Holiday Brunch '09

Every year the Sample fam gets together for Sunday brunch and a holiday play. This year the Charlots were kind enough to host. We had fabulous food and the best champagne I've ever tasted! After the kids opened gifts, we rushed out the door to enjoy The Winter Wonderettes, a Christmas musical at the Broadway Rose Theater. What a great day!

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Daddy's Girl

Linke Fam Photo Bloopers

My incredibly kind mother came over this evening to take our family picture for our annual Christmas card. We knew it was going to be a challenge...and we were right! We ended up with an okay shot thanks to our patience. I won't spoil the surprise by posting it here but thought you'd get a good laugh out of those that didn't make the cut. Not by a long shot!

Happy Holidays!

We's Huntin' Twees!

I know, 3 posts in one day. I'm on fire! Here are the photos from today's Christmas tree adventure. The pictures aren't that great but we made some effort so you'll watch them and enjoy them...or else!

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For Adrienne

(As a reminder...a hat that you bought for Max. I found these in a folder of Alex's Iphone photos.)

Dear Freddies Staff,

Dear Freddies Staff,

First off I wanted to say thanks for the lovely visit to your store earlier today. I quickly found the Christas tree lights that I was looking for and what a treat to see that they were nearly 50% off. The disposable nursing pads and baby food are sure to come in handy as well. Hooray for one-stop-shopping. You're the best!

Um, so, wanted to also say sorry for the baby pajamas that I put back in the yarn aisle....and the rubber tow truck next to the kitchen towels....and the watercolor paint set stuck on top of the round of infant clothes. Oh, and those kissy print tissues? Yeah, I don't even know how those got in the cart but I set them down somewhere near the cat food aisle.

I know, I know, it must be exasperating to find these things all over the store. Did you see that blonde toddler in my cart? You know the one I kept commanding to sit down? Yeah, that guy. Anyway, he has a case of the grabsies. He sees his mama tossing items in the cart and can't comprehed why he can't do the exact same thing. I try to limit items within his grasp I truly do.

Okay, but how cute was it in the Christmas aisle when he saw that train stocking holder, declared "choo, choo!" tossed it in the cart? Remember how he spazzed out when he saw me put it back? I know he has to learn to deal but really sometimes it's easier to avoid that tantrum and just stick the item back when he isn't looking....though it may be 5 aisles away. You may have noted that he didn't even notice that I got rid of any of those items. Which is pause for thought...did he even wonder where they went?

So again, thanks Fred Meyer staff for all the restocking that you had to do in our wake. Max and I had a great time at your fine store. We'll work on the grabsies....promise!

Yours Truly,
Stacey Linke

Daddy Teaches Mya

I'm not sure what he's teaching her but she seems to like it....almost as much as her daddy!

Worshiping False Idols

See the contraption above? It's my new best friend. Why? Because it makes my daughter go nighty-night. We have to pay daycare providers an obscene amount of money to do that. This soother does it for the one-time price of $34.99. I love you Precious Planet Soother.

As you know, Mya has been having a difficult time with sleep recenlty due to her flu, teething, growth spurts, and just because she can. It was around this age with Max that we sleep trained him so that we could put him to bed awake and have him put himself to sleep. My mommy amnesia has stolen away all recollection of how we did this (large amounts of Benadryl?) so we've started anew with Mya.

Currently Mya's bedtime routine is that I swaddle her in her velcro blanket, snuggle her on the My Brest Friend and nurse her to sleep in the rocking chair in her room. Once she is completely asleep I transfer her to her crib. At daycare they lay her in the crib and rock it as needed until she konks out.

My ingenious idea was to buy a crib soother like Max has so that she can start associating that sound and sight with sleep. Unfortunately they don't make his particular brand of soother anymore and I wasn't too impressed with the features and/or reviews of the others that are made. Whatever, I settled on this one and brought it home. I started playing the music while I'm feeding her, hoping that she would start to associate the sounds with comfort and sleep. By golly, it seems to have worked. Last night and tonight I was able to feed her to the music, lay her in bed awake but drowsy, turn on the music and she put herself to sleep. Tonight I fed her swaddle-free and she still put herself to sleep to the music.

