Skills, Bonding, and Dad. Oh my!

"Are you sure there's no way to get out of this?" I asked. "Like, I can't sign another contract saying I don't have to do this or something?"

The voice on the other end sighed. I was probably annoying the hell out of them. "I've already told you that there's no way out of this. You shouldn't have signed the contract. Sorry," They said right before they hung up. 

 I walked up to my room in a very grumpy and aggravated mood. I should have known not to go through with that stupid TV thing; seeing as how everything I do seems to bite me in the butt anyways. I move; my kid gets kidnapped. I go to Bridgeport; I get raped. I screw my psychologist; I find out he has a wife. I agree to do some TV show where I have to be with 4 men; my ex boyfriend wants to get back together with me. 

What I'm trying to say is no matter what I try to do, something bad nearly always happens. Even with this one hundred baby challenge something still went wrong. Just look at what happened to Calpurnia for instance. And you can't forget about my mom's spaz attack when she found out about it. 

Sheesh, my life could be some sort bad soap opera. 

 A bit later, I decided to age up Farah and Sydney. 

Farah still barely has any hair and loves to wear purple. 

 Sydney and Farah are both a lot alike, which makes them get along really well. They're those twins that dress nearly the same and don't even think twice about it. 

 Everybody wanted to do some bonding today, so since we had vampires that couldn't go in the sunlight (And therefore couldn't go to the beach or park during the day), we decided to wait until later and have a bonfire.

Almost everyone was roasting a marshmallow, except for Damian and I. We were the two who didn't get a chair. So instead Damian decided to play with the fire. "Damian," I said. "Don't put your hand in the fire."
He sighed. "Fine..."

 While trying to ignore his brother, Ewart managed to burn his marshmallow. "Ugh," He groaned. "This is so bad." 

 Eventually, Farah and Sydney got tired of the fie and went to the trampoline. 

 From there, Damian and I sat down we all  had one of those interesting bonfire talks. 

Ewart: I wonder if the fire would explode if I farted into it. 

Zuri: EWWWWW. Please don't try.

Damian: I wonder if we'll cover this in chemistry. It has to do with gas particles, so I think so. 

Me: Wrong type of gas, Damian. 

Florence: Well actually, your body is filled with different types of gases, for example, when we  breathe we inhale gases and then we let out the Carbon Dioxide. And water is necessary to live; the last time I checked, water was made of hydrogen and oxygen. 

We all turned and stared at her. Usually kids didn't know this stuff.

Florence: What? I'm in the science club for a reason, you know.

 Eventually Pinky even joined us and looked very confused about our conversation. 

Right as I was about to go to sleep Sam magically appeared right next to my bed.
Or maybe I should say the ghost of Sam.
Well this is awkward...

"Errrmmmm...." I muttered. What does one do in this situation? It's not everyday that you see your dead dog floating next to your bed. 

Eventually he just curled up in a ball and went to sleep.
Oh well... Once an old, tired dog, always an old tired dog. 

The next night, Florence and Haley aged up. Florence is obsessed with curling her hair every morning. She doesn't care if it's damaging, she curls her hair anyways. 

She couldn't be more different from her twin sister and you rarely (if ever) see them together. 

And believe me, they're the exact opposite. Haley is much more artistic and also isn't afraid to get paint on her clothes, whereas Florence would freak out.

Since I have absolutely nothing to do around the house -besides chores, which they're usually done- I've been working on improving my skills. I finally maxed out my writing skill and I'm making a lot of money from writing books. How did I not think of doing this sooner?

Don't judge. I need to improve my logic skill and chess bores me to tears, so this was the best possible way. I could have read books, but what logical book is entertaining? 

All of the kids have been working on skills after school and homework too. Zuri loves the bass, Ewart loves the guitar, and Damian loves the drums. They thought about making a band, but decided they would get too irritated with each other. 

Like I mentioned before, Haley is very artistic. She's trying her best to improve her skills so she can be an artist when she gets older.

Florence is more passionate about the logic skill. She hopes that one day she'll be a scientist or a doctor; she hasn't chosen yet.

