man, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to dump a ton of money into Make A Wish. The luck of having that kid announce their pick-saved them so much harassing!

in case you didn't figure it out, it is NFL draft time. Cutie Grant was very excited to get out the mini-helmets that Taylor collects to put them in order. He was trying and trying to get the Kansas City helmet on his head saying over and over "it doesn't fit". So cute!

think Tebow and that other dude picked to wear matching shirts? ridiculous!

waiting and waiting for Bill to trade down. Just cause he can.

We are on the clock! I'm thinking trade. Taylor is whining about someone I've never heard of.

and there is the trade and here is Alexander on the phone. Last year he was here to watch the draft with us. This year we go back to the phone calls. Thank god we have two laptops, I'm working while Taylor enjoys.

Think the draft was sponsored by Coors? Nah...

I wonder how I could be the event planner for the draft. I would have been smart enough to pull the extra chair off the stage in the pre-game since Tebow was a no show. If I knew in my living room, how did they not know in real life?

It turns out I am a fan of Darius Rucker from Hootie in the Blowfish. It makes sense, I loved them back in the day, but Pandora taught me that I like him as a "country" singer. Thanks Pandora. And thanks for having a Glee channel. I like the music much more than the show.

What do you think I should be when I grow up? There is something for you all to think about and comment about. I was just literally reminded I wanted to be in the space program when I was a kid. How awesome would that be?!?

It is almost May, so I'll disappear now for Reunion. Wish me luck and think sunny thoughts!

NFL Draft starts tonight. DRAFT COLT MCCOY! BEST FOOTBALL NAME EVER! I think he's just adorable. Let's go Bill!

I would write more if you commented more. Simple but true
Making Pomegranate martini's and brownies right now. Martini's are for me. Brownies are for the kids Easter egg hunt in the morning. I've decided that the Easter egg hunt in our neighborhood resembles spring weekend in college. there will be lots of people, 75 degree temperatures, bounce houses, liquor, and people drinking out of sippy cups. I'm thinking of getting tee-shirts made.

I miss Jen and Krissy. I'm not sure how our two reunions managed to fall on the same weekend, but I'm pissed about it.

we took our passport photos last night because I was having a good hair day. I heard that Emilie doesn't think we'll visit Paris. I think she's pretty nuts. If we're lucky enough to have another baby, perhaps I'll miss the trip, but at least one of us will be headed abroad. I think it is funny that we have a reputation of not wanting to leave the country. I'm virtually from Canada after all. I'm used to my food being labeled in English and French for goodness sake! Give it a rest. I know, I know, you guys went to Mexico on your honeymoon-you're like Balboa! You virtually discovered an ocean. Relax-we're excited about the trip once you get in and get settled. We will wait for an invitation though-it is the polite thing to do.

48 days until Reunion. Yup, that's a reason to drink a martini. 15 days until our anniversary. That might be a better thing to count down to!

Okay, time for catching up on some Flashforward. Bring it D. Gibbons!

And thank you to Jeniffer for the most thoughtful gift anyone in my life has ever given me. Please, those people who say I don't have sisters clearly don't understand the bond I have with my girls. Family are the only ones who know enough how to help heal the worst pain a person could ever have. And to think some people never even called to ask if we were okay.

Did you know that Miley Cyrus is in a new movie? Taylor knows all about it...he really likes to talk about. Ask him details!

just blogged for 2 hours about the oscars. then it was gone. boo. that's all i have to say.

Welcome to March. Can we go home now?

