1.06 - The White Flag of Surrender

Meet Howl.
Howl is doing Howl things.

Like running into the street.

And subsequently talking to "mean" strangers.

Meet Erick.
Erick is about to watch this beautiful plate of food for his toddler daughter meet the floor.
Twice.

He handles it with grace, like Erick does.

Meet Haru.
Haru is wondering when the hell volcano technology got so sophisticated.
I am also wondering this.
Despite this, they carry on.

Haru and Howl managed to get it all done and gave Howl some extra credit, too!

Howl got some time with his baby sister Sophie, and both of these kids were put to bed by Haru and Erick respectively.

The next day brings me my first ever advice ask!

Ninja-Tastic, man!

Erick is as unamused as I am as he goes for round two with Sophie, and yogurt bowl three. She could be starving but this stupid toddler will keep shoving her food off onto the floor. If I did that when I was a kid my parents would've made me eat it there.

Sophie has these big eyes and cute dances though that she'll pull out just as we start to think smothering her might not be a bad idea...

God she's ADORABLE but still so FRUSTRATING!
(Side note: I WILL eventually give up on the high chair, but this was before I had, so I was super frustrated by this)

Howl likes setting the table and I think he's adorable, so I let him do it.

He works on his Social skill in his spare time.
Howl: -and that's why I should be president!

Sophie got her needed bath.

Then it was time for the children to start getting ready for bed... but unfortunately this wouldn't last long for a certain terrible-two...

She went to wake up Haru. Haru told her it would be ok, but when she went to use "Comfort" Sophie would shove her off and get mean...
*groans and watches relationship bar tank*
Why?

Haru persists and reads Sophie back to sleep as soon as the negative moodlet dwindles to nothing.

The next day I was slapped with this.
Oops.
My Founder.
Her birthday notification had gotten buried, so no one celebrated with her.
Exactly what she needs on top of everything else going on in her crazy life!

She faces it with a smile and goes to get some tea to get ready for work.

Guess who's starving yet back at it again? This girl thinks it's funny.

Until she doesn't and then she throws fits in that high chair.
I should've given that highchair up way sooner than I did.

Despite all this, she's still so cute!

Battleground #1093532357 with Sophie is being set.

One sandwich here.

Some chips here.

Two more plates later and Erick is on clean-up duty.

Yet just as I start to get mad...
She gets cuter.

The slide scared her, so she'll be doing her movement in the ballpit for a while.

Howl came back... adorned in a headscarf?
Howl: It's all the rage now.
Whatever floats your boat, babe.

Brother and sister bonded for a bit on the backyard playground... and my gods her eyes are so big and green! 😍

Haru keeps saying she needs a vacation, and I keep staring at her not-moving performance bar at work with a grumble.

This was the day, my friends.

I surrender, Sophie. Do whatever you want. No more high chair.

😍😍😍💘👌
It was Friday and I wanted to take the kids to the park the next day so Howl could meet some kids to make friends with.

They day starts off well with Sophie maxing out her Potty-Skill! The family then head to the Willow Creek Park (of which I've finally edited because I figured out that I could XD)

That is... so freaking cute! I stared in wonder at this for ages! How neat is that??
Ok yea you all already know about it, but STILL!

Haru helped Sophie not be so afraid of the slide!

Erick hunted for some collectables, though I'll be honest when I say I'm not really looking that carefully at this point.

Haru was supposed to be logic skilling, but some guy kept coming over to creep on Sophie, and Haru had none of that, so instead she played hover-mom.

It took seemingly forever for kids to show up, I was starting to get worried, but they eventually did and Howl called them all over to play with him on the jungle gym and talk.

Erick makes an excellent sea-monster.

Interruption for advice number 2!
I don't record all of them, it was shortly after this that the novelty wore off.

Kiddy playtime!

Erick came over and freed Haru up to work on her logic some more as he watched Sophie.

Even Erick gets a hat? That's too much! How adorable!

Sophie settled in for a mid-afternoon nap as Erick read a book next to her.

Sophie was tired, so Howl scrambled to get the last of his requirements before the Ghibli's headed home and Howl put himself to work making 2 adult friends!
Why can't parents count?? *groaning*

Instead he met Ms. Pancake famous lady-butt here. She at least stuck around long enough to not become friends.
Thanks for nothing, Pancake JERK.

Seems like one of Howl's friends decided to find her way over from the park. Erick invited her in and gave her some food.
Yup, the Ghibli's have become that family on the block. Bring all your friends - we'll feed you!
I'll probably regret this when we hit teen-hood... Remembering how much my brother's ate as teens...?
I'm lucky I didn't starve to death.

As you can see, Sophie's friendship meter with Haru is depressingly low. Haru just can't win!

Howl seemingly has a crush on this girl whose name I cannot remember even though it's in the picture and I'm too lazy to zoom in and check.
Ok not THAT lazy.
BILLIE.
Right.

Haru: So, two kids in... do you still like what you see?
Pretty sure we already know this answer...

I had been struggling at this point, my friends, because while I love the pink-hair, green-eyed combination... I went into this saying pink-hair, pink-eyed. On the one hand I was super satisfied with one boy and one girl, four sims, happy household that had a perfect amount of food to be spread around (when making 4 or 8 servings) but...

I had to try for one more. I know I didn't outwardly state that I wanted SPECIFICALLY pink-hair, pink-eyes, but I did say I wanted genetics, and so far... I still have a shot to get it. So... pray I don't regret this.
Spoiler alert: I will, but then I won't. 

Haru and Erick be like: 

I be like: 

ldskjglasjkg;lakjsdlakgjlkajsg;lkajs.
Ahem right.
Moving on.

The next day came and Haru and Erick wanted to give Howl plenty of warning about the incoming new sibling!

So they all sat down and had a conversation to break the news.
He actually took it really well!

Haru was pretty pleased with this too!

Unfortunately there's no option to tell toddlers, which is a shame in my opinion, so instead Haru and Sophie just chatted.

Yesssssss Howl! We're almost there!

Keep chatting her up until you've got a friend!

Sophie and Erick worked on her imagination skill.

Then she ran off to hug her bear as many times as possible because I had just learned the trick that the best way to level Communication is through hugging the bear.

Haru began to work on her daily task and Howl...

Entered a phase!
Dun
Dun
DUN!

Chapter 1.07 >