Better put batteries on the Costco list!

"Go 'way!"

"Go 'way!" That's Max's favorite new phrase. Guess what? It's not mine. He started using it a few weeks ago. I sternly explained to him that I don't like those words and offered up some suggestions for other words he might use. The reaction to this phrase has escalated over the past few weeks to the point that last night he was in time out for saying it to his sister with a shove. Not cool.

As with everything, it's now always so straightforward. Yesterday in the driveway Max and I were blowing bubbles and he was chasing them down to pop them. He was giggling saying, "go 'way." Sigh. In this instance he's not saying it in a mean spirited way so I let it go.

Today Alex is golfing and it's the wee ones and me. I was changing Max's diaper this morning and he started chanting "go 'way" and bucking his legs. Oh he thought he was hilarious with his big ol' grin. I decided the game is over, became perfectly still and stared him down until the smile came off his face. He wasn't sure what to do. It was the funniest thing. His little eyes darted back and forth and you could tell he was thinking, "Oh crud, she's mad. This isn't what I expected. What do I do now? Is she still staring at me? Yep. This is really uncomfortable." After he stopped I finished changing his diaper. He did try "go 'way" later today and he received the same stare down. Then I just strated talking over him. This seems to be the most effective response.

Hopefully "go 'way" will go away soon.

My guys

It's a good thing she's cute...

I was just pulling these photos off of our camera and it was just what I needed....a reminder of how cute and sweet our baby girl is. She has been driving me insane the past 3 nights by waking every couple of hours and staying up between 2 and 4. I'm assuming that it has something to do with her not feeling well. I think on top of her flu she is about to push through her bottom front teeth. I know she will be glad to get through this period too! Poor sweetie.

Sickos

Uh oh. Max and Mya are both sick. Max woke up from his nap on Saturday feeling warm and by the end of the day had a high fever. He spent yesterday and today home with Daddy. He has been incredibly cuddly and tonight asked Alex if he could go night-night. I laughed as Alex asked him repeatedly, "Night, night? Is that what you said? Are you sure you want to go night night?"

Mya and I have been making it into work and daycare but she fell victim today. I should have guessed it when she woke screeching a midnight. My hope was that she was simply suffering from teething pain. I came back from a meeting this afternoon to a ringing phone. It was Mya's teacher telling me that she had a temp of 102 and needed to be picked up. When I walked into the daycare one of the float teachers was snuggling her in a lobby chair. Mya was nuzzled into her neck making a pool of drool on her jacket. She promptly konked out in the car.

Tomorrow (and likely the following day) I'm up to bat. Wish me luck...as well as a quick recovery for the kids!

Squishy Mya Bear

Here is my Mya. Or, as I call her, Mya Bear. I have no clue where she earned that nickname. I don't suppose she looks much like a bear. Probably just because she's sweet and cuddly like a teddy bear. Mya's other nickname comes from one of the teachers at daycare who calls her Squishy. She has said she doesn't know why. I think it has something to do with her cheeks. Don't they just make you want to plant a kiss on them and feel the squish?

Mya is 6 months old now and getting increasingly active. She's able to grab toys that she wants and hold on to them and play for a good length of time. She log rolls across the room and is starting to sit up with supervision. No teeth yet although it seems like her front lower pair are right there. She naps like a champ and is sleeping through the night up to 10 hours. Overall she's still an incredibly sweet, happy baby who loves to giggle and watch the antics of her big brother Max. We're happy you're part of our family, Squishy Mya Bear!

A Day in the Life

I'm thought I would preserve for posterity's sake a little record of what a typical work day is like at this point in time. Let me start off by saying that I love my family dearly and no effort is too much to make them happy but my oh my this can be exhausting!

5:30/6:00 - Mya wakes. At my request Alex will trudge upstairs and bring her down to me in bed. I nurse her in bed with us while trying to snooze a bit more.

6:15 - Time to get up. Happy Mya lays in bed pulling her fleece swaddle into her mouth or banging her rattle around. I got to the bathroom to get myself ready.

6:30 - My time is up and Alex heads out the door. Bye, honey! Mya and I head upstairs to get her changed and ready.

