Welcome back to the Matriarchal Legasea, the oceanic legacy with self-sufficient heiresses. Our current heiress is Anet, pictured above. The chapter will be told by Anet herself, so if I have anything to add I’ll include an author’s note at the bottom.

Please enjoy!

My wonderful, loyal readers:

I’ve been keeping this blog for many years, ever since I was a teenager, and many of you have been with me all the way. For this I thank you. Now that I’m getting older, I feel a need for some closure. I’ve assembled some of my posts – my greatest hits, if you will – and have combined them here in one giant post to serve as a sort of life-story, a history of where I’ve gone, what and who I’ve done. ;) I hope you enjoy the story.

Wow, readers, have I got news for you: I was chosen heiress by a group of Mom’s friends. That means that I’ll lead our legacy from here on out. This is an awesome responsibility, but I think I’m up to the task of being awesome. I’ll be following in the foot – or fin – steps of my mother Thalassa, my grandmother Orca, my great-grandmother Atlantica and, of course, my famous great-great-grandmother, Oceania Legasea. I am super psyched about all of this. It’s a great honor of course, but I also think this will be a really fun ride, and it can’t hurt on the dating scene to admit I’m an heiress.

Merrow and Lorelei have already gone off to college and I’ve decided to follow them pretty quickly. Mom thinks I should stick around longer and let her teach me some more stuff, but I’m ready to be on my own more. Abtu’s in no rush to head off to college but I eventually convinced him to come with me. We’re leaving tomorrow and I couldn’t be more excited! I’ve got everything packed and Merrow and Lorelei promised to help me move in and then show me around. College is going to be great!

I think Mom’s pretty depressed about all of us kids “leaving the nest.” She’s got Nucklavee and Coral, though. Coral is a cat she picked up as a kitten. She’s not part of the pet legacy we’ve been breeding, but Mom had to have her. When Mom’s not listening, Abtu and I call Coral her “consolation cat”. We think she mostly got Coral because as she was getting older she was starting to get down again about not getting married. I’m glad that living in a matriarchy won’t have that kind of effect on me. I never wanted to get married anyway, so being an heiress works out perfectly for me.

Forcing Abtu to come to college has turned out to be a really good idea. He went shopping on the very first day to get us some new clothes while I was still trying to figure out where my mini-fridge should go in the dorm room. He also made friends with Andrea, a member of Mom’s old sorority, right away, so it looks like we won’t be living in the dorms for long. Andrea’s got all four of us pledged so hopefully we’ll be able to move in soon.

All right! We finished our pledge period and are full members of Urele Hoh now. How cool is that? All four of us got in together, so we’re all under one roof again. I think Mom is pleased that we’re sticking together. As for me, I’ve always gotten along fine with my siblings and I’m just super happy to be in the sorority. This places me right in the center of campus life, which is right where I want to be. Although I guess it’s not a sorority anymore if Abtu’s in. So a Greek house? Whatever, I’m just glad to be here.

Since moving in, I’ve been getting to know Andrea better and better. I had my first kiss with her the other day and it was great, all jelly legs and soft lips and nervousness. I already knew I had a romantic spirit but this kiss really confirmed for me the kind of life I want to live. It’s a good thing I haven’t told any of my friends or family about this blog, because I would be super embarrassed for Andrea to read this. We’re not together or anything and I’m trying to play it cool because I don’t want to settle down, but I’m really crushing on her pretty hard right now. Luckily she graduates this year.

Merrow’s jumped into the dating scene too, but she has a really different focus than I do. She’s more into founding a family, with a spouse and kids, just like Mom wanted before she was an heiress. I think secretly Merrow is relieved that she wasn’t chosen as the heiress, because we’ve all seen the strain it placed on Mom, despite her never admitting it to us.

Merrow got to know this guy Todd down at the coffee shop and they had hardly started dating at all before she proposed. Todd’s all about family too so I guess it’ll work out just fine. They’re both giddy about the engagement still (to the point of being a little annoying sometimes) but I’m really happy for Merrow.

Well, readers, it was somewhat inevitable, but Abtu’s decided to drop out. I knew when I convinced him to come to college that it was kind of a long shot that he would stick it out, but I wasn’t expecting him to quit so soon. I know he’ll be fine because he’s smart and confident, but I’m going to miss my twin a lot now. We’ve always been close and since we were teenagers we’ve been each other’s confidants. Now I’m losing that, but at least I have my older sisters around.

I think I’ve hit on a really ace way to keep my grades up. I’ve been struggling with studying when there’s so many hot girls on campus that just need my presence and my grades have been kind of low. I really wanted to get on the Dean’s List by the end of the quarter so I spoke to my professor. I cracked a few jokes, she gave me a flirty look, and one thing led to another, and suddenly my grades are doing better. I know this isn’t ethical in the least, but now I’m wondering which of my other professors have kept an eye on me. Don’t tell, readers! :P

Mom stopped by today to see how we girls were doing. She’s really happy with my success. Obviously she doesn’t know where all it’s coming from, but I’m happy to accept the admiration anyway. She said I’m off to a great start as an heiress, and that made me feel pretty good.

Lorelei painted my portrait to hang on the wall next to the other Legasea women that have passed through this house as heiresses. Grandma Orca was so pretty as a young adult, and I can’t believe how young Mom looks in her portrait! I’m so used to her being old I kind of forgot she was my age once. I wonder what she was like in college.

My sisters and I have all been keeping busy. We’re kind of settled into college life now that the first year has passed. Merrow and Todd are still happily in love. Lorelei loves studying and adores her classes, so she’s constantly happy. As for myself, I’ve really been enjoying the social life at college. I think we’re all doing well.

I’ve still kept my nose out of books for the most part, but I haven’t been slacking off completely. I’ve been working really hard on my physique and I think I’m looking pretty hot. I’ve also been learning to arrange flowers, which provides a nice low-key hobby for me. As anyone who’s seen my dates can attest, I have an eye for beauty, lol.

Got a call from Abtu today. He’s moved into a really neat house back in Sirenum Scopuli. I guess something made an impression on him during his short time at college because he told me he proposed to Professor Theresa. I had no idea they’d even been dating, but he said they kept it on the down-low while at college. I had to bite my lip not to spill about how much professor-dating I’ve been doing, but I’m trying to keep that quiet too. Wouldn’t do to let the general populace know how I’m cruising through college. Anyway, back to Abtu. He said he and Theresa are going to have a small wedding at home and he’s never been more content. I don’t know Theresa that well but Abtu’s happy so I’m happy for him.

