Children

So the manflesh - Alvaro - made it. At the ripe old age of exactly 90 days, he cleared Pro Sports. I ate six aging off days to manage that, during which I was also furiously leveling Barley's writing and painting. She is at 10 painting and 7 writing, still in the early part of her teenagerdom. She has a solid D in high school because I accidentally failed to send her to school one day - it was the first day she was actually supposed to have to go. Snow days ftw I guess. She's only had one day at school to rectify that mistake.

I moved the nursery to the lower level, which is fine - it works out there.

Contrary to popular research, I have to conclude that child athletic is a thing, because Berry started her first (autonomous) workout at 3 Athletic. I guess that hopscotch court I bought is worth something after all.

Two more babies were born - Cale and Camellia, who both got Green Thumb. Cale got Loves the Outdoors and Camellia got Athletic.

Cale aged up, and I discovered that Inappropriate wasn't a good trait for children - they can't sponge bath - so when Camellia aged up I had her get Ambitious too.

Everyone's busy skilling, and Alvaro still hasn't gone kaput. But better safe than sorry - athletics was a good lift so I can move stuff. And: I am stuffing all of the important books inside the heir's inventory. No more fear of burglars and repo-men for me! (See, if my bookcase had been stolen before now, my challenge would've abruptly ended.)

Oh, I also gave Aurora a midlife crisis. She traded workaholic and ambitious out for family-oriented and nurturing, since she won't be rejoining the workforce. (It's too bad she can't do another lift.)

---

When did my family become so important to me? I remember a time not long ago that all I cared about was my own achievements.

I suppose I've grown up.

Barley and Berry shot up like weeds. They're good kids - they've become teenagers now, in as near an approximation as this moon has. They are young still, though, and sometimes they still make me angry. I spent my entire life working on the lacking education system, and they squander the gifts I've made available!

But enough about me. They are good kids. Berry spends her free time training her body and mind - she acts like the future rests on her shoulders. I've named her my heir apparent, a title she takes very seriously. She'll be a great woman, when she grows up.

Barley spends most of her time with her father. He - he's losing his grip on reality, as the old often do. Worse, he realizes what he's lost. Barley does her best to distract him, to make him laugh. He loves the books she writes - little children's tales, but they're beautifully illustrated, and he can still understand the words.

We had two more saplings - children - before he got too old to even consider it.

I named the boy Cale, and the girl is Camellia.

Camellia takes after Berry, following her every move as though she's trying to be a miniature copy of her sister. She follows Berry's workouts. I worry that she's overextending herself, but she assures me she's okay.

Cale worries me just as much, for different reasons. He's a very serious boy. He seems focused on honing his mind - I'm concerned that he just doesn't know how to live, how to have fun.

That seems to be all my life is - worrying after my children.

Do they even need me anymore?