Chatham Smith Christmas

It would not be the holidays without getting together with our good friends the Smiths.  Titus and Alice exchanged gifts with Joshua and Noah.  Joshua wasn't feeling well and the Smiths were on a tight schedule so it was a short visit but still a good one.  Audrey noted that we have doubled in children since last year.  Hopefully that won't happen by next Christmas! Happy New Year!

A little Just Dance 2 fun with the twins.

OK, here is one last picture from Christmas. Joshua absolutely loved the Buzz Lightyear that Grandma and Grandpa gave him. Here he is just after we finished opening all the presents and were getting dressed to go to Maw-Maw's house. Look at how lovingly he holds his new friend.

Merry Christmas, Part 3

Christmas morning 2010

This is the final installment of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Santa came to visit at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Christmas started out interesting because in keeping with Joshua's tradition about major holidays, he was sick. If you'll recall, the day before we left, he got pinkeye, then during the middle of the night he spiked a fever and had ear drainage from an ear infection. This turned into some excitement which will be shared in another post. Anyway Noah woke up early (as well as during the night) on Christmas while a puny Joshua slept in. This meant that Noah slept through most of the opening of presents, but Joshua being the good big brother that he is, opened most of Noah's presents for him.  We all had a great time.  And it snowed the whole time we were opening presents.  Joshua took turns sitting in everyone's lap and giving out kisses.  Joshua's favorite presents were a Buzz Lightyear that Grandma and Grandpa gave him and a Woody doll that Maw-Maw gave him.  Noah liked everything, especially the crinkly tissue paper that came with gifts.

Noah totally unaware of what's going on

Helmet! Helmet!

It Buzz Lightyear!

I'm awake!

The boys with Grandpa

You can barely see Noah all bundled up in these pictures, but I do like that he looks like he's saying "Are you kidding me?  Get me inside where it's warm!"  Also I should note that we only posed with the Snowman for the pictures.  I didn't let Joshua (nor was he interested) play in the snow given the fever and ear infection.  (What a mean mommy.  When did I get to be so old?) Also We questioned our judgment as we drove to Maw-Maw's house in Oneonta because of the slick roads, but thankfully all was well. We ate a yummy Christmas lunch and visited with extended family.  Overall this was a perfect Christmas.  We feel blessed to be surrounded by such loving family.  Merry Christmas!

White Christmas

I just keep adding to this post. So many cute things happened over Christmas. I have to show the picture of Noah with Grandottie and the stocking she made for him.

Lastly, I love the picture of the boys with Granddaddy, mostly because it captured the suspended M&Ms. A split second later they were everywhere! Fun memories!

Merry Christmas, Part 2

We celebrated Christmas with the Chatham-Nelson-Tilton Clan at Uncle Jesse and Aunt Dana's house on Christmas Eve.  All the cousins were so excited and couldn't wait to open presents.  Being the grown-ups that we are we made the kiddos wait and eat lunch before the festivities could begin. We had a lot of fun and wrapping paper was everywhere!  We were also excited to see the stocking that Grandottie made for Noah.  Like the rest of our family's stockings it was decorated with a non-naked bear.  ;)  It was also great to visit with everyone and to have all the cousins together.

"Help Mommy.  This is wrapped pretty good."

Here are our group poses.  Special thanks to Uncle Jason for blocking the light from the blinds so we wern't striped (like he is)!

The "other" Chathams, aka the Chatham 5

 The Chatham Family

The Tilton Family

 Grandottie and JerryPop with the grandkids

Afterwards we went to church with mommy's family and then to a Christmas party at the Garrett's.  Joshua had a great time playing with and following "the girls."  One of the girls brought her fiddle and played Christmas songs.  Joshua clapped when she played and kept saying "my turn" and reaching for the instrument.  He also sang Christmas carols with the "big kids" and was really happy to be included. Later we went home and dressed in our Christmas pajamas to get ready for Santa's visit.

Merry Christmas, Part 1

We had a wonderful Christmas this year!!  It snowed all day on Christmas and also the day after giving us our first White Christmas.  It was magical for all!  Mommy and the boys drove up on Tuesday and visited with lots of family and friends.  Daddy and the fuzzy brothers came up a few days later.  Granddaddy was kind enough to keep our doggies at his house while the rest of the Chathams were at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Ridley has been a sick doggie and we hope he gets better.  Here are a few pictures from a party at Aunts Celeste and Elaine's house.

