Last round, Viola and Shark were trying to keep up with their 4 sons-Trumpet, Trombone, Guitar, and newest arrival Banjo. They decided to try just one more time to have a daughter too, which ended up working out as Mandolin soon joined the family. Sadly, Viola's mother Isla also passed away from old age.
Hi, Viola...
Viola: Oh, hi mysterious voice.
Um...what are you doing?
Viola: Nothing, really. Just messing with this lump of clay. I keep finding them everywhere.
Yeah, I've been noticing that. Did you guys all enroll in some arts and crafts class when I was away?
Shark: What? No way...oh...yeah, looks like you did. Good job.
Trombone: Can we play again?
Shark: Maybe later. I have to go get your brother and sister ready for the music festival.
Music festival?
Shark: Yeah, the city's putting on this concert in the park.
That sounds fun.
Shark: Yeah, easy for you to say. You're not the one taking 5 kids...
Shark: Ok, guys...time to get you in the bathtub.
Mandolin: No bath! No bath!
Well, that's ok...because it looks like everyone's getting an unexpected shower.
Not the best weather for an outdoor concert...
Shark: Yeah, no kidding...huh, I wonder what this thing does...
My guess is...electrocute you.
Viola: Whoa! What happened to the rain?
Um...I'm just going to let this go...
Ok, well, now that the weather's been taken care of...it's festival time.
Clam: Hey, bro! I didn't know you guys were coming!
Shark: Yeah, well, you know...not going to pass up a free event with 5 kids...
Banjo: Daddy! I can't see!
Wow...there's quite the little crowd here.
Shark: (sigh) Ok, buddy...hold on...
Trombone: Dad! Can I have some money for the tables? They have so much cool stuff!
Shark: Looks like a bunch of junk to me...
Trombone: Please?
Shark: (sigh). Fine...
Viola: This is so much fun...where are the kids?
Shark: They wanted to check out the little flea market over there...I only gave them a couple bucks.
Viola: Great, just what we need...more junk.
Trombone: Cool! Check out all the stones!
Guitar: Dude, they're just rocks...
Trombone: Yeah, but look how shiny they are...
Huh...everybody does seem to be enjoying themselves.
Even the kids are getting into it...
Wow, Mandolin's still awake?
Viola: Yeah, I'm surprised too. They have tents over there but I can't get her to take a nap...I think we should head home soon.
Don't worry, I think we're at the finale.
Trumpet: Look! I can play that song that the lady played at the park...wait, I just had it...
Trombone: Sure you did...
Maybe you should start with something easier, Trumpet...
Like, Happy Birthday, perhaps?
Or perhaps a good campfire song?
Viola: And so, the pointy man went back to his pointy house in the pointy woods knowing that he finally had found a new friend. The end.
Guitar: Wow, Mom...did you really write that book?
Trumpet: You know she did, knucklehead. She reads it to us every Campfire Night.
Trombone: How did you get the idea for that, Mom?
Viola: Oh, you know...just....using my imagination...
Trumpet: Hey, come here. Look what I found...
Guitar: ...A map of the town?
Trumpet: Yeah, look...see this here? This big gray area?
Guitar: Yeah...that's the woods.
Trumpet: I think it's the Pointy Woods from Mom's books.
Guitar: What? No way. Mom said her books aren't real...
Trumpet: I'm telling you, those are the Pointy Woods!
Guitar: No way...
Trumpet: I'll prove it! We'll go into those woods and see!
Guitar: There's no way Mom and Dad are going to let us go into the woods at night...
Trumpet: That's why we're not going to tell them, stupid...we'll sneak out after we have Dad's cake.
Speaking of...Happy birthday, dear Shark...
I'm going to guess that you look exactly the same?
Shark: Yeah, pretty much.
Trombone: Hey! What are you doing?
Trumpet: Ah! Dude, don't sneak up on me like that!
Trombone: Aren't those Mom's pictures from her books?
Trumpet: Yeah...and check this out. Look at them next to this picture...
Trombone: Wow! They almost look the same!
Trumpet: Yeah. And that's why Guitar and I are sneaking out tonight to prove that those Pointy Woods from her books are real.
Trombone: I wanna come!
Trumpet: (sigh) Fine...but just don't say anything to Mom and Dad.
