Today we celebrated a wonderful milestone in our family...Ron and Sandy's (Grandpa and Gradma's) 40th Wedding Anniversary. They were so kind to invite just Matt and I to dinner at the Red Osier. We sat, we talked, and we ate a fantastic meal...it was just great!
I had a few errands to run this morning while my mom was with the kids. I really love going into local places that I try and support when I can. I stopped in at our local Salvation Army store which I haven't done in years. I saw like 50 cars there and decided to see what all the hubbub was about! I just have to tell you that on Wednesdays they have a 50% off family sale (books, clothes, shoes). For $8 I left with a brand new dress that I saw at Target just a few weeks ago for Cara, two pairs of play shorts for the boys, and two DVDs for the kids! That place is truly a local treasure:) And you all know how much I love a bargain!
In other news, potty training continues and I think we have really turned the corner with Eli and Cara. They are doing just awesome and I'm so proud. We tried with Brady a little bit again yesterday and although I know he wants to be just like Eli and Cara, his readiness skills are just not there yet. I had a long talk with the pediatrician about Brady yesterday and she was so helpful. She reminded me that Brady, just like Eli and Cara, has his own timeline. It isn't going to be beneficial to let him keep trying before he is ready. By experiencing "failure" when he tries, this may actually make the process even longer. This was not something new to me, but I did think that hearing it come from her gave me a better perspective and helped me feel okay about backing off for a bit.
We have scheduled Brady's regular appointment with the orthopedic surgeon for July. We will be very anxious to see what, if any, changes have taken place with his spinal curve.
And...our camera is on its way back to the Nikon factory as we speak! It won't be long now:)
Showing posts with label potty training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potty training. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Computer and I are Out on the Town
I thought I'd check in and say that I'm still here! I'm sitting right now in a coffee shop with my laptop trying to accomplish something. In a little over a week I'll be speaking to my MOPS group for our final meeting of the year. I feel so humbled to be in a position to share with these amazing women about my life, my faith, and how they both have become so interdependent. I absolutely needed to get out of the house in order to clear my head and be able to really say what I think God wants me to say. When I'm home there is always something else demanding my time. Even when I find the time to sit and work on something, the thoughts of needing to clean something, fold something, or find something weighs on me so heavily that I can't think straight!
So I escaped for a few hours and feel a little bit like a college student sitting here among all the...well...college students! Matt and I used to spend hours in the local coffee shop during our college years. He would study and I would study (actually I would just sit there and try my best not to distract him!)
I continue to try and get the problems with the camera resolved. I have heard no response to my email to customer service, so tomorrow I call!
And a potty training update! Cara and Eli continue to do pretty well! We tried to start with Brady Sunday...and after several sessions of sitting him on the potty for 45 minutes at a time, it just seems like he isn't ready, or doesn't want to be ready! We aren't the type to start something and not see it through, but we just aren't sure how to proceed with that little boy. Oh the trials of toddlerhood.
Tomorrow is Allie's 18-month appointment at the doctor. Wait a minute! That means she turned 18 months old at the beginning of this month! Oops! That one snuck up on me!
Well, back to my project! After all, it's 8:30pm and I'm getting sleepy!
So I escaped for a few hours and feel a little bit like a college student sitting here among all the...well...college students! Matt and I used to spend hours in the local coffee shop during our college years. He would study and I would study (actually I would just sit there and try my best not to distract him!)
I continue to try and get the problems with the camera resolved. I have heard no response to my email to customer service, so tomorrow I call!
And a potty training update! Cara and Eli continue to do pretty well! We tried to start with Brady Sunday...and after several sessions of sitting him on the potty for 45 minutes at a time, it just seems like he isn't ready, or doesn't want to be ready! We aren't the type to start something and not see it through, but we just aren't sure how to proceed with that little boy. Oh the trials of toddlerhood.
Tomorrow is Allie's 18-month appointment at the doctor. Wait a minute! That means she turned 18 months old at the beginning of this month! Oops! That one snuck up on me!
Well, back to my project! After all, it's 8:30pm and I'm getting sleepy!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
I Miss Taking Pictures
I really apologize about how long it has been since I've posted any pictures. I really miss taking pictures of the kids too! I have emailed the camera people, and haven't heard anything back. So now, I'll be calling. Don't they know how much I use that camera?!
