Party Like It's Your Birthday! Because this chapter has a lot of birthdays.

Aaaaaand we're back! Again! When we last left our intrepid heroine-
Emma: Why do you keep calling me "our intrepid heroine"?
Me: Because you are. You are THE founder of this super awesome legacy. You're the author of four (I think it's four) science fiction books, A Sciency Science Fiction Novel, Invasion of the Alien Bowling Shirts, and you've begun a series of books, the It's Super Obvious Science Fiction series: Mutant Bunnies are Mutant and Starships are Starshippy. AND you survived a harrowing possibly game ending glitch, which thanks to the internets and sim forums, I FIXED (because I'm awesome). And you just said that so I would talk about how awesome you are.
Emma: Hehe....I AM THE ONE THAT IS AWESOME!
Me: Really? I don't think so

Yeah, everyone just "loves" Emma

Emma: Bebe Hart is a hater. I mean look at her hair. And that outfit.
Me: True.
Emma: And everyone and everything else loves me. See?

Emma: Nature loves me!

And Stiles McGraw loves me!
Me: Really, he does?
Emma: Yes, just look!

Yep. This is TOTALLY the look of a man in love.

Emma: He was extremely happy with the painting he comissioned!
Me: And I was happy with the 1200 simoleons you got for the painting. So Emma's ego has been stroked and we got money for the family.

And then the glitches began. It started with this. And I didn't get pictures of the other one, so I'll just tell you about it when the time comes.

Why, why can't SOMEONE go in the door?

Apparently, I'm not the most observant overlord. It took me a few days to realize that Bloom and Jo hadn't been able to go to school. And then I spent FOREVER resetting all of these sims so Jo and Bloom could get into to school. Thank goodness for Twallan's Careers mod. All the teenagers go to special schools now. In their formals! It's like prom every day! And that solved the problem. I think. Until the next glitch (which I will get too shortly)

And one fine day, Jo gets the opportunity to go over to Marla Bunch-French's house after school. And then I got a look at Marla.

This is a SERIOUSLY unfortunate outfit.

Emma: Change it. CHANGE IT NOW!
Me: Marla isn't even your kid!
Emma: I don't want to look at children in ugly clothes. Do you?
Me: Not really. But in real life, I'm not allowed to make over people's children. Nor would I want to.
Emma: This isn't real life is it?
Me: Nope! Thank goodness. Real life is filled with my dissertation.

Much better!

Jo butters up tries to befriend little Marla.

Jo: Your house is sweet!
Marla: Look at my hands!

And then Marla develops magic powers and develops the ability to place her hand through her homework.
Emma: Oooh really?

Marla: Bow to my terribly useful and practical magical powers!

And at home, super extra exciting things are happening.

Bloom washes the dishes. His yellow plumbob just illustrates how incredibly thrilled he is that I made him clean up after himself.

Bloom: Oh yeah. I really "love" washing the dishes.

 Emma works on Mutant Bunnies are Mutant.

Chatting online totally = working hard on one's novel

 And Zhan attempts to impress his lady with his physical prowess.

Zhan: I am BUFF baby!
Emma: The person plus is a sign of how turned on I am right now.

And Zhan's attempts to woo Emma are successful. Later that night, he gets lucky. Will there be a new little Book on the way?

Emma: Oh Zhan, you ARE buff!

And though Emma has rolled the wish to have another child with Zhan, I think two little Books are enough. Besides, Jo will age up soon.
Emma: But I want another baby!
But I have made a deal with Emma. She and Zhan can risky woohoo all they want, which they do a lot. Autonomously. If another baby results, then so be it. And then she can wear some of the awesome new maternity cc I found yesterday.
Emma: Baby, baby, baby!

But before Jo does age up, Emma tries to spend some quality time with her.
Emma: Because I am totally a great mother!

Jo: Okay mommy, I'll explain it one more time...

