A little of this, a little of that...

Last weekend was the St Judes walk with Leslie and Jessica, and I wound up with $200 raised - only $50 shy of my goal... not bad, I say. John Dickson did great the whole way and didn't even object when I bundled him up, wrapping his arms and hands up tight in his blankie. He was so good :-)

Wednesday night we headed down to Columbia where Adam would become the man who saved Thanksgiving. My mom had bought a turkey and defrosted it for 4 days (the max recommended) but that bird was still froze! His tail was froze...and his nose was froze and his ears were froze. And his toes were froze. He didn't still have all of those parts, but it's a great line from 101 Dalmations :-) So Adam set out at 9:30 Wednesday night in search of a fresh bird, but only found partially frozen "fresh" turkeys at BILO (and no ham), and no fresh turkeys at all at Kroger. Kroger did, however, have a spiral ham, which became the center of Thanksgiving dinner at the Propst household. That night the bird was nice and ready and Adam fried him up good. It was a feast x2.

Friday morning my mom and I were in line at Belk at about 3:50 AM to win our $1,000 gift card, which we had prearranged to split. However, we only wound up with $5, which I barely even got, as they were only giving the gift cards to 18 and up. I stood there for a minute while they continued to pass out the cards to several people behind me before I made them give me one. Sometimes it really helps my image to have John Dickson with me, but as it was only 3:50 AM, he was sleeping tight in his crib. (By the way, anyone willing to show up at your store before 4 AM deserves a freaking gift card, 18 or not... ahem).

Yesterday we pulled down all of our Christmas stuff and began decorating the house. We didn't get to decorate last year between my crazy work schedule and John Dickson's 7 months-ness, but this year we've gotten a few lights up outside. We need to go to Lowes and get some more though, as I grossly underestimated our need. We also need more lights for our tree, as we were a couple hundred short last year. Our tree was pretty sparse. As I pulled everything out yesterday, John Dickson gasped and/or squealed at EVERY item I pulled out of the box. Every single last ornament. He was in sheer heaven. We have 3 different musical decorations, and he insists we play all 3 at the same time, over and over. And over. And over and over and over. Yes sirree, John Dickson is a Christmas man.

We are hoping to make our Christmas tree buying experience an adventure today... will let you know how it turns out :-)

Random Picture

Look at this picture of me and John Dickson on his birthday...














Did this picture fool you? It fooled me. And Adam.

That's a picture of Lauren and John Dickson on his birthday. We look nothing alike, but every so often there are pictures like this one.

Random, I know. Just thought I'd share :-)

Kids have a funny way of doing that...

They just get bigger.

















Yes, that is the same high chair.

Also, they put books in the washer when you aren't looking. Books that are only identifiable as books due to the remnants of plastic covering that show a part of a puppy dog face. Other than that, all confetti. In our sheets. Lovely. We are also missing some plastic dinnerware that I fear was thrown away by our little helper, and we have to make mental notes to ourselves to remember that the other slipper is in the kitchen cabinet, and the blankie is crammed in the basket of coupons.

Yes, kids have a funny way of doing just about everything :-)

Help

I was doing a little shopping this weekend when I found this Osh Kosh coat for John Dickson... it's fleece lined, water proof, hooded... and it was a STEAL. But when I got it home, I noticed the tag said it was a girls coat. Then Adam pointed out that the sides are cinched (which I was kinda hoping was just a toddler thing) and that the buttons are on the wrong side (did not realize this was a "thing"). But the colors are definitely not girlie! So, I'm wondering if you can tell me if this coat is in fact a girl's coat, and if it is, if it is worth taking back. If you just saw him in it, would you even notice?

Long overdue post

Ugh, so I think I've been avoiding blogging this week, not only because I was working like crazy and didn't feel well enough to be doing anything I didnt have to be doing anyway, but I had nothing good to say. This past week was just plain crummy. But we're past that, and all getting well and starting to enjoy life again, so here is the latest...

I got this adorable outfit for John Dickson (well, the vest was compliments of his Aunt Leslie), and he enjoyed last Sunday at church, soaking up the millions of oohs and ahhs he got over his little hat. I mean, that hat is quite the chick magnet... he may want to hold onto that for later in life... (You may have to click on the picture to get the full effect). If you know me, you know I'm a hat person (for John Dickson, not me...), and I was mildly obsessed with this new outfit. Until... yes, you guessed it, attack of the Ellie dog. I just dont know what gets into her! Suffice it to say, it was a sad day.















On Sunday we took John Dickson to Build a Bear where he built his very first "scruffy puppy". He was so cute rubbing his face all over it, and they have a little bathtub that sprays out air and you can brush your new furry friend. John Dickson LOVED that part of his adventure, and spent a lot of time brushing out Mr. Grumbles (the name is courteousy of a Mr. Adam Dickson Kelley). The puppy is super cute and sports a pair of cowboy boots, but he is hiding in the closet until Christmas morning. Along with his very own brush.