I have a positive potty update today. Cara and Eli continue to be doing very well on the potty. We are still in the "telling them to go every 20-30 minute" stage, but they are complying so well and having very few accidents. Brady still seems very uninterested, so I think it is becoming clear to me that some heavy bribing may have to come into play with him. I'm going to see how the weekend goes, and hopefully start with him on Monday.
I started with Cara's eye patching yesterday, but I forgot to do it today! She was so happy to wear it yesterday at first! The boys were totally jealous and we all had a great time pretending to be pirates. But after a few minutes, Cara got very annoyed by the stickiness of the patch, pulled it off, and said "Mommy, I'm all done with this!" This morning, I asked her when she wanted to put her patch on. She replied, "Mo-mmy! I don't want to do that. I can't see a thing with that patch on!" So I decided to wait until later, and then promptly forgot about it all together. Tomorrow is another day.
I have a positive potty update today. Cara and Eli continue to be doing very well on the potty. We are still in the "telling them to go every 20-30 minute" stage, but they are complying so well and having very few accidents. Brady still seems very uninterested, so I think it is becoming clear to me that some heavy bribing may have to come into play with him. I'm going to see how the weekend goes, and hopefully start with him on Monday.
I started with Cara's eye patching yesterday, but I forgot to do it today! She was so happy to wear it yesterday at first! The boys were totally jealous and we all had a great time pretending to be pirates. But after a few minutes, Cara got very annoyed by the stickiness of the patch, pulled it off, and said "Mommy, I'm all done with this!" This morning, I asked her when she wanted to put her patch on. She replied, "Mo-mmy! I don't want to do that. I can't see a thing with that patch on!" So I decided to wait until later, and then promptly forgot about it all together. Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
If You Need Me, I'll Be in the Bathroom
Seriously, if you need me...I think you will be able to find me for the next few weeks sitting on my bathroom floor, waiting for someone to use the potty. If I'm not there, I'll be scrubbing up wet spots off the hardwood floor or carpet. Perhaps you might even find me doing a load of wash! Yes, my friends, I am a potty training mom!
I'm talking like I was here all day dealing with the potty training...and I wasn't! My wonderful mother in law was on duty today as we started Eli off on the potty training adventure! Brady, Cara, and I were in Rochester at appointments, so I thought Eli might enjoy some quiet time and a more relaxed setting to get going (no pun intended).
Eli is a different sort of child than Cara. He has thoughts, many thoughts, that seem to come and go from his little head on a whim. He's up, he's down, he's running around...the phrase I hear myself saying to him over and over is "Focus buddy!" Grandma reported that after sitting on the potty early this morning waiting for the pee to come for close to 30 minutes, Eli promptly stood up from the potty and peed all over the floor. He did have several successes today, so I'm celebrating that and moving on! Cara did a great job while we were out today, but had a few accidents at home, go figure.
Before I go any further, I need to have a minute of honesty here! For the past day or two I've had a pit in my stomach and I feel that familiar enemy gnawing at me. Fear. Ever since Brady told me that his back hurt my mind has been spinning with worry. I'm not sleeping well and I'm just unsettled. He was up last night around midnight just kind of whimpering. He never is up during the night, so I was alarmed. I came down, sat on the floor beside his bed, and just held him. He was never able to tell me what was wrong, but he just wanted to be held. As I laid my hand on his back and prayed, I just asked God to spare him from pain. I asked God to continue to allow my mother's intuition to give me insight and for God to use my worry for good and for it not to overtake me. That's a tall order, but God has done this for me before and I know He can do it again. Brady seems fine other than these two little instances, but a subtle twinge of worry is all a cancer-mom needs to be on red alert!
After Brady's PT appointment this morning, we headed over to Strong for Cara's eye appointment. During the vision part of her exam, she struggled more than ever to use just her left eye (the one she turns away from using) to see things at a distance of about 10 feet. I was covering her right eye and could feel her wanting to turn that left eye away and try to use her right eye. The doctor and I had a long discussion about the cause of this problem, why the surgery in October didn't work, and what we will do next:
1. Cara was born with a weak muscle behind her right eye (the good eye). This muscle imbalance caused that eye to float up and out slightly. I never noticed this, but he documented this at her first two visits before the surgery.