Emma: I was helping her! Not the other way around!
Me: Just keep telling yourself that. Maybe one day it will suddenly be true. Jo is super smart and extra awesome.
Emma: Hmph! Not as awesome as me. Just move on.

And then one night, Jo gets a tingly feeling, which gives her an uncontrollable urge to whirl around whatever that thing is in the picture .

She is clearly excited.

And she ages up into a female version of Zhan.

I think she looks shifty here.

Because of her indifferent study habits, which was totally not her fault because Jo is awesome, she gains the perfectionist trait. But I can work with that.

Jo: You're a little too late Mom.

The next night Zhan ages into an adult. Which was the first time I realized that he is quite a bit younger than Emma.

Emma: No, that's not true. He's older. I am younger!

Me: Stop trying to deny how old you are. You should be proud. My mom always says she's earned every one of her 61 years. 

Emma: Nope. I'm not getting old. I will be young and beautiful forever! Forever I tell you!

Anyway, Zhan ages up.

Zhan: Hmm...sparkles

And I think he looks different. But he doesn't have wrinkles or lines on his face. His cheekbones look higher. It's not just me right? He looks different.

Zhan: Yep. I'm older.

And aging must agree with Zhan, because he has attracted the notice of the papparazzi, who he blithely ignores.

Zhan: I'm skillin' like a villian

But even though the Books are getting older and the children are developing their own interests, they still attempt to come together as a family. But they just can't seem to get their timing right.

Jo: Emchic is right. I AM awesome!

Emma: We're trying! That's what's important. 

Me: And you all look so enthusiastic about spending time together. Dead behind the eyes is more like it.

Emma: You're just jealous of my super fantastic extra awesome family.

Me: Just keep telling yourself that.

And it was shortly after that the other glitch happened. Gus Hart and Fiona Mc-Irish Peoples happen to die in front of the grocery store. And there they floated as ghosts for hours and hours. And then no one could die. The options for my save file looked grim.

Emma: Oh no! Our legacy can't be cut short! It's too awesome not to go on!

Me: I agree. So I trolled the internet forums and I decided that moving the Books to a new version of Sunset Valley was the way to go.

Emma: It's trippy! It's like we traveled back in time! Hank Goddard and Pauline Wan were young and back together, Fiona McIrish-Peoples was just Fiona Mc-Irish.

Zhan: This new house is fantastic!

Emma: It's exactly the same as our old house. In absolutely every single way.

Zhan: But it's fantastic!

Jo is absolutely thrilled about this move.

Jo: I am so "excited" right now. Isn't it obvious?

I sent Jo off the the science academy. 

Emma: My baby is so smart.

Me: Yes, she is. And they wear their formal clothes to school! And Jo looks so pretty!  But Jo, who breezed through school (once she was able to go) is finding the work rather challenging.

Jo: I should get Bloom to do my homework.

And Jo appears to have other things on her mind. She comes home one day with a wish to find out Ethan  Bunch's sign. Is their love and romance on the horizon for our little Jo?

Jo: Oh, Ethan....you're so dreamy

Emma: I'm not going to let any filthy boys date my precious Jo! They only have one thing on their minds!

Me: So the legacy will die with you then?

Emma: But--<sighes> We'll just have to see about this Bunch boy. Why do my babies have to get older? Why do I have to get older? <begins to cry>

But, unfortunately for Emma (and as a further sign of Emma's aging) Bloom celebrates his birthday.

Emma: No, no it's not possible. My little boy is growing up. I'm getting soooo old! <weeps profusely>

Bloom: It's my birthday! Holla!

Emma: <weeps> I'm getting so old! <sobs>

And then Bloom ages up into a mutant.

Emma: What? No! They told us that the toxic waste spill wasn't going to effect us!

Bloom: This hurts.

Emma is such fun to mess with. Don't worry, Emma. Bloom looks completely normal after his birthday. However, because of his indifferent study habits(i.e. Bloom was unable to walk into the school's door) Bloom gains the mean-spirited trait.