This morning John Dickson had Thanksgiving lunch at his school, and this time Adam and I both got to go. Adam got there first, and got a big warm welcome from John Dickson. Then I showed up and got a big warm welcome from John Dickson. Then, John Dickson turned to Adam and waved bye bye, at which the whole room got a good chuckle. Of course John Dickson adores Adam and is long past his stage of playing favorites... I think he was just confused. I told Adam to lean in for a picture... check out John Dickson taking advantage of an opportunity to steal food from his daddy (quite the feat!).















John Dickson loves Thanksgiving - with his favorites being cranberry sauce and stuffing. You really never can predict what food he is going to love.

And in other cuteness, John Dickson is talking up a storm. He is also successfully signing! He is signing more, all done, please, and milk. He kind of is doing I love you. He is making kissing noises when he blows kisses or when we ask him for a kiss. He is mooing like a cow, quacking like a duck, naying (is that how you spell it??? Im not up to speed on my animal sound spelling) like a horse, and "la la la"ing like a pig, as that is what his Moo Baa La La La book taught him. (That last part isnt a joke). He also baas like a sheep and does a ruff ruff for little dogs. He pretty much does the entire Moo Baa La La La. He is pointing out every 18 wheeler on the road and saying "truck", and he has also recently started taking off his shoes in the car and slipping a sock on his hand to do sock puppet. He is voluntarily pointing to apples or pictures of apple and saying "apple." He says ball, shoes, socks, hot, no, bubbles, and I think he might also be saying book and some sort of ba sound for his blankie. He's finally taking off with the talking! Still no sign of mama and daddy (at least he doesnt call us that!). He has a few times, however, called Adam "Adam" when I am calling Adam from another room. Such a little copycat. Adam does NOT find this humorous. And he is learning to give kisses when he gets out of timeout... to whoever he has either hit or bitten or thrown a remote or picture frame at. While I am not a fan of the hitting/biting/throwing picture frames, John Dickson is EXACTLY what I wanted, and exactly why I wanted a little boy. I just love having a crazy little maniac running around. Keeps life fun. And hilarious.

Until next time...

Thank you for not blogging

You should really thank me for not posting this week... it would have gone something like this...

"I've been getting to work at 6am this week, have not had time to break for breakfast, lunch (or dinner on Monday), have barely seen my husband, much less my John Dickson, and my house is a disaster. Disaster."

That would about wrap up the week in a nutshell! Oh, except for the colds Adam and I are coming down with. And the excessive amount of food I have eaten this week, including a gigantic hamburger tonight that hit the spot like none other.

Yep, you're welcome for not blogging!

Go Tigers!

Today marked an important day for Tiger fans everywhere... it was officially the first home game of the season that did not get poured on... I actually type this before kickoff, so I guess I should say today marked the first tailgate of the season sans rain. Anyway, we finally made it out there with John Dickson. And let me tell you, little people have it SO EASY!!! I google mapped our route today just to get a guess, and it looks like I either pushed that little man, pulled a cooler, or pulled a cooler with that little man on my shoulders 5 miles today... 5 miles on the ever hilly campus of Clemson. But let me also tell you... it was worth it.

John Dickson played a little corn hole... although he also cheated pretty hard core.

He also tried his hand at a little football.

This is him after JUST throwing the ball.

He cooled off with a cold refreshment.

And then he geared up for the big game...

...just in time to go home to take a nap.

John Dickson was a great sport all day, and I think his first real tailgating experience was a success. The only downside would be that he lost his beloved dinosaur and a blankie in the process. :-( It also might surprise you that John Dickson was NOT interested in the food at the tailgate. Good weather, good friends, good food, and home sweet home of Clemson. It was a good day.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane.. It's...

By day John Dickson is just your normal toddler with an excessively big grin (love that huge open mouth grin...) But as the sun begins to set, he's off to fight crime... with the help of his dad and without crossing the street, of course.

It's a big job for such little boots, but somebody's gotta do it...

Believe me, you don't want to break any rules when he is patrolling the sidewalk.

What's that up there?

It's a bird... no, it's a plane... no, it's JOHN DICKSON!!!

Babycenter

When I was pregnant with John Dickson, Lauren made me sign up for babycenter updates. Then every week I got to announce, usually with a laugh, what strange fruit or vegetable my baby was that week. After John Dickson was born, the updates kept coming, this time to tell me that my baby should be uttering his first words around 9 months (and he did, 6 months later!) or to tell me my baby would finally be starting to roll over at 4 months (which he had been doing for over 2 months). Yes, babycenter updates are fun, but rarely are they accurate.

But probably the most far fetched update I have received to date came last Thursday.

Your two week old:

Hello, Amanda! A whole week has passed, but doesn't it seem more like a lifetime? As you're adjusting to feedings and getting by on less sleep, your baby is also adjusting to his new world. He sleeps in short naps, wakes to feed, and spends some time quietly alert before drifting off to sleep again. Babies' eyes focus best on objects between 8 and 15 inches away — not coincidentally, the distance to your face when held in your arms.