OH MY GOD, readers! I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life. Both Mom and Dad showed up at the sorority today and hung out all day. They’ve been blowing bubbles in the basement for several hours now, and they’ve even got a couple students hanging out with them. Oh, the horror! I’ll survive somehow but I can’t believe they would do this to us. Just when Urele Hoh was getting a really good party reputation, it’s suddenly infested with adults. This won’t do at all.

Mom and Dad finally left, THANK GOD, and things have gone back to normal. For Lorelei that’s studying, for Merrow it’s fawning over Todd, and for me it’s getting up close and personal with as many pretty girls as possible. I don’t want to brag, but I’ve been doing pretty well on that count. My social life has never been better, or busier.

Wow, I’ve been dating a lot but I met someone really special today. Her name’s Celine and she’s an iceberg spirit looking for new experiences in Sirenum Scopuli. When she told me that, I couldn’t help but think of a few experiences I’d like to help her with. She reminds me of my sister Lorelei in some ways since they’re both so into new knowledge, but the similarities end there. She’s so fascinating and exotic, and her looks don’t hurt either. She and I hit it off right away and we’ve been spending a good amount of time together lately.

Ugh, readers, living with my sisters is so hard sometimes. It’s always “Anet, don’t cheat at chess so much.” “Anet, stop making out with random women in the common room.” “Anet, don’t punch so hard!” It feels like constant demands to not be myself and I just wish they’d let me be. They’re just so . . . nice . . . sometimes that I can hardly stand it.

When I get down about stuff, though, I know I can always turn to this blog. Being able to let out my true thoughts and feelings helps me keep my cool the rest of the time. And it doesn’t hurt that I have the best readers in the world. I <3 <3 <3 you guys!

Okay, I got the crankiness out of my system and I’m back to normal with my sisters. They’re such a huge part of my life and even if they drive me crazy sometimes I know I’d be a lot lonelier without them. Whether it’s dancing with Merrow or dishing with Lorelei, they’re both really important to me. The fact that we’re such different people is just icing on the cake, I guess. Otherwise life would be way boring.

YOU GUYS! Seriously, you guys. Seriously. I have been seeing so much action lately I barely have time to romance my professors!

I’ve been seeing Celine a lot too, in between all the others. I like her a lot, but she hasn’t changed my mind about settling down. I’m having way too much fun for that! Life is just perfect right now.

Today I was feeling really introspective and stuff. I asked myself, is all this sleeping around really making me happy?

And you know what the answer was?

HELL YES.

Maybe I’m just not the introspective type, but I am quite happy with how things are going. I think I’m going to try to have 30 lovers at once. That would be really awesome and a good testament to my mad flirting skillzzzz.

Lorelei finally caught up with Merrow and me and found a boyfriend. I had been telling her I’d fix her up with some friend of mine, but she beat me to the punch by getting chummy with this mascot named Joseph. It took her long enough, but she’s following in Merrow’s footsteps by getting engaged right away. They’re crazy for each other. I’m glad my sisters are finding love too.

All three of us are developing some hobbies since we’re doing well in school. I’m really into sports but no one around me cares at all so I’ve been really big into gaming too. Lorelei’s another gamer while Merrow’s all about music-y stuff. She dances a lot too. Now that we’re juniors, we strangely seem to have even more time on our hands – I guess because the classes are getting more intellectual and less busy work.

Oh, readers! The three of us – my sisters and I – sat down for the biggest gaming marathon today since it was a day off from school. Lorelei was killing it, but I almost matched her high score. Merrow says I get really intense when I’m watching or playing a game – like scary intense. I told her she was just jealous and she gave me a look. Hey, if you can’t take the heat, stay off the couch. j/k

There are times where I am literally surrounded by dates. It’s a good thing that most of them are like me and not really serious about seeing each other, because I would be in constant trouble otherwise. No, there’s only a couple of my girlfriends that I have to be discreet around.

One of the non-trouble ones is Arielle. She’s a native of the island and is here at college just like me. Just like me, she’s all about romancing as many people as possible, but she and I have an understanding. Neither one of us is bothered by the other’s lifestyle. She’s actually someone that I can talk to really freely – in between doing other things, of course.

I don’t believe in soul mates, but if I did, I might think that Arielle was mine. I just feel like we have this chemistry above and beyond anything that I can put my finger on*. She and I are a perfect match.

Oh, look at me getting all mushy. If I weren’t telling you this through a computer you’d probably see me blush. Ridiculous, right? :D

* Three bolts.

Sorry I haven’t written anything in so long, guys! I had a really busy final semester and I’ve finally graduated. I’m back home now with my mom as I write this. I got a 4.0 and graduated with honors. Mom was so proud. Merrow and Lorelei graduated with honors, too, of course. It’s weird after the four years in college to be back home with just Mom and me. I miss Merrow and Lorelei, but I know they’re both busy settling in with their fiancés. No fiancé for me – just settling in to the legacy lifestyle, I guess.

Before I left college, one of the last things I did was call Abtu and see if he’d be interested in going on a vacay with me. We didn’t see each other much while I was in school, and before I started getting serious about things, I wanted some time to goof off with my twin brother. He suggested we go to Three Lakes, this real pretty city high up in a mountain range. I thought it sounded great so I booked it. One of the nice things about being in a well-established family like mine is having enough money to do stuff like this without worrying about it. We’re leaving tomorrow. I won’t be able to write but I’ll take lots of pics and get everyone caught up when I get back. I hope I see snow! We never get any on this island, of course, so I would love to see some.

Okay, so the trip was AMAZING, you guys. So much fun. I didn’t see any snow though, which was really disappointing. We were there in the right season but it was really warm for that area I guess, and the temp never dropped low enough.

Snow aside, I had such a great time. One of the best things about the whole trip was being with Abtu again. He’s always a lot of fun, and we had so much gossip to get caught up on.

