Meet Caspian

I have amazing kids.
Really.

I had someone recently say to me that if they had had to take a vacation with three teenagers, it would have ended up in tragedy and an arrest. But you know what? I can't imagine any people I would rather go on vacation with than my kids and husband.

So, I've decided to introduce you to my kids via this blog. I'd love to introduce you to our oldest but we don't see her or hear from her enough to know how she is. But rest assured, she is a great one also. We have countless wonderful memories of her growing up and I see her in all three of her siblings all the time.

Rather than go in order of age, I decided to be random. I know! Me? Random. Hard to believe.

Caspian-Rolf Alexander Orr is our oldest son. He is 17 and will turn 18 (gulp) in about six months. From the time he was little, Caspian was the one who wouldn't sit with the rest of us for family pictures. He was too busy doing something off in the corner. He was the one who wanted to sleep when we were up--and wanted to get up when we were sleeping. If we all liked a food, he was sure to hate it and vice versa. When we were vegetarians, he wanted to eat meat. When we began eating meat, he wanted to be a vegetarian. Although this trait has made me pull my hair out and bang my head against the wall many a time, it is also endearing.

Here are some facts about this unusual and charming son of ours:

1. He loves his hair--it is down to his waist now and admittedly, some of the most beautiful hair on the planet. He brushes it often and has me braid it. He is the only one of our kids to have no interest in dying his hair (continuing his character trait described above).

2. Although he professes that he has no interest in having a girlfriend, all of his friends are girls. He has more phone calls and meetings with girls than any teenage guy I know. Perhaps it is because he treats them all as friends . . . . plus I think he is just charming and handsome.

3. He is STUBBORN. He decided he wanted to go on a fast. We have all fasted before. Joseph is quite knowledgeable about the topic, having done it and read and researched for years. So, we said yes, but we monitored it very closely, checking blood pressure and keeping him home with us at all times. How long did this teenage boy go with water only? Two weeks. Yup. Two weeks. Of course, he has since rediscovered his passion for bean burritoes but he also proved to himself that he is tough and has enough willpower for a small town.

4. He loves to read but reads the same set of books over and over and over, once again, something no one else in the family does. I know of several books he has read a dozen times.

5. He gives out amazing hugs. One thing Caspian definitely does is show that he loves you. Joseph and I, as well as his sister (rarely his brother but hey, they're . . . guys, ya know?) get regular daily, heartfelt hugs. He brings me ice water without my having to ask. Puts a heat pack in the microwave for me. And on those special occasions, when he knows I'm stressed out, he even grabs a bottle of lotion and gives me the world's best foot massage. He has also been known to walk down to the corner and buy his mother a couple of Three Musketeers bars and then dole them out when he knows I'm having a rough day.

6. He has one of the biggest hearts on the planet. If someone needs help, he is there. He holds open doors for everyone. He jumps in to move furniture or lift something heavy for total strangers. He can't stand to see someone in need without addressing it. He has done volunteer work for a number of places and I suspect his future holds a career in helping people, one way or another.

7. He is fascinated by people. . . . .he is the one who is always talking to people about what they do and how and why and when . . . Even when he was little, he would walk up to the street sweeper or the window washer or the baker and ask all kinds of questions. When we recently had our major power surge/outage, he was outside for two hours talking to the electricians. I think he absorbs knowledge about his world in this manner.

8. He hates to write but loves to read. He can't stand the Beatles but loves classical. He makes me groan in frustration and laugh in delight.

So, that is our son, or at least the highlights of him. I am going to attempt to post a picture with this so you can put a face to the description. Hope you enjoyed meeting him. I certainly enjoy sharing my life with him.