Catching the Cold

Yesterday was biiiiiizzze! (Busy. But typed "buuuuussssyyyyy" would be sounded out as Busey. As in Gary Busey. And it wasn't Busey it was Busy.)
I went into work a little earlier than usual because January is my most overloaded month. Which is why it is ranked 1 among all the other months. My January's are spent doing quarterly payroll reports, W2s, 1099s, and answering ridiculous tax questions for ridiculous people. (FYI You cannot deduct your child's lunch money, trips to the salon, or vet bills and you cannot claim any pets as exemptions. Real questions, guys.)
I took a 10 minute lunch break and ate some apple sauce and chips. My baby is getting so many good nutrients, I'm an awesome mom. Then back to the grindstone.
That whistle blew and I changed outfits from accounting Patty to janitor Patty and got to cleaning the building. (I normally clean on Wednesday but switched due to prior obligations.) So I get to scrub a dubbing and finish by quarter to 7. 15 minutes to drive back to go to Young Women.
I was late. Whatever. We went to the Indexing Center, which was really spectacular- and BIG! That lasted until about 9. I go home and Ken's sitting in the car in the driveway. I park and he asks me to get in. I do and off we go to Walmart.
He needs a filter for the furnace. My interest is piqued.
Why at 9:00 at night do you want to replace the filters, my sweet?
Well- the furnace isn't working. As in not blowing hot air into our home to warm it. As in it's going to be cold when we get back.
Cold was an understatement. It was beyond cold. I was wearing gloves. I wished I could have camped out at Walmart all night. The filter did nothing. I took out the owners manual and showed Ken the troubleshooting pages- which he didn't need since he knew he already tried all of them without even reading what was on the page. (He's just that smart.) We concluded the furnace was broken and we'd call Kelly to fix it.
I suggested Ken call Kelly immediately. I mean it's not THAT late. Ken said it could wait until morning. Needless to say I froze last night and woke up this morning with cold eyes and a sore throat.
I was fully FULLY clothed for bed too. Long johns, flannel pajamas, socks, gloves, and a robe. Cold. That darn furnace is still not making a sound.
Ken did call Kelly today and he's coming over tonight to look at it. I hope it's something like "Oh, you just need to flip this switch a couple times and she'll be up and running" and not something like "You need a new one. That'll be $10,000." For now- I am not really looking forward to going home tonight.
Maybe Ken will be a doll and snuggle me all night until the heater works again.

Phenomenal Cosmic Powers

You know when your playing those question games and the question comes up "If you could have any super power what would it be?" I always say "Invisibility." I think being invisible would be awesome. Not to spy on people- but to live my own life secretly. But lately- I've been thinking I've been wishing for the wrong super power.

I've been struggling with my hair do for awhile. I really don't know how to fix my hair. Like at all. That is why it is the same. Every. Day. Today I mixed it up and put it in a low pony. WATCH out! I look at pictures of my sisters and I'm like, "They get it. They've GOT it!" It's phenomenal the hair on these women. Great Hair and Bradley Girls go hand in hand... 4 out of the 5 times.

Here's Krissy: She's rocking the just above the shoulder, super trendy look. Never a crease from the straightener- perfectly shiny. Enviable.Victoria has a mane of hair. It's thick, luscious, and she doesn't have to do a thing to it. She wakes up, showers, leaves, and in 15 minutes it's dry and fabulous. Incredible.
Julie has the longest, most super-model looking hair I've seen. It's like- she walks around and her hair flows like there are fans blowing on it. Like a photo shoot. Phenomenal.
Andi's hair always looks like a million bucks. It's full and fun. She'll have it super straight one day and curly piled on top of her head the next. Andi's hair is the hair where she doesn't like it in her face so she'll grab a pony tail and without a mirror throw it up and she looks ready for the Oscars. Oh, if only it were me.
Then there's mine. I seriously cannot find a picture where my hair looks good. Or different. It's always the same. Down, sorta straight, really limp, ugh. I just tell my picture self... put it in a pony tail! Save yourself! Oh how frustrating.

From now on... I am changing my answer to that question. If I could have any super power it would be killer hair that is completely effortless. I know it's already in my genes.