Looks like there might be a fourth member of this little expedition...
Happy birthday, dear Banjo...
Ok, that makes sense.
And we're down to one toddler!
...and up to 4 boys...good luck, Viola and Shark...
Hey, what do you have there?
Mandolin: Xylophone! Look what I can do!
Sounds pretty good...
Shark: Wow, you guys sure ate fast tonight. What are you all in such a rush for?
Banjo: We're going out into the...Ow! Hey!
Trumpet: Backyard! We're going out into the backyard to finish our swimming race. So far I'm the winner.
Shark: Oh...well, make sure you wait long enough after eating so you don't get a cramp.
Ok, so I guess we're really doing this...
Banjo: Can't we do this on a night it's not raining?
Guitar: No! We already snuck out once! There's no way we'll be able to do it again...look! A house!
Trombone: A pointy house! It's real!
Trumpet: Come on, guys...we're going in.
(sigh) This really doesn't seem like a good idea...
Trumpet: Oh, come on...why not?
That's why not. Let's hope Vlad doesn't mind some unexpected house guests...
Vlad: Why have you children invaded my lair?
Guitar: It's...it's...
Trumpet: It's the pointy man!
Vlad: The pointy man...ah, I see. You are Viola's progeny, aren't you?
Trombone: Uh...yeah...we're sorry, we didn't mean to break into your house. We just really, really like the books our mom wrote and...
Banjo: It's so cool that you're real!
Vlad: I see...so, your mother hasn't shared the true origins of her work?
Trumpet: Um...no. She always just said she made it up.
Vlad: Perhaps that is for the best. Now, I suggest that the four of you make your way home at once.
Banjo: (yawn) Hi, Mom...
Viola: Hey...what's up? You seem tired this morning...
Banjo: Yeah...I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because...um...I had a bad dream.
Viola: Oh...well, can I tell you a secret?
Banjo: Sure.
Viola: I used to have bad dreams too. Lots of them. That's actually where my stories about the pointy man came from.
Banjo: But that's not what...er...I mean, they did?
Viola: Yeah. I turned the scary dreams into those fun stories. Maybe you can try that too.
And speaking of seeing the pointy man...
Viola: Vlad! It's so great to see you...I meant to stop by but you know....5 kids.
Vlad: 5? I was under the impression you only had 4.
Viola: What do you mean?
Vlad: Well, it's just that I only seemed to have 4 surprise guests the other night...
Viola: Wait, what? How did they even....
Vlad: Surely you cannot fault them for having the same curiosity you did.
Viola: I guess not...
Vlad: I do wonder why the 5th child wasn't with them...
Viola: Oh...well, Mandolin's still pretty little...
But not for much longer, it seems...
Shark: Are you all ready to be a big girl?
Let's hope! It's party time!
Happy birthday, dear Mandolin...
Ok, kind of an odd trait for a kid but I guess it can work.
And...I actually kind like that hairstyle on her.
Now for big brother...Happy birthday dear Trumpet...
Yeah, no. That dog lover thing is going to have to wait until he's moved out. There's no way these guys are getting a dog.
And...I do not like that hairstyle on him.
Looks like Tatooine doesn't really care, though
Betta: Happy birthday, Mandy...
Mandolin: Thanks, Aunt Betta...
Betta: Remember, if you need help keeping those brothers of yours in line, you give me a call...
Alright, well, now that the birthdays are all out of the way I think I'd better be moving on. I'll see you guys next round!
A Message From the Mysterious Voice: And on the first weekend of fall, we finally get to see the Summer of Sims festival. Hey, better late than never, right? So, obviously I played this lot awhile ago. I actually really liked the whole music festival thing. I had no idea who any of the artists were (although I did vaguely recognize one of the songs), but even so I really enjoyed the event. I hope that the team does more in-game events like this in the future. And of course we had to bring Vlad back into the story-I'd kind of let his relationship with Viola slide to the background while she was having her kids, but I never intended to abandon it entirely. And about Mandolin's xylophone-that is by PandaSama can be downloaded here. I don't usually go out of my way to call out CC or mods that I use but in this case, I felt it was necessary. The set contains 4 fully functional toddler items, all with custom animations and they all look amazing. You're probably going to be seeing these items a lot.