With prom coming up soon, Haley and Florence have been trying to shed a few pounds so that they can fit into their dream dresses. Even though she knows that she'll age up before prom, Zuri is extremely supportive of her sisters and motivates them to keep going. 

One morning after everybody left for school, I got a call from my dad asking me to meet him at the art museum. 

I don't know why, but I went. Something told me that he couldn't do anything bad in a public setting, so having that comfort probably influenced the decision. Just a little. 

And plus, I'm a human. I was curious; curiosity killed the cat, as they always say. 

When he walked up I barely even recognized him. He didn't have a Mohawk or weird sweatshirt anymore. "Dad," I said. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," He said after a hesitant chuckle.  

"What... Happened?" I asked in disbelief.

"Have you seen your mom in a while?" He asked.
"Yes, she told me that Collin commited suicide, you two got a divorce, and then proceeded to yell at me for my life choices. Why do you ask?"

"Just making sure you knew about the divorce," He said. "Okay. So one with the story then. After we divorced I met a woman named Theresa. We've been together for about a year now and I recently proposed to her. I decided that I wanted to change myself, for her sake, so I quit my job in the criminal career track and am looking for work; I also let my hair grow out and got some new clothes so that I didn't look like a hoodlum anymore. I know that I won't be able to fix things with your mother, but I really want to at least try to build a relationship with you. Even if you never want to see me again I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything that I've put you through. It took a while, but I finally realized that what I did was wrong."

"Dad," I muttered as I hugged him. "That's great. And I forgive you; we all make mistakes and it's great that you're trying to turn your life around."
He smiled. "Thank you so much." Was he crying? Oh my goodness, I don't think I've ever seen my dad show so much emotion. "I also wanted to know if you would like to meet her- Theresa I mean. We're aging up into adults in a few days and she really wants to get to know you."

"Of course," I said. "Just tell me when and where and I'll be there."
"Friday night at 6:00. I'll send you the address later," He said.
"Alright."

Maybe I was stupid to forgive my dad so quickly, but I really don't care. I'm just happy to see him trying to make a positive change in his life. Do I know if things will work out? Well... No. But I can at least hope that they will. 

All that I know now is that I got home to two very playful girls, or should I say princesses, in the kitchen. "I command that the kids in this palace never grow up!" Farah decreed.

"And that everybody has candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!" Sydney added. 

Well, I couldn't exactly let either of those thing happen. Not only would everybody get cavities, but everybody must grow up eventually! And that's just what the triplets did tonight. 

Zuri is a very buff young lady who plans on going into the medical career. 

Damian is becoming an architectural designer. I never pictures him designing, but he swears that he has a flare for choosing furniture, so I'm going to take his word for it. 

Ewart is going into the political career. Whether or not this should worry me, I don't know. 

Okay, so I hope you all enjoyed this post. I promise that I'm trying to get these prep posts out as soon as I can so that I can get to those 4 lovely men. :)
This is the boring part, I know, but I'm at least trying to make it a tad bit interesting. ^_^
Thanks for reading. :3

Valentine's Day Special!

Note: This is NOT the typical "Oh, I'm gonna  go screw cupid," Valentine's Day post. That would be illegal anyways, he's a baby.

But anyways, I wanted to make the main focus of this Laura's love life. Because well, Valentine's day= a day filled with love to me (Actually, I think it's just some stupid Hallmark holiday, but I didn't want to say that. Whoops, I guess I just did. Darn.). Well, enjoy! :3

 Florence is still as cute as she was as a toddler. She's very into reading and always does her schoolwork. She reminds me of Calpurnia.

 Haley is the girly girl of the two, she loves wearing pretty dresses and painting her nails. She and her sister get along really well though. They both enjoy playing dolls and jumping on the trampoline together. 

 Ewart is an interesting teen... He wears his hair sort of like Jimmy Neutron, yet sort of like Elvis. It's very odd. Whatever, if that's how he wants to express himself it's fine by me. 

 Damian is the bad boy of the group. I feel like I always have to keep an eye on him because I don't know what he's going to do next. I don't think I've even had such a rebellious kid and it kind of disturbs me. Of course, I'm scared of where he may end up or what friends he's hanging out with. 

I wish I could say I didn't worry about Zuri, but I've caught her trying to sneak out multiple times now. She refuses to talk to me about what's going on though. 

