Chapter 29 Mid-life Crisis? Not

Two families of growing importance in the neighborhood are related to but not part of the Genester legacy. Meadow Thayer Cormier, first love of Lester Genester, and Robi Charvat, Genesis Genester Enabler's first husband, both found love and contentment elsewhere and began new legacies.

At #5 Nostalgia Lane, home of Ricky and Meadow Cormier -last seen in chapter 22,

With a family as large as the Cormiers, it seemed someone was always having a birthday. Now it was Leigh's turn. And she wanted everyone there to celebrate with her.


All three of her big brothers have come as well as her oldest sister, Spring. And there is little brother Cliff. Leigh invited her best friend from school also, and Mom even brought another officer, Dorian Kauker, home from work with her, though he doesn't appear thrilled to find himself at a kid's party. But he gets in the spirit of things as Leigh blows out her candles. Ah, there is big sister Valley and little sister Dayle too.

Transition time now. Wow, Cliff is so excited he jumps halfway to the ceiling!
Everyone cheers as Leigh's transformation is complete. Ah, there is Dad cheering from the kitchen. Bet he has a scrumptious celebration meal ready. He is as good a cook as Meadow and gets home earlier. Leigh loves her new dress, just like her sister's. Fate has endowed her with the popularity aspiration and she has already collected quite a few friends.

Meadow is proud of her growing children but fears them all growing up, so she suggests they adopt another little one. Ricky agrees and soon they welcome another five year old into the family. This time a little boy named Craig.

Here is a better picture of him, after a haircut.

Still not content, Meadow wants an even younger child. It's been so long since there's been a toddler in the house. She longs to hold a warm little body in her arms again. She has granddaughter Brooke of course, but she doesn't get to see enough of her as she is really not comfortable visiting Lester's home. She wants the everyday caring for and cuddling of a little one again. And she still has lots of vacation to use up. So less than a year after adopting Craig, the Cormiers again apply to Social Services for another child. On the big day, she and Ricky take turns watching out the front window for the Social Services van. Ricky is the first to see the van pull up and the Social Worker lift their new child out.

He and Meadow are appalled when the woman just puts the child down on the lawn near the mailbox and leaves. Ricky rushed out to get him before he could crawl into the street. He found a tag pinned to the baby's shirt, saying "His name is Fenn." Well, Fenn is going to stand out a bit from the other children with that red hair and brown eyes. Everyone of the other kids has blue eyes and all but Dayle have black hair. But Meadow is blond so he won't look too out of place.

Little Fenn is only a year old so Meadow will have several years of childcare still ahead of her. But this child is the last. Social Services told Meadow that they would not be allowed to adopt any more children due to their advancing ages. Meadow is 54 now and Ricky 55. They will be elders long before Fenn finishes school. But Meadow is content. She has the ten children she always longed for. And what a fine family they are. She is so proud of all of them. She foresees a long and happy golden age ahead of her, with a growing crowd of grandchildren to dote on, hopefully. Though so far, only Spring and Valley have become family sims and Spring seems quite content with only two children.
But she will always have Ricky. And no one could have a better husband. When the house is quiet, Meadow often stops and comtemplates the portraits that son Field has painted of her and Ricky and wanders through her memories of their years together. They have had a wonderful life together.

Ricky has indeed been special. He has been an excellent husband and father. Despite being a romance sim, he has strayed only twice and very briefly. Much less than fortune sim, Chandler Platz. His relationships with all except his youngest children are above 90, and remain there even though the three oldest no longer live at home. And through the births of 6 children, Ricky never once spun up the fear of having a baby, nor even of changing a diaper. A phenomenal accomplishment for a romance sim.

at #3 Lineage Way, the home of the three oldest Cormier sons, last seen in chapter 22

The boys have adjusted well to having their own place. When Field is not in classes at the Heritage Academy of Art, he is usually found painting at home. His paintings are highly acclaimed by his professors and he has already sold several. Art is his passion and he pursues it. Though it is not his only love. He does leave enough time to spend with his sweetheart, Leda Enabler. And he recently went so far as to propose. Marriage will be deferred though until he graduates and has a paying job. Although if his paintings are selling well enough by then he might just work at home.

Forest is in the police academy and is considered one of the best cadets they have ever had. He leaves plenty of time for a social life though. He is a romance sim like his father, but unlike his father, he is not devoted to one woman. He pursues as many as he can. His latest love is Bethesda Jitmakusol, another romance sim like himself.

