Jan. 20th, 2024 08:22 am
Winter 1 - The Pancakes
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avaricesims Pancakes - Winter 1
Hello winter! We return to Willow Creek to find Bob and Eliza cozied up inside their home as the snows start to fall in the first rotation of the season.
A little cold isn't going to stop Eliza going well over-the-top for her daughter's birthday, though. She and Bob get dressed up, Bob makes way too much food and a playful burger cake, and they celebrate together as a little family. Eliza would have liked to invite some people around, especially John and Axel, but the snowstorm outside makes that difficult.
No matter, though. Adrienne grows up cute as a button, and it's no surprise Eliza has already outfitted her with a range of girly, pretty clothes and a pink bow in her dark hair. In colouring she continues to take after Bob, and Eliza is relieved there is no hint of blonde, even if by now she's certain of Adrienne's paternity.
The nursery off Eliza's room gets a makeover to make it suitable for a toddler, in soft muted neutrals. Eliza sells the baby furniture; Bob has been clear he doesn't want any more children.
Eliza would have liked one more, and she did talk to Bob about it. But he was clear. He loved Adrienne, and he didn't regret her accidental conception, but now he wanted to focus on earning enough to move to a bigger house, like Eliza had always said she wanted.
This continued focus on her happiness and dreams was romantic enough that Eliza let Bob stay in HER room for the first time. Big step! And probably also came with a pretty big injection of guilt. Wrapped up in their differences and the things she didn't like about Bob, Eliza hadn't treated him well in her quest to get what she wanted.
She was trying to make up for it, though. She loved having Adrienne with her while she worked on the romance novel she'd started writing, which meant Bob had his own space and time for his hobbies, uninterrupted.
If he wanted to spend a snowy afternoon playing video games in his messy room, that was fine by Eliza. Actually fine, not sarcastic fine.
And if Adrienne encroached on that space and peace, Eliza tried to mitigate the impact.
Which wasn't to say Bob wasn't participating with his daughter. As Adrienne was getting older he was definitely becoming more involved, and even started doing bedtime occasionally. He was slowly getting more comfortable with the idea and the practice of being a parent.
This meant that when Winterfest rolled around, Eliza was able to indulge in the cozy, loving, over-the-top celebration she had always wanted, complete with silly outfits.
There was nothing better than presents with an over-excited toddler, by their beautiful sparkling tree. They also enjoyed Bob's excellent cooking and had a ham dinner, lounged around reading, had naps, and played with Adrienne and her new toys. It was perfect.
As the winter wore on, Adrienne developed a love for playing in the snow in the backyard.
Bob would often hang out there with her, not minding the cold, while Eliza stayed bundled up inside, in the warm.
In fact, she needed a break from Willow Creek's constant snow, so during Bob's next shift at work, she decided to take Adrienne to the park in Oasis Springs. It was gloomy, but at least it didn't snow in the desert. She also invited Bjorn, eager for some adult company and pleased to be on good terms with him as a friend, after everything.
It was nice to challenge her mind with something other than her writing and teaching a child her ABCs, while Adrienne played in the ball pit.
She helped her daughter with the slide for a while before they called it a day.
Bob's commitment to his work also continued to pay off. He received a promotion to pastry chef during the winter, with a small cash bonus to go with it. They are a long way off being able to move, but it still felt like good progress.
Eliza's own career has somewhat stalled. She doesn't work nearly as many hours as Bob, often taking paid time off or coming home early from her writing job if Bob needs to go to work. They're no longer relying on the nannies for childcare; she likes being the one home with Adrienne if Bob isn't there. However, she is making good progress on her book, and is hoping to self-publish soon.
One afternoon, Eliza gets a call from Peaches, her old neighbour who has since moved to the city to live with her new partner, Johnny Zest. In autumn Eliza started to get to know John, her ex-husband, as he has stayed in their old home and so still lives next door. The two women spend some time catching up. Peaches is briefly upset that Eliza has been friendly with John, but despite the animosity of their split, decides not to force their friends to take sides.
They then spend a pleasant few hours skating - Peaches with effortless grace, Eliza with more enthusiasm than skill!
Before the Pancakes know it, New Year's Eve has rolled around, along with the Festival of Lights in Mt Komerabi. They decide to take Adrienne along for the day, since she loves playing in the snow so much.
I don't know whose Snowpal this was, but Adrienne was unimpressed.
Bob took the opportunity to try skiing, while Eliza ignored a grumpy grocery delivery bloke from Henford-on-Bagley while eating yakisoba.
Adrienne's favourite parts were the fireworks and the giant dinosaur.
Then it was home to put Adrienne to bed, before seeing in the New Year quietly together.
Bob made a resolution to get another promotion at work in the spring, while Eliza wants to finish her book and start selling it. She doubts she'll be able to quit her job, but wouldn't that be great one day - to be a full time novelist, working from home, while raising her child?
That seems like a nice place to leave the Pancakes. Bob and Eliza have come so far since the spring! They're in a good place and Adrienne is bringing them both a lot of joy, despite the rocky circumstances of her entry into the family. I was prepared for these two to separate if that's how things played out but I'm glad they seem to have found a way to make it work.
