I have sat in front of this screen for the last few days trying to write something. It's been a while since my last update. The problem was that I was not coming up with anything appropriate or even remotely positive. It's been a rough couple of weeks. Death of a friend - my exact age, kids sick, husband sick, unbelievable family drama, more sick kids. Needless to say it has been exhausting.
It's a New Year and so I am putting all of that behind me and making a fresh start!
I am looking forward to 2011 and all it has in store for us. We have some major milestones this year. Steve turns 40 (he is requesting NO PARTY.....ummmm ok) and Sam hits double digits! Steven makes his 1st communion this May. We have a great vacation planned even though there is sand involved. I am surprising Bella for her birthday with a trip to Disney and taking Sophia and Anthony along with my mom for their 1st trip to Disney. We are off to the Rocking Horse Ranch for the 1st time for Steven's birthday. It's gonna be a fun year!!!
I try to make resolutions - making them is cake keeping them is the job. I do have a few though and I am hoping that writing them will help to hold me accountable for them:
I want to learn to cook more and better. It's really the one thing I loathe. Honestly I only hate cooking cause I get to intimidated in the kitchen. I can follow any recipe as long as it's in front of me and written down - oh a picture of the end result would be nice too.
I want to be more "present in the moment" with the kids. We are running and running and I need us to slow down a bit. Not to mention that our schedules are to the point now that unless Sam starts driving it will be impossible to get everyone everywhere. She can totally reach the pedal.
I want to start running again - I miss it and the lack of time I have is a problem but I will figure something out. Plus I need to be in a bathing suit by April and I already bought them in the size I want to be and removed the tags so they can't be returned. So they MUST fit!
I need to learn how to use my camera and photo programs better. I have classes lined up for later this month so I am 1/2 way to keeping this 1 resolution. Wooohooo
Finally last but not least and probably the most important one - come hell or high water this will be a drama free year. I don't mean "oh my god the kid fell down the stairs and broke his arm" drama. I mean the " I'm mad at you cause you looked at me funny and I think you were thinking of something not nice to say" drama. You know the bullshit drama. I have had my fill. Met my quota. A not so new friend said to me today "Look at your life - it's a good one ". She's right it is good - actually pretty perfect as far as I am concerned and I am not going to waste any more time or energy on the negative that isn't mine to begin with. It takes more time and energy to be mad and sad then it does to just be happy so why wouldn't you want to just be happy. So cranky is out and Happy is in for 2011. Sweet!
I have lots of pictures to put up and will get on that soon. I am just a bit busy at the moment tending to the ill and weary of the house. Anthony is breathing like crap and we are trying to avoid a hospital stay. Steve is recovering from a little surgery to help solve his breathing problems. So let me get these 2 back on their feet and I will get back to this.
Oh and remember to Stop. Think. Breath.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Rest in Peace Elizabeth Edwards
Elizabeth Edwards last well written facebook post:
“You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.
“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.
I was very sad to hear of the passing of this woman. I had followed her since she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004. With everything she was going through and having to live through her husband's infidelity it is very sad to hear of her passing this morning. She has 3 children. A daughter who is 28 and 12 and a son who is 10. I can only imagine what they must be going through tonight. So very very sad.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Your hearing one of my favorite holiday songs right now. Also this is the song that when I hear it for the first time on the radio - for me the holidays have officially started! It came on the radio for the first time this afternoon. Listen and enjoy it!
I want to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope it is as fun and crazy as ours usually is.
I am thankful for a lot this year! Of course, as always I am thankful for Steve and our 5 wonderful kids. I am thankful for the almost perfect life and marriage we have. I would say perfect but then people say "life can't be perfect blah, blah, blah" So I will say almost for the naysayers but for us it really is perfect. It's crazy and busy and we are always running but I know 20 years from now we will miss this and I will be in this house and it will be quiet and that is something I am not looking forward to so I am thankful for the noise - all of it!
I'm thankful that Steve looks forward to cooking our feast every year cause god only knows what would happen if I needed to cook it. But man does that table looks awesome!
I am thankful for the next 4 days that Steve will be home - it has been a long time since he has had any time off and the kids and I definitely need the attention.
