#matthewp

We take a short(?) detour from Veronaville to check in with one of my favourite "just jump in and play" families: the Picasos in Desiderata.

[What makes a family like them so easy for me to play is that they don't require pre-written stories or ideas. Just the children growing up and starting to show their personality (and a fair bit of randomisation) is enough to make for an eventful round in my books. <3]

Mason, Avery, Gracie and Ryan got two new little siblings during this round: first Wes, then Parker.

Wes (full name Wesley), who is now a toddler and quite fussy

Parker

Avery is inquisitive and eager to learn, despite her dad holding the outdated views that girls don't need to be smart or curious.

She is now a child, recently having started school in Pleasantview Elementary, following her older brother.

Mason playing with a neighbour's dog

Gracie and Ryan have also both grown into toddlers (before Wes did).

The Picasos continue to live their traditional suburban life with a family that can just not stop expanding.

After their firstborn Mason, the couple’s second child Avery has aged up to a toddler too. Avery is an Aquarius, she is super nice (9), rather shy (4) and lazy (3), sloppy (2) and balanced in playfulness (5). She’s into sports, school, toys and animals, her hobby is not yet known.

[I don’t think I’ve shared this before so: Mason is also an Aquarius, his personality is 4/4/6/7/7. He’s into travel and sci-fi, hobby is not known. I need to come up with a way to share these new Sims’ personalities that is consistent and makes sense...]

Not long after Avery’s birthday, Jessica gave birth to her second daughter named Gracie.

...and not long after Gracie, a second boy named Ryan arrived too. Like rabbits, really. Jessica has not been to work in long, long years.

The Picasos

[I hope I'm not the only one who imagines Matthew and Jessica Picaso as the type of small town US married-young conservative couple who work in the army and expand their family at such a rate you could assume they simply have no hobbies other than pushing out babies. Well, somebody needs to take upon this role in the neighbourhood too, I guess.] Will their children, Mason, Avery and any future siblings grow up to continue this traditional lifestyle, or will they find their own individual ways? Only time can tell.

Recaps:

Jessie: Morning, Jas. Having your... *looks at microwave* air heatened up for breakfast?

Jasmine: Ah, I just don't know what I should eat on this stomach...

Jessie: Right, I did notice you've been unwell. That was you throwing up in the upstairs bathroom earlier, wasn't it? Is everything okay?

Jasmine: Yeah, of course, why? Hasn't all this downtown going out every night kind of lifestyle been taking a toll on your body too?

Jessie: I wouldn't know, I haven't been going as hard recently, I've kinda enjoyed staying in.

Jasmine: Really? Because you sure aren't in most nights!

Jessie: That's because I have a demanding job now with a flexible schedule, I mean, Sims call our hotline around the clock, somebody's gotta be there for them!

Jasmine: Yeah, speaking of calling... You know, just about an hour ago, after Jimmy left... who was it you were talking to on the phone in your room?

Jessie: Whoa... that's– okay, you only heard that because you were right on the other side of the wall throwing up in the toilet!

Jasmine: Slow down there, don't get defensive, it was just a question.

Jessie: No, you are totally accusing me of cheating on my fiancé right now, and let me tell you you couldn't be more wrong! I would never do such thing.

Jasmine: Yeah right, and I would never get pregnant from my ex-boyfriend.

Jessie: Oh watcher, we can't even lie to each other convincingly, can we?

Jasmine: We're screwed.

Jasmine: So... how long have you been at it with the other guy? What's he like? Is he better than Jimmy?

Jessie: Well, Matthew is... a real gentleman. He's a man of discipline and family values. He's in the army and–

Jasmine: W-w-w-ait – a man with family values? Is that the kind of man you want? What kind of family will you build with a man who is willing to steal you away from your fiancé? Wait– Does this man have a family of his own? Oh my god, you're about to say he has a wife himself and like half a dozen children, aren't you?!

Jessie: Well, it's looking like it might get to a dozen in a couple of years if they keep up the strictly reproduction-based woohoo they're doing.

Jasmine: You're kidding, right? A-and what's his wife like?

Jessie: Well, all I know is she's definitely not the best Jessica that he's been with!

Jasmine: Oh please, and he's not even the first Matthew you tried stealing from his partner!

Jessie: Enough about me... are we gonna talk about the fact that you just told me you're PREGNANT?!

While Corporal Matthew Picaso's wife was at home giving birth and raising babies 24/7, he met someone he became rather interested in...