watching the opening ceremonies

• Bob Costas brought the funny
• I think the guy who made the video just got back from Disney and rode Soarin
• why or why don't some of these countries import crappy athletes from other nations to bulk up their chances?
• I'm looking a sport to get Grant involved in now to get him a chance at the Olympics
• This brings me to my lifelong statement that I believe everyone has the ability to be an Olympian. How do I know that I wouldn't be good on the half pipe? curling? skiing and shooting? I've never tried-maybe this will be the year I find my sport (but I'm guessing it is white water kayaking)
• Glad that Visa got Morgan Freeman. James Earl Jones must have been busy
• Poor Georgian guy
• Remember Jimmy, from the Olympics in 1998 (I think). He did skeleton. He and his dad and grandfather did the cell phone commercial with the ring tone of the song, "who's calling Jimmy"? No, that's okay. Call me and I'll sing you the jingle.
• The Queen couldn't come and she couldn't even send one of the princes? terrible
• Lots of Winter White this year
• You know what they say about Vancouver...
• Iceland can only bring 4 people? And one of them is about 60? come on now
• Never mind Iceland, India is only sporting 3 athletes. Now that's ridiculous!
• I miss Jodi whenever I watch the Olympics
• Be honest, you couldn't locate Kazakhstan on a map before Borat
• Has completely lost her voice in the past few hours. totally fine at lunch, no voice by 2. I feel like Jeniffer!
• I wonder where Macadamia is
• Not a fan of the new We are the World. Terrible. Just terrible.
• there is snow in 49 of the 50 states. cool.
• Norway! The all time winter games medal winner. and the makers of a cool ride.
• Taylor is mean. He's making fun of my voice. Jerk-a-saur!
• Boy, those dancers must be getting tired-we're all the way to R!
• I want to visit South Africa
• Wonders if Robin Sparkles will sing later tonight
• If I were running this event, there would be mandatory flag carrier training. you've got to learn how to hold that thing-this is your moment to shine for most nations and boy are some of them blowing it!
• Lindsey Jacob-Ellis should get a hair straightener and some better lip stick
• Love the US hats-and Love Shawn White (don't know if that is how he spells Shawn, but it is how he should spell it!)
• O Canada!
• So many flip cameras!
• I hate Nellie F. But who doesn't love Bryan Adams?
• Grant gave out temporary tattoos with his valentine cards. I am the most hated mother in daycare.
• wonders why they are all putting on ponchos
• Still holding out for a Denver Olympics.
• I want to go on my own parade of nations-in Epcot!
• You know, I'm basically from Canada. Maine is pretty close! It's where we grocery shop! My canned corn has a label in French and English.
• Donald Sutherland is Canadian? Does that Jack Bauer is Canadian? He runs the US Counter Terrorism Unit. This seems odd.
• This is my song with Grant! Ordinary Miracle-It's from Charlotte's Web. I love it. And, in case there was any question, I love Grant-my little miracle. We fell in love with this song on the day he was born and if I have my wish, this will be the song we dance together to at his wedding, sometime around the 2038 Olympic Games.

Bye Tai Shen! It has been fun watching you grow into a fine young panda man!
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/04/pandas/index.html?iref=allsearch

I am thankful for the many wonderful Christmas presents I received this year. I got a great new coffee maker that I love love love because it makes it possible for me to enjoy a real cup of coffee in my home without being wasteful or compromising on taste, which is a real treat for me and something I very much enjoy. I got beautiful jewelry from my husband and the sweetest of gifts, the trash fleece. So many nice things from so many nice people and I am truly grateful (but if you are immediate family, you won't get a thank you note from me-I don't believe in it for you and you know that about me by now!).

Right now I am most grateful for a gift from Alex and Em. It is almost a silly gift, as it some something I will consume in the matter of two weeks and then will move past. And it is silly as it is a gift designed for the teen set and I am eating it up like a 14 year old. Yes, I'm talking about the Twilight series. I have read the first three books this week and I have really enjoyed getting lost in the series. I love to read, I mean LOVE to read and hardly read books without pictures these days. I love that we have already instilled a love of reading in Grant and I'm happy to give up my time with books to share my time with him and his books. But reading this series has given me the escape I've desperately needed over the last month. It has been hard-I won't lie. I've felt bad and more than bad, I've felt lost. Something that is so natural was so difficult and ended so suddenly and shook the one thing in this world that I thought I was designed to do. So, finding me a little me time and a chance to escape into someone elses world and someone elses problem has been nice. Especially because it is a world of fantasy-these aren't problems I will ever face, being tracked by a vampire and fearing for my life in that way. I've been in a world where I was torn between my Edward and my Jacob so I can relate, but it is easier to get lost in the story. Last night I finished book three and I'm sad and not looking forward to book four. I've always been like this when I read. I can't stand the end. I've been known to be consumed with a book and then walk away for weeks so I can hold off on the climax and ending. It is like losing a friend to say goodbye like that. It makes me sad and that makes me a dork on a normal day, but these haven't been what I would call normal days for me, so I worry that I will lose this nice cocoon I have created for myself this week. And in a world without Glee to fall back on...

