Ty’s Weblog

We got our voting done this morning.  We were there around 7:30am to find no line at all.  There was apparently a line at 6am when they opened, but it had cleared out by the time we got there.  That’s the report I’ve been hearing from most of my friends as well.  After that we went and had our traditional breakfast at McDonald’s with the kids.  Then we went off to parent/teacher conferences for both of them, which went well also.  It’s been a nice morning.  I decided to take the day off from work, since we had those things to do, and we didn’t know how long the lines would be.  The kids are out of school today, so I figured I’d enjoy the day with them.

We just got back from our trick-or-treating with out Princess Aurora and our Jedi Knight.  They have developed more stamina over the years, we were out for over an hour tonight.  They had a lot of fun and there is a lot of candy for us to check over tonight!

So Mira asked me to go with her on the apple picking field trip again this year, and I was happy to tag along.  The apples weren’t as easy to get this year, but we had a great time anyway.  We ate a bunch of apples there and brought home a nice haul for enjoying with the rest of the family later.  I always enjoy these moments with either of my kids.  I try to take time to cherish them, because I know they’ll be grown up sooner than I expect.

Square Enix has announced that is will be releasing the PS2 version of Chain of Memories here in the States this December.  It’s Final Mix+ minus the Kingdom Hearts II stuff.  The box art looks pretty nice. Xander and I will no doubt get quite a bit of enjoyment out of this release.  Kingdom Hearts is one of our favorite series.

He’s started in on Final Fantasy now too.  He’s currently working his way through Final Fantasy IV on his DS and seems the be enjoying it a lot.

The kids seems to have both had a good day at school today.  They are their ususal talkative selves about it, so details are few.  Xander did admit to getting a lesson today and having done several works.  Mira said she did a couple of works today as well.  They got to eat lunch together, which they’ve been looking forward too, even though they’ve done it every day all summer as well.  They are both tired, though Mira more so than Xander, it would appear.  From what we could get out of them though, it sounds like it was a good start to the school year.

Xander and Mira started school today.  They both were very exicted and did a good job of getting up and ready this morning.  We (and lots of the other parents/kids) were actually at the front of the school about 10 minutes early this morning, so we had a great time hanging out before the day really got started.  Xander is starting 3rd Grade today, and it’s Mira’s first day as a Kindergartener.  They both did a great job when it was time for us to go and set a great example for the other kids.  We’ve told them that’s a big thing for them this year, since they are in the top level of each of their classes now.  They are taking the responsibility to heart so far.  More info this afternoon on how the day went for them.

Xander went in for alergy testing today.  The restults were impressive.  He’s pretty much allergic to all types pollen and also mold spores.  His Alegra keeps it under control, so the doctor recommended we stay with that for now.  She said allergy shots are an option, but that there is a new treatment being used in Europe that only involves drops under the tounge instead.  The only issue with it is that it might not work on the mold spores, but more research will answer that.  She said it is hoped to be approved here in the next year or so, so if we wait, we might be able to avoid having to have all those shots, which would be awesome.

Xander did an awesome job with the whole uncomfortable process, and Kate and I are both very proud of him.  Kate said the doctor even commented on how well he did while they did the scratch test and while he was waiting for it to take effect.

We went and bought a new bed for Mira today.  She’s outgrown her crib mattress in a bed frame that she’s been using for a while now.  So we went off and got her a big girl bed.  She’s very happy and proud about the whole thing.  Kate and I got it home in the van and got her room rearranged and the bed set up for her.  She’s upstairs sleeping in it right now with her princess sheets she got for her birthday.  She’s a very happy girl tonight.

I took Xander to see Clone Wars today.  We both had a great time.  I’d heard a lot of bad things about the movie, but we both enjoyed it.  It’s possible that the fact that I’d heard bad reviews lowered my expectations enough that I was happy with what I saw, I don’t know.  More importantly though, Xander had a great time, and I had a great time seeing him have a great time.  I’m really enjoying how much he is enjoying Star Wars these days.

We’re back safe at home after a wonderful trip to Kate’s parents over the last few days.  It’s about 500 miles each way, but it was worth the effort to get the kids down there.  We had a great time, but it is still nice to be back in our own house again.

We had a wonderful day at Biltmore house today.  The kids both enjoyed the tour, expecially with the teasure hunt that they give for the kids to do.  We were able to make it though the whole house.  Then we had lunch in the Stable Cafe before heading out.  Kate and I went ahead and got the one year pass.  We might come back around Christmas and let the kids see what Biltmore looks like all decorated.

We spent most of the day yesterday in the car making down here to visit Kate’s parents.  It’s a lot longer trip than going to my parents, but the kids still did a great job with it.  We’re having a good time, despite the cold and sore throat I’ve had since Wednesday.  We’ll be staying here till Sunday and leaving Monday morning for the long ride back.  We’re looking forward to having Grandma’s Onion Rings for dinner tonight, which is always a hit with the kids (and with Kate and me).

We’ve been slack.  I admit it up front.  The kids had their first trip to the dentist today.  Focusing on the positive though, they both did a great job, even though they were nervous about it.  They waiting nicely for their turn, and then they did an amazing job sitting in the chair.  They didn’t have any problems at all, and Mira was super patient while they did her x-rays, since they were having trouble getting the film to stay in her mouth properly.  Best of all, no cavaties for either of them!

Happy 4th of July!  We’ve had a great day just hanging out at home together.  We went outside to watch the fireworks, but it was looking pretty unlikely.  It was very foggy and humid out.  So at the last minute we pilled into the car and drove downtown to see what we could see.  We ended up watching from a parking lot through the trees, but enough of the fireworks were high enough that they kids had a great time anyway.   They are upstairs trying to calm down for bed now.  It was a lot of fun.  Hopefully next year we’ll just plan to go to the park to start with.

We started the morning having the fish the kids caught yesterday for breakfast.  Then it was time to pack up and head home.  It was a long day in the car, but the kids did a great job with it.  We’ve all had a great time, but it’s wonderful to be back home again.