New Beginnings

My book has finally arrived!!!

Bad mood fading, fading, fading…

Look out for an update in the next couple of days! Also, I’m sorry for being away so long, but I have enough problems putting up with my incredibly rotten temper, and I saw no reason to foist it off on anyone else!

Guys, I’m sorry, I’m suffering from ‘I’m Crabby Syndrome’, and ‘I-can’t-be-bothered-itis’ at the moment. I think it’s all this goddamn rain we’ve been having. And, my bloody book still hasn’t arrived! Honestly, I am so P-Oed at the moment that anything I write would be an attack of ‘Sasha-itis’, and I really don’t want to go there!

Well, before I get on to the birthday news, I just want to act like a proud Papa, and include a photo of my children, which was taken this morning after breakfast, while they were waiting for the school bus. As of yet, my twin boys haven’tfound any opportunities for getting into mischief. I’m sure all that will change though! Anyway, I’ll show you the photo, and then get on with the news.

Don’t they look like little angels?

Anyway, I better get on with it. You are still listening, right?

It was little MC’s (Fairchild, not Hammer, remember?) birthday today, and now she’s not so little anymore! She’s old enough now to be thinking of college applications, and boys! I can almost see my Pops fretting and fussing over that, you know! Blake’s a lot more laid back about this sort of thing. Anyway, on with the photos!

No doubt she’ll have all the boys after her before you can say “Hey, there’s the first teen of the new generation!” She and Scarum still get on incredibly well, despite the age difference, and it’s the same with Katie and the twins, which is really great.

MC has even started talking about getting a job, so she’ll have some money saved up for when she goes to college, but Alkanet has told her not to worry too much about that. Fair enough, too. Alkanet and Blake aren’t filthy, stinking rich, but they’re not verging on bankruptcy either, if you catch my drift.

It was also Dollar’s birthday today, too. You know, it wasn’t that long ago that this whole family seemed to be filled with nothing more than babies and toddlers, but now there aren’t any! What we have now is five children (three of them are mine), and one teen! Boy, where did the time go?

Anyway, time for Dollar’s photos!

It’s really quite hard to tell just who this one looks like, she doesn’t seem to resemble either Amby or Chandler, but that ain’t no big thing, is it?

(MC is a Knowledge Sim, in case anyone wants to know. Also, a little heads-up: I’m waiting for my paperback copy of ‘Lonesome Dove’ to arrive, and once it does, updates may be a bit spotty! Also, I’m late with this update because I’ve been trying to learn the ‘Titanic’ theme on guitar!!)

I’m beginning to wonder if Amby is simply full of hot air, and nothing more. ‘Why’s that?’ I can hear you ask. Well, simply because of this little scene I happened to witness yesterday:

I had to rub my eyes and pinch myself a couple of times, just to make sure my peepers were working and I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t, of course, because you can’t capture dreams on film! So, Amby’s either going soft, or she’s just been a big faker all these years! I’m not sure which it is, and I don’t think anyone else knows, either, but I hope she stays like that.

I managed to get another great moment on film today, too.

My Katie’s first A+! Truly a great moment, that, and one I was proud to put in the photo album, along with all the other memories. Actually, that was the first of four photos I added to the album today, so I better get on with it, or I’ll be here until next week!

In case you didn’t know, it was birthday time for Twin Trouble today. Adi and I were incredibly surprised that they sat still for long enough so we could get this picture of them, they aren’t usually so…well-behaved!

This is Master Sagaxus, or Trouble One, the elder of the two by about five minutes (at least, I think its five minutes). He doesn’t, as you can see, really resemble either his mother or me, except he has his mother’s hair, and my eyes.

This is Master Shogg, or Trouble Two, depending on what he happens to be doing at the time. They haven’t, thank goodness, reinitiated their little gang with Katie yet, which has been a blessing. I don’t think I’d be able to handle that on top of all the stress I’ve been under at work lately. I have been seriously considering a career change, but I think its a bit late now.

Still, my twin toerags are happy children, and I can’t ask for more than that!

