Legacies of the Valley (March 9 -- Sheil) Graveyard

[MarianT]

THE WATCHER'S DIARY -- Fall, Year of the Penguin

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1st of Fall
Sunny and hot in Oasis Springs
Active Household: Bibblers
2nd of Fall
Sunny and warm in Oasis Springs
3rd of Fall
Windy and cool in Oasis Springs
4th of Fall
Sunsnow and cold in Oasis Springs
Lottery Day
5th of Fall
Partly cloudy and hot in Oasis Springs
6th of Fall
Windy and cool in Oasis Springs
7th of Fall
Rainy and cool in Willow Creek
Active Household: Carpenters
Spooky Day
8th of Fall
Sunny and warm in Willow Creek
9th of Fall
Sunny and cold in Willow Creek
10th of Fall
Cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
Stephen promoted
11th of Fall
Rainy and cool in Willow Creek
12th of Fall
Rainy and  cold in Willow Creek
13th of Fall
Cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
14th of Fall
Cloudy and Cold in Willow Creek
Demetrius dies
Talk Like a Pirate Day
15th of Fall
Partly sunny and cold in Willow Creek
Active Household: Straud
16th of Fall
Rainy and cool in Willow Creek
Tildy promoted
17th of Fall
Cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
18th of Fall
Partly cloudy and cool in Willow Creek
Sheila Marsh born
19th of Fall
Cloudy and cool in Willow Creek
Active Household: Harvey
TV Season Premiere
20th of Fall
Partly cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
21st of Fall
Partly cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
Kathy promoted
22nd of Fall
Sunsnow and freezing in Willow Creek
23rd of Fall
Partly cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
Humor and Hijinks Festival
24th of Fall
Sunny and cold in Willow Creek
25th of Fall
Cloudy and freezing in Willow Creek
26th of Fall
Sunny and cold in Willow Creek
Harvestfest
Sebastian maxes aspiration
27th of Fall
Cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
28th of Fall
Cloudy and freezing in Willow Creek
Active Household: Lewis

[MarianT]

Chapter 21

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Jeffrey's hope that the baby and the cat would help left Wendy's spirits proved to be short-lived. He tried reciting love poetry to her, which she appreciated for a moment.

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Pointing out the beautiful sunset had no effect. "What do you want?" he asked, trying to sound patient rather than exasperated.
"I just don't want to feel abandoned," said Wendy. "It's like I'm a toddler again, and everyone has left the room."

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Their own toddler, Gunther (named after Jeffrey's other father), was able to rouse Wendy out of her sadness -- mainly by throwing his food around. Wendy said that if they were going to have a second child, they should try for baby now, but Jeffrey wasn't sure he would ever be ready for a second.

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Gunther could throw a tantrum over nothing, and all you could do was just wait it out.

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Jeffrey found himself looking for reasons to leave the house: they needed fireworks for New Years' and he had to go get some at the Spice Festival.

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Or his bowling club was meeting, even when it wasn't.

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One day he took Wendy and Gunther to the bowling alley with him. Gunther had his yellow car to play with, and he hoped that it would cheer Wendy up if she got out of the apartment.

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Things seemed to improve. Gunther could really be quite cute when he wasn't screaming.

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And Wendy started trying to teach him things, which made both of them happier.

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One day, Wendy greeted him at the door, beaming from ear to ear. "I found a cure!" she exclaimed. "I took a moodlet solver this morning, and that feeling of abandonment is completely gone."
For a moment, all was peaceful in Jeffrey's world. His books were selling, he'd gotten a promotion, Wendy was happy, and Gunther was behaving better. Everything was just perfect.

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And then Robin was born.

The Betancourts continue in Chapter 31.

[MarianT]

Chapter 22

From Amy's journal:

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So much has happened that I don't know where to start. I'm going to start with an easy topic, then -- the weather. We actually had sunsnow here in Oasis Springs the other day, during the first week in autumn. I have a feeling this is the only snow we'll see all year.