Marsh is 18 now and will soon graduate from high school. He plans to attend community college but hasnt' yet decided what career he will embark on. All three young men remain close to their parents and younger siblings and the younger kids visit often. Cliff especially likes to visit. He spends a lot of time with his older brothers, regaling them with stories of his latest triumphs or embarrassments at school, asking their advice, or just sitting and watching Field paint, if Field is the only one home and is busy. Field seems to have the most time and patience with young Cliff, perhaps because he is the least focused on his own social life.


at #1 Lineage Way, home of Robi (age 50, knowledge) and Mabal (age 55, knowledge) Charvat, last seen in chapter 23

(Robi's wife, Mabal, is cousin to Hawer Enabler, husband of former Genester Gen 2 heir, Genesis. Mabal is also sister to Chader Enabler, who lives with Hawer and Genesis.)

Life was tranquil and quiet for the Charvats with the whole family immersed in their pursuit of knowledge. Robi continued in his position as Mad Scientist with Mabal still high school band teacher. 17 year old Sager worked hard in school and at home on his skills, hoping that the proposed University would open before he became too old to go. He was a very serious young man.

Korena approached her teens with excitement. She was really looking forward to the fun of high school. Finally her big day arrived. The family wasn't much for parties so after a quiet family dinner she transitioned to only their applause.

Her parents hadn't thought to get her anything new for the occasion so all she had to wear were older sister Soressa's hand-me-downs. Well, they were okay clothes and had looked great with Soressa's dark beauty but Korena didn't think they did much for her. And that old fashioned hairstyle had to go. A makeover was definitely in order. Mom and Dad indulgently agreed to let her go shopping by herself, trusting her good sense. But reserving the right of veto on whatever she brought home. But the veto right was not needed. Korena didn't want anything that looked slutty like some of the girls wore. Nor did she want the punk or goth look. She just wanted an outfit that would attract everyone's attention and make her stand out from any crowd she was in. And she found the perfect outfit. A new layered haircut completed her new look.

On her first day at high school, Korena got all the attention she craved, quickly becoming the center of a growing crowd of friends. She wasn't particularly outgoing, but she was so nice that once people met her they couldn't resist liking her. She always knew the perfect thing to say to make someone else feel good. And she definitely proved the adage that to have a friend you must first be one. She was always willing to help her friends in any way she could (as long as it was ethical). And being as good a student as her older brother, she was frequently found helping less able students with difficult assignments. She quickly became a favorite with all her teachers also and they would often ask her to tutor other students. Great! A chance to make another friend! The only fly in Korena's ointment was the fact that her parents wouldn't let her have parties.

As Mad Scientist, Robi's work hours were short so he had a lot of time on his hands that he no longer needed just for study. After all, he already knew practically everything there was to know. An accomplished do-it-yourselfer, (he had done much of the work on their home himself) he spent some of his time in further home improvement projects. And he never called a repairman when something broke down. He could do a better job of fixing anything than any of the repairmen he had ever hired.

One day though he became just a little overconfident when fixing the trash compacter.

That was a sobering experience for him. And a terrifying one for his children. They made him promise to call a professional in the future. He tried to reason that a professional could be shocked also. But it wouldn't be THEIR father, they said. He finally agreed to their demands but that left him with even more time on his hands. So he decided to take up a new hobby. Stargazing. Every night after getting home from work, he would work at memorizing a different quadrant of the heavens.

It was a fascinating study and a real challenge for even his phenomenal memory. And so much beauty in the sky too. He especially loved it when the two moons were full. Even though all that moonlight cut down on visibility of the stars.



Will Ricky Cormier continue to be a model family man? How will Meadow cope when her children all leave the nest? Will Robi keep his promise not to do any more electrical repairing? How long will his love affair with astronomy last? And what future lies in store for the young of these two families? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren to find out.

Next episode: Gen 4 Comes of Age

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Chapter 28 Birthdays, Careers and Romantic Goings-on

at #3 Heritage Trail - home of Estarr (gen 2-knowledge-age 60) and Chandler (fortune-age 58 ) Platz (last seen in chapter 22)


While the excitement of their children's weddings were occurring for her brother Lester and sister Pendillis, Estarr had to content herself with birthdays. But the Platz family were not much for parties so celebrations were very private. The twins Calder and Carissa transitioned to teen without even a cake. Both still remembered the circumstances of their last birthday and had a superstitious feeling that disaster would again befall if they had a party. So they transitioned without witnesses. Carissa was endowed with the family aspiration and Calder chose knowledge like his mother.

