I'm so over being L.A.M.E.!

Am I the only one that goes through times of "Lost Another Major Element"?  I call these my L.A.M.E periods in life and am hoping this latest L.A.M.E. period is just about to wrap up.  It all started in May, when this was lost/stolen/mysteriously disappeared:

Yep, that would be my (okay, not mine, but an image very similar to mine) wedding ring.  

Next on the L.A.M.E. period list was this:

I know, not near as valuable as the ring, but it was another thing I was searching for that was driving me crazy.  I KNOW I left those stamps on the counter, but suddenly, they were gone.

Then, last week, I lost this:

Yep, that would be my (okay, not mine, but an image similar!) debit card.  At this point,  I was endlessly searching for my wedding ring, a roll of stamps, and my debit card.  No pant's pocket, drawer, couch cushion, or purse had gone un-searched.  

The final breaking point of my L.A.M.E. period was the disappearance of this:

Not the kid (Haley!), but the pink blanket (Pinky!) she can't fall asleep without.  For a solid week, Haley would whine "Pinky" before nap or bedtime.  

Well, My Friends, I have good news to report!  My INCREDIBLE husband surprised me with a new wedding ring he thoughtfully picked out in Santa Fe for our anniversary (seven years on 6/26).  Forever, I will be unconsciously looking for my original ring, but my replacement just warms my heart everytime I glance down at my ring finger.  Feel free to ogle over it the next time you see me.

Those lost stamps?  Found!  I really should clean out the hutch above my computer more often...And, that debit card?  Cancelled!  I really should have done that on the first day I realized it was missing.  

Most importantly, Pinky?  FOUND!!!  That sneaky ragged blanket was hiding at the bottom of one of the 15 baskets of toys my girls have.  I really should make them clean those out more often....

Not For Use For Kids Under Six

One of Haley's favorite things to do is to empty out various bottles of stuff.  Bubble bath, mom's expensive shampoo, mom's cheap shampoo, tubes of toothpaste, and sunscreen are no longer safe in our house, as seen in exhibit A:

s#*t-eating grin...

I'm used to going through a whole roll of paper towels on a daily basis just cleaning up behind my little tasmanian devil.  But, I'm hoping today's antics taught her a lesson.  I present to the jury, exibit B:

"Not for use in children"

I left this kid alone for TWO minutes, only to discover she had covered herself in IcyHot.  I know some adults (me?) that can't handle the heat of this stuff.  Twenty-one month olds kids REALLY don't like it.  And, squeezing the remaining drops into dad's inhaler might not be the best idea either...

Dad will be making the same face the next time he uses that inhaler

Hopefully, I can start storing my stuff in normal, reachable cabinets now that Haley has tortured herself...

Our Staycation

All dressed up for July 4th

Quite by chance, I ended up with 5 days off for July 4th.  Bryon and I decided to take advantage of the time together and took the girls to the Dallas World Aquarium this morning.  Here are the highlights in pictures:

Look!  It's a bird.  It's a plane.  Nope, it's an anteater!

We were so close to the sloth, we could have touched him

Haley and the stingrays

Looking up at the waterfall

Every trip to the aquarium requires a picture just like this

Look!  It's a Sparkle-Nosed Bottle Rocket!

Mom's favorite, the "Man-Eat-Er" (Manatee)

Hello!

The Spider Crab was HUGE.  All of the Pfaff gals were fascinated.

Shelby demonstrating how the penguins stand

The prettiest colored chameleon ever! 

Shelby's favorite, the "talking" sharks.  I think she's been watching too many cartoons when she thinks sharks talk...

After escaping the gift shop without a single breakage or purchase (Whew!), we had a wonderful lunch at Chuy's, where I had the most delicious frozen watermelon margarita ever.  All in all, it was the best vacation we've had all year!

Forced Family Fun

Last weekend was the annual Poling Cousins' Reunion, and this year's was the best ever.  My wonderful aunt, Wendy A., found the perfect location, The Sundown Resort, on the Guadalupe river in the Texas Hill Country.  Just check out this view:

The river was the perfect way to cool off, wear the kids out, float around while sipping on a beverage, practice our awesome canoeing skills, and laugh at the old men attempting to keep up with the next generation.  

Teaching the little ones how to canoe

Teaching the bigger ones to canoe

He missed canoe lessons and managed to fall in a few times!  (Jeff)

I hoped all that kicking would equal a good night's sleep.  It did not.

Conrad showing off his bravery

Soaking and sipping

As usual, my family had me cracking up.  Here were some of my favorite quotes:

"Did those fajitas upset your stomach as much as mine?"  said Landon, as he had fun blowing bubbles through his pool noodle.