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Mom has been coming over fairly regularly, every other night, it seems. I still haven't seen Dad, and I guess I'll have to find time to go visit him.

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The draw for Mom is spending time with these two cherubs, of course. Peter is the blond and Phillip is the redhead. Phillip is the older by about 2 minutes.

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He also is the one that Paul says has potential as a painter. Note that Paul is not the one who cleaned up the priceless work of art. Anyway, Paul and I agreed that if we're both to keep working, we need to find a helper for the days when our schedules overlap.

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That's how Salma al-Arabi entered our life. She's a refugee from one of the many countries that was affected by the Gotoros War. She came with a stipend from a refugee resettlement group that enabled us to build an additional bedroom and bathroom and buy some more comfortable furniture.

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She also came with a daughter, Hajar, who is going to school and is also in Scouts.

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Salma says that she enjoys cleaning, which is a real plus given the two toddlers.  I tried to tell her that she didn't need to clean; I don't want to take advantage of her. But she does seem to be naturally neat, and honestly, if she didn't mop up the twins' messes, I don't know who would.

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Also, Hajar can occasionally make a mess herself.

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But she is very good at entertaining the little ones. Apparently it's something that can give her points towards one of her scouting badges.

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We also acquired a new cat, MacArthur. He's a Scottish fold. Initially our intention was to mate him with Prissy, but we now have a full house with Salma and Hajar.

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I've been moving up at work, and was allowed to do a complete work-up of Maru Maldonado when she came in. Before this I was limited to checking temperature, eyes and ears, and swabbing for a sample, that sort of thing.
 
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But now I'm allowed to give x-rays and also perform a stress test. I think Maru was sufficiently stressed to give an accurate reading.

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Paul and I both got promotions the same day so the next morning he suggested that we go out for dinner when we finished work.

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We had a lovely meal -- quiet, peaceful, air-conditioned. (The sunsnow was a thing of the past).

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On returning home, we noticed a strange, somewhat sinister figure standing outside our door. "An early trick-or-treater?" I whispered to Paul with a giggle (we'd had wine with dinner).
"Spooky Day isn't until tomorrow," he growled.
As we approached the house, the mysterious stranger vanished.

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Later that night, we heard a noise, and when Paul went to investigate, he was attacked by bats. Coincidence? I don't know.

For more of Amy's story, see Chapter 32.

[MarianT]

Chapter 23

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It's been a real blessing for Stephen to have his parents in the house. Robin and Demetrius have helped out with feeding, teaching, and cuddling. Potty-related stuff they leave to him, but that's okay.

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Spooky Day was upon them before they knew it. Even though dancing wasn't on the agenda, Princess Leia (Robin) decided to give lessons to Eloise (monster) and Juliet (tree).

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Evelyn got a surprise when she tried to sneak a piece of candy from the trick-or-treat bowl.

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But Stephen got an even bigger surprise when he went outside.

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"I'm really struggling," he complained to the Sixamites. "I can't make any progress in my job because I don't have time to improve my programming. My dog is miserable because I never take her for a walk. The twins are adorable, but they're a real handful. Now is not a good time for me to get pollinated. Sorry."
"Sorry!" the Sixamites chorused back at him as they dropped him off in front of his house.

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Finally Spooky Day came to an end, and an exhausted tree could get some sleep.

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The next day Juliet destroyed the dollhouse while Stephen was at work.

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He was so tired when he came home that he went straight to bed -- for about 10 minutes. Eloise's howls woke him. "The kid's filthy," he complained to Evelyn. "Couldn't you have at least changed her diaper?"
Princesses do not change diapers, but they do sulk.

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Later that evening Stephen took Evelyn out to dinner. "The kids will be okay with Mom and Dad," he said, "and I think we could use a break."

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It was cold outside the next day, but Evelyn did take Eloise out to do some sliding. Is anything cuter than a toddler dressed up for winter?

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Unless it's another toddler dressed up for the cold.

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Early the next morning Demetrius got up and promptly collapsed.

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Stephen tried to distract Eloise from the sight of Grim's reaping, but she still was sad.

