That event rather monopolized our week so there really isn't anything else to report from the S house at the moment. We went adventuring again today, pics below.
Love to all!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
What Up?
I don't have anything terribly interesting that I can report. Those of you who are aware of an "incident" earlier this week will be glad to know that it went quite well.
That event rather monopolized our week so there really isn't anything else to report from the S house at the moment. We went adventuring again today, pics below.
Love to all!
That event rather monopolized our week so there really isn't anything else to report from the S house at the moment. We went adventuring again today, pics below.
Love to all!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Memory Lane
I've been oh so sick this past week and have therefore been spending a LOT of time off my feet. What better time to troll the S Family's virtual past?
I found the following signatures that I used to use on a message board WAAAYY back when. These pictures are KILLING me...in a good way. Parenting is the ultimate contradiction! The joy of watching them grow coupled with the pain of exactly the same thing! Did I sign up for this?
Anyhoo...enjoy. ETA: These don't fit on the page as well as I would like, but I am leaving them anyway because the pictures are too cute NOT to share.
PS I actually posted TWICE tonight (gasp) so scroll down for post # 2.
I found the following signatures that I used to use on a message board WAAAYY back when. These pictures are KILLING me...in a good way. Parenting is the ultimate contradiction! The joy of watching them grow coupled with the pain of exactly the same thing! Did I sign up for this?
Anyhoo...enjoy. ETA: These don't fit on the page as well as I would like, but I am leaving them anyway because the pictures are too cute NOT to share.
PS I actually posted TWICE tonight (gasp) so scroll down for post # 2.
Bittersweet
sniffle
Do you see the same chubby cheeked, darling little angel bug I see? Do you? How old would you say he is? Two? MAYBE 3?
I think so too.
That sweet little chubby cheeked cutie pie lost his first tooth this evening AND seems to be under the impression that he is going to turn 6 in April.
I protest!!!!!
Why Lulu?
Several of my dear readers have asked me to explain why we call Anna Lulu. I know, it seems like a rather odd nickname choice.
I am here to enlighten you!
For a while we called Anna Turkey.
Turkey seemed rather harsh and abrupt so we added Lu.
Turkey Lu
Turkey Lu naturally progressed to Turkey Lulu.
At some point we dropped the turkey and VOILA!
Lulu
Simple isn't it?
Love to all!
I am here to enlighten you!
For a while we called Anna Turkey.
Turkey seemed rather harsh and abrupt so we added Lu.
Turkey Lu
Turkey Lu naturally progressed to Turkey Lulu.
At some point we dropped the turkey and VOILA!
Lulu
Simple isn't it?
Love to all!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Advantages to Schooling From Home: Episode Whatever
Finally! A snow storm worthy of the sled! It's about time! This winter has been nothing short of pathetic.
4/5 of the S Family decided to play hooky and take advantage of the winter weather. We had a BLAST, as you can plainly see.
Love to all!
PS I have received a few questions on this topic and thought I would take a minute to address it. The boys are NOT home schooled, according to the classic definition of homeschooling. They are, in fact, enrolled in a public school delivered in the home.
4/5 of the S Family decided to play hooky and take advantage of the winter weather. We had a BLAST, as you can plainly see.
Love to all!
PS I have received a few questions on this topic and thought I would take a minute to address it. The boys are NOT home schooled, according to the classic definition of homeschooling. They are, in fact, enrolled in a public school delivered in the home.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Worst Mother of the Year Award
And the nominees are:
Me
And the winner is:
Me
SIGH
My usual workout plan requires that I get to bed by 11 pm, get up at 7 am, run, shower and then get the kids up around 8. Working and schooling kids from home has its advantages. 2 of the 5 members of the S house are morning people, the rest of us (the normal ones) consider any time prior to 7 am disgusting and inhumane. Usually, I'm not really much of a schedule person. I never felt the need to put any of my babies on schedules, they slept when they were tired and ate when they were hungry. However, if there is ANY hope of my getting regular exercise, it HAS to be accomplished first thing in the morning, hence the need for a morning schedule. Our days are jam packed with activities, it gets dark too early to go running outside in the evening and, frankly, by 7 pm I am utterly exhausted.