Book Worm

I am reading the most wonderful book right now. Ken's been on my case about my reading selection. We all know I had a hard time parting with Harry Potter. I went into a reading depression after I finished reading them. I tried other books- but everything seemed like such a drag. After a year of lousy books- I caved- and read Harry again. I was elated. Ken made fun of me and said there are more good books out there. No. There's not, babe. I read Wicked. Not good. I still can't figure out how they make that book into a musical. I read Secret Life of Bees- it was okay... but there were no wizards in it. Read Twilight and realized there was no point in reading if it's not Harry Potter. I didn't read anything for about a month. Then, I read Me Talk Pretty One Day. I really enjoyed that! I saw myself coming out of my slump. I tried another book by David Sedaris, Engulfed in Flames. Not as good... back in. You're seeing the trend. It went on and on. And it's continued.
But then, alas, I became impregnated. This opened up a whole new world of reading. Baby books. What to Expect When You're Expecting is a gem. Truly a gem. A go-to know it all book. But let's be honest, not a real thrill to read. An excellent reference. I've read about 25 baby magazines cover to cover. I like those little articles and I learn a lot from them. And then I found my mecca. It's called Your Baby and Child by Dr. Penelope Leach. Ms. Leach (MD) has a rather witty sense of humor. She'll throw one liners at cha when you least expect it. The book is a smooth, relaxing, easy read and so informative. I'm learning things I didn't even learn from What to Expect! I know, right! What makes this book what it is- is that it is written from a baby's point of view. Not all gaga googoo. But she imagines what a baby must be feeling immediately after birth, the first time nursing, trying to fall asleep. I know there is no proof of what babies are feeling because they can't share that with us- but it just makes so much sense. It's a real eye-opener. What to Expect talks all about us as moms. Your Baby and Child turns the focus to the baby. The birth is not about you-it's about your baby. So obvious... but I've been so oblivious to it. (obvious and oblivious are really similar looking words.) The books about 800 pages long. It goes from birth to 5 years old. I recommend it to everyone raising kiddos.

And, in closing, I am always looking for a good reading recommendation.

A Change of Heart, of Mind, of Pants

Name THAT movie, suckas!

Seriously though- I've experienced a change of heart, of mind, and pants since 01/01/10.

My heart has changed. It's not done a complete 180 but maybe we are at 135 or 140. I feel more myself now than I have my whole life. I work- in an accounting office and I rock at my job. I can do it all and do it all with a billion dollar smile on my face. I've been here for a little over four and a half years. I've got it down. But it's never felt like "me." I'm smart. I dress the part. But no matter what- I knew this was not what I was supposed to do. It wasn't "me." I didn't know who "me" was for a long time. But I found her. Really, the little wriggly worm inside of me found her. I'm a mother. I am a born mother. It's my soul. My spirit. I'm a nurturer. I'm a mother. I have found joy in cleaning. (what the?) And I read baby books and I stroke my leetle belly and I feel more myself than I ever have. It's because I'm a mom. Which is what God made me for.

My mind has changed. I have a brain tumor. Who cares? That doesn't run my life. My tumor doctor is smart, smart, smart and not a people-person, not a people-person, not a people-person. Who cares? That doesn't run my life. Ken gets on my back all the time about eating too much junk food and not enough vegetables. Who cares? I eat what I like. Food doesn't run my life. I run my life. Me. I get help from my family, Ken, and God. But I make the last call.

My pants have changed. In the way that they no longer zip. Or button. Or snap. I just hold them up all day. Luckily, I sit a lot. Ken keeps saying it's from the baby growing- I hate to confess it, but I think it's from the Holidays. I'm still snacking on chocolate covered pretzels, nuts, candies, and bread. I have pregnancy as a fall back- but I'm pretty sure it's a food belly.

Difference of Holiday Opinions

Sometimes the Scrooge (Ken) and I have different ideas about how to spend the holidays. My ideas consist of visiting as many family and friends as possible, pigging out on cookies and nuts, having something to do every night, playing games, watching Christmas movies, painting Santas, singing carols, snuggling by the fire, sledding, ice skating, driving around looking at lights, building a snow man, sending Christmas cards, basically being over-all Christmas Saints. Ken's ideas for the season include locking ourselves in our house, turning our phones off, keeping as many lights as possible off and trying to convince people that we are not home and not available for celebrating. Hence, Ken has been the dubbed "Scrooge." Last year he was Scrooge-a-Rooney-McFatty but he dropped 45 pounds this year! I couldn't really call him McFatty anymore.