6:45 - Wakey, wakey Mr. Max! Mya goes into the crib to watch her mobile and I head into his room to wake him up. He slowly wakes and reaches up for me. He tucks his head into my neck and his long legs hang nearly to the floor. My big baby! His first word is either "Daddy?" or "Waffle?"

6:50 - Into the kitchen where I sit my sleepy guy on the counter and we toast him a waffle. Many times Alex has courteously left out the waffles and jam so we're ready to go. Max's job is to say "ta da!" when the waffle pops up. Max's typical breakfast includes a waffle with jam or peanut butter, banana and a cup of milk or watered down juice.

Max sits in his booster at the dining room table and eats a leisurely (and I mean leeeeeiiiiisurely) breakfast. I load my pump supplies, Mya's bottles, changes of clothes, clean blankets, etc. into the car. Back inside I sit Mya in my lap, put her coat on as we chat about what a good job Max is doing of eating his breakfast. By the time he finishes eating Mya is secured in her car seat with her Taggie blanket providing entertainment for her.

7:10 - Max gets wiped down and I convince him that he's done eating. Off to his bedroom we go and begin a wrestling match known as changing his clothes and diaper. I try to convince him how cool his new football shirt is as he clings to his warm jammies to keep me from pulling them off. "On! On!" he cries. Eventually, through sheer determination, I get him dressed. On bad days he may have a meltdown that lasts all the way to the car. However once he's buckled he always admits defeat and quiets down.

7:20 Now that Max is buckled in I run back in for Mya who is calmly sitting in her car seat on the kitchen floor. Let's go, Mya Bear! I snap her in, start up the car and the defroster, then circle the car wiping off the condensation.

7:25 - I can finally see and down the driveway we go! As we pull onto the street we say goodbye to the house, the cats, Elaine and everyone else we can think of. On the car ride there Max and I talk about the sights along the way - fast cars, busses, cement trucks, stuck cars, the Max train, you name it. We exit off the freeway and Max calls out, "Bye, cars. See you later!" All part of the routine!

7:50 - We arrive at daycare, spill out of the car with one bag, one toddler, and one baby in a seat and in we go. First we drop off Mya in the Ladybug Room. Belongings in the cubby, bottles in the fridge, write a "story" about when she last slept and ate and get her settled on a play mat. Loves to Mya and we're off to the Twig Room. Once again it's belongings in the cubby, write a story about when Max slept and into the classroom we go. Max likes to settle in next to the puzzles. We talk about "mommy-come-back" a time or 2 and once he has accepted that I will indeed come back "kiss!" is his goodbye request. Loves to Max and I'm out the door.

Don't forget to log the kids into the computer on your way out!

8:15 I sneak into my office hoping nobody notices how I'm constantly 15 minutes behind my planned arrival time. It hasn't bitten me in the rear yet!

9:00 - Time to stop my work and head down to the Mother's Room to pump. Right now I'm reading A Lesson Before Dying which takes away from the tediousness of the task. I've also completed Run, Ahab's Wife and Three Cups of Tea in the past few months.

12:00, 3:00 - Two more pump sessions in the Mother's Room. I've given up worrying whether it's enough for the next day at daycare. It's always between 75 and 100% of what she eats. I'd say that's pretty good!

4:30 - The best part of the day. Time to head out the door and pick up the kiddos. Don't forget to grab the milk out of the fridge. She'll need that tomorrow!

4:45 - I arrive at daycare, log the kids out, gather them and their belongings up and we head home. Max likes to point out his same landmarks and we guess at what we'll have for dinner.

5:15 - We're home! Daddy has made us dinner and we eat a great meal!

6:00 - Starting to get settled. Time for baths and play time.

6:45 - Mya is getting fussy. Into jammies and it's time for Mommy to nurse her and put her to sleep. She's asleep and in bed by 7:15. I can hear Alex downstairs brushing Max's teeth and getting him into his jammies.

7:30 - Time to tuck Max in. Off to bed you go. Mommy will see you in the morning for waffles. We love you, buddy!