I did a lot of fun stuff on the vacation. They had this ax-throwing contest and I got really into it. Maybe a little too much, hee hee. It was a great outlet to hurl those axes. I also spent a lot of time in the hot springs and getting massages, stuff like that. Soooo relaxing. It’s not like I have all that much stress to relax from, considering my easy breeze through school and the comfy lifestyle I’ve been living, but I didn’t let that stop me.

One activity that didn’t turn out to be so relaxing was log-rolling. I thought I was doing pretty good at it until Abtu challenged me to a contest. He totally trounced me, you guys! He was on that log for like three seconds before I found myself flying off it. A second and third try didn’t improve my luck. I guess I’m kind of a competitive person so I was in a huff for a bit after that, but I let it go. I still want to know how he’s so good at that when he has a tail to navigate. You’d think being bipedal would give me an advantage, right?

One thing that I really loved about this trip is FIRE! Campfire, to be more specific. Mom’s afraid of fire so we never got to sit around one before. I loved just sitting around it, listening to it crackle and pop, looking at the soft orange light it casts all around. Not to mention marshmallows! I even painted a picture of a campfire but I forgot to bring it home with me when we left.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a vacation if I didn’t get some time to spend on my favorite activities. The cabin we were staying in was not as private as I would have liked it, but I found some time to woo a few locals. They had the cutest accent!

Now I’m back home again. Abtu and I said our goodbyes, and he went back home to his wife and I came home to start my leg of the legacy, I guess. Mom told me that now I could really start being the heiress, and she gave me the necklace she always wears, telling me how it’s been passed down through all the heiresses. When she told stories about Oceania, she always mentioned how the jewelry she was wearing was all the fortune she had when she escaped the mer-kingdom to come live on land. This necklace is really a precious relic, then, and I feel kind of overwhelmed by the history of it. I hope I live up to Mom’s expectations and my family tradition.

Mom and I have decided to move to a new house. It’s only a few houses down the beach from our current one, but we both like it better. It’s a bit smaller than our former one, considering it doesn’t have a basement, but I don’t feel up to taking care of a huge house and Mom won’t be around forever to help. This house is more manageable, I think, and it’s still on the beautiful beach.

Two words, you guys: House Warming. Three very friendly – and may I mention beautiful? – neighbors stopped by to welcome us to our new home. I didn’t know any of these ladies already, so even though we didn’t move far, I was glad we still got introduced. I think I’m going to like it here, if you know what I mean. We all swam for a while and then I made dinner. It was a great first night in our new home.

Mom wanted to paint a portrait of me for our portrait wall right away. She’s really gung-ho about me being the heiress, always talking about how it’s my turn now and now I’m the head of the family and stuff like that.

I know she’s really proud of me and she’s really invested in this legacy stuff, but it’s beginning to feel a little much to me. I just want to enjoy myself, surround myself with pleasant company. She’s already envisioning grandkids and trying to get me to think about names. I’m not ready for that at all!

Okay, I got Mom a little distracted from her all-legacy-all-the-time mindset by telling her we should continue the pet legacy first. We’ve raised cats in this family ever since the founder, blue and green Kelpie. Then we had Selkie, and the two Mom raised herself during the Great Breeding Experiment, Lenapizka and Nucklavee. Mom knows a friend with a cat so she’s been arranging for Nucklavee to have a litter with the friend’s cat. He’s mostly blue and pink and a little fat looking, to be honest, but Mom thinks he’s great. She says he’s just fluffy. I just hope the kittens turn out alright!

And we have kittens! Nucklavee had four kittens, only one of which was a girl, named Ashray. The three boys, Bunyip, Grindylow, and Fossegrim, went to live with Abtu and Theresa, who had been looking for some pets. Well now they’ve got three! Since we want to continue breeding the cats, it made sense to keep the female. Mom – that crazy cat lady that she is – wanted to keep all four of them for a while longer, but I insisted that if we were only keeping one, we didn’t need to raise four kittens for no good reason. I think she was a little disappointed, but six cats in the house is too much for me!

Hurray, readers! When I became a teenager, I set a goal for myself to become a Professional Party Guest. Well, I achieved it today, and not long after I graduated college too! Now I think I’ll try to be a Rock God. I just want to live the good life, and both of these jobs are sure to impress the ladies.

I saw Dad at work today, so he came home with me to visit Mom. She’s always really happy when he’s around, so I’m glad he came over.

I saw the SCARIEST thing today! I didn’t realize we had ghosts, but apparently we do, because I got surprised by one today. I think it was the ghost of my great-grandmother Atlantica, though she looked a little weird because her hair was different. Maybe she got it did in the afterlife, I don’t know. Anyway, her ghost jumped out at me from nowhere and nearly scared the you-know-what out of me. I hope this doesn’t happen again. Mom didn’t believe me that we have ghosts! She said I was just being fanciful and must have seen something out of the corner of my eye. I know what I saw, though.

In fact, now I feel all paranoid about the ghosts. Who else will show up? Will Atlantica frighten me again? Why did her ghost want to scare me in the first place? Is she unhappy that I’m not taking the legacy seriously enough? Mom’s been kind of peeved with me because I don’t even want to think about kids – just about new lovers. I’m still going for that 30 lovers thing before I have kids, but she doesn’t think it’s worthwhile. I can kind of feel the disapproval of generations settling on me between Mom and the ghost.

Still, I’m going for my goal. I’m almost there, and I’m still young so I don’t see the big rush to pop out some kids. I’m enjoying myself way too much, anyway. Just like at college, I find myself surrounded by women willing to date me and I just can’t say no to a beautiful face.

I finally have 30 lovers, you guys! YAY! I can’t tell you how desirable this makes me feel. I’m on top of the world. My 30th was a cute little redhead named Sandy.

Now maybe I’ll try to focus on the legacy more. That should make Mom happy, and even though she grumbled some, she did let me pursue this goal without too much interference.

Ugh, Nucklavee and Coral have been fighting like crazy and we just can’t get them to stop no matter what we try. They’re really getting on my nerves, but more than that, I’m afraid they’re going to hurt each other.

It was a hard decision, but Mom and I decided to give up Coral. These two cats obviously can’t live under the same roof, and Nucklavee has a kitten to raise, besides being part of our pet legacy. Mom was so sad about Coral leaving she wouldn’t even come out when Lorelei came over to collect Coral. I know that Coral will have a good life living with Lorelei and her family.