Abe out!

(I’m back! And I’ve learnt my lesson: no coffee cups on the desk!)

Well, guess what? Your humble and obediant servant, Abram Michael Mellon, is now Mayor of Victoria Hill! Oh, boy, would Ma and Pops be proud of my right now! I get to ride to work in a helicopter!

I’m still a dope, though. Guess who forgot his daughter’s first day at school? I had the camera all ready, and then those rascally twins found some mega-mischief to get into! Little horrors! But, they’re my little horrors, and I love em to bits!

Still, Adi managed to get a shot of Katie getting off the school bus, so I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with that.

She sure looks happy, doesn’t she? A lot happier than I was on my first day at school, but, then again, Katie didn’t have a bossy twin to push her over all the time like I did. If I remember right, Amby shoved me down the stairs when we were getting off the bus, too. Hah, I’d forgotten how mean my sister could be. My face still remembers the ‘Textbook Incident’ though. I bet I’m the only mayor around here that has a crooked nose!

Adi had no trouble getting our only daughter to do her homework, which was probably a good thing. Even better, Adi was able to help her because the twins were taking their naps. Actually, I love those boys best when they’re taking naps! They’re perfect little angels until they wake up!

Anyway, getting back to my first day as Mayor. I was a bit shocked actually. I had no idea there was so much corruption! Council members helping themselves to funds, Congressmen with so many children that they’re almost bankrupt from paying child support, and my Aide’s been locked up for tax evasion! You know, I think I’d rather father another set of terrible twins than sort this mess out. In fact, the only good thing that happened was the welcome I got when I arrived home!

Well, I’m absolutely exhausted, and my bed is calling!

(Abe’s Lifetime Want is actually ‘Own 5 Top-Level Businesses’, but business causes the game to crash, and we all know how much I hate that!)

I feel like an idiot admitting this, but due to the ‘Hot Coffee Incident’, I have been without an internet connection for almost a week, which is why there’ve been no updates (Actually, I was playing a shoot-em-up, bowled my coffee all over my modem ) Things should be back to normal soon, though. Oh, and Happy Birthday for the 8th, Mandy!

Well, my lovely wife and I have one less toddler mischief-maker to worry about! Now we have two terrible tots and a cheeky (I mean that in a good way) child to deal with. Still, one down, two to go, and all that, and, with Katie at school now, it’ll be a little easier on Adi… I hope.
Anyway, on with the pictures!

That last picture, of Katie admiring herself in our mirror, was taken just after her mother cut her hair (it was hanging in her face), and she was very pleased with the result. So was Adi, thank goodness! I don’t think Sagaxus and Shogg know what to do with themselves now that they’ve lost the ringleader of their little gang. Still, I suppose the Terror Gang will be back, when they’re children, too.

Now, before I move on, does anyone have any tips on getting Katie off the telephone?

I think she was talking to MC, but I’m not entirely sure.

It was baby Dollar’s birthday today as well, a fact that I’d completely forgotten (what a wonderful Uncle I am, huh?), but then remembered at the last minute.

Amby hasn’t really shown a lot of interest in her little girl yet, but Chandler more than makes up for it. No doubt he’ll be the one who teaches her everything she needs to know before she has her next birthday. Maybe one day Amby will realise that she’s been given a great gift, although I doubt that somehow.

Right, last, but certainly not least: Master Bescarum Fairchild!

So now Katie and MC have a new little friend! Hopefully they won’t start their own little gang, because you and I both know that it would be another form of T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Also, before I head off to stuff myself with birthday cake, I’d just like to say, from myself, my sisters and our families, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a friend called Katie (our daughter is named after her), who is having a birthday on Monday.

(Well, fine, Abe, just forget about me why don’t you? Seriously, though Katie, have a great day on Monday, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY from me, too!)

Boy, have Adi and I had a busy day today! Or perhaps I should say busy night, since that’s more accurate. It was, shock, horror, the twins birthday today you see, and I’ve figured out two new ways to spell trouble: S-A-G-A-X-U-S and S-H-O-G-G!