2. An eye imbalance can cause a person to have a sort of double vision. In order to correct this, a child learns to tilt and turn their head in order to only use one eye. Cara chose her right eye.
3. By continually choosing to use her right eye for distance vision, she was thereby weakening the vision in her left eye.
4. In October the surgery attempted to clip the muscle behind the right eye in an effort to weaken it, making it more in balance with the left eye.
5. Sometimes after the surgery, the muscle will heal and reattach itself to the eyeball, making a repeat surgery necessary. This is the doctor's theory for why Cara continues to tilt her head.
So, the next step is to try patching her right eye. She will wear an adhesive patch over her right eye two hours a day. Hopefully this will help train that lazy left eye to become stronger and improve the vision in that eye. We will go back to the doctor in August and if things haven't improved we will consider repeating the operation. I'm still not sure how patching will improve the muscle behind the eye if has reattached itself, but I'm trusting the expert here.
Potty training, cancer/back pain worry, and eye patching! Good times over here at my house. Tomorrow it is just me, my 4 kids, and our problems:) It's a good thing that I just adore these 4 kids so very much. It's also a good thing that I realize in the world of problems, I'm blessed to be dealing with these!
I'm talking like I was here all day dealing with the potty training...and I wasn't! My wonderful mother in law was on duty today as we started Eli off on the potty training adventure! Brady, Cara, and I were in Rochester at appointments, so I thought Eli might enjoy some quiet time and a more relaxed setting to get going (no pun intended).
Eli is a different sort of child than Cara. He has thoughts, many thoughts, that seem to come and go from his little head on a whim. He's up, he's down, he's running around...the phrase I hear myself saying to him over and over is "Focus buddy!" Grandma reported that after sitting on the potty early this morning waiting for the pee to come for close to 30 minutes, Eli promptly stood up from the potty and peed all over the floor. He did have several successes today, so I'm celebrating that and moving on! Cara did a great job while we were out today, but had a few accidents at home, go figure.
Before I go any further, I need to have a minute of honesty here! For the past day or two I've had a pit in my stomach and I feel that familiar enemy gnawing at me. Fear. Ever since Brady told me that his back hurt my mind has been spinning with worry. I'm not sleeping well and I'm just unsettled. He was up last night around midnight just kind of whimpering. He never is up during the night, so I was alarmed. I came down, sat on the floor beside his bed, and just held him. He was never able to tell me what was wrong, but he just wanted to be held. As I laid my hand on his back and prayed, I just asked God to spare him from pain. I asked God to continue to allow my mother's intuition to give me insight and for God to use my worry for good and for it not to overtake me. That's a tall order, but God has done this for me before and I know He can do it again. Brady seems fine other than these two little instances, but a subtle twinge of worry is all a cancer-mom needs to be on red alert!
After Brady's PT appointment this morning, we headed over to Strong for Cara's eye appointment. During the vision part of her exam, she struggled more than ever to use just her left eye (the one she turns away from using) to see things at a distance of about 10 feet. I was covering her right eye and could feel her wanting to turn that left eye away and try to use her right eye. The doctor and I had a long discussion about the cause of this problem, why the surgery in October didn't work, and what we will do next:
1. Cara was born with a weak muscle behind her right eye (the good eye). This muscle imbalance caused that eye to float up and out slightly. I never noticed this, but he documented this at her first two visits before the surgery.
2. An eye imbalance can cause a person to have a sort of double vision. In order to correct this, a child learns to tilt and turn their head in order to only use one eye. Cara chose her right eye.
3. By continually choosing to use her right eye for distance vision, she was thereby weakening the vision in her left eye.
4. In October the surgery attempted to clip the muscle behind the right eye in an effort to weaken it, making it more in balance with the left eye.
5. Sometimes after the surgery, the muscle will heal and reattach itself to the eyeball, making a repeat surgery necessary. This is the doctor's theory for why Cara continues to tilt her head.
So, the next step is to try patching her right eye. She will wear an adhesive patch over her right eye two hours a day. Hopefully this will help train that lazy left eye to become stronger and improve the vision in that eye. We will go back to the doctor in August and if things haven't improved we will consider repeating the operation. I'm still not sure how patching will improve the muscle behind the eye if has reattached itself, but I'm trusting the expert here.
