Get on with it.

You may know I'm not always patient. :) And you may know that Jim is a joker. We are who we are. Jim has a million and one phone voices and "phunny" phrases he uses. I couldn't possibly capture the squeaky, high "hello. hello. are you my mother?" or do justice to his k.c. kasum, or his secretary or his ham radio impressions. You just have to have experienced it. Sometimes my patient, stellar personality and his PHunny one turn into this:

"Hello?" says a pleasant voice.

"Hi." The professional voice continues," this is Dr. (did he put that in, I can't remember?) Jim Caldwell from the management department of South East Missouri Univer -"

"Oh, get on with it!"says the interupting voice.

"Uh, ooookay." says the confused voice, but still polite! "May I please speak with David -"

"JIM!" says the impatient voice, "you called home!"

"What?" says the unbelieving voice.

"Jim, this is Shelby and you called home!" says the explaining voice.

"Oh" laughs the understanding voice.

And then the short, impatient voice starts to laugh to because really, until he realized it was me, Jim must have been thinking, "Well, that was rude!" Here he was calling a perfect stranger to offer some helpful information and that "rude" person interupted with a "Oh, get on with it!" It made me giggle because it was very surprising for Jim. Not that he doesn't deserve that every now and then. See what playing on the phone gets you? I am chuckling still, even though I was admittedly the short, impatient, rude one. Ah Jim, you bring out the best in me. :) Thanks for the laugh.

Forever

Elise was baptized September 5, 2009

forever family

forever friends

forever mine

We love you Elise!

chilled

It was quiet when I woke up. And cold. The chill must have woken me. The red numbers of the alarm clock glowed in the darkness assuring me I still had a few hours of sleep, it was only 4:45. I curled my cold body inward, pulling the light duvet cover closer and debated whether I should check on the kids. They always throw their covers off despite the cold. Motherly instincts won out and I tiptoed through the upstairs rooms, pulling the warm fleece blankets back in place. I hurried under my covers again and debated about going downstairs. It would be colder there, but Lindsey was wearing her purple fleece pajamas. What was Aimee wearing? I couldn’t remember. We’ve started adding pants to her night gowns, but she usually pulls them off sometime through the night. She does not like anything on her legs, including covers. She will be the cold one. Would it matter if I put something on her? She would most likely kick it off again.

Warming up under my own thin cover, I was nearly asleep when the door slammed. My eyes opened with a start and my body tensed momentarily, listening. It must be Jim. Oh yes, Jim was going to exercise with a friend this morning and he must have accidentally shut the door too loud. And then in the quiet a sound made my body chill and I held my breath, still. It couldn’t be, but yes, Jim was snoring right next to me. Even a whisper seemed too loud then. “Jim…. Jim!........ JIM!!” I silenced him when he awoke, I was still listening with the sound of the door echoing clearly in my mind as I tried to decipher from where it came. “Jim, I heard a door shut loudly in the house.” He came alive, tense as I was and I could tell that he too was listening. He reached under the bed and I wondered what he stashed there for our protection. Hopefully it was one of the solid metal bats. With a click, I realized it was the big, red mag light.

It was unfair, really, that I heard the noise and yet he was the one to search for it. I knew it wasn’t so close, but I didn’t stop him from checking on Elise and Nathan. It would prolong the inevitable walk downstairs. I could hear each step he made through the house, down the stairs. Surely I wasn’t the only one to hear it. For such a new house, it makes a surprising amount of noise. Nathan couldn’t sleep last night for the fear of it. The thumps reverberated scary thoughts in his mind that now crept into mine. Especially as I remembered that we’d played in the yard and I’d unlocked the downstairs door which was not usual for us. I’d never thought to lock it again. I held my breath to hear better.

The door creaked as he entered the girls room. I had not heard that creak with the shutting of the door and felt better to think it was not their door. But, I’d counted on that door, thinking Lindsey must have gone potty and shut the door too loud. We have two dark storage rooms I wouldn’t dare open at night if you paid me. Would Jim? He came back up. There was nothing. The girls door had been open. Really? I could still hear the door close in my mind. We both lay quietly, still tense and awake with the adrenaline of the search. There was nothing. But a thump. After another quiet, but obvious thump Jim asked if I was awake. Yes. Did I hear that? Yes. We both listened, still cold. There was silence before we heard the sound of movement through the house. And I thought, how silly are we to just lay there under the covers as the sound grew closer! I laughed nervously to think how spooked we’d be to see our own child and hoped it was just so. As the thumps increased to a quick pace I knew it was the familiar footsteps of a child, but still we both started as Lindsey darted to the doorway.

“Lindsey!” we exclaimed. It was 5:15 in the morning. Still dark. Still cold. Still quiet. Too quiet. We got up then. There’s nothing quite so loud as the quiet of the night. It can fairly crowd out all other thoughts. There’s nothing quite so comforting as the bustle of a busy house and I was glad Jim had a friend coming to exercise. And now, it’s 6:30. I suppose I ought to exercise too, as if my heart had not been quickened enough this morning! It would warm me up though. I guess that’s my Halloween fright for this year. I should hope not to have it, or hear it again. Brrrrrrr, I’m going to turn up the heat because, even moving round the house, I still feel a little chilled.

timeless

Granny and I

Isn't she beautiful?

She is also patient

kind

optimistic

wise

strong.

I'm glad she came to visit even though she does not like to fly. She and Aunt Bette came for my mother's birthday back in July and spent a day in Cape Girardeau. I loved having them in my home. It made me feel pretty grown up, I must say. :) I put a snickers on Granny's pillow and a nectarine on Aunt Bette's. We walked along the river, ate our infamous German meal and played farkle. Finally, it was my turn to host and treat her as she has done so many years for me.

She is the start of this beautiful family that I love.

Thanks to Aunt Bette for the beautiful pictures she took and shared of the family.

It is a timeless treasure! Especially the photos that capture the moments like Aimee's above. :)

Did I mention the time I lost Lindsey? It's one of those memorable moments that makes you feel like a winner of a mom. :)