I like these two pictures, they remind me of a peace and quiet I ain’t gonna experience again for a long time! Just let me savor the moment, and then I’ll move on.

At least I can tell them apart now (I think)! Sagax, Trouble One, is in the back, and Shogg, AKA Trouble Two, is right at the front. Ad i and I had them sitting next to each other, all nicely, but Shogg pushed to the front the moment our backs were turned. Little rascal! Not that Sagaxus us any better, but that’s life!

Amby took that photo for us, and, for once, the boys were behaving themselves!

Before, the twins were into everything within crawling reach, but now that they’re both up on their chubby little legs, they’re damn near unstoppable! Although, I gotta admit, Katie seems to be the ringleader of the Terrible Toddler Gang. She’s quite mischievious, and so are the other two. They’ve found that if all three of them push against the gate at the bottom of the stairs, it’ll open just enough for them to get through, even though Adi and I do usually catch them before that happens!

Actually, it’s Katie’s birthday in a couple of days, so that’ll be one less toddler to wear me out!

(Eh, I’m actually having a little trouble telling Abe’s boys apart myself. They’re certainly more alike than my last set of boy twins, Andybugs and Beebop!)

Holy heck, I think I know how Pops felt when Amby and I came along! Shocked, puzzled, confused, bambozzled, well, you get the idea! And, just in case you don’t get what I’m hinting at, I’ll get on with it.

Now, I had to work today, so I missed the big moment, but Amby was visiting (maybe hoping to pick up some parenting tips), and she had the good sense to grab our camera..

Everything looks nice and normal there, doesn’t it? But just wait until the next bit…

So my friends, meet Sagaxus and Shogg Mellon, our totally unexpected twin boys! Sagax is in the crib on the left, Shogg’s on the right. Goddamn (excuse me), they’re gonna be a lot of work, those boys of mine, but it should be incredibly fun, too! Ma and Pops did a darn good job raising us, and I hope I can do the same with my children. Actually, I’m a little worried about how Adi will cope with three children on the days that I have to work, although that seems a bit stupid. She’s really loving being a Ma, and I overheard her telling Alkanet that she’d like to have ten children! I’m hoping that she’s just kidding, though. If there were ten, I’d have trouble remembering all their names, I already have trouble telling my boys apart!

Also, I have a new neice!

It seems that Amby wasn’t kidding at all, and she named her daughter Dollar Penny Gregory. Talk about money on the brain!

(I think I’m going to scream…)

Well, my Katie has got bigger.

It was her birthday today, along with my nephew, Bescarum (Scarum for short). He’s only a couple of hours younger than my Katie, you know. Which means that Katie comes first this time (not just because she’s my daughter. And if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you).

I think she looks a lot like me, what do you think? She’s already a very adventurous child, and, as such, Adi and I have placed gates on the stairs, so our little one can’t hurt herself. We also have to keep our front door locked, just in case. That was Adi’s rule, not mine. Personally, I think Katie’s too small to get out the door at the moment, but I’m not going to argue with Adi about it. Who knows, she may even be right!

Now, on to Scarum!

As you can see, young Scarum’s a carrot-top, just like his Pops. A bit of a shame really, it doesn’t look like the blond hair will be showing up in this generation. That ain’t no big deal though, I suppose. Also, Katie and Scarum are rather nice-looking toddlers, as far as that goes, so that’s a bonus. Nobody wants a pig-ugly kid, right?

I told you that Amby’s pregnant, right? Well, she shocked the bejesus out of the rest of us by announcing that she’s going to call her baby ‘Dollar’, no matter whether it’s a boy or girl. ‘Dollar’? Wasn’t that the name of the dog in ‘Richie Rich’? Poor kid, I feel sorry for it already!

(Erm, Abe, has it occured to you that Adi keeps the door locked to deter would-be-kidnappers? Hmmm, I wonder if I can use that at some point….. Hey, Jen! Howzitgoin’?)