Everyone loves a good fart joke*

"He's a three-joke-wonder"  (Carson referring to Landon's antics)

"Poop?" Haley after seeing certain things for the first time...I'll spare her the total embarrassment and not give all the details.  Needless to say, it has a lot to do with this picture:

"You think I can teach you two semesters' worth of canoeing in 5 minutes?"  Robert said to Meredith.  It took him 30 minutes to convince me he really had 2 semesters of canoeing at A&M.  No wonder he was nicknamed "Gondolier"!

"Time for crap swap?" asked Carly.  "Nope, it's craft time," said Molly.  "What's 'craft'?" asked Carly.  Best line all weekend from Robert, "Your daughter knows what crap is but not craft?"

Our weak attempt at crafting 

"You are coming home with less crap than you are taking, right?, "  Bryon informed me while I was packing.  Needless to say, I found lots of goodies at our traditional crap swap i.e. lots of Julianne's dresses, Carson's handmade doll-sized rocking horse, and Wendy's old maps that I plan on using in a craft project.  

It's like a garage sale, but everything is FREE!

Unfortunately, Bryon and Shelby missed all the fun.  They were in New Mexico for a wedding.  No worries though because they will get to experience Forced Family Fun next year!

Some random fun pics that will make you jealous that you aren't one of my cousins*:

Carson, Landon, Gary (We never claimed to be refined!)

Molly, Meredith, Julianne, Monica (showing off our custom made aprons by Wendy P.)

Andrew and Kelsey  (Ah, to be so young and in love)

Stan and Bobbie (Ah, to be not-so-young and in love!)

Wendy P. and Robert (Aren't they the cutest!?!)

Bathing beauties! (Haley and Carly)

Huge thanks goes out to my Aunt Wendy A. for all of her hard work and Landon* for picking such a great place!  

We love you guys!

*Single ladies--it's not too late to join in all this refined fun...Landon is single and is looking for someone that will appreciate his humor.  Let me know if you think you might want to go out!!

Dear Shelby

Dear Shelby,

You turned three last week.  Amazing, no?  You are the most intriguing and charming three-year-old I've ever raised.  You put a smile on anyone's face that comes within 10 feet of you.  Here are some fun facts all about you!

Likes:
~Anything with sugar
~Macaroni and cheese
~Steak (not ground beef, but filet!)
~'nastics class (gymnastics)
~Gloria, your nanny, and her kids
~Going out on the boat
~Bounce houses, trampolines, and beds to jump on

SUGAR!

Dislikes:

~Bedtime (but doesn't every kid fight going to bed?)
~Getting your hair washed
~Daddy or Mommy leaving without you getting a hug and a kiss
~Sharing with Haley

Talents:
~Video games.  You get it from your dad and could play on the Nintendo DS all day if I let you.
~Drawing.  You can draw a great picture of mommy, a dog, balloons, and flowers.

Opportunities:
~Potty training...Seriously, kid, the "accidents" are getting old.
~Can't pronounce "l" sound.  Still say "wuv" instead of "love".
~Following directions at gymnastics.  You want to just do your own thing.
~Swimming.  Yep, we've got a long way to go on mastering the water thing...

Walk sideways, not forward.

Things you do to make your momma smile:
~Pronounce "th" as "s" (Jonason instead of Jonathan)
~Tell me, "I love you momma.  You're such a good girl."
~Tell me, "Will you be happy?" when I am mad at you.
~You will try any food we make for you.  You may not like it, but at least you try it.

You are a true joy, and we love you.  Happy birthday, Dear Shelby!

The World's Most Annoying Invention

Shelby shows off her new hair cut, along with the worst invention EVER (www.pickleshoes.com):

First Fireworks Show

When I was a kid, I was scared to death of fireworks.  The first presentation I remember seeing was in the backyard of some friends of my parents that lived near the stadium where the city of Spearman was launching its fireworks.  I clung to my mom and cried the whole time while the rest of the kids were thrilled.  

Needless to say, I was a little worried about taking Shelby and Haley out to see their first fireworks show last night.  HA!  I should have known they would love every minute of it and would be much braver than I ever was.  

Haley pointed at the sky for 15 straight minutes!

The show is presented every Friday night on Grapevine Lake during the summer.  The girls were fascinated by it and loved just being out on the boat up past bedtime.  Shelby's comment on the way home was "FAN-TAS-TIC!"  

OOOHHH!!!  AAAHHH!!!