Time to take the Christmas tree down. Okay, it was time to take it down over the weekend, but I really just wanted to let it go another week. Now that I've been home for two bonus days this week with a sick Grant, I'm more than ready for the damn tree to go. It's hard to believe how much life has changed since we put that thing up at the beginning of December. Maybe putting it away will be a good omen for 2010, which has sucked so far.

Looking forward to going back to work again tomorrow. I was back for about 5 hours before Grant got sent home sick. It is a busy time for me. Lots of pre-planning for Reunion. Under 150 days, it will be here. Lots of meetings squished into the next two days and of course another doctors appointment. I guess more than going back to work, I'm looking forward to the weekend!

I am the Champion of the World-or the fantasy football world. While the Colts tried to screw me over, I pulled out the win by two points over my lovely husband, the Dr. Peppers. The Moon Pies are unstoppable with an incredible 15-1 record. I wish we played for money!

I love the Gilmore Girls. Just in general, but also because they just used the word doppelganger.

I have to wake up Grant or he won't sleep tonight. His schedule is so screwed up between all the holiday travel, trying to give up one nap, and the fever of 102.5. There is no earthly way he should be sleeping at 5:00 pm, and yet he was sleeping at this very time yesterday. Oh sweet boy how I love you!

Oh my gosh...Jackie Chan, Billy Rae Cyrus and George Lopez in a movie. Could there be a more washed up group? Maybe if you add Jim from According to Jim...wow...

Must either wake the baby, put away the cookies, or start dinner. Here I go!!!

Today, I consider myself incredibly lucky for the gifts in my life. Amazing family, friends, support staff, and most importantly a great husband with unconditional support and the worlds best little boy. Thanks to Grant, Taylor, Pam and Laura for keeping me going this weekend. Without these four people, I wouldn't be here. There will never be words to express my feelings of gratitude.

Lots of questions on what Grant might like for late birthday presents/holiday gifts. Please don't spoil him. He mostly wants your love and hugs! But, if you want to get him physical gifts, here are some tips. He wears a size 24 months/2T and will be in that for about a year. He could use some socks. He also has a list on amazon (search for Taylor and then look under other lists). The thing on his list that he could use most is the booster seat. He also would like some new hooded towels, but make sure they are toddler size, not for infants. And, being Grant, his very favorite thing is a book.

Grant is a lucky little boy who has lots of love and attention for the people in his life, so he really doesn't need much. We welcome the idea of you sharing a toy with a child who won't be getting a present at Christmas instead of giving something to Grant. As someone who received these presents on more than one holiday, having a new game or doll to open under the tree means the world. It can easily be a child's only present. Grant will be making a gift to Toys for Tots and welcomes you to do the same!

Enjoy Grant's newest obsession (excluding Elmo of course). We watch a minimum of three times a night...

Me and my boys love some football!

Hope you all enjoyed the game too.

Go Patriots!

Because Taylor requested a retraction-and because I love him a lot of the time, I will publicly state that Taylor is not looking for a new job and that we are not really moving to Bermuda. I would however really like to go visit Bermuda where there are no snakes and I don't' have to be afraid to go outside. Perhaps instead of being concerned about his coworkers reading my blog, Taylor could become concerned with taking his beautiful wife, the mother of his amazing son, on a vacation!

Broadcasting live from somewhere on the way to NYC-84 I think, around Hard Hitten' New Britian! I'm on my way to the city for work today and we decided the way to travel this time was by way of something called Limoliner. Totally the coolest! so, i'm in big leather seat. there are tvs every few feet and they just started a movie. I've got my own plug for my precious laptop and most important, free wifi for the trip! sadly, this means I'll be working for my few hour ride, but I guess all things considrered that isn't so bad! I've already been offered breakfast (I had the muffin) and when the move started we all got snacks. I could get used to this!