This year, perhaps stars were aligned, perhaps enough people lit candles for me at mass- but Ken was Mr. Kris Kringle. As jovial and jolly as they come. At first I thought it was a ruse. The beginnings to a trade off perhaps. Where for 3 days Ken will be Christmassey and then claim we already did all the festivities when I asked for more. I was wrong again. He rented Christmas movies to watch, he sang along to carols I played on the piano, we had a snowball fight, he drove me around night after night looking at lights. He'd turn all the lights off and look at the tree and snuggle me. It was a Christmas for the books. A week before Christmas we went up to my mom and dads for a visit. Just to visit. So not like Ken. It was awesome. Then, Christmas Eve we went and SPENT THE WHOLE DAY at my parents' house. The whole day! What a treat. He never asked to leave or push to go- we just sat there and chatted, played games, and stuffed our faces. He stuffed his with prime rib and I stuffed mine with mashed potatoes and deviled eggs. A weird combo- but I'm pregnant and that's what sounded good that day.

Jules is due in February- I'm due in July. We were comparing bellies.

Christmas morning we both woke up kinda early- the usual excitement of Santa coming- and opened presents. (I got a Snuggie... which I asked for... which is awesome.) Ken made that egg and hashbrown breakfast casserole that is sooo good. We lounged around and listened to Christmas music and then spent the afternoon and evening at his Dad and Sheri's house. They had Ribs. I had rice. It was truly a magical Christmas season. Ken's heart grew three sizes (Suess reference) and made this the best Christmas ever.

His Christmas spirit started the day his finals ended and lasted until December 26 when he declared, "CHRISTMAS IS OVER! Take that tree down."


And... he's back.

Reggie R. Resolution

This year I decided to give my resolution list a name. "Reggie." Full name Reggie Robert Resolution. I find it is easier for me to keep a commitment to a person rather than a piece of paper. I think Reg will help me a lot.
When I was growing up the first FHE of the year we would have a lesson on goals and mom and dad would have us write out our goals and help with the family goals. I think all the Bradley girls would agree that our favorite part came last when we would decide where to go on vacation. (Yes, vacationing is a goal.) For our personal goals my mom normally had a pretty piece of paper with some kind of decoration on the top and it would be broken into 4 categories: Physical, Temporal, Spiritual, and Financial. Did I have killer parents or what? Gosh, I'm spoiled. I remember putting under Physical "Take a shower every day." and "Grow my hair out." Ahhh... how simple life is when your 9.
I will say, I mastered the showering every day. No prob there. I get my hair trimmed every 8 weeks- but I keep it long. See? New Year Resolutions that I kept. This year I've committed (to Reggie) to do the following:

1. Be less judgmental. I seriously take one look at someone and label. Sometimes it's a nice label and sometimes it's a mean label. I shouldn't do that. Why do I do that. I am opening my mind and my heart this year and giving people as many chances as they need. "Hello, my name is Patty Non-Judgemental Poulsen." Yes... that sounds quite welcoming.

2. Let go of stress. I get stressed and I think it is part of my chemical make-up. I can't change my chemical make-up but I can change how I deal with it. So- at work, during this most grueling time of year, I am simply going to handle what I can and explain to my clients that the rest will just have to wait. I am strong, smart, and beautiful enough to be Wonder Woman- but I don't have that desire. Thank you though.

3. Read my stinking scriptures. Isn't it sad that this is a Resolution for us, Reg? I mean isn't it habit by now? No. It's not. And it really needs to be. Just read them. Every day. With a happy attitude.

4. Clean the kitchen before bed. I married the best house-wife ever. Ken cooks, cleans, and does the laundry. I never even asked him- he just took over day one. But because in the 4+ years we've been married I have rarely done these things Kenner thinks I can't. Well, mister, I'll show you! I'm taking a baby step and starting with the kitchen. Oh, c'mon I don't want to be chained to the house I just want to help out a little and not wake up to stinky-kitchen anymore.

5. Rebuild the savings account. This will take both self-control and budgeting. But it needs done. And I have a deep desire to do this one. I think this will be my easiest yet. Saving money has never been an obstacle for me. It's obtaining the money to save which can prove difficult.