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Robin suffered the most. It was only a little consolation that Grim had whispered her first notice to her as he left.

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Hugs from her grandchildren were a bigger help.

Obituary for Demetrius Carpenter
The Valley's most notable scientist, Demetrius Carpenter is famous for inventing the SimRay and the satellite dish, with which he made contact with the Planet Sixam. He is survived by his wife Robin, children Maru Maldonado, and Stephen and Arthur Carpenter, grandchildren Gus Maldonado, Wendy Betancourt, Eloise and Juliet Carpenter, and Dmitri Lewis, and great-grandchildren Gunther and Robin Betancourt and Shane Maldonado.
"Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all, my darling,
When autumn leaves start to fall."*
From "Autumn Leaves"

The Carpenters' story continues in Chapter 33.

[PeregrineTook]

Wow!  So much has happened while I was away!!Bethany and Wendy are both wonderful, but Valerie is still my favorite, so I'll focus my feedback on her.
The Valerie and Vlad thing just has this wonderful twist on a Rumplestiltskin kind of idea.  It's crazy!  Although, Vlad said no redheads, so I immediately have to chastise him for his bad taste.  Then, when she offered to carry a child for...whichever other couple it was (so many names!!), I instantly saw the clever thing she was trying to do.  Let them raise the baby and get attached so she won't be heartbroken when Vlad comes to take the baby girl away.  Brilliant!!  My girl's an evil genius!

[MarianT]

Wow!  So much has happened while I was away!!Bethany and Wendy are both wonderful, but Valerie is still my favorite, so I'll focus my feedback on her.
The Valerie and Vlad thing just has this wonderful twist on a Rumplestiltskin kind of idea.  It's crazy!  Although, Vlad said no redheads, so I immediately have to chastise him for his bad taste.  Then, when she offered to carry a child for...whichever other couple it was (so many names!!), I instantly saw the clever thing she was trying to do.  Let them raise the baby and get attached so she won't be heartbroken when Vlad comes to take the baby girl away.  Brilliant!!  My girl's an evil genius!

Rumplestiltskin, Beauty and the Beast, basic fairy tale stuff. Barter is the name of the game. And just for you, @PeregrineTook , there's a new Valerie chapter coming up.

[MarianT]

Chapter 24

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Before satisfying Count Vladislaus's wish for a wife (if I ever do satisfy it, which is something I'm working on), I had to provide an heir for my brother and his lover Vincent.

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I cloaked myself in my vampiric allure. I don't think I would have needed it -- I'm pretty alluring all on my own -- but I thought it would make it easier for Octavius if he could believe that Vincent was compelled rather than seduced.

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Once he was under my spell, things went fairly quickly.

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And it was almost a pity that my first attempt at pregnancy was successful. But perhaps the two of them will want another child later on.

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My daughter with Vladislaus, Vixenna has definitely inherited her father's eyebrows, nose, and chin. She has my hair, though. I wish it had been the other way around, but at least there's no mistaking whose daughter she is.

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The resemblance to her father is even greater when she's doing something fiendish.

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And also when she's being scolded for it.

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But most of the time she looks like a normal, happy toddler.

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My predicament has brought me closer to Father, although his advice has not been very helpful. He agrees with Vladislaus that while mortals have courts, occults like us have to keep our word. He thinks it's possible that if I became mortal on my own, I would no longer have to send a daughter to Vladislaus. I'm not too thrilled with that solution. "What if I defeated him in a fight and made him human?" I asked. "I think you'd be honor-bound to transform him back to a vampire," said Father. Boo, hiss.

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Meanwhile autumn is proceeding. Willow Creek is quite lovely at this time of year.

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Mother has been working diligently on her garden.

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She has also been making friends with a scarecrow that appeared outside my tower one day. Father says that his wizardry, combined with my and Vixenna's vampiric energies, will probably attract any other strange creatures in the world.