Sadly, I think I woke up sick this morning:( I had a headache all day yesterday, but wrote it off to some chemicals in the office and dehydration (we have mice where I work and I found evidence that overnight the little shit had been all over my desk-so I had to clean like hell and refused to drink from my water bottle or coffee cup because they had been there overnight so needed to be sanitized before I could use them). But, this morning it is still here and drinking some caffine and taking some tylenol hasn't seemed to help at all and i've got a stuffy nose and a cough. Leave it to me to manage to get sick on my big night in the city and my last weekend of summer. Oh well, if I ignore it, perhaps it will go away.

And yes, while I know this is fairly ridiculous, I miss Grant already. Morning time is usually just the two of us. It is often a fire fight to get ready and out the door but we have our routine and do the same things morning after morning. I wonder how he and Dad did. I'm sure they were fine, but did he like the way Taylor cut up the fruit in his yogart? Did Taylor let him point to the picture of the boat and the sandcastle before he got him dressed? I'm sure Grant required him to put lotion on his boo-boos before he was able to move on. I'll be fine, and to be perfectly honest, I'm totally looking forard to sleeping in tomorrow and not getting up at 6:00 because that is what time my littlest alarm clock decided it was time to wake. My return trip on the limoliner isn't until 9:30 and this bad boy picks me up at my hotel, so I'll get to stay in bed until at least 8 and still have time to meet my collegues for breakfast. 8:00 am, I can't even fathum what that feels like. I was up super early this morning too, so it will feel all the greater. I've only traveled for work overnight without Grant once before and so I know the key is to be exhausted when I go to sleep so I don't stay away missing him. We're doing a bar event, so I'm sure I won't him my bed until midnight, so that plus the cold that i'm igorning should be enough for me to pass out without beeling sad. I wonder if this every goes away? He's almost two! It's hardly 24 hours and he's with dad. I go plenty of crazy work days without getting to see him at all (like last Thursday when I had a two event day and missed him waking up and going to bed) but I guess that because I sneak in and check on him and tell him i've missed him and I love him it somehow feels different. Oh well-three day weekend coming for snuggles!

Sorry that my blog has turned into all about Grant. See, I try to think about other clever fun things to write about like i did in a world before kids, but I don't really remember what that world feels like. I love this world and at all times at least 12% of my thoughts are about Grant. When I have the time to sit down and blog, which is obviously rare, my mind gets to think about all the things I don't have time to think about otherwise, which in this and most cases is Grant. I'll work on being funny again, I promise!

Taylor is drafting for my all girls fantasy football league tonight while i'm at the bar. I know, it doesn't really seem fair because he's virtually a FF professional (and has the tee-shirt to prove it) but I couldn't set the auto draft to really hit my preferences. Besides, we aren't playing for money and i only know one of these people (all the rest work at Disney) so I don't mind if I have a slight advantage. We went over my list and how I wanted to draft, so I'm sure he'll do a super awesome job. I'm bummed to be missing my first "live" draft, but am more excited to sleep in tomorrow, so it all evens out in the end!

Being on this bus reminds me of the story that my friend told me in college. Her parents were on their way to Wheaton to visit her with her little brother and sister in the back seat. they must have been about 9 and 11 or so. They came to a light and her sister looked up and into the bus they were next to as to try to see what movie they were watching. They were watching porn. Yes, porn. How random is that? And how much does it suck to have to try to explain that to your 9 and 11 year old kids? everytime i go by a bus now (and a minivan witha dvd player) I now try to play name that film and hope against hope that someday I too will find a bus watching porn. hilarious!