 Farah is a little cutie who adores flowers and playing with the mini drums. I think I've got another musical child. 

 Sydney has the cutest curls ever! I don't even know where they came from, but they're adorable. 

 Remember in the last post when that person asked if they could interview me? Yeah, this is the chick, Melissa Meyers. And I have to say, she kind of scares me. See that face? That's the face that you should fear. This woman looks like she's about to pull out a knife and slit somebody's throat. Way to get in the Valentine's Day spirit, lady. 

Oh, and to make matters worse, I didn't realize that by interview she meant televised, full audience, live interview. I probably should have cleared that up first... 

Which raises a valid point, why do they even want to interview me? 

"Our next guest is a woman who's attempting the 100 baby challenge by the name of Laura Johanson. She's already almost one fourth of the way done." Blah blah blah, introduction that never ends, blah, blah, blah. Come on lady, I have kids, I don't have a year here. 

After what seemed like a decade I walked out and sat on the couch that I was told I had to sit on. 

"So Laura," She said. "I'm just not going to beat around the bush here. This is a question that anybody following your challenge has been asking."
"Oh gosh..." I muttered. I have a feeling I'm going to regret doing this interview.
"We all want to know, what's going on with you and Tom?"
"Oh," I said, feeling instantly relieved. "Nothing," I replied simply.
"So... You don't have any feelings for him whatsoever?"

I hesitated. "Well..." I started. This was an intimidating question that I was hoping I didn't have to answer. Why? Because as much as I try to deny it, yes, I do still have feelings for Tom. Do I want to admit it though? No. On national television? Hell no. What if he's watching this? I would rather keep it to myself thank you very much.
I was suddenly very aware of everybody watching me and waiting. Eh, what have I got to lose? Either way I'd imagine I'd be having a very awkward conversation about this with Tom, so I may as well be honest about it. "I would be lying if I told you that I didn't," I said hesitantly.
I didn't know what to expect from anybody, but I most certainly did not expect any applause. Well this is awkward. "Why is everybody applauding?" I asked, feeling quite nervous about the response.

"Well," Melissa said. "Most of the people in Sunset Valley would agree that you two are an adorable couple. So it naturally makes us happy to hear that you still have feelings for Tom."
Alright, even more awkward. "Thanks? I doubt anything will happen between us now though... I'm pretty sure he's going to date somebody else now."
"Oh, we know," She said with that fake TV grin. "The paparazzi have seen him with another woman lately, it's still good news though."
"Right..."
"Because we have a little surprise," She said.
"Should I be nervous?" I asked. Normally surprises aren't very pleasant.

Three nice looking pieces of man flesh came out. Okay, maybe this wasn't as bad as I thought. I have to wonder why they're here though.
As I was marveling at their beauty, the redhead gave me a little wink. Much to my embarrassment,  it made me blush a bit. Okay, three hunky men; one of which seemed like a big flirt. I'm liking this already.
"The SIM station has come up with an idea for a new show. 4 men will come and visit you, each for a week. After you get to know them you can take your pick. Unfortunately, the 4th had a surgery he couldn't get out of today, but he WILL show up. I promise."
"Okay..." I said. This seemed like an odd idea, but it's interesting.
"You would have to have all of your kids move out before we start though, oh, and also, we ask that you use each of them as a challenge father. Just because that might shake things up a bit."
"How long would I have to let them grow up?"
"As long as it takes. We of course want the future of Sunset Valley to be well educated."
I thought about it. Sure, I wasn't completely over Tom yet, but it seems like he's over me. Plus, what have I got to lose? "Alright," I said. "I'll do it."
"Great, we'll have you sign the contract after the show," She said.

After some questions about the challenge, how I manage to stay so thin, and signing a contract, I went home to discover that the baby swings I had ordered came in the mail.

May I just say, they're amazing. I'm able to teach one tot skills while the other just chills out. Who would have ever thought a swing could do so much?

For whatever reason, someone decided to put it on fast though, so Farah was not happy about that. 

I went to the swing and put it on slow again, thinking that might work, but of course it didn't.