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The day arrived when little Sheila Marsh was born. Giving her up to Vincent and Octavius was an enormous wrench. They fixed up a room for her and assured me that she would be much loved and that I could visit any time I wanted, but it was still painful. I don't know how I'll be able to send a child of my body off to Vladislaus, even though she'll be an adult at the time.

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I met Octavius this evening and sparred with him, beating him handily. "That's just a taste of what will happen if Sheila is the least bit unhappy," I promised him. He took it in good part, telling me that he couldn't love her more if she was his own daughter.

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At home, I've been learning how to play the piano. Music seems to assuage my grief somewhat. My favorite tune is "The Lot of the Rising Sun."

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I'm also more involved with Vixenna. When she was first born, I expected to leave her care to Mother and Father, but she and I are forming a bond.

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And when she's dressed up in her little red raincoat, she's almost adorable.

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Father had a suggestion for me the other day -- that I experiment with making wishes at the well. "Start with something simple -- like money," he said. "But I think if you develop a good relationship, you might be able to get a child. You would still be considered the child's parent, but I think that giving one up that you obtained in such a way might be less painful."

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I was so excited that I had to write down Father's instructions immediately.

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And my first wish -- for money -- worked! I need to try some other wishes, though, before going for a child. And we'll need more money -- making offerings to the well isn't cheap.

Valerie's adventures continue in Chapter 34.

[PeregrineTook]

I still say Vlad is going to come to claim Octavius and Victor's child since she will be of Valerie's lovely lineage.  Wishing well baby is a clever idea, but unlikely that said child (if she's lucky enough to get a daughter) will not be as lovely as my beautiful Valerie, so won't be good enough for Vlad.
Vixenna is a stitch!  Love the name, first of all, and love how ornery she is!!  I'll bet Valerie's father is pretty happy that Valerie is having to deal with a troublesome young lady now  ;=)

[MarianT]

WATCHER'S DIARY, WINTER, YEAR OF THE PENGUIN

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1st of Winter
Cloudy and cold in Willow Creek
Prank Day
2nd of Winter
Sunsnow and freezing in Willow Creek
Jas promoted
3rd of Winter
Sunny and freezing in Willow Creek
Marnie promoted
4th of Winter
Cloudy and cold
Sage Lewis born
5th of Winter
Cloudy and cold
Jas promoted
6th of Winter
Partly cloudy and cold in Newcrest
Active household: Maldonado
7th of Winter
Windy and cold in Newcrest
Neighborhood Brawl Day
8th of Winter
Windy and cold in Newcrest
9th of Winter
Cloudy and freezing in Newcrest
10th of Winter
Rainy and warm in Selvadorada
Lottery Day
11th of Winter
Snow and freezing in Newcrest
Selena Maldonado born
12th of Winter
Sunny and freezing in Newcrest
13th of Winter
Snow and freezing in Newcrest
14th of Winter
Snow and freezing in Newcrest
15th of Winter
Sunny and freezing in Newcrest
16th of Winter
Cloudy and freezing in San Myshuno
Active Household: Marsh
17th Winter
Sunny and cold in San Myshuno
Vincent marries Octavius
18th of Winter
Cloudy and cold in San Myshuno
Winterfest
19th of Winter
Sunsnow and freezing in San Myshuno
20th of Winter
Snow and freezing in San Myshuno
21st of Winter
Sunny and freezing in Newcrest
Active Household: Mullner
Cody promoted
22nd of Winter
Cloudy and cold in Newcrest
23rd of Winter
Partly cloudy and cold in Newcrest
Rebate Day
24th of Winter
Windy and cold in Newcrest
Bethany promoted
25th of Winter
Cloudy and freezing in Newcrest
Cody promoted
26th of Winter
Cloudy and freezing in Brindleton Bay
Active Household: Soriano
Marlon promoted
TV Season Premiere Day
27th of Winter
Snow and freezing in Brindleton Bay
28th of Winter
Partly cloudy and cold in Brindleton Bay
New Year's Eve

[MarianT]

Chapter 25

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Teeny is a sleuth. She has to find out the truth about everything and everyone. This smells like paint and plastic, maybe something to chew on?