I am thankful the kids are having the best childhood we can give them and that they are happy kids. I mean really happy kids. We must be doing something right! They are all outgoing, confident, respectful, kind and good hearted kids.
I am thankful for all the new friends I have. Good ones too that I can see will be around for a long long time! They came just when they were needed the most!
I am VERY thankful to have a new niece to spoil this year and the next year and the......!!!! Samantha wants to add that she is thankful to have a cousin who looks so much like her :) She will be such a good BIG cousin!
I hope you have lots to be thankful for like me! Even if it's just 1 thing that is a good thing!
I want to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope it is as fun and crazy as ours usually is.
I am thankful for a lot this year! Of course, as always I am thankful for Steve and our 5 wonderful kids. I am thankful for the almost perfect life and marriage we have. I would say perfect but then people say "life can't be perfect blah, blah, blah" So I will say almost for the naysayers but for us it really is perfect. It's crazy and busy and we are always running but I know 20 years from now we will miss this and I will be in this house and it will be quiet and that is something I am not looking forward to so I am thankful for the noise - all of it!
I'm thankful that Steve looks forward to cooking our feast every year cause god only knows what would happen if I needed to cook it. But man does that table looks awesome!
I am thankful for the next 4 days that Steve will be home - it has been a long time since he has had any time off and the kids and I definitely need the attention.
I am thankful the kids are having the best childhood we can give them and that they are happy kids. I mean really happy kids. We must be doing something right! They are all outgoing, confident, respectful, kind and good hearted kids.
I am thankful for all the new friends I have. Good ones too that I can see will be around for a long long time! They came just when they were needed the most!
I am VERY thankful to have a new niece to spoil this year and the next year and the......!!!! Samantha wants to add that she is thankful to have a cousin who looks so much like her :) She will be such a good BIG cousin!
I hope you have lots to be thankful for like me! Even if it's just 1 thing that is a good thing!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
It was a fundraiser to remember
This past Saturday was my Holiday shopping party. The only difference this year was that it was turned into a fundraiser for Samantha's soccer team. It was either gonna be a huge bust or it was gonna be packed. Well over a 100 people came through the house that night - so I say it was a great success! Even better nothing was broken - umm except 2 wine glasses and 2 jars of roasted peppers - well nothing was stained!! The vendors did great and lots of $$ was raised for the team! Thank Goodness - cause I am not washing any cars. We went through 15 bottles of wine and I am not ever sure how much beer but clearly a good time was had by all.
Sam ready to man the door - $5 bucks to shop gave everyone 6 chances to win a fabulous gift basket!
Steve getting the booze ready:
Jewelry - lots and lots of jewelry!
let the insanity begin:
Ugg boots for sale!!!!
baskets ready to be raffled off:
here's Anthony wheeling and dealing throughout the night:
The "boys" feeling no pain:
really no pain...lol
here are the SOCCER Mom's:
I wish I had taken more pictures but I was all over the place and as usual forgot to take pictures.
Sam ready to man the door - $5 bucks to shop gave everyone 6 chances to win a fabulous gift basket!
Steve getting the booze ready:
Jewelry - lots and lots of jewelry!
let the insanity begin:
Ugg boots for sale!!!!
baskets ready to be raffled off:
here's Anthony wheeling and dealing throughout the night:
The "boys" feeling no pain:
really no pain...lol
here are the SOCCER Mom's:
I wish I had taken more pictures but I was all over the place and as usual forgot to take pictures.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
This is me not saying anything.....
here's the link:
http://westlawnews.thomson.com/National_Litigation/News/2010/11_-_November/Microsoft,_Motorola_dispute_points_to_growing_tech_patent_war/
here's what the link says - look for the the cool rockstar husband I'm not mentioning
NEW YORK, Nov 11 (Reuters Legal) Motorola upped the ante in its patent battle with Microsoft on Wednesday by filing a suit accusing its one-time ally of violating sixteen of its patents that it says are used in a wide range of Microsoft products.
The suit, filed in Wisconsin federal court, comes a day after Microsoft launched a preliminary strike against Motorola by asking a court to declare that the phone maker was demanding excessive royalties for the use of the patents.
