Sims from seeing their class schedules.

So I was wondering.
Should I continue this path I'd started. Or shall I try and follow the original Sims 2 story and go back, before they had the kids and send them both to college as Young Adults. Maybe changing the colour scheme slightly so that it looks like a 'blast from the past' between them.

Any feedback will be welcome indeedy

Rina's Back!!

*please note, this does NOT happen in game, I just cheated a little and used a precious saved game, since I didn't have the heart to see the family all upset at the loss of their beloved doggy Rina*

Truth be known .... I wimped out.

Anyways, nuff said, here's the next instalment in the Graystone family saga (didn't think I'd forgotten them did you???? I'm waiting for University Life so that I can properly continue their saga)

After begging, pleading, even downright bribery and corruption, Rina was finally allowed back home. With a warning. Because of her self-trained aggressive behaviour, she'd have to be watched around younger children and babies. Plus, if she was ever neglected again, her removal was PERMANENT. Next time there was no going back.

 
Violet was the first one to make a fuss of Rina.

Followed by Helen, who'd cycled like mad from her art class to get home to greet Rina.
And gave her a good brushing. Which resulted in a sloppy lick and a wagging tail!!!

So all's good with the world.

Virginia Has An Announcement

Prior to Violet's birthday, Ginny had been feeling a little unwell. Perhaps it was something she ate?
Or maybe it was the results of the marathon WooHoo session she and Brosie had put together a few weeks back. Whatever it was, she was finding herself being more and more friendly with 'Mr Porcelain' - aka the toilet!!!

Not wishing to burst Violet's birthday bubble, nor upstage her in any way, Ginny tried to keep things quiet.
However, that didn't go quite to plan as Susan caught up with her mother as they sat outside eating the birthday cake.

And Violet collared her dad at the table.

"Mom's pregnant .... again?" she asked, utter disbelief in the tone of her voice, "don't you think you two are a little bit 'old' for that now? Seriously. I mean it!"

At the counter, staying utterly quiet and slurping at a mangonilla ice cream, Susan's IF doll Rags, pretended he was invisible.

 

However, much later on, he did try to help out when Rina's bladder gave out on the verandah.

Anyways, I digress.

The news of Ginny's pregnancy did NOT go down well at all!! The only person who was really happy.... was Brosie!! Tired of girls, Ginny wanted to try a new approach, Apples. Apparently, if you eat plenty of apples, the gender is guaranteed to be a boy. Ginny wasn't that bothered. In fact, she much preferred girls. But Brosie was adamant that he wanted a SON.

There was one little snag in their game plan.

Ginny didn't like apples all that much. It took a lot of effort for her to choke down at least one of them!!
Not only that, whilst she was eating, a complete stranger turned up.

Proud of her small garden and how much she'd accomplished with her vegetables, she mistakenly thought he was a representative of the Garden Club. There'd been word going around that they were looking for entries in their annual 'Garden in Bloom' contest.

However, he wasn't. He was just a nosey reporter, sniffing around for a juicy story.
Ginny soon sent him packing.

In the next update: get your tissues out

Violet

It was Violet's birthday coming up. She'd looked forward to a big celebration, however, since her sister's birthday had taken up a lot of resources Violet had to make do with a small 'get-together'.

It was a Sunday morning, there was no school, no work etc... so bright and early, they gathered together to help Violet celebrate.

She blew out the candles of her cake and waited with barely concealed excitement.

With a few sparkles and a leap into the air, she was transformed.... into a really pretty young teen.

If she'd had blonde hair, she was the absolute spitting image of her mother Virginia!!!
Because of her 'erratic education' (according to the game) I couldn't choose a trait, so the game did.
And opted for Friendly!!!

That's nice.

Now, there are THREE teenage girls in the house. Now that's going to be interesting!!!!

Well, no sooner had the cake been served she begged her dad to take her for driving lessons.
Um, they didn't go too well.

She was all excited at the prospects of learning to drive, but Ambrose was a little reluctant.
Once inside the car, she'd impatiently honk the horn to let him know that she was ready and eager to get started.

Everything started out fine.

But halfway through, I discovered the two of them walking back home, after abandoning the car just up the bank. Apparently she'd worn out the clutch!!! So I guess driving lessons are out of the question for Violet. Or at least they're going to take that little bit longer!!!!

Birthday Time!!!

Ginny kept quiet about the girls being so tardy, because Brosie, before he'd gone to work, had gone to such great lengths to keep the house nice and tidy. She just couldn't bring herself to yell at him. In fact, she felt as though she was slowing down somewhat.

And rightly so, since the very next day it was Susan's birthday!! Ohhh, they grow up so fast.

Scraping their money together, they decided to get a few balloons and decorate the front garden with them. Naturally they got the bog standard birthday cake in preparation. And this time, they organised a party for her.

After all, it's not every day you turn teen now is it?

One of the guests was none other than Shirley Lin - more on her later.

With the fuss and ado, and cheering going on, Susan made a wish and blew out the candles, whilst Violet stood in the background silently wishing it was her birthday.

 

 Patience my dear. Patience!! Your time will come.

The rest of the guests all cheered when Susan transitioned. Even dear Elmer, whom I think would be a perfect match for one of Brosie and Ginny's girls. Dontcha think???

With a zip and a POW! and sparkles galore, Susan leaped into the air and transformed into...

.... well, I can honestly say, there's no mistaking who she belongs to. She's the spitting image of Brosie, in female form!!!

I was saddened to see her lovely curly hair vanish during the transition. But I also realised that those corkscrew curls might not be appropriate for her now that she's a teen. So I decided to opt for a shorter hairstyle instead, that still maintained her curls. Just not those lovely little corkscrew curls that she sported so well.

Sadly, because of difficulties with her education, the game chose Unflirty as one of her traits.
And at the same time, she chose her LTW. She wanted to adopt loads of strays.

I dread to think what her parents will be thinking, when they find the place overrun with unruly animals!!!!

The party went well, with the guests all having some cake, dancing to the music and having a general chit chat. Although I think Ginny's putting on her 'match-making' head here as she's in full swing, chatting about goodness knows what to poor unsuspecting Elmer!!!

 
Then, quietly in the corner, well away from everyone else.... Rags silently celebrated before transitioning himself.

However, as the night drew in, Brosie was getting rather cosy with his co worker Shirley Lin.

I just hope that he knows what he's doing. I'd hate to think that this family would break up because of one stupid mistake.

Especially on his daughter's birthday.