So I took her out. "Shhhh, it's okay sweetie," I said while snuggling with her. She slowly calmed down and I decided it may not be a good idea to put her back in the swing just yet. 

The next morning I went down to cook breakfast and noticed Sam eating his food in an interesting fashion. He usually eats standing up like a normal dog. 

He also seemed to be hunching over when he walked.

He came over to me and I gave him a hug. "Hey old man," I said. "Are you sick? You don't look too good today."
He licked me on the face in between pants.
"I'll schedule an appointment to the vet soon, okay?" 

He just whimpered in response. 

Later, as I was teaching Sydney to talk, I heard Pinky howling from the living room. 

Of course I went down to the living room to see what all of the commotion was. For all I knew I could be getting robbed-- in broad daylight. 

Suddenly the grim reaper was next to me. At least the majority of my kids were here, the young ones were coming home from school still. This could only mean that he was here for the dogs-- Or that I was living in some alternate dimension watching my own death, but I doubt it. 

He walked over to Sam and gave him a hug like the one I had given him just hours before. 

Then he just pulled out a random stick, threw it, and Sam was gone. 

I think for a moment we were all in shock. The kids had all come home to a dead puppy, and then I went downstairs to also see a dead puppy. Yeah, not the best Valentine's Day experience.

We decided to stick his gravestone out by the side of the house where he used to play with Pinky. 

After taking out the trash I got a call from Tom. "Hey," I said timidly.
"Hey," He said. "You have time to talk?"
"Of course," I said "Chat away."

"I was actually hoping to..."
"Talk in person?" I asked. 

He chuckled. "You know me way too well."

"Where do you want to meet?"
"There's some abandoned beach that nobody ever goes to," He said.

"Alright, that works."

I went to the beach that he mentioned and was greeted by a lovely Tom hug. 

"You're still in your uniform," I observed. "Are you working late?"
"Yeah," He said. "We're trying to solve a murder case. And so far no evidence has presented itself. The murderer was definitely clean."
"Sounds like it," I said. "You look tired too."
"Haven't been sleeping well. No big deal."
I looked at the dark circles under his eyes. "Yes, it is a big deal. I shouldn't even be here with you right now. You need sleep."
He sighed. "You're such a mother sometimes," He said sarcastically. 

"Ugh, how dare I do such a thing? Anyways, what do you need?"

He looked like he didn't even know where to start. "I saw that interview."
"Oh," I said awkwardly. "You did?"
"Yeah, I was on break."

Suddenly this psycho just came out a started snapping photos like crazy. Tom promptly turned around. "Look, I'm a cop. I'm allowed to use a gun."

That scared him off. 

"Anyways," He said. "I just wanted to let you know that I still love you and think about you every minute of every day. I don't even remember why we broke up."
"I don't either," I said while looking into his eyes. 

"I still do want to be with you, but this new thing is just getting in the way."

"I know," I muttered. 

"Are you sure there isn't anyway you can get out of this?" he asked as he cupped my face in his hands.
I slid my arms around his waist. "Absolutely no way, they said if I accept I have to do it."
"Could you--?" He started.
"I could try, but--."
"They won't care," He said, finishing my sentence.
Suddenly it was as if all of the days events had caught up with me and a few tears escaped. "God dammit, why am I so stupid?"
He chuckled and wiped the tears away with his thumb. "You're not stupid, did either of us expect to end up here?"
"No..."
"Then don't get so upset," He said as he gently pulled me into a hug.

I sighed. "So what happens now?" I asked. 

"Easy, you ppick out small flaws in all four men and don't choose any of them while I sit pretty and wait for you on the sidelines."
"Oh yeah, that'll be so easy. What if one of them is a dream man."
"Sorry, I didn't know I was one of the four."

I laughed and playfully smacked him. "You're so cocky."
"I know," He said. "And you have purple hair. Lets not point out the obvious here."
I laughed. "I have to go home now. I'll see you..." 

"Not anytime soon. That would be scandalous," He smirked.

"Wouldn't be the first scandalous thing I've ever done."
"Do I dare ask?"
"I'll tell you later," I said. "Oh, and before I go..."

He seemed to read my mind and kissed me. I could get used to this again.

Happy Valentine's Day and I hoped you enjoyed this!!