Unfortunately for the brilliant plan outlined above, Isaac had a dreadful time getting to sleep on Thursday night, all due to the lack of a particular blanket to which he is firmly attached. I think I finally fell asleep around 3 am.
People, if I'm going to bed at 3 am there is not a snowball's chance I am getting up at 7. NOT. A. CHANCE.
Because I was not able to work out in the morning, I REALLY wanted to work it into the rest of my day. It was Friday and I had the weekend to catch up on work so I gave myself permission to hit the old treadmill while Anna took her nap. Generally I hesitate to plan activities that take ALL of my attention. I don't take naps when my kids are home, I don't run errands while they are home alone, I don't leave them alone in cars, etc. To be honest, I just don't trust them. Have I ever told you the story about the time I was pregnant with Anna, we had just moved into this house, it was 7 am and Isaac woke up early and emptied an entire tube of toothpaste into the bathtub? No?
Weeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllll then...
I was pregnant with Anna, we had just moved into this house, it was 7 am and Isaac woke up early and emptied an entire tube of toothpaste into the bathtub. As I was working to clean the toothpaste out of the bathtub my doorbell rang. I ignored it. I mean, come on, it was 7 am, I was oh so very pregnant, I was in a robe and my hands smelled of an abnormal about of minty freshness. But the doorbell rang again. And then it rang again. As persistent doorbell ringing at 7 am is NOT typical, I finally decided to answer it. In my robe. Pregnant. Hands covered in minty freshness.
It was my new neighbor. With a little boy. A little boy who happened to belong in my house and who I THOUGHT was sound asleep in his bed.
Neighbor: Hi there! We haven't met yet, I know you are new to the neighborhood, but I found this little guy running around in the street and wondered if he belongs to you.
Me: (as sheepishly as possible) Um, yes, he belongs to me. I thought he was sleeping. Thank you so much!
Nathan: Hi mommy! I can get in the front yard! There's a big hole in the fence!
(The hole in the fence was the open gate. He was able to open the gate at the tender age of three, apparently. It never occurred to me that he could escape the yard on his own.)
Since that oh-so-mortifying experience, I try to avoid any and all activities that might lead to a repeat performance and/or end with a neighbor calling social services.
Soooo...
On Friday I decided that a. I really needed to work out and b. The boys were old enough to be trusted for 45 minutes during which I would not be aware of their every move.
Oh how wrong I was.
In my defense, I DID stand them next to each other, make them look me straight in the eye and recite a list of absolute rules that WOULD be followed while I was on the treadmill. They solemnly informed me that they would NOT go upstairs and wake up their sister, they would NOT answer the door, they would NOT answer the phone, they would NOT ransack the kitchen, they would NOT stare blankly at the TV, etc. To their credit, they followed those rules to the letter.
Unfortunately, I did NOT instruct them that they were not to sneak into my office, creep up behind the treadmill where I could neither see nor hear them and out of nothing but sheer curiosity attempt to stick their fingers into the treadmill's moving parts.
Again I say, SIGH.
Nathan, my curious, impetuous, little daredevil, stuck his left hand under the treadmill. It came to an abrupt stop that sent me flying and apparently caused an ankle injury of some kind. The ankle injury, however, is far less significant than the fact that Nathan degloved (my sister and mom taught me that uber technical medical term) two of the fingers on his left hand.
He does not appear to have any broken bones, thank God, and the wounds are truly not as bad as they could have been. We are SO thankful he is not any more injured than he is, it could have been a LOT worse.
His 5 year old machismo has kicked in and today you would never know anything happened, save for the bandage on his hand.
Nana did suggest that I will at some point need to remove the peeled back skin that still clings to his fingers.
Um........
Perhaps a certain nurse-in-training aunt of his might want to earn some student nursing hours (do nurses student nurse the way teachers student teach?)by flying back here with a pair of small, sterilized scissors and go about dealing with his wound. I'm fairly certain his mother is not up to it.
As you can see, I am more than deserving of the honorarium with which I have titled this post. I'm not searching for a bunch of e-mails telling me what a good parent I am, I truly feel just AWFUL that he got hurt because I was not watching him closely enough. I'll not be working out during the day time anymore. If I can't get up early and I can't run in the evening, it's just not going to happen. As a result, you might notice some swelling in the posterior regions of my person. A small price to pay for my kids' safety, in my opinion.
