(high pitched girly squeal of joy!) 

I've been doing this in a notebook!!!!  How silly am I?  Wait, don't answer that. 

Okay, downloaded, off to test it. 

"Downloading Ho".  Yep, I resemble that remark.  

My downloads folder is currently 1.16 GB (1,250,386,162 bytes), 4746 files.  I'm going to work on cleaning it out a little.  It takes about 10 minutes for the game to load, and about 2-5 for a lot.  But, we're upgrading the RAM from 512 mb to 1 gig, so we'll see if that helps.  

My theory on my own downloading addiction:  It's a direct result of being a materialistic child of the 80's.  We have to have it all. The best, the shiniest.  Especially we females, were taught that we need a wardrobe that looked like a fashion show, and a shoe collection that rivaled Imelda Marcos' (mispelled).  Buttt, how many of us actually have that?  Not I.  I can download all the things I fantazise about for free online and enjoy them through my Sims.  I'd be curious to see what everyone downloads, because I'd bet that all of them are things that we wish for in real life.  For example:  I recently noticed that most of my sims have long hair.  I have about 50 different longer styles, all based on Brianna's longer mesh, the Jenette Biderman Mesh, and a couple from Pronupsims.net.  I just recently chopped my own RL hair off because it just won't grow past my shoulders.    I have always wanted long thick hair but was not blessed with it.  But, most of my female sims are, thanks to me.  

I do the same thing, Rainbow.  I particularly love autosoc, the phone hack, macro:clean and "The Skillinator".    I can set each member of the family to doing tasks or socializing friends, and then turn the speed up and just keep an eye on their needs.  When they get tired or hungry or need to pee, I stop the action and then send them to fill their needs.  They stay happy, and get things done a little faster. 

I also see what you're saying about the baby growing up in 3 days, not 2.  I think that the reason I thought it was 2 is because at 6 pm on the second day we can throw a party and let them transition using the cake. 

   Limited playing time.  I only have an hour or two a few nights a week, and then maybe an afternoon or evening every other weekend to give my undivided attention to my Sims.  If I didn't speed them up a little, I'd never get anywhere. 

I'd about pay good money for that list.  Well, I guess I have, thinking of my subscription fees here. 

Anyway, I use Merola's Multi-Painting the most.  Choose:  baby: subtract 1 day.  I think the baby is only an infant for 2 days.  Sometimes if I use baby:  substract 3 days it's like overkill and the baby gets stuck. 

You know what?  I have never, ever played the 3 basic neighborhoods.  My Pleasantview is deleted and replaced by my custom neighborhood as #1.  But, now, as I read this thread, I kindof miss never trying to play them.

ROTFLMAO!!!  Grater, that is hillarious!!!  You are a BADDDDDD Sim-God!  I think I love you!   

I'm having the same problem, and I do not have ITunes or a Mac, I have Napster and a Dell.    And I have Napster-to-go, which means that the songs are available for upload to my MP3 player and other devices without having to purchase them.  But, if I want to burn them onto a CD or use them in another file, like a Sims Movie File, I must pay the stupid .99 cents.

But, they will not show up or play in-game.  Nor are they playable by other programs like Windows Movie Maker, even AFTER I purchase them.  I use Windows Media Player to sync with my son's MP3 player, and I use it to burn CD's of the purchased songs, and have a devil of a time trying to get them to play nice together.  Napster will not recognize my son's MP3 player at all, (it's a San Disk Brand), and half the time I can't get WMP to find the files we just downloaded with Napster. Just as Napster advises, I updated my WMP to the new (10.0) version.  Still no go.  Half the time, the stupid thing adds duplicates of the existing files to the libarary instead of finding the new files like I told it to, even with the "Search for New Files Only" option. 

I have a very extensive music libary, and I would love to play my music in my game.  But, I can't figure out how to make it work.  I'm really mad at Napster and the whole music-copywrite deal.  Before I got Napster, at least the music that I ripped off my own store-bought CD's would play in game, but now they will not.   

Ugh!  Spyware=bad memories!  Angelyne is right, if something pops up and wants you to download it for free, watch out!  I had Bonzo Buddy for a short while, and had another one named gator that really played havoc with my old computer.  Oh, and Kazaa!!  Now, that is a program that just opens the door and lets anything come marching onto your hard drive and track every click you make.  I am much more careful now.  I run Nortons plus Spybot plus Ad-aware to keep that stuff at bay.  

Hairfish, it seems that I keep following you around this board today.  I'm sorry, I'm not a stalker, really.   

Anyway, I ldidn't like Vacation at all, but the fishing was cool.  I tried to make a lake and put a fishing pier on a residential lot, but it didn't work out.  Too new to go reading forums and finding out what I could and couldn't do.  LOL

Sara:  Glad your little guys not upset and liking his shorter hair.  Glad you're able to laugh.  I'm like you too:  when upset, nervous, stressed, whatever, I make stupid jokes and laugh, and then get mad later.  And can I please steal the "grandkids" saying too?  Too funny!

Liss:  I do hope you put that provider in traction.   