Ahhhh, a little time for Alex and I to catch up. Ugh, don't forget to fill Mya's bottles with milk, label them and wash your pump parts. Pack it all up so that you're not searching for it tomorrow!

9:00 - Usually we're in bed and relaxing. Lights go off at 9:30 and we're asleep by 10.

3:30ish - Mya wakes and requests my company for a feeding. I stumble out of bed, toss on a robe and head upstairs. We snuggle in the glider and I try not to fall asleep. Full yet? Good, Mommy is going back to bed.

5:30/6 - Mya wakes and we start the cycle all over again.

Happy Halloween!

We had a great time trick or treating in our neighborhood tonight. Our friends the Appletons were next door so we went up and down our block with them. After that we hopped in the car to go over and say hi to the Gill family. We couldn't resist visiting a few of the houses on their block too.

Max was thrilled with the idea that you can knock on people's doors and they'll come out and give you candy. He was a bit reluctant to use his words but he made up for that with charm. Who can resist a boy pirate with a pencil thin moustache? Mya was along for the ride and had many admirers. Such a pretty butterfly! Now we just need to figure out what to do with this stash of candy. Hmmmm.....

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Monster March '09

We had a great time at the Monster March today. Shelby, Syd and Tim joined us for the march itself. It was much, much quieter than usual. I'm assuming less people planned on the event due to the weather forecast. However we didn't experience any rain.

Back at the house the Appleton and Wang families joined us for a little treat and playtime. I didn't get any pictures of that because we were all too busy chasing after toddlers. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The boys especially liked the train table.

Syd stuck around for a while longer to hang out with her cousins. She even helped me to give Mya a bath. Thanks, Syd!

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A Great Day

I had a great day with the kids today. This morning Max decided rolling on his sister would be fun and she went crazy with laughter. Apparently his weight isn't enough to crush her. Good to know.

My dad came over in the afternoon. He was able to spend a short amount of time with Mya before she went down for a nap. Max woke up right as Mya went down so we took him outside. He had a blast showing his "papa" all of his favorite outdoor activities. I was really glad that Dad could come over and share some quality time with the kids.

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Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

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Saucer Time

We unearthed the exersaucer from the garage over the weekend. After a good scrubbing, the kids have really been enjoying it. Well, Max more than Mya. He tries to "carry Baby" to lift her out when he decides it's "my turn!".

Here is a shot of each of the kids. Mya is a month or so older than Max in this photo.

Karma Owed Me a Caramel Macchiato

I've decided that there is balance in the world. A few weeks ago I took the kids to Starbucks to meet my sister for a quick coffee break. I had an iced drink, Max had a juice and we shared a blueberry muffin. Somehow the total came to $12. I didn't process it at the time since I was distracted by Max but after I sat down I realized that there was no way my total should have been $12. I had been overcharged by 3 or 4 dollars. I didn't have a receipt, the cashier I had was no longer up there so I decided to suck it up. Just a few days before they had mistakenly given my a venti instead of a grande so, while it may not equate to that, it's just the way it goes when you aren't paying attention. Lesson learned.

Today I took the kiddos to that same Starbucks on our way to the park. We grabbed a chocolate milk for Max and an iced drink for myself. The cashier couldn't get he register screen to pop up...nor could the other girl...so we got both of our drinks for free. That's karma in action, baby!

In other news.....

Had 2 calls from daycare this week. The first was to say that Max had fallen on the playground and had a bruised cheek. I'll say! He has quite the black eye at this point. He's perfectly fine but it certainly gets us looks when we go places. I feel like I have to be super angel mommy to him or people will get the wrong idea. Nooo wiiirre haaaangers!

The other call was saying the Mya had vomited and had a slight fever. Uh oh! She has been just fine since then, however, and we think the slight fever may have to do with the onset of teething. My sweetie pie may have teeth on the way!

Alex talked me into adding some sweet potatoes to Mya's cereal this evening. It was love at first bite. Her limbs were frantic, her mouth poised for more. and her eyes seemed to communicate, "It's about time, Mom! Why've you been holdin' out on me?"

I had my first 4 day work week this past week. My ultimate goal is still 3 days per week but it was admittedly much smoother having all the work days in a row. I had been working M, T, Th for the month of September. I think the continuity makes it easier on the kids as well.