I’ve been seeing Celine again quite a bit. She and I have always gotten along well, and I think she’d be a good mother to my children. She’s a lot of fun to hang out with, too. We dance a lot when she comes over. I’ve told her about the legacy and what I’m thinking about her and me, and she seems game but she told me she had to think about it first.

Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man. This was a bad idea, readers. Celine told me she understood that I couldn’t get married, but she wanted some kind of commitment from me. I asked her what she meant and she said she wanted to be engaged. I told her that it could never lead to anything else, so it wouldn’t even really count, but she was adamant. I’d really like to continue seeing her and I think she’d make a great mother, so I got down on one knee and proposed.

As soon as I did, I could feel in the pit of my stomach what a bad idea this was. I hope I’m not leading Celine on. She knows I can’t get married, but she’s not expecting me to settle and change my ways is she? Is she?!

I have been SO sick lately. It’s terrible. Mom said it’s morning sickness and I’m probably pregnant. Well that didn’t take very long, did it? Even though Celine and I had been trying for a baby, I had hoped that I’d have a bit more time to prepare.

I’ve been dealing with the nausea by meditating a lot. Mom keeps telling me that this will pass and I just have to get through it. Meditating helps me with that, but there’s a lot of things I’d like to be doing instead. I hope this stage is over soon.

Well, Ashray has grown into an adult cat. She is . . . something else. She’s got the floofiness of her father so she’s kind of interesting-looking, plus her coloring that she inherited from both parents is a little muddled. We’ll have to make sure to breed her with a sleeker, more attractive cat when the time comes.

Unsurprisingly, Mom adores Ashray just the way she is. Sometimes Mom can be a pain, but she’s an incredibly accepting and loving person. I could probably do to take some lessons from her on that.

Well, I’m definitely pregnant, readers. I’ve really started to show recently. Mom is over the moon expecting a grandchild, but I’m still a little hesitant. I hope I’ll be a good mom. I don’t feel like I have the natural instincts that Mom does, so I don’t know how I’ll handle having a baby. I’m a little worried.

The nausea has passed but now I’m tired all the time. I try to do low-key activities. I’m on leave from work now so I have a lot of down time. I’ve taken up painting to fill the time.

My first really great painting was a portrait of Ashray. We hung it on the wall next to the other cat portraits. I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. Painting is a lot of fun and lets me take my mind off the aches and pains of pregnancy.

It used to be that the natives of Sirenum Scopuli migrated about once a generation, so there were always new locals coming by, and the elders in my family typically didn’t get to spend time with the mate they got to know during their adulthood. For some reason, this has changed and things have become more stable in that regard.

Mom says it’s a little weird to not see the new blood like what happened when she was a teen, but she’s absolutely pleased to still be able to spend time with Roger. He comes over pretty often and they spend a lot of time together. Sometimes this makes me think about Celine, and whether we have that kind of love. I don’t think we do. Is it really necessary, though?

Meet baby Bacopa!

I went into labor in the middle of the night. Mom was still sleeping so I delivered by myself. My baby was a beautiful little boy with Celine’s icy blue skin. I’ve decided to name my babies after various water plants, so I named my little boy Bacopa. He’s got my eyes and blond hair. I loved him so much from the first moment I saw him that I surprised myself.

Oh readers. What the hell do I do with a baby? It turns out love is not enough. Mom is a lot of help but I still have a lot of time that I’m the only one little Bacopa has to count on. I’m kind of lost. I didn’t really prepare at all for having a baby other than taking care of my pregnancy, and now I – and Bacopa – are paying for it by my incompetence. I can only hope that I’ll get better with time.

I’ve been really successful at work recently, so I’ve been job-hopping to keep things interesting. Besides being an oceanographer and a ballerina, I went through a cycle of being a Professional Party Guest, a Rock God, a Celebrity Chef, a Party Guest again, and a Celebrity Chef again.*

*These were all completed LTWs.

Mom bought a book on parenting today and sat down and didn’t get up until she had read the whole thing. Then she ran to the bathroom. Anyway, I don’t know what she needs to learn about parenting since she’s pretty much a natural, but she said it helps her understand Bacopa’s needs more. Maybe I’ll have to check that book out too.

In the meantime, I think I am getting better at caring for little Bacopa. It’s been a lot of trial and error, but I think I’m doing a pretty adequate job. By the time I have another baby, I might even be good at it! Hopefully Bacopa doesn’t resent me someday for being my test baby. ;)

Big trouble, readers: I AM IN IT. I was having an amorous bit of car time with Arielle when Celine walked by. I guess she was coming by to see me but she could not have walked by at a worse time. Arielle and I were pretty hot and heavy and she saw the whole thing. She ran off crying before I could say anything. What do I do now?

Not long after she ran off, Celine came back. I figured she was ready to talk so I went up to her, and she slapped me! She said she couldn’t believe I would cheat on the other mother of my children. She went on a bit of a tirade and said some really awful things about me.

I’m so hurt and so confused, readers. I can’t refute what she said about me, but it doesn’t feel fair. It’s not like we’re married! I didn’t think I had a duty to stay faithful to Celine, but apparently that’s exactly what she expected.

Worse, she’s said she doesn’t want anything to do with me or Bacopa. She said I’ve broken her heart and she needs time alone. But what about us?

Perhaps it’s not the wisest course of action, but in the meantime I’m burying my sorrow by spending as much time as possible with Arielle. She’s always made me feel good just being around her, and I need an understanding friend besides a lover. Arielle is both for me, and is just what I need right now. Until I can clear things up with Celine at least. Ugh, I’m so confused. Why am I still thinking about Celine so much when I have Arielle here? I’m broken-hearted, I guess. I don’t know what I’m thinking.

Today was Bacopa’s birthday. I had hoped Celine would put our troubles behind her enough to attend the party, but she’s not returning any of my calls. It makes me feel sick to think that Bacopa may lose one of the people who loves him just because I couldn’t figure out what Celine wanted from me.

I’m trying to put on a happy face for Bacopa today, though. He’s growing into such a wonderful little boy.

As Bacopa is entering his toddler years, I’m really starting to see more of his personality. He’s very outgoing and is very chatty as a result. I’ve got to teach him to talk so I can understand what he’s babbling away about all hours of the day. He’s also very active and it’s a fight to get him down for naps. Unfortunately, I think he’s got a bit of my mean streak, at least according to Mom. She says he reminds her of me when I was that age.