Emma: Bloom is my sweet baby boy! He would never be mean!

Me: Is this the face of an angel?

Bloom: Mess with me. I dare you.

Emma: Of course it's the face of an angel! He's my baby boy! He would never do anything mean!

Me: Only time will tell.

Emma: Time will prove me right! And it will prove that I will be young, beautiful and sexy forever and ever!

Me: We'll see, Emms.

Copious Amounts of Crying: The Neverending Joys of Toddler Sims.

Emma: OMG Emchic, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
Me: Relax, Emms, it's been like one day since I last posted. I had a bunch of grading to get done. I've still got a bunch of grading to get done. And a dissertation to write.
Emma: But that is just to long for the world to go without me! Seriously, just chain yourself to the computer to play my file and blog about me.  Quit school and your jobs! You don't need them. AND DON'T CALL ME EMMS!!!
Me: Umm...yeah about that. No. Besides, I have to have some money to buy Generations when it comes out at the end of the month. And my jobs provide me with that all important income. And I only call you Emms because it bugs you. ;) Now I'm going to go work on my dissertation a bit, but I promise I'll blog some tonight. A lot of exciting things have happened.
Emma: And the world must know! Okay, I GUESS I'll let you go work on your dissertation. But you better be back on this blog by tonight. I promise.

A few hours later....
Emma: It has NOT been a few hours later. It's been TWO days. TWO WHOLE DAYS!
Me: Well Blogger went down that night and I was really busy watching episode after episode of Psych yesterday. Gus and Shawn FTW!
Emma: Start the chapter! Start the chapter now!

When we last left our intrepid heroine, she had just given birth to the lovely and adorable little Jo.  And it looks like there's another little one on the way.

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!

As you can tell by the picture, Emma is thrilled beyond belief. And even though she's pregnant with another little sim, she just loves taking care of Jo.

Emma loves it when Jo wakes her up!

Zhan loves taking care of Jo too. See?

They're the best parents EVER!

Emma is being unsually quiet here.
Emma: zzzzzz.....What? I'm awake! I'm totally awake!
Me: Then what did I just say?
Emma: You were talking about how awesome I am.
Me: Oh, yeah. Totally!

Emma breaks the news about the new baby to Zhan. You may recognize his response.

Zhan: ..........

But it doesn't take him as long to jump on board with baby #2.

Zhan: I'm still faking it.

Emma and Zhan ARE more enthusiastic with this pregnancy this time around. Zhan even rolls a want to massage Emma's poor aching back.

Zhan: I'm still faking it.

Emma: And he should. I'm carrying HIS child after all.
Me: It's your child too you know.
Emma: Then he should have to carry it.
Me: A valid point, Emms.
Emma: Seriously, DON'T CALL ME EMMS!
Me: Pregnancy hormones getting to you?
Emma: I'll have you know I make pregnancy look fabulous! See?

Emma: I'm too sexy

Oh, yeah. Emma makes pregnancy look great. She's just thrilled to be pregnant.

This is seriously my favorite picture of Emma.

Emma: Why, why, why do you show the readers these pictures? I was having a bad day. I am pregnant after all. Cut me some slack!
Me: Didn't you just get done saying how you made pregnancy look fabulous?
Emma: Um, well....

So nothing really happens, same old Sim pregnancy stuff, so on and so forth. And I get the house ready for the new arrival.

Yeah, I don't have anything clever to say here.

Conveniently,  Emma goes into labor EXACTLY when Jo starts to age up.

This is "excellent" timing

Jo: Pay attention to me!

And she immediately starts to cry.
Emma: <breathing heavily? Jo, honey, mommy has a little something else going on right now!
Jo: <continues to cry really really loudly>
And eventually she gets distracted and goes off, leaving Emma to give birth in peace.
Emma: Thank goodness!

Jo: You will bask in my cuteness! You will!

A boy!