Max picked up his first daycare phrase. "Go away" is usually accompanied by a shove. This doesn't go over so well with me. The kids in his class are generally polite and well behaved. Sigh! It was only a matter of time.

Alex and I are looking forward to spending a half day alone together. Monday is Columbus Day (who knew?!) and a federal holiday that Alex has off. I had enough vacation time to take part of it off so Alex and I are going to meet up at lunch and spend the afternoon together before picking up the kids at the end of the day. We'll grab lunch, maybe catch a movie or do some shopping. I can't wait!

That's about it. Life is good. Here's a photo of the kids so that you can see the start of Max's shiner (his right eye). This was 2 days ago so the bruising has deepened to a lovely palette of navy blue, plum and ochre. His hair is wet and wild from the shower by the way, that's not a perm.

My Turn!

A little flashback to when this toy was purchased: http://motherofmax.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-favorite-things.html

Max was a bit older than Mya, however. She turned 5 months this past weekend and he was nearly 7 months in this post/picture.

Feed Me, Seymour!

Miss Mya started solids this past week. Like most babies, she started off with soupy rice cereal. Although not as revenous as I recall Max to be, she did a great job. It's fun to watch her try and figure out what to do with this mush in her mouth. As of today she's figured it out just fine. She was sitting in my lap as I ate. I put the spoon in front of her mouth and she reacted like a venus flytrap. Rrrraaahr!

Now if only I could remember the progression of when to add baby food into her cereal. I remember that you add vegetables before fruit, wait 3 days before introducing something new, single ingredients to begin with. Ah, I'll figure it out as we go along. It's amazing what stays with you and what doesn't between your first child and your second. This go 'round I'm definitely much more laid back.

My Sister the Bride

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My sister is married! Hooray, the big day arrived and was a great success. Shelby was a gorgeous bride and the event was filled with love and laughter. Couldn't ask for more than that... although the amazing food and weather didn't hurt!

I was lucky enough to serve as her matron of honor and enjoyed spending the day with the girls. We gathered at Mom's house for makeup and hair. Dena, our amazing hairdresser, blew us away by gifting us with our 'dos free of charge. She is a class act as well as a gifted stylist. Be sure to visit her at Salon Demara if you're looking for a salon in the Milwaukie area.

The 3 flower girls (Sydney, Mackenzie and Kiley) were thrilled with their first limo ride to the wedding site. They spent the entire time bouncing in their seats, exclaiming over the features and waving at people outside.

Shelby completed her transformation into a model bride at the site. I'd love to share photos except that my camera battery went dead as we got into the limo. I'll be looking forward to seeing Shelby's professional photos later. Either way I have the memories in my head. All her hard work paid off and it was a beautiful event. Congratulations, Charlot Family!

P.S. My cousin Becca did a lovely post about the wedding which does include a few photos.

Meet Max

I was reading back through my Mother of Max blog and enjoying the entries about Max when he was Mya's age. I have his baby book that I filled out religiously but there is something about the everyday dialogue and memories that give you such a better sense of what he was like at that age. From what I can tell, he was insanely active compared to Mya. That doesn't really surprise me based on their personalities.

After reading through that, I thought I would give myself an occasional snapshot in time of what the kids are like at a certain age. Before I know it Mya will be two and I'll be looking back at this entry!

Meet Max:

Favorite activities: Tractors/trucks/emergency vehicles, hitting golf balls, riding on Daddy's shoulder so that he can "duck!" under trees, spotting airplanes or firetrucks, watching Caillou on Daddy's I-Phone, painting at school, and playing with Syd.

Smarty pants: Can count to 14 but likes to leave 5 out, knows the way to the gelato store as well as the park ;-) , increasing his vocab each and every day!

Favorite phrases: "Mama/Daddy, watch dis!" "I climb, I climb!" "Nooooooo!"

Recent quote: Max is crouched and grunting. "Max, are you pooping?" "No!" "Do you want to sit on the potty?" "No!" The grunting escalates and Max exclaims, "Puuuush!"

Foods he likes: waffles and bananas for breakfast, hot dogs, applesauce, yogurt, juice, ice cream, and cookies.