Potty training, cancer/back pain worry, and eye patching! Good times over here at my house. Tomorrow it is just me, my 4 kids, and our problems:) It's a good thing that I just adore these 4 kids so very much. It's also a good thing that I realize in the world of problems, I'm blessed to be dealing with these!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Octopus Arms
If only I could have 8 arms. If only I had an arm to meet every need of everyone in this house all at the same time.
If I had octopus arms today, I could have accomplished the following:
1. Changed Allie's diaper as she rolled around on the changing table with the strength of a bull,
while...
2. Helping Cara get up onto the big potty instead of hearing her scream, "Moooooommmmy! I have to pee, come here! Moooooooommmy, I'M GOING TO PEE!"
while...
3. Answering the phone instead of letting the answering machine pick it up, again,
while...
4. Folding the mound of laundry that is sitting on the dining room table where a perpetual pile of laundry sits every.single.day,
while...
5. Returning the texts, emails, and phone calls from those I have neglected to respond to,
while...
6. Dusting the house that hasn't been dusted since before, ahem, the kids' birthday party,
while...
7. Breaking up the fight between Eli and Brady who are arguing over whose diaper I will change first after I change Allie and help Cara,
while...
8. Did I mention that I didn't use the bathroom from 7:30 until nap time today?
Wow! Keeping up with them and the stuff of life is unbelievably busy! Not every day seems as hectic, but with each new challenge (like potty training), I feel like more and more gets crammed into our already over-flowing days.
So, yes, I do envy the octopus...now that would be multi-tasking!
In other news, tomorrow Cara, Brady, and I will be heading to Rochester very early for a few appointments. Brady has PT and Cara has another appointment with the eye specialist. She continues to turn and tilt her head when looking in the distance. It has gotten no better, but no worse.
I also wanted to document that today for the first time Brady told me that his back hurt. While we were eating dinner I noticed him wincing. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that his back hurt. I didn't get the sense that he was faking, or just repeating something he has heard us say, I think he truly was hurting. That broke my heart. We just recieved a reminder call to schedule our appointment with Dr. Sanders, the orthopedic doctor. This will be a concern to bring up with him. And more importantly, a matter for prayer:)
If I had octopus arms today, I could have accomplished the following:
1. Changed Allie's diaper as she rolled around on the changing table with the strength of a bull,
while...
2. Helping Cara get up onto the big potty instead of hearing her scream, "Moooooommmmy! I have to pee, come here! Moooooooommmy, I'M GOING TO PEE!"
while...
3. Answering the phone instead of letting the answering machine pick it up, again,
while...
4. Folding the mound of laundry that is sitting on the dining room table where a perpetual pile of laundry sits every.single.day,
while...
5. Returning the texts, emails, and phone calls from those I have neglected to respond to,
while...
6. Dusting the house that hasn't been dusted since before, ahem, the kids' birthday party,
while...
7. Breaking up the fight between Eli and Brady who are arguing over whose diaper I will change first after I change Allie and help Cara,
while...
8. Did I mention that I didn't use the bathroom from 7:30 until nap time today?
Wow! Keeping up with them and the stuff of life is unbelievably busy! Not every day seems as hectic, but with each new challenge (like potty training), I feel like more and more gets crammed into our already over-flowing days.
So, yes, I do envy the octopus...now that would be multi-tasking!
In other news, tomorrow Cara, Brady, and I will be heading to Rochester very early for a few appointments. Brady has PT and Cara has another appointment with the eye specialist. She continues to turn and tilt her head when looking in the distance. It has gotten no better, but no worse.
I also wanted to document that today for the first time Brady told me that his back hurt. While we were eating dinner I noticed him wincing. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that his back hurt. I didn't get the sense that he was faking, or just repeating something he has heard us say, I think he truly was hurting. That broke my heart. We just recieved a reminder call to schedule our appointment with Dr. Sanders, the orthopedic doctor. This will be a concern to bring up with him. And more importantly, a matter for prayer:)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Potty Adventures, Take Two!
Potty Training: Day 2: Two BIG thumbs up!