And Emma brings into the world her second child, a son named Bloom Book. Bloom rolled the traits artistic and genius.
Emma: Bloom? What is it with you giving girls boy names and boys girl names?
Me: I'll have you know that Bloom is named after one Leopold Bloom, protagonist of James Joyce's novel Ulyssess.
Emma: That bloated incomprehensible piece of crap?
Me: Hey! Two chapters of my dissertation are on Ulysses!
Emma: Like we care.
Me: I do!
Emma: Yeah, you and like the five people who have managed to read the entire thing.

I didn't take any pictures because Bloom was crying and Jo was crying, Emma and Zhan were hungry and gripy, and it was really annoying and I was trying to get through all of it as quickly as possible. I felt bad and hired a babysitter so Zhan and Emma could sleep, and she really loves kids!

Well, maybe not ALL kids

Yes, Aracelli the babysitter (who, fyi, later grows up to become the town bike) only has love for little Bloom. She holds him, snuggles, him, feeds him, while Jo sits on the floor desperate to be put in her crib.

Emma: <whines> This isn't an indicator of how things are going to be is it? I'm soooo tired!
Me: Noooo, not all. (I'm totally lying)

Bloom and Jo don't have the grumpy trait, but they should. They cry A LOT, and their needs decay really quickly. And Jo is one cheery baby.

So cheery.

Emma gets so frustrated that she decides to knock herself unconscious to get away from it all.

Pow!

Emma: Please, please make the crying stop!

So there's lots of skilling and Jo is SO TOTALLY CUTE! Seriously, I took loads and loads of pictures, and I won't bore you with toddler pic spam (well not too much any way). And she is so smart. She builds skills like no toddler I've ever had.  And yes, I took skilling pictures and they were cute, but this picture is the cutest!

Jo: Look into my eyes! I will enslave you with my adorable cuteness!

 But she has the strangest profile. Her nose is really flat. And I have no idea where she got it from because Emma and Zhan do not have noses this flat. I love sim genetics! Even when they're confusing!

Flat nosed baby. But still adorable

And it was at this point that I saved my game and went to bed. And when I fired up the game the next day I was greeted by this.

And this

And this

Emma: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME? And my children? We are not children of the Grim Reaper! Change us back! Change us back now!

Seriously, I have no idea what happened. I tired reset sim on them, and nothing! I had to change their skin color in CAS.

All better

But I think her nose looks different. And her chin is less pointy.
Emma: My chin is not pointy! And..... I may have had a little work done while you weren't playing the game....
Me: And it turned your skin black?
Emma: That was an unexpected side effect.
Me: That spread to your children?

I'm moving on now. Time has passed and Emma aged up.

And she looks better than ever. Not tired and haggard at all.

Emma: My hair! Fix my hair! Fix it now!
Me: Okay, okay, I'll get into CAS right now.

The glasses complete the look, yes?

Emma: Thank goodness! Just because I'm older doesn't mean that I can't look fabulous.

And right after Emma ages up, so does Bloom!

Emma is super excited.

Emma: That book is really good! I couldn't wait to finish it.
Me: That book is more important than your son?
Emma: It's A REALLY GOOD BOOK
Me: <sighes>

The crossed eyes means it's birthday time!

I force Emma to stop reading and potty train Bloom.

Who doesn't really seem thrilled with the idea. So Emma tickles him instead and he's SO INCREDIBLY CUTE

Bloom: This is so much better than potty training!

You can see here that I temporarily forgot to put Bloom in black, and even though those little overalls are so darn adorable, I had to rectify the situation, which I forgot to take a picture of, so here's a picture of him in his pj's.

Tres cute!

Emma: Why does his tshirt say zombie snack?
Me: Because it's cute! And you just want him to wear Star Trek cc.
Emma: Of course! Now go search the internets for some Star Trek toddler cc!
And with that thought, I'll close the chapter.
Next time: More stuff! Can you stand the excitement?