Swim Lessons

Melanie has completed swim lessons. Yes, she got better but there is still MUCH room for improvement. If she fell in I still think she would sink. I hope to continue them this summer. She is much braver though and will jump straight in the water and go all the way under and just wait for you to pull her out and she will try to swim to the edge. I was a bad mom and didn't realize when the last day of swim lessons was and I got the girls coated in sunscreen and had Donna meet me at the swim lessons to watch Melanie. Then hmmm, the parking lot was pretty empty and the pool was locked. Turned out the last lesson we had gone to was just that, the last lesson...ever. Whoops! Donna ended up coming to our neighborhood pool where I jumped in with Melanie to show off Melanie's skills. Of course Natalie wanted in and her little legs got going like a frogs and she was off. Though she can't talk nearly as good as Melanie could she definately has some natural athletic abilities and I think she will swim even better than Melanie early on. I am working on my new video camera...hopefully I can get a few video clips posted later of Melanie swimming.

Relay for Life

Okay, it's been a while. I have a lot to update.
A couple of weeks ago we went to Gwinnett County's Relay for Life. Natalie had her first taste of cotton candy while Melanie proceeded to eat A TON of it. Melanie got her face painted and Natalie won prizes pulling ducks out of water. We had a good time being around my co-workers and other people from around Gwinnett County that we've gotten to know over the years. The survivor walk is always a tear jerker. To watch the young people battling cancer and those walking in honor of people that have died of cancer is always so emotional to watch- especially this year since my grandfather passed away from cancer less than a year ago. Another sad story from this year, my boss, who participates in the survivor walk as a 6 year survivor fell later on in the night and broke her arm in mutiple places and ended up having to have surgery. It was a rough way for her to end the night. Melanie kind of understood what the whole "festival" was about and Natalie just really enjoyed the food!

Not Me Monday

Okay...
I have a lot to report:
Relay for Life
Mother's Day and much more but time is of the essence right now so I will get to it at a later date...crazy work schedule currently....



My "Not Me Monday" (check out the original link www.mycharmingkids.net) for the week....
No, I do not have a grandmother, mother and multiple aunts and uncles who are all on Facebook but not me. Also, I do not have a mother who calls me with updates on my friends that she has learned about on Facebook while I sit apparently in the dark ages. Nope, not me.

So...I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet and join the Facebook craze. I mean come on, I can't have a mom and grandmother more tech savvy and cool than me! (J/K...love you both!)

Not Me Monday

This is too funny. A blog I have been following (www.mycharmingkids.net) has what she calls a "Not Me Monday" in which she says something funny that she WOULD NOT EVER do that she did the past week. It is a time for us all to fess up about our mommy blunders and LAUGH!

So, here goes my first "Not Me Monday."

I did not let my 3 year old go into the Target bathroom while I stood propping the door open with my 1 year old and cart of goods to pee by herself. And, I most certainly did not send her back into the bathroom to get her pretzel piece from God knows where when she came out crying that she did not have her pretzel anymore. And finally there is NO WAY I would just look the other way when she began to eat this piece of pretzel. Nope, not me!

Welcome to Not Me Mondays :) PLEASE leave me a note of your funny blunder or click to McMamma's blog and find out the details to leave an "official" Not Me Monday post on your blog. Even if you don't normally post I would love a laugh at what crazy thing is part of your every day life!

Busy Busy Bees

Funny day last Thursday so I am going to report...
We started off with the gym and then gymnastics. All was going well for both girls. Natalie loves gymnastics even more now that she can walk. Then we met my parents for lunch at Moe's. It was just normal fun. Then I overheard my dad and Melanie talking and pestering one another...ends up:
Jerry (in a joking fashion): "I'm going to slap you"
Melanie: "If you slap me then I'll put you on the orange bus."
This caused my dad immediate confusion. I had to explain that we've explained to Melanie after some of her questioning that the orange bus is for people who make bad choices and the police have to watch them. So, apparently she didn't find Pops' joke funny and decided he needed to go on the orange bus. We left lunch and I took Natalie to her first movie and Melanie to her first 2009 movie: Earth. Well, let me just say it is NOT great. There were only about 6 other people in the theater which was great. I decided to just sit the girls in the hallway so they could move around and wiggle and not disturb anyone. So, if people are not embarrassed, this was the way to go. Yes, we paid $15 to sit on the floor but the ease of letting the girls move was great. However, the movie was so blah that it didn't matter. We left with about 20 minutes left. I recommend it for a 3rd grade science teacher to show in their class. Then maybe it would be cool. Just for example, it showed a pride of lions killing a mommy elephant. Quality...yes the circle of life but- really, in a kids movie?
Then we went to swim lessons where Natalie moves CONSTANTLY- it is so much effort on my part to contain her in the pool area.
FINALLY home....I was worn out!