Love to all!
May your kids be safe and your posteriors not swell!
PS At the ripe old age of 33, my very first wisdom tooth has decided to protrude from the upper most part of my jaw. The trouble is, only one corner is exposed, it is REALLY high up in my mouth, literally where my upper and lower jaw meet, the rest of the tooth is firmly embedded in my jaw and that one corner is cutting into my cheek every time I eat or talk.
Readers, dear readers, I HATE the dentist. Not just a typical kind of whiny, not wanting to go but I'll just get it over with sort of hate. This is a real and true seething hatred. whimper
Me
And the winner is:
Me
SIGH
My usual workout plan requires that I get to bed by 11 pm, get up at 7 am, run, shower and then get the kids up around 8. Working and schooling kids from home has its advantages. 2 of the 5 members of the S house are morning people, the rest of us (the normal ones) consider any time prior to 7 am disgusting and inhumane. Usually, I'm not really much of a schedule person. I never felt the need to put any of my babies on schedules, they slept when they were tired and ate when they were hungry. However, if there is ANY hope of my getting regular exercise, it HAS to be accomplished first thing in the morning, hence the need for a morning schedule. Our days are jam packed with activities, it gets dark too early to go running outside in the evening and, frankly, by 7 pm I am utterly exhausted.
Unfortunately for the brilliant plan outlined above, Isaac had a dreadful time getting to sleep on Thursday night, all due to the lack of a particular blanket to which he is firmly attached. I think I finally fell asleep around 3 am.
People, if I'm going to bed at 3 am there is not a snowball's chance I am getting up at 7. NOT. A. CHANCE.
Because I was not able to work out in the morning, I REALLY wanted to work it into the rest of my day. It was Friday and I had the weekend to catch up on work so I gave myself permission to hit the old treadmill while Anna took her nap. Generally I hesitate to plan activities that take ALL of my attention. I don't take naps when my kids are home, I don't run errands while they are home alone, I don't leave them alone in cars, etc. To be honest, I just don't trust them. Have I ever told you the story about the time I was pregnant with Anna, we had just moved into this house, it was 7 am and Isaac woke up early and emptied an entire tube of toothpaste into the bathtub? No?
Weeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllll then...
I was pregnant with Anna, we had just moved into this house, it was 7 am and Isaac woke up early and emptied an entire tube of toothpaste into the bathtub. As I was working to clean the toothpaste out of the bathtub my doorbell rang. I ignored it. I mean, come on, it was 7 am, I was oh so very pregnant, I was in a robe and my hands smelled of an abnormal about of minty freshness. But the doorbell rang again. And then it rang again. As persistent doorbell ringing at 7 am is NOT typical, I finally decided to answer it. In my robe. Pregnant. Hands covered in minty freshness.
It was my new neighbor. With a little boy. A little boy who happened to belong in my house and who I THOUGHT was sound asleep in his bed.
Neighbor: Hi there! We haven't met yet, I know you are new to the neighborhood, but I found this little guy running around in the street and wondered if he belongs to you.
Me: (as sheepishly as possible) Um, yes, he belongs to me. I thought he was sleeping. Thank you so much!
Nathan: Hi mommy! I can get in the front yard! There's a big hole in the fence!
(The hole in the fence was the open gate. He was able to open the gate at the tender age of three, apparently. It never occurred to me that he could escape the yard on his own.)
Since that oh-so-mortifying experience, I try to avoid any and all activities that might lead to a repeat performance and/or end with a neighbor calling social services.
Soooo...
On Friday I decided that a. I really needed to work out and b. The boys were old enough to be trusted for 45 minutes during which I would not be aware of their every move.
Oh how wrong I was.
In my defense, I DID stand them next to each other, make them look me straight in the eye and recite a list of absolute rules that WOULD be followed while I was on the treadmill. They solemnly informed me that they would NOT go upstairs and wake up their sister, they would NOT answer the door, they would NOT answer the phone, they would NOT ransack the kitchen, they would NOT stare blankly at the TV, etc. To their credit, they followed those rules to the letter.