This week's lawsuits, which reflect a growing wave of patent litigation among technology firms, concern a group of Motorola patents which cover technologies related to WiFi connectivity and video decoding. Microsoft says the patents affect its Xbox gaming console and "other fields" like Windows 7 and Windows 7 Smart Phone. The lawsuit by Motorola refers to additional products such as Exchange, Outlook and Bing maps that allegedly contain the patented technology.
Relations between the two firms that have partnered on various initiatives have been deteriorating rapidly. Last month Microsoft filed a suit that accused Motorola of using the software giant's patented technology in its Android smart phones. Many in the tech community have interpreted the most recent dispute as retaliation by Motorola for the Android suit.
The litigation that was filed this week turns on what is a fair royalty rate for Motorola's patents. Microsoft claims that Motorola breached commitments it made to standards organizations to license the patents at a reasonable rate.
According to Microsoft, Motorola is demanding "excessive and discriminatory" royalty payments that are based on the overall value of the Microsoft products. Microsoft argues the patent royalties should instead be valued on only the parts of the products covered by Motorola's patents.
The debate is similar to asking whether the value of an intermittent windshield wiper patent should be calculated on the value of the wiper alone or on the overall car.
If Motorola is correct that the royalty fees should be based on the overall value, the price of the Xbox and other Microsoft products could increase significantly.
Mark Lemley, a Stanford University law professor and prominent patent authority, says that Microsoft is probably right in theory but that not may not help the company if the case comes before a jury. A patent claim that demands, say, one per cent of total sales has a lot of "jury appeal" even if the patented technology contributes far less value to the overall product, Lemley said.
Both Microsoft and Motorola have refused to comment about the amount of royalties in dispute. In a short statement, Motorola said it made a "fair offer" and that it would take "all necessary steps" to protect the company's intellectual property.
The Microsoft and Motorola litigation coincides with what appears to be a new willingness among technology companies to sue each other over intellectual property rights. Typically, major players in the industry instead use their patents in a defensive fashion that Lemley compared to the Cold War doctrine of mutually-assured destruction.
"Normally what happens is that companies kind of exist in an uneasy truce," where companies refrain from filing patent infringement suits against each other, Lemley said. "In the smart phone industry, we're seeing that truce collapse."
He added that the recent wave of smart phone lawsuits may trickle into other sectors such as gaming because the intricate nature of phone technology means a wide variety of companies can be drawn into litigation.
Patents allow companies to sue infringers for money and also to seek injunctions that force them to stop selling their products altogether. Lemley predicted that Microsoft and Motorola will ultimately settle their differences to avoid facing an injunction.
"The nightmare scenario for the companies is that both lose their patent suits and each shuts the other down," he said. "That's why these fights may be a flash-in-the-pan with a strategic purpose. The parties will probably come to their senses in a business manner and find a way to co-exist."
The cases filed on Wednesday are Motorola Mobility Inc v. Microsoft Corp, U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin (Madison), Nos. 10-699 and 10-700. Motorola Mobility is represented by Scott Hansen of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren in Milwaukee and Jesse Jenner and Steven Pepe of the New York office of Ropes & Gray. Microsoft is represented by Shane Cramer, Arthur Harrigan and Christopher Wion of Danielson Harrigan Leyh & Tollefson in Seattle alongside John McBride, David Pritikin, Richard Cederoth and Douglas Lewis of the Chicago office of Sidley Austin and Brian Nester and Kevin Wheeler of Sidley's Washington, D.C. office.
The royalties suit filed by Microsoft on Tuesday is Microsoft Corp v. Motorola Inc, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington (Seattle), No. 10-01823. Microsoft is represented by Shane Cramer of Danielson Harrigan Leyh & Tollefson in Seattle. It could not immediately be determined who is representing Motorola.