6. Be transparent. When my sister, Jules-a-bug-stinkweeder, was on her mission she wrote me a letter encouraging me to be transparent. To always let people know what you are thinking and feeling. To be open and honest with all you come in contact with. I think it will make life so much easier. If everyone always knows how you feel- that makes it so simple. It's just being brave enough to do it.

That's it. 6 things. Reggie recommended only doing 5 but I'm an over-achiever by nature.

Watch Her Shine in '09

I love "Year in Review"s. I read your blogs literally every time you update but reading the whole year in one sitting... so nostalgic. I feel more intimately involved in you. I know this is cheesy to post a year that you already read. But guess, what? So I am cheesy. I'm the Cheez Whiz.


In January I finally convinced Ken to have a baby with me. He wasn't considering having a baby with someone else or anything- he just really didn't want one for a long time. His words "I'm okay not starting our family until we're 30." Yeah, I cried. And then in January his cold, cold heart melted and we agreed on having a baby. Though the stipulation was made by one of us that the baby would have to be a boy. One guess as to who said that.


February I missed my period and thought "That was fast." I took 17 pregnancy tests and was told 17 times that I was not pregnant.


March I missed my period again and my boobies started leaking milk all the time. What does THAT mean? One thing leads to another and I end up having a brain tumor. A brain tumor!Boobs to brain. I know, right? Everything works together, because we're all one piece! (Remember that song from Mr. Rogers?) Ken and I totally drain our savings paying for doctor bills and medicine that was/is ridiculously overpriced. I realize life isn't about work and vow to take more time off. (Which I lived up to quite well.) I cried a lot that month.


April. Tax season ended and I got my regular in-laws and my own life back. I cried a lot over my stupid tumor. I went to three different doctors- all of them told me no babies for me. I went to Olive Garden with Kar on her birthday. (May not seem monumental to you- but I really remember that day as a great one.)


May. Went to Cody, WY via Yellowstone. Saw my first grizzly bear. Was too scared to get out of the car. Threw up a lot and had the runs from that garsh dern medicine. Fished Henry's on opening day. I'm a natural fly fisher(wo)man. I know, is there anything I can't do? The answer, dearies, is no. I can do it all.


June. Fought (literally) with Dr. Lilenquist about proper treatment and what was best for me. Planted our garden. Mulched around the house. Got released and called back into YW as the same calling. Discovered I am a natural trap shooter. Bruised my shoulder pretty bad shooting a shot gun but I can hold my own.


July. Fly fished every weekend. Decided to wear shorts even though my legs never get tan. Frequented Rigby Lake (with Andi) either before or after fly fishing every Saturday.


August. Celebrated my birth-dee for the entire month. Had a BB-cutie. Took my first trip to Lagoon. Rode that ridiculous catapult ride. Went white water rafting with the Foster's. Discovered the community pool in Ammon. La-hoved it. It has a diving board.


September. I cried. My tumor hardly shrunk. I yelled (even louder than last time) at my doctor. I yelled at the pharmacist (They escorted me from Walgreens. I can't believe I didn't blog about that.) I yelled a lot. Ken started going back to school again which is a complete injustice. I fished closing day at Henry's Lake and had chicken strips at the Relay Station that day. I love chicken strips. I really do.


October. I changed my outlook. The whole year I had spent thinking about things I didn't want. I didn't want a tumor. I didn't want to work as much. I didn't want to quit school. I started thinking about what I DID want. Big changes. I wanted a baby. I wanted to finish school. I wanted to use all my vacation time. It was a rebirth. Ken and I celebrated Anniversary Numero Quatro in Bear Lake.


November. I found out I was knocked up. I was yet again a medical miracle. This time- a happy one. Tumors and babies are supposedly like oil and water. I ate like a pig for 2 weeks which was good, because I haven't eaten since. I've worn out the goodness of Saltines, Graham Crackers, Tea, Granola, Cereal, and Pears. Ken and I went to the City of the Trees (Boise) for Thanksgiving. I watched the dog show on TV and wished I was dead. On the 30th I had my first
appointment and saw our baby. It didn't look like a baby. It looked like a bug.


December. Santa came because I was a good girl all year. I saw my little dumpling for the second time (it looked like a baby this time)and I felt like it was a boy.

2009 was a roller coaster. Up and down and then double down and then up, up, up.

I've got some New Year Resolutions set for 2010. <-- pronounced two-thousand and ten. Not twenty-ten. Give me a break. It's a year not a price.