Unfortunately, I did NOT instruct them that they were not to sneak into my office, creep up behind the treadmill where I could neither see nor hear them and out of nothing but sheer curiosity attempt to stick their fingers into the treadmill's moving parts.
Again I say, SIGH.
Nathan, my curious, impetuous, little daredevil, stuck his left hand under the treadmill. It came to an abrupt stop that sent me flying and apparently caused an ankle injury of some kind. The ankle injury, however, is far less significant than the fact that Nathan degloved (my sister and mom taught me that uber technical medical term) two of the fingers on his left hand.
He does not appear to have any broken bones, thank God, and the wounds are truly not as bad as they could have been. We are SO thankful he is not any more injured than he is, it could have been a LOT worse.
His 5 year old machismo has kicked in and today you would never know anything happened, save for the bandage on his hand.
Nana did suggest that I will at some point need to remove the peeled back skin that still clings to his fingers.
Um........
Perhaps a certain nurse-in-training aunt of his might want to earn some student nursing hours (do nurses student nurse the way teachers student teach?)by flying back here with a pair of small, sterilized scissors and go about dealing with his wound. I'm fairly certain his mother is not up to it.
As you can see, I am more than deserving of the honorarium with which I have titled this post. I'm not searching for a bunch of e-mails telling me what a good parent I am, I truly feel just AWFUL that he got hurt because I was not watching him closely enough. I'll not be working out during the day time anymore. If I can't get up early and I can't run in the evening, it's just not going to happen. As a result, you might notice some swelling in the posterior regions of my person. A small price to pay for my kids' safety, in my opinion.
Love to all!
May your kids be safe and your posteriors not swell!
PS At the ripe old age of 33, my very first wisdom tooth has decided to protrude from the upper most part of my jaw. The trouble is, only one corner is exposed, it is REALLY high up in my mouth, literally where my upper and lower jaw meet, the rest of the tooth is firmly embedded in my jaw and that one corner is cutting into my cheek every time I eat or talk.
Readers, dear readers, I HATE the dentist. Not just a typical kind of whiny, not wanting to go but I'll just get it over with sort of hate. This is a real and true seething hatred. whimper
Thursday, January 8, 2009
You're Making me Feel Bad!
This is Anna's newest and favorite phrase. She uses it whenever life is just not going her way. Sad to say, as the S house resident 2 year old, life frequently doesn't go her way.
And I have to sheepishly admit, it pretty much works like a charm.
Those big brown eyes and that little girl's voice render the most firm of parent ultimatums completely irrelevant.
Today she took it one step further. When Anna's utterly neglectful mother informed her that she would not be able to play as a result of the physical science unit she was desperately trying to write, Anna's shoulders slumped, her face fell and her arms swung listlessly at her sides. After a moment or two, she sighed deeply, slumped to the floor and sorrowfully informed her neglectful mother that, "I look sad mama."
Being the oh-so-resourceful mother I am, I promptly put her on the phone with her Nana who promptly put her on speaker phone for the benefit of her co-workers. Anna happily announced that her name is Anna-Banana and sang a cheerful rendition of Baby Beluga, Choose Jesus and Jingle Bells, Batman Smells. She then informed Nana that she felt much better.
Thank God for Nana and her co-workers! That physical science unit is written and posted and let me tell you it's gold! Bring on those standardized tests!
And I have to sheepishly admit, it pretty much works like a charm.
Those big brown eyes and that little girl's voice render the most firm of parent ultimatums completely irrelevant.
Today she took it one step further. When Anna's utterly neglectful mother informed her that she would not be able to play as a result of the physical science unit she was desperately trying to write, Anna's shoulders slumped, her face fell and her arms swung listlessly at her sides. After a moment or two, she sighed deeply, slumped to the floor and sorrowfully informed her neglectful mother that, "I look sad mama."
Being the oh-so-resourceful mother I am, I promptly put her on the phone with her Nana who promptly put her on speaker phone for the benefit of her co-workers. Anna happily announced that her name is Anna-Banana and sang a cheerful rendition of Baby Beluga, Choose Jesus and Jingle Bells, Batman Smells. She then informed Nana that she felt much better.