Carissa had enjoyed the family telescope all through her childhood, not for watching the stars, but for surveying the happenings of the neighborhood. If people were outdoors, Carissa wanted to know what they were doing. She enjoyed looking at everyone's backyard gardens too and seeing the flowers closeup, which she couldn't do walking by on the street. It had never occurred to her that anyone would object and all those years no one had. But the day after her transition she received an unexpected reaction, when her cousin Janeesis's husband, Jonathan, noticed her scanning his yard.


He gave her a huge lecture about spying on people. But Carissa was not intimidated. She told him he shouldn't be doing anything outdoors that he objected to people watching. (Though all she had seen was him going out to get the mail.)

Shortly after that, Estarr took Carissa to the beauty shop for her first makeover. Then she took both twins to Chris Stompel's photography studio for formal portraits.

Carissa is quite lovely with her new look. And Calder is the spitting image of his father, though he is quite different in temperament.

Estarr still owned her restaurant, The Peacock Garden, which was very popular both in and out of the neighborhood. She had also written several very successful cookbooks, featuring recipes from the restaurant. Her working hours were often long and late. One night as she arrived home, she began feeling the familiar tingly sensation that preceded a transition. She had entirely forgotten that today was her birthday! As she stepped out of the cab onto the landing strip she began to shiver and shimmer and soon the light show began and she burst into her new form as confetti showered around her.

Chandler also worked long hours and his landscaping business was thriving. He still loved Estarr deeply and had no desire to leave her. They had a good solid relationship even if it no longer had the fire it did when they were younger. They were partners in all of life's endeavors, if not often lovers anymore. He wasn't sure how he felt about her becoming an elder though. He knew that meant his turn would be coming soon but he still felt so young and he knew that was due to Bertillis. He had missed her terribly after she quit calling him. Every day he had gone to work expecting her to call and when she didn't he would be overcome with longing. Finally he could stand it no longer, and had dropped by her house one evening after work. He had been so astounded at what he found. And so thrilled too. No wonder he still felt young, with twin babies. And another on the way now too. Bertillis called him often again. Not as often as before but he could understand that with the children to care for. He wished she would let him do more for her, like set her up in a larger home. He could certainly afford it as well as his business was doing. He often found himself just staring in the mirror at his reflection, in wonder at the way his life was going. He had the best of two worlds. A talented and lovely wife and teen children, plus a beautiful young mistress and a second family. He had somehow managed to convince himself that he could continue to lead this double life forever with no damage to anyone. Or perhaps he just refused to think about any possible consquences.


at #12 Legacy Drive, home of Jeekobey Jitmakusol (gen 3- romance - age 30) his sister Bethesday Jitmakusol (gen 3- romance - age 22) and his girlfriend, Brittany Parker (popularity) last seen in chapter 22.

Life was purring smoothly for the young Jitmakusols. Jeekobey's career was now well established. He had decided to enter a very specialized area of psychology and was now a certified sex therapist. All of his clients were women who needed help overcoming their sexual hangups. He favored a strong, hands-on approach.

He had a lovely specialized therapy room in the back part of his office, complete with hot tub, incense, flowers, etc. where he taught relaxation and sensual modalities.

But he always made sure he left enough time in his busy schedule for Brittany.


Bethesda wanted to try for a career in modeling. She loved to show off her body. She was just beginning so she spent more time hanging around the modeling agency than she did actually working but it gave her plenty of time to socialize and meet new men. She still dated her highschool boyfriend, Ratna Sartor, but their relationship had gone far beyond that first kiss so many years before.

Her newest intimate relationship was with Dr. Sebastien Mace, cousin Kester's partner.