* 4/10/9/4/1

Being at the top of my career, I’ve had a lot of time off and I’ve been spending it all with Bacopa lately. Now that he’s a toddler, he needs more from me than he did when he was a baby – in some ways at least. He’s not as helpless, of course, but there’s so much learning and growing that he needs to do now, and I intend to be a part of it every step of the way. I’ve been teaching him to walk – he’s so active I figured he was ready for it. Not surprisingly, he took to it right away. He’s such a smart little boy and I’m so proud of him.

Celine finally answered one of my calls and agreed to come over to talk. I begged her not to take her anger at me out on Bacopa. She said, with more than a hint of bitterness in her voice, that she thought I’d called her over to apologize. I was dumbstruck, readers. Of course that’s what I should have done but it didn’t even occur to me. I guess I’m still conflicted about what I actually owed Celine or not, in terms of being faithful. I tried to reason with her, but I was saying all the wrong things and she left again, more angry than when she came in. This did not go well at all.

I’ve been a little depressed lately so Mom’s taken over teaching Bacopa his toddler skills. I feel really bad about not being there for him, but I just need to sort things out right now.

I was out on the beach late at night last night when I felt a familiar wave of nausea come over me. Great. I’m pregnant again. And based on the timing, it’s not Celine’s. This won’t help me make up with her at all.

This isn’t the right way to think about things. I should be happy. Instead I just feel confused and sad. I’ve made a real mess of things with Celine and I haven’t been thinking or acting responsibly about any of this from the very beginning.

It’s time to change that.

I got Celine to come over again. She instantly noticed I was pregnant and was on guard, but before she could get a word in, I launched into a heartfelt apology. Maybe I laid it on a little thick, but I owed her a good one and I tried to make sure this was the apology she deserved. I told her that I knew things still aren’t right between us, but that I didn’t want Bacopa to lack anything because of it.

She told me that I was right that things weren’t right between us – and they never would be. She said I had broken a trust that she didn’t think could ever be repaired.

I begged her not to take it out on Bacopa and she sighed. “You’re right,” she said. “It isn’t fair for Bacopa to be affected by our issues.”

We tentatively called a truce and agreed to focus on Bacopa instead of our problems. “But Anet?” she said. “Don’t get your hopes up. We can be friends for Bacopa’s sake, but we can never, ever be together again. I see now that our expectations are too different for that to work. You’ll never live up to my standards.”

Ouch. I guess I deserved that, though. Anyway, after our convo she spent the rest of the day playing with Bacopa. At least I’ve set that right.

Had another one of those rare introspective days. Carrying this little one of Arielle’s and caring for Bacopa was keeping me busy, but I took some time to watch the waves through the window and think. I can’t shake the feeling that Celine’s expectations weren’t fair, but I guess it also wasn’t fair of me to assume that she didn’t care about these things. I guess I am the exception rather than the rule when it comes to fidelity. If I wanted an open relationship, I should have asked and given her the chance to tell me what she thought. This introspection stuff is rough.

I shared with Mom what I was thinking. I had kept most of the fallout with Celine from her because I figured she’s be disappointed in me. Now I laid it all out, though. “Oh, Anet, you know I love you no matter what. That’s what being a parent is all about. And I’m sorry you’re hurting, but I’m glad you’ve come to see your role in it and are taking action to make things right. That’s the responsible thing to do,” she said to me. Parts of her words hurt, but I knew she was on to something. I am making things right, for me and my kid, and that’s what will count in the end.

I decided to take a look at Mom’s parenting book today. It actually had a lot of helpful tips! I studied pretty hard as a teenager and then goofed off in college so it’d been a while since I’d really set my mind to learning something, but I was motivated by my love for my child. Later, I made sure to spend some time with Bacopa. I may have made a mess of my love life, but I am going to be the best mother I can be.

Bacopa is growing so fast. He’s really taken a shine to Ashray, although I’m not sure she’s always appreciative of his affection. He’s walking and talking now, zooming all over the house, mouth running a mile a minute. My little iceberg baby is full of energy, and it’s fun to see him explore his world.

It’s Bacopa’s birthday again! I can’t believe another year has passed so quickly. He’s growing so much! Celine was here to celebrate with Mom and I, which made Bacopa happy. He loves it when she visits, and it makes me happy to see him so happy. Happy birthday, little one! Is that enough happy’s in one post, readers? :)

Oh, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted. Bacopa’s grown so fast and he’s such a busy little child now.

He’s started school and is doing great. In his free time, he actually wants to study and acquire skills! What a funny little guy. I’m so proud of my boy.

Lorelei and Merrow came over tonight to catch up. It’s been a while since I’ve seen any of my siblings. We’ve all been so busy with our families. They also brought news from Abtu, who couldn’t get away from his family to socialize. All three of them live on the other side of the island, so even though I don’t see them as much as I would like to, they run into each other fairly often.

Of course the big news from Abtu’s house is about his twins. They’re toddlers now. Surf is doing great but the real excitement is about Wave. She grew in her tail! It’s great to have another merperson in the family, and Abtu’s as proud as he could be. I tease him about his twins’ names when we talk, but he maintains they were all he and Theresa could think of when they were born.

Lorelei and Joseph are both doing well in their jobs. I think he’s some kind of teacher, but Lorelei’s worked her way up to Mad Scientist. That’s my sister alright. She just had a baby, a boy named Neptune. He’s a darling little thing. Makes me think of the little one I’m expecting.

Merrow was the first of any of us to have children, which was of course something she had wanted since she was young. Her triplets are children now, and are doing great. She and Todd are still head over heels for each other.

Minnow, Guppy, and Anchovy are a few grades higher than Bacopa in school, but at least one of them still comes over most afternoons to play with him. I’m glad he’s so close to his cousins.

During my visit with Merrow and Lorelei today, I went into labor. Unlike Bacopa’s birth, I was surrounded by people who loved me and it seemed to go a lot quicker and easier.

Which was a good thing, because I had twins! You know, it’s funny how often multiples occur in my family. We must beat the odds pretty often, I guess. Huh.

