Tales of Happy Valley
Chapter 42: Barry Reconnoiters


Barry Checks to See if the Coast is Clear

'Is anybody watching? Hmmm... nobody coming down the hall. Nobody sneaking in the back. Brother and sister are asleep. Nanny Penelope is at class, so--"

Tales of Happy Valley
Chapter 43: Barry's Escape


'Well? What would YOU do in a situation like this?'

'All right! I just need to get myself down on the floor where somebody will pay attention to me! So--"


Barry Escapes!

'Hang in there, Barry! It's just a short drop to freedom! And a clean diaper!'

'Uh oh! I hear someone coming! Too soon! Too soon!'

Tales of Happy Valley
Chapter 44: Busted!

"And just where do you think you're going, my son?" Greg says.

'AAARGGH! Caught! Totally busted!'


Greg and Barry

"All right, I get the message! We'll bring your blue crib back down from the attic! Your grandmother meant well, but she just wasn't thinking. But first, let's do something about that diaper!"

'Aha! Despite the bad timing, mission success! Primary objectives achieved!'

Tales of Happy Valley
Chapter 45: Baby Talk


A Clean Diaper is a Pearl of Great Price

"I have this theory," Greg says, "that babies are so cute because it keeps us from strangling you before you're big enough to run!"

'With any luck at all, I'll inherit mom's nose!'

"Well, I suppose I should resign myself to being proud of my precocious son. I just hope that if I haul that blue crib all the way down here, you'll stay in it!"

'Crib... check. Clean diaper... check. Bottle... check. Now, what was my next objective? Hmmm... oh, right! I remember! It's time to throw up on daddy!'

Carrot wrote:

...Can't get good jobs? Do you mean, if we take a sim back to college via the method described above, after they receive a degree they aren't eligible for the "good" jobs? (just curious)

I meant that if you change them to young adults, they can't get good jobs while they are still young adults. You have to send them college to grow up first.

Greg wrote:

Carrot wrote: ...Can't get good jobs? Do you mean, if we take a sim back to college via the method described above, after they receive a degree they aren't eligible for the "good" jobs? (just curious) I meant that if you change them to young adults, they can't get good jobs while they are still young adults. You have to send them college to grow up first.

O I C . . . that's good to know. =)

Thanks Greg! =D

I can't believe baby Barry! My jaw dropped when I saw him standing in his crib and then the escape! = O

That was really adorable . . . thank God infants can't do that IRL, can you imagine how that would be? lol

Excellent Story/Stories Greg . . . I really enjoy following along. =D

Regards,

~*~ Carrot ~*~

Nancy wrote:

I love that hot tub screenshot!! :winky:

At least it's bigger than those silly things they have at that hotel in Niagara Falls!

Carrot wrote:

...I can't believe baby Barry! My jaw dropped when I saw him standing in his crib and then the escape! = O

Yeah! Who says sim babies don't have any personality? :razz4:

Greg wrote:

Carrot wrote: ...I can't believe baby Barry! My jaw dropped when I saw him standing in his crib and then the escape! = O Yeah! Who says sim babies don't have any personality? :razz4:

I'd say baby Barry has personality plus! :shades1:

For some reason, I'm very attached to him! I'm feeling "protective motherly instincts" toward the little guy! Lol

Don't mind me, it's just a hormonal flux going on or something . . . :kooky: hehe

He seems to be the Great Philosopher among sim babies. He spends a lot of time thinking about politics and other sociological phenomena.

Barry is an exceptional child, but Daddy Greg is a wonderful Daddy too! :winky:

Why do I suddenly want to be a Nanny in Happy Valley? lol

Yes, Daddy Greg is a very good Father, I must say. I wish I could get my "sim daddies" to be that attentive!

I can't wait to find out what happens to baby Barry! =D

Speaking on nannies in Happy Valley...

Tales of Happy Valley
Chapter 46: The Nanny

A few days earlier, She approached Greg while they were getting dressed for school.

"Why is the nanny just sitting out there in her van?" She asked.

"I don't know," Greg said. "This is the third day in a row that she's done that. And we're getting warnings from Child Protective Services about leaving the kids alone."

"We need to do something! Gloria and Della are getting tired of staying home from class to babysit!"

"Let me try something," Greg said. He walked out to the van, where the nanny was just sitting there, talking with David, her driver.

"Need some help getting out?" he said. "Allow me to be of assistance!" He reached through the window, grabbed the nanny firmly by her shoulders, and yanked.

"Yikes!" the nanny said. "Oh, thanks! I was stuck!" David put the van in gear and sped off.

"Don't mention it," he said. "Just watch the kids for a couple of hours while we're at class and I'll give you a major tip when we get back!"

Finally, all four of the college students were able to make it to class. When they got home, the nanny was still there.

They played with the baby, studied, went for a dip in the pool, had dinner, and the nanny was still there.

They got Alexander and Amanda ready for bed and tucked them in, and the nanny was still there.

"Um, the nanny is still here," She said. "She even played with the rejuve thingie. Now she's getting sleepy, but she doesn't want to leave!"

"Nothin' for it," Greg said. "I'll buy her a bed!"

With a bit of hasty construction, the nanny had her own room next to baby Barry's nursery.



Nanny Penelope and Gloria Baybrace, the Next Morning

The next morning, the nanny was still there. While running around in her nightie, she had fixed some pancakes and become quite chummy with Gloria.

"It looks like we've adopted a nanny," She said. "By the way, her name is Penelope."

"Good enough for me!" Greg said. "As long as she takes care of the kids, she can stay as long as she likes!"

Five days later, the nanny was still there. She liked her room next to the nursery and helped out with the household chores. With a little encouragement from Greg, she even completed her Freshman year in college. She only got a C after her first semester, but by the end of the year she was on the Dean's List.


Penelope Does Her Homework While the Bennetts Write Term Papers

By that time, Gloria had become so fond of Nanny Penelope that she asked her to move in, and Penelope became a permanent part of the household at Manse Collegium.


Penelope Joins the Familly



What I really did was to use "move_objects on" to yank the reluctant nanny out of her van. After that, she behaved like a regular nanny, much improved after some personality adjustments. But at the end of the day, she would not leave. All the while, David, her driver, showed up on the list of NPC's in the household even though he was nowhere in sight. After five days of using Merola's Mind Control Mirror to get her to go to class, she was such good friends with Gloria that I had Gloria ask her to move in.

Tales of Happy Valley
Chapter 47: Penelope and Gloria


Why Gloria Wanted Penelope to Move In
This happened autonomously.

That evening they learned something about Penelope that they already knew about Gloria. She and Greg saw this little exchange through their bedroom door.

"Oh my," Greg said. "We need more guys in this neighborhood!"

"Look on the bright side," She said. "Maybe Gloria will get over her crush on me!"

"I've been wondering about that--"

"Not since we were teenagers," She said. Then, with a grin and a poke in the ribs, "And what about you?"

"Not since we were teenagers," he said.

"There's only one thing we need to do about this at the moment--"

"Huh?"

"Close the bedroom door and get yourself into that hot tub, now!"