every boy needs a dog

February 2041 - John and Abby Smith are 34, Jacob is 7, Elijah is 3.

Jacob starts begging his parents for a dog a little before his seventh birthday.

John and Abby are a little reluctant to get a dog, but they have a hard time saying no to Jacob. He's such a good kid; he gets good grades, and he plays well with his little brother. Plus John's family always had dogs, so he knows how to take care of one.

olympic gym

November 2040 - Tom Smith is 34, Madison Miller-Kim is 32, Brooklyn Miller-Kim is 8 (Jamie Phillips is 31).

Tom has been a soccer star for a long time, and he decides it's time to move on. He's been thinking about starting a business for a while, and he finally does it.

start of something new

August 2040 - Whitney Riley is 30, Keiran is 6.

Whitney turns 30 this year, and she can't help but feel discouraged and old. She isn't old, really. Other people her age are just starting out - falling in love, starting families. But Keiran is in first grade now, and every morning when she waves goodbye as he gets on the school bus, a sense of finality overcomes her. It feels like this is the way her life always will be - a single mom, struggling to make ends meet and raise her son, a woman too tired after dealing with work and a kid to think of anything else.

It's not that she isn't happy. Keiran is such a great kid. She bought him a violin, and he plays it for hours ever day. She recently got promoted to a Surveillance Operator, so she works in the afternoons and evenings, and by the time she gets home Keiran has already finished his homework and his playing his violin. It's a good life, working at the CIA and coming home to her son.

unexpected results of election day

March 2040 - Phoebe Bui is 30, Adrian Bui is 28.

Phoebe gives up her seat in Congress to run for the Senate, and she wins!

But Election Day brings more changes than just a new job.

the happiest guy in the world

May 2039 - James and Anne Smith are 58, Pierce Phillips is 30, Jamie Phillips is 29, J.P. and Jodie are 6, Parker is 3.

Pierce is pretty sure that his father-in-law is the happiest person he's ever met.

"What's your secret?" Pierce asks him.

"There's no secret. I've spent my life married to my college sweetheart doing what I love to do and raising four wonderful children. What more could I have wanted out of life?"

cute little alien babies

March 2039 - Rachel Cooper and Genesis McCullough are 30, Zoey McCullough is 4.

It's an exciting year for the McCullough family. Little Zoey will be starting kindergarten next year, and Genesis is pregnant again with twins.

first day of school

September 2038 - Jack Cooper is 59, Jillian Cooper is 56, Jackson and Rose Cooper are 32, Darien and Trip Cooper are 8, Hadley and Christopher Cooper are 5 (Jacob Smith is 5).

Rose can't help but tear up when Hadley and Christopher get on the school bus for their first day of kindergarten.

even more twins

May 2038 - Alex and Piper Smith are 26, Joey and Lizzie Smith are 2, Alice and Charlie Smith are 9 months.

Piper has heard her sister-in-law Rose complain about the Cooper's tendancy to have twins, but she doesn't really understand her exhaustion until she and Alex have a second set of twins.

moving up, moving on

March 2038 - Justus Lim and Pierce Phillips are 30, Phoebe Dai Bui is 29.

Justus and Pierce don't see each other very often, but one day out of the blue Justus calls and asks him to come over. "I need to talk to you," Justus says. "It's important."

They haven't seen each other in a couple of years, but they're still friends, and Pierce can't let him down. "I'll come by before work," he says.

struggles of a single mom

October 2037 - Phoebe Dai is 28, Whitney Riley is 27, Keiran Riley is 3 (Justus Lim is 29, Abhijeet Turner is 28).

Abhijeet calls once a week to see how they're doing. Whitney appreciates it, but she never knows what to say. "Our son is the most amazing kid in the world." "Childcare costs a fortune, and even with daycare I've used up all of my sick days for this year." "Sometimes I think my life was empty without him, and other days I wish you were the one getting up in the middle of the night every night with a cranky toddler." Usually she sticks with "We're fine."

wanderlust

August 2037 - Martin Miller and Miranda Kim are 57, Tom Smith is 31, Madison Miller-Kim is 29, Brooklyn Miller-Kim is 5.

Now that they have a daughter starting school, Madison and Tom decide it's time to buy a real house.

young scientist

February 2037 - John and Abby Smith are 30, Jacob Smith is 3.

John and Abby are expecting their second child, and they've been trying to give Jacob extra attention before the baby comes.

brothers and sisters

November 2036 - Edward and Kaylynn Gaunt are 31, Cassiopeia Gaunt is 8, Bellatrix and Regulus Gaunt are 5, and Sirius Gaunt is 2.

Regulus and Bellatrix are in kindergarten this year, but Cassiopeia isn't very interested in talking to her little brother.

"I like recess," he says. "It's my favorite part of the day."

"Recess is for babies," Cassiopeia scoffs.