Roderick, Suzy, and little Doreen

We’re back in Bridgeport with the Kingstons. It’s Roderick and Suzy this time.

Remember that Suzy was pregnant? Well, here she is, a couple years later, with her little daughter Doreen.

Suzy and Doreen are returning from an evening stroll through the city.

It’s almost time for Doreen to go sleep. Suzy gives her her bottle, but she’ll wait for Roderick to put her to bed.

It’s getting a little late and Roderick hasn’t shown up yet. Suzy wonders where he could be. Let’s hope its not visiting his recently resurrected ex-wife, Tiara.

As usual, Doreen isn’t the least bit sleepy, but she happily accepts another bottle of formula while she waits for her dad.

Roderick is already here, and as soon as he puts on his pajamas, he comes running to tuck Doreen into bed. It still feels a little odd for him to be starting over with this whole parenting thing. It’s been a while since his children and some of his grandchildren were Doreen’s age.

Well, it’s already bedtime for Doreen. She’s a bit reluctant to get into the crib, but Roderick won’t budge an inch.

Roderick: I’m sorry, sweetie, but it’s sleep time. We’ll play tomorrow, okay?
Doreen: No, mommy, daddy.

Roderick: Yeah, I know, honey, but Mom and Dad need to rest.
(Or to put it another way, Mom and Dad need some quality time together, which they rarely get to enjoy these days).

Roderick didn’t remember being a dad was so demanding. Or maybe he’s just getting old?

Roderick: Correction, I’m not getting old, I am old already. *Sigh*

The thing is that when he sees Suzy in that dress, he doesn’t feel so old anymore.

And, of course, she always finds a way to make him feel like new.

Suzy: Please tell me she’s already asleep.
Roderick: Almost. She resisted, but she was exhausted; she’ll probably fall asleep soon.

Roderick: Which is great because I’m exhausted too. Ah, I can’t wait to get into bed.
Suzy: Really? I thought you’d have some energy left for… you know. It’s been a while.

It’s been a while, yes. When was the last time? He can’t even remember. But with an opportunity like this, Roderick can definitely muster up some extra energy.
Suzy: Roddy, are you coming or not?
The answer is obvious.

NEXT DAY, 7 AM

Suzy: So? How are you?
Roderick: Um, sleep-deprived, but fine.
Suzy: I’m so sorry, darling. Doreen should be sleeping through the night by now.
Roderick: Ah, it’s okay. I’m sure she’ll get into a routine soon.

Roderick: I think you should consider my idea of hiring a nanny.
Suzy: Forget it. The apartment’s too small, we’d be bumping into her every step of the way. Plus, I didn’t wait this long to become a mom just to leave my daughter in the care of a stranger.
Roderick: Then have her come just in the evenings, so you and I would be free to, you know, get some rest. We deserve it, don’t we?
Suzy: Well, if it’s just in the evenings, I’ll give it some thought.

Suzy: Are you going jogging with me today?
Roderick: Uh, I don’t think so, honey. I really need to get some sleep, and Doreen will be waking up soon.
Suzy: We could take her with us in the stroller and take turns working out.

Roderick: Don’t take this the wrong way, Suz. I love going for a run with you, but I’ll have to pass this time.

Roderick: I’ll stay with Doreen. You won’t miss your workout time and I’ll hopefully be able to take a little nap at some point.
Suzy: No problem, darling, you deserve a good rest.

Roderick: (To himself) “You deserve a good rest.” She says that because she knows I’m tired, or because I’m old? Or maybe because last night it took me a long time to… Ah, nonsense.

Roderick: When have I ever failed Suzy? Never. I was just tired, that’s all.

Roderick: True, I’m not exactly a spring chicken, but I haven’t lost my touch and she knows it.

Suzy: You know what? You’re right. We need that babysitter.
Roderick: Yes, we do.

It’s still early in the morning. Suzy went out for her daily run; Roderick stayed.

Luckily for him, Doreen is still asleep; she must be exhausted after staying up all night.

That gives him time to get some sleep too; pity that he’s no longer sleepy, but he’ll still try to rest a bit, since he, Suzy and Doreen have to go out at noon.

He decides to take that break in the hot tub. It’s not the same without Suzy by his side, but at least he can relax for a while.

After a relaxing soak in the hot tub and a quick shower, Roderick is ready for whatever the day may bring.

Interestingly, now that he needs Doreen to wake up, she’d rather sleep like a log.

With great difficulty, he managed to convince her that it was time for their afternoon walk. She isn’t in the best of moods; she wanted to keep sleeping. Good! That way she’ll be sleepy at night, and Suzy and Roderick will have their long-awaited time alone.

Roderick keeps Doreen entertained while Suzy takes a few minutes to herself in another area of the park.

Suzy uses these brief moments of solitude to indulge in another of her passions besides music: reading.

And I’d take this opportunity to show you these photos I took during Roderick, Suzy, and Doreen’s stroll, after installing the mod Project Renaissance by @asabinsims. Look at the detail in the trees, especially the last picture. It’s truly breathtaking, isn’t it?

These photos were taken in June 2024, which is when I installed the mod, and it’s been in my game ever since. Project Renaissance completely changed the visuals of my game, forever. I couldn’t play without it anymore. I’m sure this isn’t news to most of you, but if for some reason someone still doesn’t have it installed in their Sims 3 game, I highly recommend that you do so. You won’t regret it! Also, if you want to see much better and more representative photos of what this mod can do for your game, check out @asabinsims’s profile here and be blown away just like I was. This mod is a total game changer. If you haven’t installed it yet, now’s the time. The zip file comes in two flavors, “small textures” and “large textures”; choose the one that best suits your settings. Personally, I went with “large textures.”

End of the intermission. Last but not least, here’s a little bit of Roderick spam. Enjoy. 😉

And that’s all for today on the Kingstons of Bridgeport. Thanks for reading this far. 💗