Seeding clouds....Cutting Out Snowflakes.....Setting World Thermostat.....

That's Right! New loading-screen words means a new expansion pack: Seasons is coming! The long awaited Seasons Expansion Pack is almost here. I had just a precious few hours to look at the expansion and play a bit with the new features.

As I turned on the computer in anticipation of clicking “Play Sims 3” I was just thinking how cool this new expansion was going to be. I said to myself "Now Now - keep this excitement down lest you be disappointed". I had nothing what-so-ever to be scared of as this little simmer had wide eyes and smiles as soon as that game loaded up and I had a chance to look around. This has got to be the best expansion pack to date from our friends at EA. So what kind of goodies do we have to look forward to? Well, along with what you have heard and seen already, there are even MORE goodies…

Of course the season change is the most excellent change. You can control your seasons in the game’s options – such as turning off a season or two or set how many days a season will last. There will be some new skills like snowboarding and ice skating. That's right - They can ice skate – even on larger ponds. The "lake" freezes over and they can skate on it. There is a ‘Holiday’ for each season and we saw a demonstration of the "Gift" day for winter.

Winter time brings a new clothing option for outdoor wear. You choose the outdoor wear in CAS and they automatically change into that for the winter. Of course, any Sims that forgets may freeze to death. Yes they can freeze to death without the proper clothing. Oh and mistletoe! Yes mistletoe for all those love-birds or wannabe love birds. But nothing can beat the snowmen. They are hilarious. You can choose from several designs for your Sim to do. Building Snowmen is interactive so your Sims can get together to play in the snow.

Summer brings summer games such as horseshoe throwing. Each season has something new to do. Seasonal changes bring changes to leaves, shifts in weather etc. You also will have the ability in the options to "tone down" the weather. There are options to tick off and on for hail and rain, among others.

There are a few new hairstyles and loads of new clothing. This simmer got a kick out of the long johns! Made me laugh out loud....They have added a new feature to the work tab as in circling in red if you are missing school or work. Hard to miss if you are trying to skip your responsibilities!

And great news for those who missed them - aliens are making a return, yes! And men can bear the burden of childbirth once again!

EA has brought our Sims into the new millennium with this expansion. Yes they have raised their heads long enough from our demands to notice the real world....Our Sims will be able to online date! That's right, a screen pops up of the available single Sims and they can choose whom they think will be the next **cough** love of their life. The photo booths are one of my fave features. Each season festival will have new photo booth interactions. The Sim can get in the booth and take a portrait. clicking on that portrait in their inventory you can see it and have the option to Facebook it or twitter it as a greeting card. The photo has the particular season's background on the portrait. Of course if Twitter or Facebook are not your thing you can always hang on your Sims wall. Unfortunately we couldn't get a print screen so I could show you....So you'll have to buy seasons to see! ;O)

Just when you thought of every possible way to make your simmies’ lives a mess, EA has come up with more. They will now be able to get sick. I mean sick sick, The Flu being one. But no worries! You can go to the local hospital for a flu shot.

As I droll on here you may be interested in the new lifetime rewards. Yes they added quite a few. Some include The Cloudenator for 30,000, Immune to Heat for 10,000, Immune to Cold for 10,000, All Weather Champion (which makes you super great at all seasonal activities) for 10,000, Simmunity (yes super immune system) for 7500, Festival Frequenter (Able to earn more festival tickets) , and Competitive Eater for 5,000. 2 new traits Loves Cold and Loves Heat have also been added in CAS.

All in all I think we are all going to get a treat. The only disappointment? Having to come home and play a non-Season's game!