Joshua is Joshua practicing for Christmas morning.

Here is Noah trying to open a present.  Such focus!

Noah's First Illness

It has been an interesting few days. Noah had his first illness.  Poor baby! He's had a runny nose for a couple weeks and started coughing so we took him to the dr on Thursday and got some medicine.  Of course he never actually coughed for the dr, but smiled and looked cute.  Also I found out he now weighs 16lbs 8 oz.  Joshua was a very good boy sitting in the guest chair and reading books.  He was so good that he was given a sticker.

Then around 5pm on Friday afternoon, Joshua got pinkeye. (I noted the time because that is when the doctor's office closes.)  Anyway he suffered through the weekend with the nasty, goopy eyes so I called the dr's office to get an appointment first thing Monday morning and instead they called in some drops. Yea!  I really need to get the boys to start synchronizing their illnesses so we can make better use of our time.  ;)

Mommy and her boys

Now for the cute stuff...
* We were in the car listening to Christmas music and "What Child is This" came on the radio.  Joshua misunderstood the words and started singing "What Time is it?"  Matt and I had a good laugh over that.
* I recently got my hair cut and styled differently.  When I came home Joshua told me "Mommy, you pretty like Tinkerbell."  It just melted my heart.  Also special props go to daddy for the minor coaching involved in getting him to compliment his mommy.
* Joshua was not feeling well over the weekend, but was still getting into the Christmas spirit when we went up to his daddy and said "Ho! Ho! Hold me!"
* Joshua LOVES singing and has the following songs in his play list "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Jingle Bells," "Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer" as well as some songs on our Veggie Tales Christmas cd.   
* Both boys had classroom parties at their play school and I have photographic evidence that both were smiley for Santa.  Joshua appears to have been bribed with a ball, but he was still happy to be there.

We are hitting the road tomorrow to spend the holidays with family in Birmingham and Huntsville.  Merry Christmas from the Chathams!!

Joshua Laughing

Santa, Take 2

Every year our photographer has a Santa shoot at a couple local businesses.  The set and Santa are really nice so it is a favorite of mine to visit.  I thought that since the Santa picture at work went over pretty well, that we could try for our "nice Santa" pictures. We got up Saturday morning to bathe the boys and dress them in their dressy Christmas clothes.  We have really been talking up the jolly fat man (Joshua is sooo cute! If you ask him what Santa says, he'll respond "Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!") and I thought Joshua would be excited, until we got there.  He was super clingy and not happy.  Joshua cried and squirmed to get away.  Noah was okay with everything until his head bobbed the third time (Santa must have thought he was older or had better head control).  Then he too was "done" and started screaming.  We took the picture and were left with two crying boys, one of which appears to be wearing hot pants due to his escape efforts.  Oh well, maybe next year...

Santa, Potty Training, and more

I am excited that Christmas is just around the corner.  Plant Crist had a Christmas Party recently.  We were excited that both Joshua and Noah were okay with Santa.  I say this because they sat in his lap, though Joshua was looking a little anxious.    However my other theory is that perhaps Santa was just the lesser of two "evils."  You see, Ronald McDonald was there in full gear which even creeped me out a little.  He approached us while we were in the Santa line and asked to hold Noah.  Joshua clung to daddy and ultimately gave Ronald McD a high five.  I think he may have been relieved that the clown left which made Santa a good guy.

Joshua enjoys turning the Christmas tree on in the morning, and when we come home from school, and then turning it off at night.  He also enjoys counting the ornaments and touching them.  He still takes them off the tree and puts them back on.  He keeps biting the plastic gingerbread man like it will turn into a cookie.  We tell him not to eat the ornaments and he says "Ohhh," like it's the first time he's ever heard that.  

Quality time with Daddy

Here's a funny Joshua story. I was told that Joshua has had success with potty training at day care the past few days so when I picked him up I said "Mommy is so proud of you!  Did you have a good potty day?" He answered "Yeah, I not fall in!" I guess that's a bigger deal than actually using the potty.

Noah is as cute as ever, though he is wearing his mommy out with his lack of sleeping at night.  I have been dragging at work.  Hopefully it will get better. All the while Noah remains a dedicated right-handed thumb sucker.