Things he does not like: Mommy saying goodbye, going to bed, getting in the stroller, being told what to do.

Recent accomplishments: Made the transition to daycare! Every day he does better. By the middle of the 2nd week he told me twice on the car ride there that "yes" he wants to go to school and play with his friends. I'm so incredibly proud of him!

Max is also starting to interact with Mya more and more. He tells her "Good morning, Baby!" in a sing-songy voice, pushes her in the swing, and likes it when she giggles at his jumping antics.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'!

Miss Mya rolled over for the very first time tonight! I came downstairs to the family room and discovered that Mya was laying on her tummy and not on her back as I had left her. Alex and Max were kneeled next to her at the train table. I asked Alex if he had put her on her tummy but no, she had done it on her own. Big girl! She then proceeded to roll over on to her back. Then, as if knowing she had an audience, she rolled back onto her tummy several more times this evening.

I'm proud of her yet admittedly a bit sentimental since my baby is getting bigger. With new abilities come independence. She'll be headed out the door to college before we know it. Yeah, yeah, it's a leap in time but still they say time flies with kids and I believe it's true.

Mya, you'll always be my sweet baby girl!

Photos of the Week

Mya gives Daddy tips on the draft pick. If only there was audio. It was the funniest thing listening to Alex ask Mya which wide receiver he should choose. He's looking up stats on his I-Phone to help them make a decision.


Mya is begining to reach and grab items that catch her eye...such as the ball below. Watch out Max, it's the beginning of the end of your private toy stash.

The staff at her daycare told me how easy Mya falls asleep. I thought maybe they were just trying to make me feel good but apparently they weren't kidding. She was out like a light in the photo below. I did finally have to move her to her bed after Max started walking within inches of her head carrying his trucks. Danger Zone!

Zzzzzzzzzz!

Transition

The Linke family has been undergoing quite a bit of transition lately. After waiting over 2 years, we finally received notice that the daycare at my work had an opening for Max. The only way he got in was because Mya also made it in, giving him sibling status, and moving him to the top of the list. Apparently the center is in such high demand that if you don't get in as an infant your chances are slim of ever getting in. Openings in toddler rooms are typically filled by children in the younger rooms. My understanding is that Max will be the first "outsider" in 2 years in his class.

It has never been my dream to put my children in daycare. In an ideal world I would stay home with them. However there are bills to be paid and we're thankful that we have a great daycare to bring them to.

Mya started up in the Ladybug Room last week. It's a very nice space with a wall full of windows, it's own courtyard area and a semi private sleeping room. Mya's favorite spot is to be perched in the bouncy seat cuddling her blankie. I proudly share that this is the same blankie that I quilted for her out of velboa fabric. For some reason it makes me feel good that the item she is so attached to is something I made for her. Anyway, she has transitioned well and Robyn and Pam, her teachers, take great care of her. I love that I can bring home her daily sheet that tells me exactly when she ate and slept as well as a summary of her day.

Max starts up in the Twig Room on Monday. This is also a very nice space, filled with great activities, a wall full of windows and access to an outdoor play area that is a kids' dream. It's going to be a tougher transition for him since he has become especially attached to me during my leave. Alex and I took him in this past Friday for a little orientation time. He had fun sitting in the circle for music time but was especially thrilled by the paints.

Today I brought him back for a 2.5 hour drop off. He had a tough time watching me go but did well after I left. Karen, the lead teacher, assures me that he will do well. I'm also fond of the kids in his class. None of them have the "just-wait-until-that-teacher-looks-away" vibe about them. 2 of the little girls kissed Mya goodbye when we left today. He has another drop off day on Friday to help ease the transition.

All in all it is going well. It seems to be toughest on me. Although I'm grateful that we have a great place to care for our kids, it's an emotional beating to transition 2 kids at once. I may take up drinking soon. ;-)

Planes!

We decided a day trip was in order and headed out to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. Max was excited to see planes and had a blast running all over. Mya did well and enjoyed taking in the sights. The Linke family on the road....

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Daddy's Home!

I know it's cheesy but this makes me tear up. So, so cute.

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