Anyway, my two little babies came out healthy and strong. The little girl with Arielle’s tan skin I named Azolla, and her younger-by-minutes brother I named Myrio. They both have Arielle’s beautiful grey eyes and dark brown hair.

I hope the twins – and Bacopa – know that all of my children were loved from the moment they were born. Or even before, I guess. Mom and I have been spoiling the twins. She’s really happy to have babies in the house again – it’s when she really shines.

It’s funny. It feels like my pregnancy took forever, especially in comparison with how much Bacopa grew during the same time. I’m not one to dwell on metaphysical stuff, though. Just a thought.

Celine visited again today. Bacopa is always really excited when he knows she’s coming over soon. He’s hard to handle, actually. He gets so excited and I can’t help but smile seeing him greeting her. They really care for each other, and I’m glad he has that love in his life.

Sometimes I wonder if Celine still has feelings for me. I do for her, but I respect her decision that we’ll never act on them again. It’s hard, but if that’s the boundary she’s set, I’ll abide by it.

Oh, readers, I am soooo tired. Bacopa is such a little ball of energy and the twins take so much work. Mom gave me a break today and said she’d look after all three of them, so I took off to the beach for some quiet time. Just a little bit of time without babies crying or Bacopa needing attention was just what I wanted. Being a mother is tough sometimes.

It’s the twins’ birthday! Celine even celebrated with us. She’s been strangely unaffected by the fact that I had children with someone else so soon after we broke up. I guess she’s decided that Bacopa’s siblings deserve her affection too. I think it’s really nice of her and I made sure to tell her. She smiled and said, “It’s the kids that are important, right?”

Right.

Hey, readers. I’ve been busy keeping up with the Terrible Two in their terrible twos. Azolla and Myrio are a handful just like Bacopa was at this age, but now I’ve got two of them! They’re both such amazing little people, though, and I love watching their personalities emerge as they grow and learn.

Azolla is very outgoing and very nice, although she can be a little on the serious side. Myrio’s the same in that regard – they both make a beeline for the logic toy as soon as they wake up from naptime. Myrio is also nice, unlike my grumpy older son, but he’s even more active than Bacopa was. He’s also a neat and shy little guy, tidy but quiet.

* Azolla 5/10/6/3/10

Myrio 8/1/10/3/8

I had a weekend off from work, and of course Mom retired a while ago, so we spent the whole weekend focusing on the twins and their skills. We got both of them pottytrained. Bacopa wasn’t too impressed with the process, though. It’s a lot of work to keep three kids happy, healthy, and well-cared for but I think I’m managing it. Maybe I’m a good parent after all.

Although he didn’t want anything to do with their pottytraining, Bacopa enjoys spending time with the twins, even though their conversations can’t be all that interesting yet. The three of them spend a lot of time playing together at the activity table, and they’re all friends with each other. I think it’s great that they all get along so well, and I’m especially proud of Bacopa for being a good big brother to Azolla and Myrio.

Readers! I saw ANOTHER GHOST today! This time it was my grandmother, Orca. She scared me as I was going into the kitchen to make dinner for us all. Dinner was late tonight because it took me a while to get myself together after the scare. What is going on with the ghosts in this house? I tried telling Mom again, but she said that she’s never seen a ghost and I shouldn’t talk about them around the kids. Am I losing it?

Azolla and Myrio are doing well. They’re both walking and talking now, and they love attention. You can’t make it through the playroom without one of them tugging on your hand and asking to sing a nursery rhyme or have a story read. They’re a lot of work, especially since they’re twins, but I’m so glad I had them. I wouldn’t change a thing about any of my children.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t get frustrated with them sometimes though. Bacopa is always running away outside or to the beach to play, being the active little guy that he is. Today he got pinched by a crab and needed a kiss for his boo boo, but he was supposed to be doing homework!

He’s not very neat most of the time but he really has a thing about making beds. Mom and I don’t make our beds most of the time, so he comes behind us and makes them. Weird little kid.

Nucklavee passed away today. She had been getting very old and spent most of her time sleeping on beds around the house, so we knew it was coming. The kids are inconsolable, but I know that will get better with time. We buried Nucklavee out back alongside the three other cats we’ve raised. Goodbye, Nucklavee.

Readers, a very weird thing happened today. My kids were playing with blocks, like they usually do, then went off for naptime. Then this strange guy in dirty coveralls barged into my house and started going on and on about how Myrio was some kind of tinkering genius and he’s welcome at the weird guy’s garage anytime. Um, hello? He’s three. What could he possibly do at a garage?

My relationship with Mom has really improved over the years. We’ve always cared about each other, of course, but living together like this has really made us close. When the kids aren’t needing something, we spend a lot of time together. Mom still loves to tell stories: about places she’s been, things she’s found, stuff like that. We were goofing off today and reminiscing about our respective college experiences and we spontaneously started doing the cheer at the same time. Too funny, readers!

Azolla and Myrio normally get along very well, especially considering how young they are. They’re very good about sharing EXCEPT for the logic toy. They’re both serious-minded little kids and they just love pushing those beads back and forth. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found one of them playing with it while the other stares daggers at them. Maybe we should have gotten two of them.

Today was another birthday for little Azolla and Myrio. We’ve all been rather busy recently so we had a small little party – just the family.

The kids are growing so much. They’ll be going off for their first day of school soon. I can’t believe how big my babies are getting. They’re still great friends, of course. As she gets older, Azolla really reminds me of Arielle more and more. Which also reminds me - I should give Arielle a call.

The phone has been pretty tied up lately by Bacopa. He’s always calling Celine or one of Merrow’s girls. He’s a gregarious little guy. He loves talking on the phone and he gets calls all the time. He’s made a couple other friends from school and they call a lot too. There’s this one little boy that has a knack for calling during dinner.

Okay, now I’m angry, readers. I got scared by a ghost AGAIN, but this time it was a cat. Why am I the only one the ghosts are scaring, and why do they keep coming after me? I couldn’t tell for sure but I think it was probably Lena that scared me. What’s her problem? I always played with her when I was a kid. I don’t think she has any good reason to hate me from the afterlife. What’s up with all the ghosts?