Sebastien was a frequent visitor to the Jitmakusol home. He was several years older than Bethesda but that certainly didn't matter to her. What did concern her was his beginning to hint about marriage. Time perhaps to cool that relationship. She'd have to make it plainer that she wasn't interested in longterm commitments at this time in her life. Ratna at least seemed comfortable with her attitude about that.

at #1 Tradition Street - home of Genesis (gen2- family-age 58) and Hawer (popularity-age 54) Enabler (continued from chapter 23)

The Enabler home was a happy one, full of growing children and contented adults. Genesis and Hawer were still deeply in love and looked forward to their golden years together. Their careers were stable and provided well for the family's financial needs. Genesis continued as assistant coach of the Llamas but planned to retire as soon as she transitioned to elder. Hawer was still rising in the executive ranks of Llama and Flamingo Inc. though he would never be CEO nor did he aspire to. He just didn't have the ambition to devote that much time to his career, preferring to spend it with his family. He was so proud of his eldest son, Kester, and grateful for the growing relationship with him. Kester visited often, frequently sharing a meal with his parents and siblings.

The grandchildren visited too, though not as often. And he and Genesis visited them. Genesis also gloried in her burgeoning family. She was thrilled when daughter Soressa married Dorian Kauker, but wondered what was taking them so long to start a family. They really ought to have a place of their own, instead of living with Opalessa. And Opalessa ought to be finding a man to settle down with. She was 36 already. She would be middle-aged before she knew it. It still seemed strange to Genesis to have a sister so much younger than she was. But then Kester's youngest sibling, Frazer, was 30 years younger than Kester. She hadn't been a kid when Kester was born either. No, she had been a full-grown woman of 23. Ah well, life had many variations and quite a few of them were strange.
Frazer had only recently transitioned to child and had just started school. He was a beautiful child who looked much like his sister Loral. Genesis thought he looked a lot like Hawer, at least more so than any of the other children, except for his coloring.

Loral finally agreed to haivng her picture taken but only if her brothers were in it with her.


Hawer's cousin, Chader, nearly 50 now and always pretty much a loner, surprised everyone by bringing home a woman several years younger than himself to meet the family. Genesis wasn't sure how old she was but thought she must be about 40. Her name was Arianna Jalowitz. Chader was the outdoorsy type. He worked for a group that organized white water rafting and fishing expeditions. Arianna was the group's office person, the one who answered the phone, did the scheduling, bought supplies, took care of advertising, etc. You might say the brains of the operation, while the guides like Chader were the brawn. Chader began bringing her home a lot and seeing her elsewhere too. They soon got the idea that he might actually be courting her. And sure enough, it wasn't long before he proposed.

Arianna didn't have to think twice before accepting. And as soon as she got the ring on her finger, she started organizing Chader. She wanted them to start shopping for a home. But Chader wasn't quite ready to leave the comfort of his established life. He suggested that instead she move in with him there. Well, Chader could be pretty stubborn. So eventually Arianna gave in. For the time being. But there was no place for her to move in to. Chader had been sharing a bedroom with his son, Viggo, ever since they moved in with Hawer and Genesis. Jager and Frazer shared the third bedroom while Loral slept in the tiny room off the master bedroom which used to be the nursery. It wasn't much bigger than a closet. So Chader proposed building an addition onto the house. He and Arianna put up half the money while Genesis and Hawer put up the other half.

When it was done and furnished, the couple married at the registry office and Arianna moved in.

Chader's son Viggo, now 22, was still seeing Iris Baxter, who was not yet 18. Her family didn't seem to object. Her father had come to Viggo's transition party with Iris, in order to meet Viggo, and he was now a frequent visitor at their home and Iris was often at the Enabler home. Genesis watched them closely as she didn't want any bad example set for her children. After all, Iris was only a few years older than her son Jager. He could easily get ideas she didn't want him to have yet. But Viggo and Iris always behaved circumspectly. No one was around when they finally had their first kiss.

Not that anyone would have seen much. Iris ducked her head just as Viggo leaned to kiss her so he got her on the forehead rather than the lips. But they did much better on the second try.


Ah, young love, how sweet it is. And not so young love too. How long can Chandler get away with his double life? What will happen if/when Estarr finds out? Has Carissa given up the telescope or will she just get sneakier about it and try to see what Jonathan was so sensitive about? Will Jeekobey and Bethesda be able to continue their romantic lifestyles without complications? Will Jager get ideas from Viggo and Iris? Will their relationship continue to grow? Will Arianna get Chader to do things her way or is he stubborn enough to keep resisting? Can two married couples of the same generation inhabit the same house without conflicts? Wow, what a lot of potential drama from these rather mild scenarios. Well, stay tuned for the next drama in the lives of All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Mid-Life Crisis? Not

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