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The most mystifying creature in the house is this one. It's not another dog.

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Sometimes it acts kind of like a cat, but it doesn't smell like a cat. Does smell like peanut butter, peas, poo.

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Sometimes it tries to fly like a bird. Wings need to be larger.

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Unusual sky activity the other morning. Fewer smells on the air. White flakes disappear on nose. Where do they go?

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Odd color for large creatures outside. Do white flakes stick to their skin? More investigation needed.

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Ground dry but covered with dry flakes. No dog smells. Boring.

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Odd silent creatures -- not cats, not birds, not peanut-smelling creature. They smell like sugar and coffee. But they disappear leaving flakes behind that smell like flowers. Chewable? Maybe.

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Trip to place that smells of unhappy dogs. Littermate there! Bro! Bro! Bro!

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Really bad smells -- cleaning stuff, smell-killing stuff. But nice lady makes me feel better.

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Great place for walk. Lots of good dog smells. Fish, cats, birds around, too. Many things to investigate. Can we come back?

Teeny continues sleuthing in Chapter 35.

[PeregrineTook]

Oh my goodness!  That update was adorable!!!

[MarianT]

Oh my goodness!  That update was adorable!!!

Thanks! I realized when I looked at my screenshots that Teeny was in most of them. So -- dog's point of view.

[MarianT]

Chapter 26

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Report from Agent 7734
I've been working hard at improving my skills so that I can get a promotion.
Instructions to Agent 7734
Actually, you're more use to us as an agent in place. You have many opportunities to obtain material for blackmail in your situation. Use them.

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Report from Agent 7734
Here you go!
Instructions to Agent 7734
I fail to see how the picture of an elderly man kissing his elderly wife on the cheek can be used as blackmail. Do I need to define the term for you? You have a toddler in the house. Surely there are moments that might be interpreted as mistreatment.

Report from Agent 7734
Attached are three photos of our daughter Saffron, I mean Subject Delta

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Instructions to Agent 7734
Sigh. I can see why you chose the first picture. A toddler in a dirty high chair eating potato chips might be indicative of a squalid and ill-kept house, but she needs to be dirty and dressed in something other than a cute raincoat.

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The second picture would be more effective if Subject Delta were being shaken upside-down.

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As for the third, while you and I might consider repetitive readings of "T-Rex Treks" to be harsh punishment and it's possible that your daughter concurs, I fear most people would only see the heartwarming picture of a grandfather reading to his granddaughter. Can't you do any better?

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Report from Agent 7734
How about this?
Instructions to Agent 7734
I suppose I might use this to blackmail you, if I wanted. I don't think your wife, Subject Gamma, would appreciate your photographing her while she was in labor. Anger me too much, and I will share this photo with her, anonymously of course.

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Report from Agent 7734
I do have some good news to report: my wife Jas, that is, Subject Gamma, has entered the political arena, with protests for a united world.
Also, would proven contact with the Sixamites be considered blackmailable material?
Instructions to Agent 7734
Excellent news! About your wife, that is. And certainly, if you can document Sixamite contact, that would certainly go into their files.
Report from Agent 7734
Glad to hear that. Here is the evidence I was able to obtain:

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I was very nearly detected in the act of contacting the Sixamites by the son of Subject Alpha and Subject Beta.

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Fortunately he accepted my explanation for being outside in my pajamas. Also, there might be some interesting developments with Subject Alpha.

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Apparently he was implanted with some sort of transmitter.
Instructions to Agent 7734
Good work! We'll review these and get back to you.

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Meanwhile, Simkit is jealous that the mongrel dog next door had a whole chapter devoted to her activities and demands equal time for her essay: "How to Obtain Food When the Only Person in the Household who has any is the Toddler."

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Step One: Meow and amuse the Toddler until she gets into a playful mood.

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Step Two: Wait.

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Step Three: Later, deny everything.

More reports from Arthur on Jas and the rest of the family can be found in Chapter 36.