I’m glad my kids get along so well. They’re together from the moment they all wake up every day, especially on weekends. Since they’re so outgoing, Bacopa and Azolla usually drive the action, while Myrio is more of a keep-up-from-the-sidelines kind of guy. They’re all great friends though, and Bacopa and Azolla do usually remember to include Myrio once they get a few jokes out of the way.

The twins have been doing well in school but they’ve been getting a lot of homework lately. Mom and I took some time to teach them how to do it better. Having a good college education – however some of us may have obtained it – definitely helps when the kids come home with math problems to solve and essays to write.

The boys are driving me crazy, readers! They’re both so, so active and they are constantly roughhousing and getting into trouble. I found them playing catch in the graveyard today after I had kicked them outside for punching each other. They’re making me nuts!

Of course, I know the ringleader is Bacopa. He’s a handful. He’s always showing off or doing stuff like jumping rope in my bedroom. When I found them in the graveyard, he wanted to get spun around. So I did, and he promptly vomited on Nucklavee’s grave. Ugh. I guess that isn’t his fault per se, but he’s such a rowdy little guy.

Azolla is so calm in comparison. She likes spending time with Mom and me or with Ashray. She’s also really into dance so she spends plenty of time on the barre that we had installed for her. Mom likes dancing around with her too. They turn the stereo up and dance around all silly-like. That’s as crazy as Azolla gets. So different from her brothers in some ways.

Bacopa’s birthday again! He’s growing into such a smart little teenager. I can’t believe how old he’s getting. Just a few years away and my little baby will be heading to college. Ye gods, I hope he doesn’t go through college like I did.

Celine was here for the birthday party, of course. Minnow came home on the bus with the kids so she helped Bacopa celebrate too. Unfortunately, the one person missing from the party was me – I had to work late. I had planned to stay home but I guess I got distracted and just went to work anyway.

When I got home that evening, Celine was still there, playing a song for Azolla on the piano. I talked with Bacopa for a while and made sure to apologize for missing his party. He forgave me. He told me that now that he’s a teenager, he thinks he’d like to focus on having friends and being around the people that he loves.* He thinks he’d make a good Captain Hero. I told him he’d have to study hard in school to get ahead in law enforcement, but he said he’s up for it.

*Popularity/Family

To make up for missing his party, I let Bacopa borrow the car and drive down to the street market to pick up a cell phone. I did ask him to buy one for his siblings, but I’m going to hold onto them until they’re old enough for the phones. I don’t want my youngest two growing up too fast.

Arielle came over to visit today. It was really good to see her and be around her again. We just have such a connection. She doesn’t come over as often as I would like because she’s not really a family kind of person, but she still comes to see me.

I have asked Arielle to spend some time with the kids. They have me and Mom and often Celine around, but it’s natural that they’d want to brag to their other mother about all the neat stuff they’re doing. Arielle’s down with it. I know she’ll never be a mother the way I am, but I’m glad she doesn’t shun the kids either.

Come to think of it, it’s kind of a weird arrangement we all have. The thought occurred to me when Arielle told me about passing by Celine while she was hot-tubbing naked in the back. Oh well. I’m not happy about everything that brought us to this point, but I am happy with the family I have and the people that are in my kids’ lives.

Bacopa is such a good big brother! Now that he’s a teen and has a later bedtime than the twins, he’s always tucking them in and giving them goodnight kisses. Only when they’re already asleep though – I assume he still has to keep some rep as the tough big brother! He’s such a softy though.

Even moreso than Bacopa was, my two youngest are really hard studiers. They’ve both maxed several skills and they’re not even teenagers yet! They won’t have much work to do when they’re older to get ready for college.

Now that Bacopa’s a teen, he and I have a whole different kind of relationship from what I have with the kids. Of course, he’s still no adult but I can talk with him a lot more freely. I confess that I’m glad he’s willing to listen to my gossip – someone has to or I’d burst! Readers, it’s a good thing I have a blog or I’d lose my mind without you all to talk to also.

I’ve been a bit worried about Mom lately. She’s getting older and she’s spending a lot of time by herself – or at least, with just Ashray around – instead of being with the kids. I know she adores them, so I wonder what’s up with her. I worry that she’s trying to steel herself for leaving us. I’m not ready for that. I still depend on her so much, and I’d miss her so. She has to stick around longer! She has to! I can’t handle it.

Mom visited with Roger again today. I’m convinced she’s saying her goodbyes and I’m freaking out, readers. I know she has to go sometime but now is not that time.

She can’t be that old, right? I mean, she’s still a pretty spry old lady, and she keeps active. She’s got Roger, and me, and the kids. She can’t be ready to say goodbye, can she?

After Roger left, Mom spent the rest of the day out on the beach, by herself. Later, I asked her what she was doing. She said that she just wanted some quiet time to think. I broke down in tears and begged her not to leave yet. “Oh Anet, I don’t get to choose my time. Just what I do with that time. Now let’s all spend it together,” she said to me, wiping my tears away.

Today was a fantastic day, readers. I almost forgot why I’ve been so sad. Some of the cousins came over to visit with Mom, which delighted her. She loves all her grandkids. Then the five of us spent all day out on the beach, just playing and being together. It was a beautiful day. Then this evening I cooked Mom’s favorite meal and we all sat around the table and talked. Today was just perfect and I know Mom felt so too.

I haven’t written for a while because I’ve been grieving. You all probably saw Mom’s obituary in the Sirenum Times so you know that she passed, just as I had feared. At least the last days of her life were so happy. Even though I feel torn apart inside, I can still take some comfort that she died in a house full of love, quietly and painlessly. I guess she was right – it was her time, but that doesn’t make me any more ready to deal with it. I have to stay strong for the kids but I’m aching inside.

Thalassa Legasea, the fourth heiress in our family and my mother, was a wonderful person. She was loving and kind to everyone she ever met, and somehow mustered even more love for her family. My siblings and I never went a day in our childhood without her saying she loved us. She was just as good as a grandmother, and she’s leaving behind four broken-hearted children and nine grandchildren. Goodbye, Mom.

The kids are resilient – kids always are – and even though I know they’re grieving too, they get on with their normal activities. I try to find time to cry by myself so I don’t influence them too much. Suddenly I feel as insecure as I did when I was a new mother. Life without Mom just seems too hard, but I have no choice but to bear it.

