The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 26

Hey Dad,
Yes Vincent?
Can we go on a holiday?
Sure but why?
Well, there is this girl...
Honey, grab your passport, we are leaving.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 22

Vincent went off to meet up with a girl. One of his younger classmates Erica Clayton-Leman, the younger sister of Elsa Clayton-Leman Grant. She's a pretty girl, I wonder if they'll hit it off?

Phillip!

No pressure, I just hope the boy finds someone.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 18

Poor Stephen, seeing death take Uncle Henry was harder on him than I thought it would be. His birthday has cheered him up some but it's still having an effect.

I wish there was something we could do but time is the only way to heal this.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 14

Another day, another flirt. He's never been serious enough to bring a single one of them home.
Dear, I told you, be patient.
I know. It's hard though. I want him to be happy.
Then don't push. You know that won't work and you don't want him to date to make you happy do you?

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 10

Art is always a tricky beast. There are times when everyone is after big bright bold colours and shapes. There are times when abstract is the way to go, others when the art needs to look as real as a photograph.

This is my most valuable painting. Doesn't look like it, does it? It is peaceful, calming. I think I'll hang it in our entryway.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 7

I had the travel bug again. Vanessa and I took off for Egypt.

Nothing like the smell of a tomb long closed. Actually, they reek. There's little air circulation and many small things crawl in and die.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 4

Vincent is getting into playing guitar. One of his school chums, James was there to watch. The boy is muttering about finding some others and starting a new band. I think he'll need to practice some or he won't have a band for long.

Taking great photos is easy. Just a few snaps and you'll have it. I can earn a couple hundred bucks in 1/2 hour with my camera - thousands if I find a new subject.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Feb 1

Vincent is a good big brother to his baby sisters. If he notices that they need something, he is there for them. He should be a good daddy someday. If he ever gets around to noticing girls, that is.

Vanessa is working hard on a new novel. She spends hours on each one, her specialty is humour and it's tricky keeping a balance that keeps the humour flowing. She tried explaining the plot to me but I got lost on about the fourth twist to her tale of a bachelor challenge gone very very wrong. It will be easier when I can read it for myself.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 28

First stop in the morning, give my sweet little Penny her first cuddle of the day. I love my daughters.

Both of them. Now it's Ronnie's turn. We found some cute kiddy furniture the other day and made their room a nicer place. They won't notice yet but I'm sure they'll love it later.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 24

Our time in China is rapidly ending, we are making the most of our 'couple' time. Enjoying each other's company just before we sleep and again when we wake up. No matter how often it happens, waking up next to Vanessa is simply joy.

My latest request was to capture several of the large and rare Red Assassin beetles. I had to scour the neighbourhood for them but in the end, I found enough.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 20

The boys went to the park to do a spot of fishing and a bit of male bonding. Poor Stephen is now the middle child and he's going to feel ignored with the twins. I hope we can keep it from getting too bad.

It took some convincing but Vanessa and I are taking a holiday. She was worried about the babies, and the boys, and the boys with the babies. I told her to hire a sitter, if Vincent wants to help care for his little sisters he can. We could afford an army of sitters, there is nothing to worry about.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 18

Pregnant woman can want the weirdest stuff. Vanessa wanted her cave man back. But if that's all it takes to make her happy...

Daddy big scary cave man.
Daddy want baby happy.
Daddy want mommy happy.

Vanessa is really starting to concentrate on her book writing now. She currently has a critic at hand to help with the writing. He apparently thinks it's a little overdramatic though.

She does need to concentrate quite a bit on writing since she wants to be taken as a serious author some day.

Another night, another party. This one is our official family funeral. I invited at least one cousin from each branch of the family to mourn/celebrate the lives of our parents.

It is good to have the house full but I think that Vanessa was feeling slightly outnumbered.

Vanessa took some time to talk to the neighbours next door. Brad's frequently around and at this time of night, so is their son James.

Vanessa said later that she caught a glimpse of Emerald and Abby but by the time she turned around to say hello, Emerald had left again. I haven't met Em either, she's never home when I visit.

We were having a nice sleep in, since neither of us have regular jobs, we don't have to keep regular hours.  Then suddenly.

Oh my god, it's time. The baby is coming. What do I do? What do I do?

Hospital - that's right, the hospital.

Whew, we made it in time.