LOL  Maybe you could use Crammyboy's ummm, bellybutton and just shrink the dimensions.  I'd download it from you, Hairfish. 

Amen, Hairfish!! 

A friend of mine and I were brainstorming on another board about having a "Family" themed EP.  One of the things we suggested was to be able to feed the baby in a rocking chair.

We also wanted more toys that built skills, more interactions between parents and infant/toddler/child, and more styles of clothing and nurseries.

And I want a million dollars, but that's not happening, either. 

I thought of an interaction last night while playing UNI.  I had a graduation party and invited the entire clan, including young cousins.  The four cousins began to play "cops and robbers" and "tag" in the middle of a crowded living room.  With four roudy children running about, I thought to myself, "I wish I could take one of the parents and click on a child and have "Scold" or something like that.  To be realistic, the parent would then walk over, grab their child by the hand, scruff of the neck, ear, whatever, and then kneel down to their level and appear to say, though gritted teeth, "Settle your hind-end down right now, young man, or I'm going to give you a major spanking, comprende?"

Yeah, okay, not that I've ever had to do that to one of my angels before.   

LMAO  Maybe she just liked to garden?
 

Here, Chicken Boy, I think you'll find what you're looking for.  This is a favorite site of mine. 
http://www.sussissogoodsims2.com/Fashion.html

Gali re:  Blue Soup:  Girl, that was funny!!!!!!!  ROTF

Yep, paid mine too.  Who didn't pay?  And how the heck did they get onto the forums without paying, that's what I'd like to know!!!

Yeah, I was just reading that someone else was having a similar problem.  But, like her, I don't think that my Virginia sim is very outgoing.  But Suki definately is. 

Sorry to post a similar thread without fully reading to see if the topic had already been addressed, btw.   

    I couldn't imagine how furious you are, Sara.  I'm so sorry.  I just don't know how I would take that, but I think that shoving the siscors up one of the child care provider's dark places might start to make me feel better.  LOL

I've had this happen with a couple of different lots.  I'm wondering if it's a glitch or a "game feature" with NL.  I don't like it.   

Lot #1:  Jackson was two-timing his wife with Delilah.  I had moved him into Delilah's house, and the two were raising a baby together, playing house.  Jackson's wife, Virginia, comes trotting into the house about the time that Jackson was expected home from work!!  She took a shower, used their bathroom, raided their fridge, and soaked in their hot tub.  Oh, and blessed Jackson and Delilah out, and broke up with Jackson, etc.  I figured she showed up because of her high relationship score with Jackson, and/or because of the hot tub. 

Lot #2:  Almost identical scenerio.  Kaleb had been woo hooing Suki.  He marries Mirabella.  A couple of days after the wedding, Suki charges into their home while Kaleb is at work and starts playing pool.  Mirabella slaps her.  Next day, the same thing happens!  Kaleb's at work, Mirabella is caring for their new baby, and Suki marches in and makes herself at home, watching TV. 

What's up with this? 

I find it annoying that there are only about three default faces in the game that I find attractive, and one of them is the elf/vulcan.    I always have to use the plastic surgery machine with the mind control mirror, but even that is not as satisfying to me as Body Shop.  If I could open all the Maxis Townies in Body Shop and do a little fixin' up, I'd be much happier. 

I miss gardening, baking breads, churning butter and wine, and selling honey.  All of that came with the later EP's, Unleashed and MM, I think.  I also liked making the gnomes with the bench and then bringing them to life and watching them get drunk in the wine vat.     I guess that some of this will be possible with OFB, namely baking bread and making objects for sale.  But I really missed being able to make a country community and having farms. 

I also noticed they said it would be on store shelves on March 3rd.  Hummm.  I had thought the initial release had been sometime toward the end of February.  Wasn't March 3rd the release date for UNI, too?  Can't remember.

Dangerous Woo Hoo in elevators is funny.  I just hope that doesn't happen to one of my favorite sims.  LMAO

Mokey, thank you so much for the link.    I had been wondering how to do that. 

ROTF!!!!  Now, wouldn't Liv Tyler and The Rock have beautiful sim children?   

Let's see. . .I thought there was a hack that did something sortof like what you're asking for, hummmm, (looks through my hacks folder)  I have one called "NoAutonomyReadTo.package."  I think I got it from Two Jeffs, but it could have been Inge's.  I'm so sorry not to give the correct person the credit, guys, I just forget where I download stuff. 

As to reading to children:  I read to pre-k children as part of my job, and I found out I have a skill for it.    My favorite book to read to kids is "Green Eggs and Ham", because I know it soooo well, I can do the voices and yell at "Sam I Am" in an angry, sped up sort of way, "I will not eat them in a boat, I will not eat them with a goat!"  that makes the kids ROFL.  (Think of it as an impression of JMP on speed)  My mother had purchased the book for my kids for Christmas, and told me fondly, "Remember how your father used to read it to you, real-fast, with that mean voice?"  I hadn't remembered until she mentioned it, but that's exactly how I read it to the schoolkids.  Weird, huh?