Thank God for Nana and her co-workers! That physical science unit is written and posted and let me tell you it's gold! Bring on those standardized tests!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Here We Go Adventuring
The second day of 2009 dawned with temperatures FAR above normal. The fabulous weather tempted the S family outside for a day of exercise and adventuring. The S family definition of adventuring is to pack up a lunch, the camera, a backpack full of whatever the boys deem crucial for that particular day and hit the trail.
The weather was fabulous and we found many interesting treasures, observed lots of geese and climbed lots of trees. Pics below.
Love to all!
The weather was fabulous and we found many interesting treasures, observed lots of geese and climbed lots of trees. Pics below.
Love to all!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
The S Family welcomed the first day of 2009 by visiting a local ice skating rink. We thought about taking the boys ice skating last year but never actually made it. I took several years of ice skating as a child but it has been 20+ years since I actually set foot on the ice. I'm not really sure if ice skating is one of those things that once you learn you never forget, but I think I was able to hold my own on the ice. At any rate I didn't fall and my backside was dry when we left. True, I no longer have the ability to zip around the rink whilst dancing to various peppy 80s tunes, but I personally think a dry backside at the end of the day qualifies as decent ice skating. Success!!!
Our niece Averie joined us and a grand time was had by all. Averie and I spent most of our time trying to keep the boys on their feet, as evidence by the pictures below. Enjoy!
Our niece Averie joined us and a grand time was had by all. Averie and I spent most of our time trying to keep the boys on their feet, as evidence by the pictures below. Enjoy!
Friday, December 26, 2008
That Magical Time of Year
When it looks as though a toy spewing bomb exploded in my house. I am offering $50 to ANYONE, I don't really care if we have actually met, who will come and assist me in organizing this disaster of a building we call home.
As you can see from the photo, Christmas at the S house was enjoyed by all. We have had a lovely few days chock full of exhausting yet utterly delightful activities.
Merry Christmas and love to all! May your days be merry and bright!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
It was a day like any other day....
...in Christmas Town.
That is, until Boots the Terrible arrived.
The town folk never knew what hit them.
And now for Anna's music show:
That is, until Boots the Terrible arrived.
The town folk never knew what hit them.
And now for Anna's music show:
Etu
This evening we visited one of our many local Starbucks in order to secure provisions for a Christmas light viewing drive around the neighborhood.
You will be glad to know, dear Etu, that Anna enthusiastically regaled the lengthy line of waiting customers with a detailed description of the baby ogre that eats pickles and says, "Wah! Wah! Wah!"
I believe my favorite comment was something along the lines of, "My goodness! You sure to have a lot to say for a two year old! I bet your mommy has really big ears!"
Are my ears too big for my head? Go on, you can tell me.
You will be glad to know, dear Etu, that Anna enthusiastically regaled the lengthy line of waiting customers with a detailed description of the baby ogre that eats pickles and says, "Wah! Wah! Wah!"
I believe my favorite comment was something along the lines of, "My goodness! You sure to have a lot to say for a two year old! I bet your mommy has really big ears!"
Are my ears too big for my head? Go on, you can tell me.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Dear Anna,
My little Lulu,
There is no possible way I can find words eloquent or descriptive enough to express how much your presence lights up my life. I may grouse and complain about your non-stop steam of consciousness chatter and tendency to stick closer to me than my own shadow, but the truth is that no day in my life will ever be complete unless there is at least one moment during the day when I cannot identify the thoughts in my own head because all I can hear is your chirping little voice. I cannot imagine a day without tripping over you at least once.
My little sunshine,
Just before this picture was taken, you marched your diaper clad behind into the room and proudly announced your readiness to go out and play in the freshly fallen snow because you had your boots on. At that moment you warmed my heart enough to keep us both cozy in any weather.
Dear Readers,
The last few weeks have been oh so busy. I've posted several pictures from the last few weeks below. I particularly like the picture of the boys at the local Christmas parade. Isaac tried desperately to act like he was WAY too cool for Christmas parades, but NO ONE can contain their excitement when Santa makes that first
appearance.
I would also like to assure you, dear readers, that the pictures of Anna with the kitties, though they may appear as if she is in the process of strangling the poor things, are actually photographic evidence of some super sweet moments between them. They are awfully tolerant and affectionate little guys. I love that they sleep under the Christmas tree; our childhood cats slept under the tree every year.