The Android case filed on Oct. 1 is Microsoft Corp v. Motorola Inc, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington (Seattle), No. 2:10-CV-01577. Microsoft is represented by Richard Cederoth, Douglas Lewis, John McBride and David Pritikin of Sidley Austin's Chicago office; Brian Nester and Kevin Wheeler of the firm's Washington, D.C. office; and Arthur Harrigan and Christopher Wion of Danielson Harrigan Leyh & Tollefson in Seattle. Motorola is represented by Edward DeFranco of Quinn Emanuel in New York, David Nelson of Quinn's Chicago office, Charles Verhoeven of Quinn's San Francisco office alongside Lynn Engel and Philip McCune of Summit Law Group in Seattle. (Reporting by Jeff Roberts and Terry Baynes)
http://westlawnews.thomson.com/National_Litigation/News/2010/11_-_November/Microsoft,_Motorola_dispute_points_to_growing_tech_patent_war/
here's what the link says - look for the the cool rockstar husband I'm not mentioning
NEW YORK, Nov 11 (Reuters Legal) Motorola upped the ante in its patent battle with Microsoft on Wednesday by filing a suit accusing its one-time ally of violating sixteen of its patents that it says are used in a wide range of Microsoft products.
The suit, filed in Wisconsin federal court, comes a day after Microsoft launched a preliminary strike against Motorola by asking a court to declare that the phone maker was demanding excessive royalties for the use of the patents.
This week's lawsuits, which reflect a growing wave of patent litigation among technology firms, concern a group of Motorola patents which cover technologies related to WiFi connectivity and video decoding. Microsoft says the patents affect its Xbox gaming console and "other fields" like Windows 7 and Windows 7 Smart Phone. The lawsuit by Motorola refers to additional products such as Exchange, Outlook and Bing maps that allegedly contain the patented technology.
Relations between the two firms that have partnered on various initiatives have been deteriorating rapidly. Last month Microsoft filed a suit that accused Motorola of using the software giant's patented technology in its Android smart phones. Many in the tech community have interpreted the most recent dispute as retaliation by Motorola for the Android suit.
The litigation that was filed this week turns on what is a fair royalty rate for Motorola's patents. Microsoft claims that Motorola breached commitments it made to standards organizations to license the patents at a reasonable rate.
According to Microsoft, Motorola is demanding "excessive and discriminatory" royalty payments that are based on the overall value of the Microsoft products. Microsoft argues the patent royalties should instead be valued on only the parts of the products covered by Motorola's patents.
The debate is similar to asking whether the value of an intermittent windshield wiper patent should be calculated on the value of the wiper alone or on the overall car.
If Motorola is correct that the royalty fees should be based on the overall value, the price of the Xbox and other Microsoft products could increase significantly.
Mark Lemley, a Stanford University law professor and prominent patent authority, says that Microsoft is probably right in theory but that not may not help the company if the case comes before a jury. A patent claim that demands, say, one per cent of total sales has a lot of "jury appeal" even if the patented technology contributes far less value to the overall product, Lemley said.
Both Microsoft and Motorola have refused to comment about the amount of royalties in dispute. In a short statement, Motorola said it made a "fair offer" and that it would take "all necessary steps" to protect the company's intellectual property.
The Microsoft and Motorola litigation coincides with what appears to be a new willingness among technology companies to sue each other over intellectual property rights. Typically, major players in the industry instead use their patents in a defensive fashion that Lemley compared to the Cold War doctrine of mutually-assured destruction.
"Normally what happens is that companies kind of exist in an uneasy truce," where companies refrain from filing patent infringement suits against each other, Lemley said. "In the smart phone industry, we're seeing that truce collapse."
He added that the recent wave of smart phone lawsuits may trickle into other sectors such as gaming because the intricate nature of phone technology means a wide variety of companies can be drawn into litigation.
Patents allow companies to sue infringers for money and also to seek injunctions that force them to stop selling their products altogether. Lemley predicted that Microsoft and Motorola will ultimately settle their differences to avoid facing an injunction.
"The nightmare scenario for the companies is that both lose their patent suits and each shuts the other down," he said. "That's why these fights may be a flash-in-the-pan with a strategic purpose. The parties will probably come to their senses in a business manner and find a way to co-exist."
The cases filed on Wednesday are Motorola Mobility Inc v. Microsoft Corp, U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin (Madison), Nos. 10-699 and 10-700. Motorola Mobility is represented by Scott Hansen of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren in Milwaukee and Jesse Jenner and Steven Pepe of the New York office of Ropes & Gray. Microsoft is represented by Shane Cramer, Arthur Harrigan and Christopher Wion of Danielson Harrigan Leyh & Tollefson in Seattle alongside John McBride, David Pritikin, Richard Cederoth and Douglas Lewis of the Chicago office of Sidley Austin and Brian Nester and Kevin Wheeler of Sidley's Washington, D.C. office.