Hello winter! We return to Willow Creek to find Bob and Eliza cozied up inside their home as the snows start to fall in the first rotation of the season.
A little cold isn't going to stop Eliza going well over-the-top for her daughter's birthday, though. She and Bob get dressed up, Bob makes way too much food and a playful burger cake, and they celebrate together as a little family. Eliza would have liked to invite some people around, especially John and Axel, but the snowstorm outside makes that difficult.
No matter, though. Adrienne grows up cute as a button, and it's no surprise Eliza has already outfitted her with a range of girly, pretty clothes and a pink bow in her dark hair. In colouring she continues to take after Bob, and Eliza is relieved there is no hint of blonde, even if by now she's certain of Adrienne's paternity.
The nursery off Eliza's room gets a makeover to make it suitable for a toddler, in soft muted neutrals. Eliza sells the baby furniture; Bob has been clear he doesn't want any more children.
Eliza would have liked one more, and she did talk to Bob about it. But he was clear. He loved Adrienne, and he didn't regret her accidental conception, but now he wanted to focus on earning enough to move to a bigger house, like Eliza had always said she wanted.
This continued focus on her happiness and dreams was romantic enough that Eliza let Bob stay in HER room for the first time. Big step! And probably also came with a pretty big injection of guilt. Wrapped up in their differences and the things she didn't like about Bob, Eliza hadn't treated him well in her quest to get what she wanted.
She was trying to make up for it, though. She loved having Adrienne with her while she worked on the romance novel she'd started writing, which meant Bob had his own space and time for his hobbies, uninterrupted.
If he wanted to spend a snowy afternoon playing video games in his messy room, that was fine by Eliza. Actually fine, not sarcastic fine.
And if Adrienne encroached on that space and peace, Eliza tried to mitigate the impact.
Which wasn't to say Bob wasn't participating with his daughter. As Adrienne was getting older he was definitely becoming more involved, and even started doing bedtime occasionally. He was slowly getting more comfortable with the idea and the practice of being a parent.
This meant that when Winterfest rolled around, Eliza was able to indulge in the cozy, loving, over-the-top celebration she had always wanted, complete with silly outfits.
There was nothing better than presents with an over-excited toddler, by their beautiful sparkling tree. They also enjoyed Bob's excellent cooking and had a ham dinner, lounged around reading, had naps, and played with Adrienne and her new toys. It was perfect.
As the winter wore on, Adrienne developed a love for playing in the snow in the backyard.
Bob would often hang out there with her, not minding the cold, while Eliza stayed bundled up inside, in the warm.
In fact, she needed a break from Willow Creek's constant snow, so during Bob's next shift at work, she decided to take Adrienne to the park in Oasis Springs. It was gloomy, but at least it didn't snow in the desert. She also invited Bjorn, eager for some adult company and pleased to be on good terms with him as a friend, after everything.
It was nice to challenge her mind with something other than her writing and teaching a child her ABCs, while Adrienne played in the ball pit.
She helped her daughter with the slide for a while before they called it a day.
Bob's commitment to his work also continued to pay off. He received a promotion to pastry chef during the winter, with a small cash bonus to go with it. They are a long way off being able to move, but it still felt like good progress.
Eliza's own career has somewhat stalled. She doesn't work nearly as many hours as Bob, often taking paid time off or coming home early from her writing job if Bob needs to go to work. They're no longer relying on the nannies for childcare; she likes being the one home with Adrienne if Bob isn't there. However, she is making good progress on her book, and is hoping to self-publish soon.
One afternoon, Eliza gets a call from Peaches, her old neighbour who has since moved to the city to live with her new partner, Johnny Zest. In autumn Eliza started to get to know John, her ex-husband, as he has stayed in their old home and so still lives next door. The two women spend some time catching up. Peaches is briefly upset that Eliza has been friendly with John, but despite the animosity of their split, decides not to force their friends to take sides.
They then spend a pleasant few hours skating - Peaches with effortless grace, Eliza with more enthusiasm than skill!
Before the Pancakes know it, New Year's Eve has rolled around, along with the Festival of Lights in Mt Komerabi. They decide to take Adrienne along for the day, since she loves playing in the snow so much.
I don't know whose Snowpal this was, but Adrienne was unimpressed.
Bob took the opportunity to try skiing, while Eliza ignored a grumpy grocery delivery bloke from Henford-on-Bagley while eating yakisoba.
Adrienne's favourite parts were the fireworks and the giant dinosaur.
Then it was home to put Adrienne to bed, before seeing in the New Year quietly together.
Bob made a resolution to get another promotion at work in the spring, while Eliza wants to finish her book and start selling it. She doubts she'll be able to quit her job, but wouldn't that be great one day - to be a full time novelist, working from home, while raising her child?
That seems like a nice place to leave the Pancakes. Bob and Eliza have come so far since the spring! They're in a good place and Adrienne is bringing them both a lot of joy, despite the rocky circumstances of her entry into the family. I was prepared for these two to separate if that's how things played out but I'm glad they seem to have found a way to make it work.