Of course, I WOULD prefer that they not actually CLIMB the tree. This evening as we drove away, Jesse noticed a large block of tree lights, right at the top on the tree, that were not lit. Just as he commented on the fact that the lights were out, Boots' little head popped out of the tree, less than a foot from the top. This tree is over 7 feet tall! Little stinker. He's going to end up with coal in his stocking if he doesn't behave.
Love to all!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Merry December!
No, Isaac has not grown a mustache. He has taken to obsessively licking his lips which has resulted in a lovely red ring around his entire mouth. The stash you see in this picture is actually a line of red, raw skin from the constant licking. I am open to suggestions.
Yes, that is my sweet little Nathan with that, "I'm too cute for this picture; yeah you know what I mean." look on his face.
Anna's just thrilled to be Anna as, after all, it's pretty awesome to be two.
Love to all!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Isaac's Letter to Santa
(Transcribed exactly as written by Isaac.)
Dear Santa
I want legos
and
The Lego
Batman game
and a
cemickle set.
Translation: Dear Santa, I want legos and the lego batman game (Wii, I think) and a chemical set.
FYI: Isaac LOVES legos and I am sure will be happy no matter how many sets he receives. He is already receiving several video games and his mother would prefer that he not receive anymore. But his daddy might have different thoughts on that issue. Ugh, chemistry sets! They usually gather dust for a few months, get a day or two of use, then gather more dust until we end up throwing them away.
Nathan's Letter to Santa
(Transcribed exactly as written by Nathan.)
Tal
satu
I
wut
a
pawraagr megusord
and
I
wut
A
soron
and
I
wut
a
suenl red rnejr.
Translation: Tell Santa I want a power ranger megazord and I want a sauron and I want a sentinel red ranger.
FYI: Sauron is actually a power ranger bad guy that Isaac long ago dubbed Sauron. Nana has claimed the ranger megazord. Sentinel red rangers are, sadly, no longer in production and can be acquired only on e-bay.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yes, I am a tad late I know. The S family has been enjoying a lovely week of fun and freedom. Freedom from work, that is.
We celebrated a lovely Thanksgiving at Aunt Ray Ray's house. Etu, Ray Ray and I decided to brave the 11 pm opening of the local outlet mall later that night. It was crowded but fun; we shopped until 2 am and then flopped all over Ray Ray's house for the night. As you can see from the pic below, Anna was VERY pleased with her not quite Black Friday haul.
We've spent the remainder of our weekend recuperating, decorating, shopping and romping in the pitiful 2-ish inches of snow that fell last night. November is SUPPOSED to be our snowiest month! The weather this month has been pathetic, just pathetic.
The kids' tree is up and it looks fabulous. MY tree will hopefully go up tomorrow and I am also planning to shimmy up the tree in the front yard, snow or no snow, and wrap it from top to bottom in shiny white lights. I can't wait!
The S family adores this time of year.
I posted a slide show of kids' tree decorating and the family snowball fight using what little snow DID fall below. But first, a picture of the cats that just tickled me to pieces. They are watching our neighbors play hockey in the street.
Love to all!
We celebrated a lovely Thanksgiving at Aunt Ray Ray's house. Etu, Ray Ray and I decided to brave the 11 pm opening of the local outlet mall later that night. It was crowded but fun; we shopped until 2 am and then flopped all over Ray Ray's house for the night. As you can see from the pic below, Anna was VERY pleased with her not quite Black Friday haul.
We've spent the remainder of our weekend recuperating, decorating, shopping and romping in the pitiful 2-ish inches of snow that fell last night. November is SUPPOSED to be our snowiest month! The weather this month has been pathetic, just pathetic.
The kids' tree is up and it looks fabulous. MY tree will hopefully go up tomorrow and I am also planning to shimmy up the tree in the front yard, snow or no snow, and wrap it from top to bottom in shiny white lights. I can't wait!
The S family adores this time of year.
I posted a slide show of kids' tree decorating and the family snowball fight using what little snow DID fall below. But first, a picture of the cats that just tickled me to pieces. They are watching our neighbors play hockey in the street.
Love to all!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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