The royalties suit filed by Microsoft on Tuesday is Microsoft Corp v. Motorola Inc, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington (Seattle), No. 10-01823. Microsoft is represented by Shane Cramer of Danielson Harrigan Leyh & Tollefson in Seattle. It could not immediately be determined who is representing Motorola.
The Android case filed on Oct. 1 is Microsoft Corp v. Motorola Inc, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington (Seattle), No. 2:10-CV-01577. Microsoft is represented by Richard Cederoth, Douglas Lewis, John McBride and David Pritikin of Sidley Austin's Chicago office; Brian Nester and Kevin Wheeler of the firm's Washington, D.C. office; and Arthur Harrigan and Christopher Wion of Danielson Harrigan Leyh & Tollefson in Seattle. Motorola is represented by Edward DeFranco of Quinn Emanuel in New York, David Nelson of Quinn's Chicago office, Charles Verhoeven of Quinn's San Francisco office alongside Lynn Engel and Philip McCune of Summit Law Group in Seattle. (Reporting by Jeff Roberts and Terry Baynes)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Hope this finds you well. Hopefully you didn't eat to much Halloween candy - it's bad bad bad - get it out of the house and do like I do. Send it to work with your significant other. Now this will only work if they don't work from home :)
So we did a little trick or treating. The kids had a good time but didn't seem so crazed for the candy this year as they have been in past years. That's OK they still had a good time.
Slight problem we had heading out was that the Jets decide to play at 1pm. Didn't anyone tell them it was Halloween?!?!? Hello??? Steve made due anyway and was able to get updates on his phone - so we are off:
We had a last minute wardrobe malfunction. This kid ate himself silly in the last few weeks and he couldn't fit into his Buzz Lightyear costume so I made a game day change - seriously only me would have a Superman shirt AND a matching cape on hand...lol
Sophia ready to go - full of energy:
The crew:
Sophia 30 minutes later and she's done. She handed off her bag to Samantha who would bring it to the door along with her own and say "my sister isn't feeling well I'm getting her candy" and on cue Sophia would wave from the wagon:
me trying to get a picture with Superman and clearly I was talking and Anthony couldn't be bothered staying awake:
Steve, of course, gets a great shot with the kid:
Completely random picture from last night with Sam and Anthony found snuggled together watching TV....too cute!!!
oh and just 1 more random one from the girls going to school the other day:
In other news my store on Etsy is up and running. I had my first sale yesterday. Haven't been this excited over $5 since I was 10...lol So come on by for a visit. Oh and if your reading this then I must know you so if you'd like me to make you something just shoot me an email - Don't worry I'll still make you pay for it but you'll get more personal attention :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BabyLoveChunk
So we did a little trick or treating. The kids had a good time but didn't seem so crazed for the candy this year as they have been in past years. That's OK they still had a good time.
Slight problem we had heading out was that the Jets decide to play at 1pm. Didn't anyone tell them it was Halloween?!?!? Hello??? Steve made due anyway and was able to get updates on his phone - so we are off:
We had a last minute wardrobe malfunction. This kid ate himself silly in the last few weeks and he couldn't fit into his Buzz Lightyear costume so I made a game day change - seriously only me would have a Superman shirt AND a matching cape on hand...lol
Sophia ready to go - full of energy:
The crew:
Sophia 30 minutes later and she's done. She handed off her bag to Samantha who would bring it to the door along with her own and say "my sister isn't feeling well I'm getting her candy" and on cue Sophia would wave from the wagon:
me trying to get a picture with Superman and clearly I was talking and Anthony couldn't be bothered staying awake:
Steve, of course, gets a great shot with the kid:
Completely random picture from last night with Sam and Anthony found snuggled together watching TV....too cute!!!
oh and just 1 more random one from the girls going to school the other day:
In other news my store on Etsy is up and running. I had my first sale yesterday. Haven't been this excited over $5 since I was 10...lol So come on by for a visit. Oh and if your reading this then I must know you so if you'd like me to make you something just shoot me an email - Don't worry I'll still make you pay for it but you'll get more personal attention :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BabyLoveChunk
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