Cara is just awesome! She went on the potty about 20 times today, no accidents at all! We still have to conquer using the potty for well, you know, but I'm not pushing her and just trying to keep things really light and positive!
We even went out to dinner tonight and she didn't have an accident! We put her in a pull-up just because I didn't want her to panic if we were driving and she couldn't get to a potty. She kept the pull-up dry and went potty at the restaurant two times! She is making the whole thing look way too easy:) But my friends, trust me when I tell you, that the boys are going to be harder, much harder to train! She is quite the independent girl and doesn't fall apart when confronted with a challenge. The boys on the other hand will whine and cry when things are hard, and are quick to say, "I can't!" I think Eli will be okay with lots of reminders and encouragement...our dearest Brady on the other hand...there will be battles, many battles!!!
Tomorrow the big kids are taking a little road trip to visit Great Grandma Vera about an hour away. I'm very excited to see how Cara does away from home for so long. I didn't anticipate so many outings when I started this project earlier in the week, but she is doing so well that we will just roll with it!
I am sad to report that our awesome camera is not working right now. I love that camera and it has been so great to have for the past 8 months, but something isn't right with the button you push to take the pictures. I'm looking into it, but sadly will not be able to share pictures for a while:(
Lastly I wanted to share a video from the CNCF (Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation). It is our goal to continually raise awareness about Neuroblastoma and funding for research aimed at improved treatment outcomes for children with this disease. I shared this video on Facebook and wrote that I had never heard of Neuroblastoma before January 21, 2009. My goal is for everyone I know to understand the warning signs and tell at least one other person about this disease. Please take a few minutes to watch this video. It just may save the life of someone you love...
Cara is just awesome! She went on the potty about 20 times today, no accidents at all! We still have to conquer using the potty for well, you know, but I'm not pushing her and just trying to keep things really light and positive!
We even went out to dinner tonight and she didn't have an accident! We put her in a pull-up just because I didn't want her to panic if we were driving and she couldn't get to a potty. She kept the pull-up dry and went potty at the restaurant two times! She is making the whole thing look way too easy:) But my friends, trust me when I tell you, that the boys are going to be harder, much harder to train! She is quite the independent girl and doesn't fall apart when confronted with a challenge. The boys on the other hand will whine and cry when things are hard, and are quick to say, "I can't!" I think Eli will be okay with lots of reminders and encouragement...our dearest Brady on the other hand...there will be battles, many battles!!!
Tomorrow the big kids are taking a little road trip to visit Great Grandma Vera about an hour away. I'm very excited to see how Cara does away from home for so long. I didn't anticipate so many outings when I started this project earlier in the week, but she is doing so well that we will just roll with it!
I am sad to report that our awesome camera is not working right now. I love that camera and it has been so great to have for the past 8 months, but something isn't right with the button you push to take the pictures. I'm looking into it, but sadly will not be able to share pictures for a while:(
Lastly I wanted to share a video from the CNCF (Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation). It is our goal to continually raise awareness about Neuroblastoma and funding for research aimed at improved treatment outcomes for children with this disease. I shared this video on Facebook and wrote that I had never heard of Neuroblastoma before January 21, 2009. My goal is for everyone I know to understand the warning signs and tell at least one other person about this disease. Please take a few minutes to watch this video. It just may save the life of someone you love...
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Ups and Downs
Potty Training: Day 1: 2 Thumbs Up!
I heeded the advice of many-a-mom out there and decided to tackle potty training one at a time. The choice was easy...Cara. She's mature in a way that the boys just aren't. She understands things in a different way, can explain just about anything to us, and I've heard a million times that girls are easier. So, with a package of big-girl-undies in hand, I presented the idea to her and she happily agreed to give it a try:) I explained that if we had a great day potty training then we would paint her toe nails, dark pink of course!
I'll spare you all the potty details, but the great news is that Cara had an excellent first day! She spent many, many minutes in the bathroom. She read books, she sang songs, she wiggled, but she successfully went on the potty about 8 times! We had a couple of accidents, but I was SO proud of her. I was so glad to have Grandma Sandy here today because potty training one while caring for 3 others, and trying to do anything else around the house is a tough chore all alone. Tomorrow I'll go at it again, but for now my sweet big girl is sound asleep with dark pink toenails:)
In other news, Eli threw up all over just before dinner. He laid down for a few minutes, decided to try and come to the dinner table, and threw up again. After a little while he seemed to be back to his old self. My prayers have started that the rest of us would be spared.