Bacopa’s been out of the house a lot lately, hanging out with friends or working on school projects. The twins spend a lot of time together. I think they find comfort in each other’s company.

It does warm my heart and bring me out of the cloud of my grief some to see them playing together or telling secrets. Although Mom’s gone, there’s still so much in my life to be glad about and I have to focus on that now. Like always, it’s all about my kids for me.

WOW! I haven’t written in so long, readers. Thanks to anyone that still checks this decrepit old blog, lol. Myrio and Azolla are teenagers now, amazingly. All of my kids are becoming such wonderful little adults, bit by bit. Azolla’s become quite the little partier, and she’s always out on excursions with friends. Myrio reminds me a bit of myself at that age, but he’s also way more into his studies than I was. All of them are individuals, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

*Azolla is Pleasure/Popularity and Myrio is Romance/Knowledge

AHA! Myrio confided in me recently that he’s seen a couple of ghosts and been frightened by them since he was a child. While I’m not glad the ghosts are picking on my kid, I am relieved to know I haven’t been imagining the ghosts all these years. I still don’t know why ghosts that lay dormant for generations are so pissy nowadays, but at least I’m not losing my mind.

Wow, so this is a first. We actually had cold enough weather recently to bust out some warmer clothes. I don’t know that I’ve ever actually worn a sweater before. Living on such a tropical island means that it hardly ever gets chilly around here, so this is rare and special. I know it won’t get cold enough to snow but a girl can dream, can’t she?

The kids have been so busy recently that I hardly see them except occasionally at the dinner table. Myrio’s a whiz with mechanical things so I’m always having him help with the computer I keep breaking. Bacopa’s taken up violin and loves nothing more than to serenade us early in the morning when we’re trying to sleep. Azolla’s still been obsessed with Ashray and has been trying to teach her tricks. That cat is dumb as a rock, though.

I got some outerwear for the kids, expecting that they’d want to check out the cooler weather like I do, and what do they do in it? Stay inside and study or play violin! Unbelievable!

They’ve all been rather busy with after-school jobs, too. Bacopa, with all his energy and outgoing-ness, is a natural in the show business career. He still can’t wait to join law enforcement when he’s older though. Azolla is also great with people and got a job as a political intern. Myrio hadn’t gotten a job yet so she pulled some strings and got him hired too. All of my kids are overachievers and I’m so, so proud of them.

Although I still miss Mom a lot, the pain is less sharp now. I wonder if her ghost will join the ranks of the ones who wander our lot. I haven’t seen her yet but I feel sometimes like I can still sense her presence.

Thinking about Mom recently has gotten me more motivated to do the kinds of things she would have done if she were still around. I arranged for a mate to meet with Ashray and have been introducing them to each other. Hopefully one day soon we’ll have kittens again. They’re still getting to know each other but they seem to like one another.

I also met with the local headmaster of the private school, and got him to come over for a visit. He found the tour of our bathrooms scintillating, as well as being mesmerized by my ghost stories. Weird guy, actually. Anyway, he accepted the kids so they’re finally in a great school that will really prepare them for college well.

Romantic little Myrio has been seeing a girl named Shannon, a foreign exchange student. I asked him where they met and he said he wished for her at the well. Fine, if you don’t want to tell me, don’t, but don’t make up stories, mister! Shannon had to go home recently so Myrio’s been hoping he can invite her over to stay for a few days. I’m not so sure I’m ready for my youngest to be getting hot and heavy with the ladies. I know what troubles lie on that route!

Azolla and Bacopa aren’t dating, though they both have lots of friends. I’m glad for that. Only leaves me one kid to worry about. My children are best friends with each other, for which I’m happy. While Myrio’s fretting about missing Shannon, Azolla and Bacopa are right down the hall right now, having a raucous conversation. Azolla always was the calm one as a child but she’s really come out of her shell.

Well, readers, I think I can finally admit it: I’m getting old. My hair has been coming in white more and more over the years, and I think I finally qualify as an elder. Not too psyched about that, as I miss my young body and the things I did with it, but I do have a lot of life experience and memories that I wouldn’t trade away for anything.

Of course the things that matter most to me are my kids. They’re getting older too and I know they’ll head off for college soon. I miss them already just thinking about it. I make sure to give them lots of hugs and kisses even if they don’t appreciate it. Ugh, I’ve become my mother. There are worse people to emulate, though. I just want my kids to know how much I love them.

It took me a long time to fully appreciate the legacy I had been born into and my role in it as a mother, but I think I’ve reached a place where I can say with certainty that I’ve played my part well. Things didn’t always go the way I planned them, but the life that’s come out of those experiences is mine, and I appreciate it for what it is. I know my mother would be proud to see me now and I take a lot of comfort in that thought.

And that’s the end of my mega-post, readers. That brings us to today. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the story. I’ve certainly enjoyed living it.

*And thank you, readers of the Legasea, for sticking through a very long chapter! I hope you found it entertaining. For info on the three potential heir/esses, please read on. The last two slides are outtakes that didn’t fit in the story but that I wanted to share anyway.

To vote in the heir poll, please join me at SiMania (http://z12.invisionfree.com/Sim_Mania).

Bacopa “Hyperactive” Legasea

4/10/9/4/1

Popularity/Family – Captain Hero

Firstborn Bacopa is active and outgoing, a born leader. He has a beautiful Enayla skin. As a boy, he would have to get alien impregnated if he were heir.

Azolla “Cat Tamer” Legasea

5/10/6/3/10

Pleasure/Popularity – Game Designer

The older of the two twins, Azolla had a calm childhood before coming out of her shell as a Pleasure sim. She is the only girl (duh).

Myrio “Lover Boy” Legasea

8/1/10/3/8

Romance/Knowledge – Hall of Famer

The youngest of the three, Myrio is also the shyest and quietest, but he has a head start in the dating world. As a boy, he would have to get alien impregnated if he were heir.

Outtakes!

1) The hazards of dating while on vacation – multiple frustrated flower-droppers

2) Long distance back massage – always a popular first-date move

3) Todd checks out the goods on the resident streaker

Oh, that’s just Atlantica. You know, swimming through the first floor. As a ghost. Yep. Completely normal.

Celine wonders, “How did I get involved in all this drama? I’m a knowledge sim for crying out loud, not some romance sim hussy!”

Thanks for reading! <3