Then Saturday and Sunday we took a quick trip to Chattanooga to see some family. We haven't gone since about August so we were due to go. It was a great, though quick trip. Melanie seems to really understand who everyone is and enjoyed spending time with my mom's mom. I think Natalie took to Dee, my mom's sister. Natalie also loved my aunt's dogs...especially her 6 month puppy- Ben! She kept pointing say "dog" "woof" "woof" I attempted a Smilebox but some pics ended up too zoomed in so yes, some look a little strange. My attempt is that, an attempt. ENJOY!

One last funny story- my mother-in-law took the girls to the Game Ranch today and a deer jumped up on her back with his legs across her shoulders. Donna said Melanie was more freaked out than she was...I can't even imagine!

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Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Day in the life of the Gilbreath Gals

Natalie went for her first haircut today. It didn't start off well (as you can see from the pics). She was rather upset. But, I remembered from Melanie's first haircut there that she got her 1st lollipop so I asked for one for Natalie and the mood of the haircut dramatically changed (as you can tell). They didn't really cut much hair off at all- just enough to even it out and create a nice little bag of hair for me to take home. Then we went to the park for a fun day. We followed the park with a swim lesson. Clint was lucky enough to get off of work early and come with me to the swim lesson. The kids typically sit on the stairs until their turn. Clint was holding Natalie and I was feeding her puffs (keeping her from the edge of the pool is quite a task these days). The next thing I know I hear Clint gasp and I look over and Melanie has fallen off the stairs and the teacher is quickly trying to get back from far down the pool with another kid in tow and I was much quicker and had to run to the edge of the pool and yank Melanie back to safety. Good grief...completely why she is in swim lessons to begin with! Oh, also a quick funny line from Melanie...we came out of the gym this morning and it had started to rain and Melanie said "Oh crud muffin!" Too cute. I laughed and she said, is this okay for kids and grownups to say? I assured her, yes, that is okay for kids and grownups to say :) This is a typical day in the life of me staying home.

Fun with FotoFlexer

Warm Weather Fun

Brian & Dawn
How fun- most of my highschool group...just missing Ruth and Craig!
The boy party: Jeff, TJ & Clint
Clint and TJ Chris, Aileen & TJ
Me with 2 work friends: Carrie and Amanda
A large group of my friends went to the Jimmy Buffett Concert last Thursday night. I had a great time and it was so fun to be out with a group of grownups- many that I haven't partied with in a while! Most of us took off work on Friday...but our poor babysitter still had to work- so she taught all day Thurday- stayed at our house until 12:45 (with both of the girls and baby Nate from next door...doesn't that sound exhausting!) and then had to teach all day Friday. We REALLY APPRECIATE you Ms. Mary Evelyn!!!!! Last night it was pretty warm so I decided to let Natalie have a run with her first whole popcicle by herself. She actually did really well and didn't make much of a mess. However, she still falls some walking so the popcicle ended up being quite dirty by the end. She loved it none the less!

Domestic Divas

This was Melanie playing Baby Alive and Natalie being jealous so she played "feed the baby" also. Also attached is a video from right before Easter of Melanie "cooking" our Easter craft.

Easter Fun

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Pics and Videos

Not too much going on... Really enjoyed spring break week and hanging out with Clint some extra time. LOVED my mommy night out! Melanie has enjoyed all of the pre-Easter festivities including our neighborhood hunt. Enjoy the cute videos and pics (fancy dress is her trying on her flower girl dress for TJs wedding).