It was quite a day! Lots of laundry for sure, but lots of celebrating too!
I heeded the advice of many-a-mom out there and decided to tackle potty training one at a time. The choice was easy...Cara. She's mature in a way that the boys just aren't. She understands things in a different way, can explain just about anything to us, and I've heard a million times that girls are easier. So, with a package of big-girl-undies in hand, I presented the idea to her and she happily agreed to give it a try:) I explained that if we had a great day potty training then we would paint her toe nails, dark pink of course!
I'll spare you all the potty details, but the great news is that Cara had an excellent first day! She spent many, many minutes in the bathroom. She read books, she sang songs, she wiggled, but she successfully went on the potty about 8 times! We had a couple of accidents, but I was SO proud of her. I was so glad to have Grandma Sandy here today because potty training one while caring for 3 others, and trying to do anything else around the house is a tough chore all alone. Tomorrow I'll go at it again, but for now my sweet big girl is sound asleep with dark pink toenails:)
In other news, Eli threw up all over just before dinner. He laid down for a few minutes, decided to try and come to the dinner table, and threw up again. After a little while he seemed to be back to his old self. My prayers have started that the rest of us would be spared.
It was quite a day! Lots of laundry for sure, but lots of celebrating too!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Party Planning and Potty Training
The week is off to a slow and relaxed start! Today we had a great afternoon with "Gramma Lynn." We made Halloween cookies and the kids loved them, well, the frosting and sprinkles at least.
I'm busy working on plans for Allie's first birthday party in just a few weeks. It is really fun spending time doing all the little details that I never had time for doing past parties. When the triplets turned 1, I was just pregnant with Allie and not feeling very well. Their second birthday was last April and we were just back from NYC. Needless to say both parties were kind of thrown together and I always felt pressed for time and energy. I'm so looking forward to celebrating this 1st birthday and be able to take a deep breath and enjoy it!
My other big project coming up is potty training. Can you hear me gasping in fear? This is the one thing I have dreaded since the kids were born. The thought of dragging three kids to and fro the potty all day makes me wonder if we should just move into the bathroom for a few weeks. Will I ever leave?
It seemed as though Cara was completely ready. We have a potty in the bathroom and she can go on command pretty much 100% of the time. She is also obsessed with the idea of wearing panties, so I bought her some. Sunday I put her on the potty, she peed, then I put the new panties on. I explained the whole thing and then set the timer for 30 minutes so I could put her back on the potty. Well, 30 minutes and three puddles later, Cara sat on the potty. She didn't tell us when she peed on the floor, so poor Matt had to have a search and seizure mission. The diaper went back on and I went back to dreading the whole thing:)
I'm sure you are all looking forward to some potty stories over the next few months!
I'm busy working on plans for Allie's first birthday party in just a few weeks. It is really fun spending time doing all the little details that I never had time for doing past parties. When the triplets turned 1, I was just pregnant with Allie and not feeling very well. Their second birthday was last April and we were just back from NYC. Needless to say both parties were kind of thrown together and I always felt pressed for time and energy. I'm so looking forward to celebrating this 1st birthday and be able to take a deep breath and enjoy it!
My other big project coming up is potty training. Can you hear me gasping in fear? This is the one thing I have dreaded since the kids were born. The thought of dragging three kids to and fro the potty all day makes me wonder if we should just move into the bathroom for a few weeks. Will I ever leave?
It seemed as though Cara was completely ready. We have a potty in the bathroom and she can go on command pretty much 100% of the time. She is also obsessed with the idea of wearing panties, so I bought her some. Sunday I put her on the potty, she peed, then I put the new panties on. I explained the whole thing and then set the timer for 30 minutes so I could put her back on the potty. Well, 30 minutes and three puddles later, Cara sat on the potty. She didn't tell us when she peed on the floor, so poor Matt had to have a search and seizure mission. The diaper went back on and I went back to dreading the whole thing:)
I'm sure you are all looking forward to some potty stories over the next few months!
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