I've just discovered that Bermuda doesn't have snakes and Taylor and I are considereing a move. Turns out they don't just let anyone more to the island, you need a reason/connection. Lucily for me, Bermuda is the reinsurance capital of the world and my adorable husband is the reinsurance master. i knew all of this insurance nonsense would someday work out for us! I know I know, it is really important for me that Grant grow up near family and see our country before he sees the rest of the world, but it is such a quick little flight from Boston...and we're a sailing family by nature so he could see Auntie Krissy and her fam once a year when they do their race to the island and it might just be the insperation that Papa needs to get back involved...okay, so it probably won't happen but it is nice to have a dream. Just like the dream Krissy and I have about our powerball winnings...

okay-time to work on my studid HTML project. I so hate HTML! I don't really know why this is part of what I do-I'm not very good at it-and we all know it! Oh well. I guess I could check facebook just one more time before I get started...

Heather's ready for some football! Loving the Hall of Fame Game tonight. First touchdown of the season (okay-preseason) is a trick play-a fake punt that the back up punter who will almost certainly get cut before the season starts, takes the ball 35 yards for a touchdown. Missing Madden a little, but who can complain when Sunday Night Football is back! Get out the lucky underwear and Bring on the Patriots on Thursday night!

Captain G's Big Adventure

G wanted to share the love while taking Mama, Dada, Ahh-tee (Auntie), Swalley (Uncle Awesome) and Big Daddy out for a boat ride. Luckily, he's got boating in his blood and loved every moment of his ride. He steered, he found the horn, waved to all the other boats, loved going fat and of course, being "The People's Baby", shared some love with the camera. Hope you all enjoy!

I just got back from my nightly run/walk adventure. It is amazing to me how the neighborhood quiets down so quickly on a Sunday evening. I go our after we put Grant to sleep at night and chase the final rays of sunshine around the neighborhood, though I seem to be losing that battle as it is darker and darker every night. At 7:30 there are still families outside playing-kids as far as the eye can see, dogs playing fetch in the street, the twins out for a walk. When I head out at 8:30 it is near silence. Lights are on upstairs in nearly every home as little ones take baths and head "night-night" (Grant's newest word!). It is a nice part of my nightly routine.

Yes, Emilie, I'll put of pictures of the furniture soon. I'm just being lazy. I also really want to upload some of the picture of Grant and friends having a watermelon eating contest. In case anyone was wondering-Grant kicked ass. We're so proud!

Addendum to the previous post: Grant also says Duck, Quack, Moo, and Water. Still only minivan once. bummer.

Welcome to our newest family member, baby Parker (Parker was on my list of names for Grant-it was destined to be in the family)! Born on the 3rd of July, he's Grants 5th cousin (Alessandra, Robert, Rebecca, Samuel, and now Parker). The family seems to keep growing every day! Grant also got to meet his Uncle Robert this weekend when he, Alessandra, and Robert stopped in on their way through the state. It was great to see them and the kids, as we so rarely get the chance to be together. Miles seem to get further and further each year.

We can hear the 4th of July fireworks very clearly from our house right now, but can just see the tinyest peaks of color through the trees. I'm glad we decided not to go to the show. Grant was worn out, as he has been all week, so early to bed was a smart move. We did go for "Goat Ice Cream" this evening. Grant wasn't at all interested in ice cream but was very excited to feed the goats and play on the slide. We're in trouble-this kid is fearless!

Dudek is getting married tomorrow. I'll admit, I never thought I would see the day! We really like his fiance and think the two make a sweet match. I'm looking forward to the night out. Thanks to Papa for babysitting duties. It will be hard adjusting to work again this week. I've been in and out for the last two weeks with Grant being on vacation and have rather enjoyed playing and relaxing. It is a quiet time in the office for me (but not for long-August is a beast!) so it has been nice to spend some soft time at home with my sweet little boy.

Our new family room furniture came yesterday. It is awesome! we've already begun fighting over the recliner. Grant is not a fan however, as it is higher than the old stuff and he can't climb up by himself. the good new for him is we just moved the old stuff into the playroom, so he can still climb at will.

Taylor thought you might be interested to know some of the little dude's favorite words-as he is talking more and more every day. Right now he says, Mama, Dada, Hi, Bye, Baby, Kitty, Bubble, No (and shakes his head yes, but won't say it out loud), Ball, Please, Papa, Ben, Eve, Laura, and one time only, but crystal clear, minivan. He says more than this, but this is what I've got off the top of my head. it's pretty amazing when you think where he was a year ago!