Either babycenter is pulling a fast one on me, or Adam has adopted a newborn baby. I totally would not put it past him... have you seen him with John Dickson?

More on the walk for St. Jude

Should you choose to give to St. Jude, this is what your donation could provide:

$40 = Platelet Count
$50 = Complete Blood Count
$274 = Spinal Tap (include physician fee)
$344 = One Hour of Physical Therapy
$771 = One Day of Chemotherapy
$2,800 = ICU Room for One Day

Potty training

I think if it weren't for daycare, we might just be close to potty training. FCDC doesn't start working on that with the toddlers until they're 2, so with no reinforcements 8-5 Monday-Friday, there is clearly no point. John Dickson has finally decided that stinky and/or wet diapers are not comfortable, and is eager for needed diaper changes. In fact, the other day I asked John Dickson to go to his room and bring me a diaper. I heard the plastic rustling around, and John Dickson came back with...

A diaper. That his dad gave to him.

So, I sent him back again, on his own, to see if he'd bring me a diaper. He ran off, and 30 seconds later, he emerged with...

A wipe. Are you impressed? I thought that was REALLY smart! Ok, maybe I shouldn't type REALLY in all caps, and maybe I'm biased (ok, I definitely am), but thats smart, right?

So we did the diaper change thing, and then about an hour later, John Dickson ran to his room and came back with another diaper! He then laid on his back on the floor and lifted his legs.

He definitely does not like stinky diapers anymore. This should be a good thing. But its not. Yet. He has taken to solving the problem of the stinky diaper all on his own. It involves finger painting.

Ahem.

Tis the Season!

No, no, no, I'm not ready to jump to Christmas just yet! While I begin Christmas shopping sometime after June 30 every year, I'm a pretty firm believer in the Christmas season starting at exactly 12am the day after Thanksgiving. And Adam and I tend to jump in feet first... you can find us at Best Buy, Target or Toys R Us at about 1:30 AM, braving the thousands of people waiting in line all night. The weekend is full of decorating for Christmas, buying our tree, and other holiday festivities. However, the season of giving needs no start date, and I'm asking your help on one of two causes:

1. I've always wanted to do a 5k race, but have never been able to train consistently enough to get there. It's on my bucket list, but it's probably not going to happen for a while. HOWEVER, Gymboree is doing a 5k WALK in Charlotte on November 21, and I am so there! A walk is much more my speed, literally. AND, the walk benefits the kids of St. Jude. Adam and I feel so incredibly lucky and blessed to have a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy free John Dickson (it's not for sure for a few more years, but he has absolutely no indication of the condition), that we feel strongly about supporting children who struggle with their health. I wouldn't compare HCM to what the kids at St Jude struggle with, but as thankful as we are to have a healthy and thriving toddler, I simply cant imagine being the parent of a child who is less fortunate. SO, if you feel so compelled to support the cause, simply click on the picture on the sidebar of the blog to make your donation. Or go to www.mygivethankswalk.org/amandak

2. Adam and I had such a blast running around with John Dickson Saturday night, going house to house trick or treating and showing off his precious tiger costume. We stopped at a neighbor's who had their friend Kelly over. Kelly has taken on fostering 2 brothers - an 8 week old who she has had since day 12, and his older brother who is 8 years old. The baby was born addicted to meth, and she has spent the first part of his life helping him overcome it. Since under her care, the kid has packed on the pounds and is up to 11 lbs at week 8. Did I mention she is a single mom of a 14 year old? The woman is incredible. Anyway, when she got the boys, they came with nothing but the clothes on their backs. And the 8 year old had no underwear. We sorted through John Dickson's old clothes and gave her what we could for the baby. However, as John Dickson was born in April, the seasons just didn't hit quite right for the most part. And we had nothing to offer the 8 year old. So if you have any old clothes (especially for the 8 year old) or feeding supplies, or if you just want to donate a pack of diapers or wipes, please let me know.

Halloween!

The long awaited day has come and gone... and John Dickson loved it! Here is a picture of him at his party at school... unfortunately, he only really wanted to be held.

And this kid gave him a serious run for his money! How stinkin cute is that?

Leslie and Nick came for the weekend, and we stuffed them full of cheese sticks, pizza, candy and more candy. It was a super healthy weekend! I'll take Halloween food (i.e. CANDY) anyday over Thanksgiving or Christmas food. Thank goodness it only comes once a year! I was a serious pig.

Jessica also came and took a gazillion pictures that I cant wait to see... I also FINALLY got to meet her adorable dog, Max! He is super cute, super well behaved, and a pretty tough little guy! He wrestled our dogs like a champ! He also had a super cute devil costume...

Here is John Dickson all geared up and ready for trick or treating! As a nasty aside, our big pumpkin was really infested with slugs... of all things. It was gross.