the Smiths

2016 - James and Anne Smith are 36, John and Tom Smith are 10, Jamie Smith is 7, Alex Smith is 5. (Piper Cooper is 5.)

Anne has never thought of herself as a weepy mother, but she does tear up a little as she watches her youngest board the school bus for the first time.

For the first time in 10 years, the house is empty of children. Parenting is a little easier now that the endless stream of diapers and bottles is over, but there's a lot more worry now. For example, little Alex's first day of school. He's so shy, Anne worries about how he'll handle being away from home. But she didn't need to worry. On the first day of school, he brings home a friend, Piper Cooper.
All of the kids are doing well in school this year.
It's so much fun getting to know these kids. 7-year-old Jamie is spirited and adventurous, and she loves being outdoors.
The twins are 10 this year, and they're still best friends even though they couldn't be more different. Tom is playful and loves sports, while John is serious and studious.
Sometimes James brings up the idea of another baby, but Anne always vetoes that. Four children are plenty. But right now they only have one dog, George, and there's room in the backyard for more...

pre-teen angst

2016 - Edward Gaunt is 11, Richie Gaunt is 9. (Ellie Cornwall is 9, Rachel Cooper is 8.)

It isn't easy growing up in Arcadia, especially if you're Edward Gaunt. He's the oldest child in Arcadia, which means there aren't any other children his age. And with both of his parents working all of the time (doing not-quite-legitimate business), he ends up spending most of his time at home with his little brother.

He and Richie actually get along pretty well. But Richie has a best friend, Ellie Cornwall. She lives in New Athens, but because her parents went to college with their father, they frequently drop her off at their house.

That leaves Edward alone with their dog Orion. He begged his parents for a dog, and his mother finally came home with one. Orion is completely Edward's dog. He's already trained her to come and roll over, and they're working on playing dead. He named her Orion after the hunter in Greek mythology before he realized she was a girl.His only friend is Rachel Cooper, who's a year younger than his little brother. But she's a smart kid, and they both love to play chess. She's also the middle child, and her older brother and younger sister like playing together and leaving Rachel out. Edward and Rachel both know what it's like to be lonely.

As Laura describes it, the Gaunts' dog would be an example of gameplay influencing the story. I didn't plan for them to have a pet, but Edward really wanted a dog. And then when I sent his mother to get one, I thought she was getting a male dog, but after she got the dog home I realized Orion was female. Oops.