Ok, I really wanted a girl. Really really wanted a girl. I'm not sure I'm ready for two of them but here we are.

Vanessa is holding Veronica and I have Penelope. Our new babies.

We decided we better get some renovations done because the boys aren't going to want to share space with babies and twins will take space.

So we build a new room for Stephen.

And one for Vincent. When the boys get home, they can add some more furniture and decorate the rooms as they like.

I'm sure Stephen will be happy not to be in this room now.  Hey Pen, I hope you don't mind that daddy is a bit smelly at the moment.  Fortunately, hungry lonely babies don't notice subtle things like stinky daddy.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 14

Well, I left a lot of photos at the consignment store. I also decided to use my miner here, see if I could dig up something new.

I didn't find anything and I had to cut the explorations short because I had arranged another party. It was a very important birthday party.

Actually, it was a lot of important birthday parties. Stephen was about to get to school age, Vincent was about to be a teen and I was about to be an adult.

I heard Dad talk about wild times when his younger triplet brothers had their birthday. I'm glad three birthdays isn't common in this house.

So I invited neighbors like Brad, relatives like my cousin Shelly and a few other friends.

Vincent was the first to reach the cake.

Oh dear, a teenage male. What have we done to ourselves?

Then Stephen had his cake and isn't he just shooting up like a weed.

Good food, good tunes, good friends, what more can any man ask for on his birthday?

Except maybe a sink that doesn't break. Not good in the middle of a party.

I received more good news. The photos at the consignment shop sold for 11,000. I think that was only some of them, there are a few left.

And the best news of all? Well, look at Vanessa. Our third is on the way. I really hope for a little girl, two boys should be plenty.

Look out world, I'm ready for anything.

Bonus pic

Gen 4 of Grants are throwing up the occasional mutant.

Devon Grant - niece of Phillip from his oldest brother Sammy. Her lower lip sticks *way* out, her lower jaw is seriously inset and from the front, that lip is pointy almost making a heart shape. The mouth alone suggests that here is one non-breeding Grant. Actually, her eyes and nose are cute but still...

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 10

A new family moved next door so we went over to meet them. It's the Kane family, I got a chance to chat to the dad, Bradley, who held his daughter Abbey very close.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 6

Wow, already Stephen's birthday. I know why Dad always grumbled about time, it just flies away. I wish the boys could have met their grandparents but it just wasn't to be.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Jan 2

Vanessa is taking advantage of her time off work to write a biography of Ernesto Hunter.  I keep watch over my sweetie, I don't want her to stress herself.

Caveman build fire. Cook meat for woman.  (laugh)

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Dec 30

Vanessa has not been feeling too well the last few days. We both know what this means now.

It wasn't long before Vanessa confirmed we are going to have another baby. God, she looks even more adorable pregnant than she usually does.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Dec 27

Vanessa finally went back to work. She's still pretty low on the scale at the local newspaper.  She should start really finding herself though, she's working on a second book and her writing is improving beyond belief.

Of course, I try to tell her this stuff but she doesn't want to listen to me. She thinks I might not be an impartial judge.  She is the most beautiful and talented woman to walk the planet, how can you argue with plain facts?

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Dec 23

Our view from the house

Is pretty spectacular. There is something so calming about watching water.

I decided to spend a bit more time with my remaining elder relatives.

Uncle Jack had been devastated by the loss of his brothers. He must be in work clothes, while my elder relatives don't have extremely great fashion sense, it is better than this.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Dec 20

That's Corey, the gnome I bought at the consignment store. But how did he get here? I left him by the mailbox. I'm sure I left him by the mailbox. Weird.

I met up in the park with Dad and Uncle Rick. I wasn't to know it at the time, it's the last time I'll see either of them. I fear that the Reaper has been after my older relatives now.

The Journal of Phillip Grant - Dec 15

Last time I wrote, I had discovered that my big brother Sammy and his wife Malia were expecting a new baby. I invited Malia home and Mom just loved finding that she had a new grandchild on the way.

As it turned out, Sammy wasn't the only sibling of mine working on more grandchildren. Eric found out he was going to be a daddy again too. The Shrimp will no longer be the only child in the house.

He's actually quite a nice kid. But there's not a lot of room in this place for more and I did tell Dad that it's getting to be time for Vanessa and I to move out.

Before we do, we should take care of one more thing.