[PeregrineTook]

Poor Simkit!  Equal time for kitties!
The complete lack of effectiveness of the spy is a delightful twist to this narrative.

[MarianT]

Chapter 27

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Cupcake had to go to the vet's again, and this time Gus ran into Dr. Harvey there. They chatted for a bit, until Cupcake was done.

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Brindleton Bay had been blessed with snow, and Gus took time to build a snowman.

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He took a picture of his creation and headed home.

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"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Madilyn confronted him.
"A-at the vet's," Gus stammered.
"For two and a half hours?  A likely story."
"I was building a snowman," said Gus.

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"Here -- I took a picture to show you."
Madilyn scrutinized the picture carefully.

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"Sorry I yelled at you," she apologized. "It's just -- I've been worrying about Shane. He keeps playing with that Purple Protectress doll your mother sent him. I don't know why she sent him a girl's doll instead of a boy's."
"Mom's a big believer that girls can do anything," Gus tried to explain. "She was the first woman astronaut in the Valley, so she's concerned about equal opportunity."
Madilyn sniffed. "Well, boys can do anything, too."

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The next morning, while Gus was eating breakfast, Madilyn came and joined him on the couch. "This is really nice," she said, "you and me, sitting together like this. I'd be perfectly happy if you stayed right here forever."
"I promised Clint I'd help him with his rocket ship," Gus said, as soon as he finished his salad.

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"Had to get out of the house?" Clint asked him.
"I think Madilyn's a bit hormonal, what with being pregnant again."
"She's been clingy ever since she was a toddler," said Clint. "I think it's because her mother Emily left us to go off on adventures. When she was little, she'd follow me everywhere."
Gus didn't like the sound of that. How could he explore Selvadorada thoroughly if Madilyn insisted that he stay in the same room with her? An idea occurred to him -- maybe if she came on an adventure with him, she would understand better.
"Let's all go to Granite Falls," he suggested.

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The scenery in Granite Falls was gorgeous -- frosted pines, snow-covered mountains, iced-over streams...Gus realized he wasn't going to be able to catch any fish this trip.

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He and Shane built a snowman together (with Cupcake's assistance).

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They had just finished it, when Gus heard a scream from the back of the house they were renting.

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"I was sitting right there," Madilyn gasped, pointing at the bench that was in flames, "and the fire just leaped at me. Please, let's just go home," she begged, as soon as Gus had extinguished the blaze.

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Back at home, Clint upgraded the dryer to reduce the amount of lint it produced, thereby decreasing the chance that it would catch fire. And Gus promised to make only salad for a while, until they could be sure he wouldn't start a fire when cooking.

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It wasn't long before snow came to Newcrest. Shane scurried out of the door as soon as he was dressed in his snowsuit.
And Gus realized it would be weeks before he could do any fishing at home. "I have to go," he told Madilyn. "If I don't catch any fish, we don't have an income, and with the baby coming..."

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"FREEDOM!" He bellowed as he showered in Selvadorada's downpour.

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As luck would have it, Gus found an out-of-the-way fishing hole -- complete with crocodile. He decided not to tell Madilyn about the crocodile.

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The fishing was great. Gus caught an electric eel, an armored catfish, and a couple of angelfish.
But an urgent call from Madilyn soon brought him home.

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"I don't have time to go to the hospital," she moaned, when Gus suggested they go see Dr. Harvey. In a few minutes, Selena was born.

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Winter continued in Newcrest. Gus built another snowman.

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He and Clint put the finishing touches on their rocket, but had to wait for a blizzard to clear before they could launch it.

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One sunny day he persuaded Madilyn to come outside with him and build a snowman together. "That's the only other woman in my life," he told her, and they took a selfie together.

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Before they knew it, Selena was a toddler. "Just when we got Shane potty-trained," grumbled Gus, but he was really quite delighted with his little princess.

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Meanwhile, Simkit's essay on getting food from toddlers had gone viral on the Internet. Cupcake soon mastered the technique.

Gus's adventures continue in Chapter 37.