It really isn't anything to get worried about, but being a parent is sometimes hard. You try to be the best parent you can be, and then get information that you are probably contributing to the problem. It is hard not to feel like a mini failure. Our school has been lucky enough to have had 3 seminars with a very cool teacher, parent, coach, and tutor named Megan Stone. She also has been working with the entire staff at the elementary school to coordinate a complete effort from home to school when it comes to basically empowering kids. Her subject is called Tools for Schools. Part of it is learning and teaching your kids organization techniques, but also just to key the kids into taking control of their schoolwork as though it is their job. Actually, school is their job but it isn't something that they can just sit and enjoy, they need to be an active participant. Where the parents (and me in particular) can throw a wrench into things is how much we take over things for the kids. I solve problems, I set schedules, I remind rather than let happen what will happen in order for the kids to learn from their mistakes.
So last week, I heard basically the same message from two different sources that I need to let Trevor figure things out for himself. This is NOT to say that I ignore questions or talk through issues with him, just that he is the one that has to come up with the questions on his own, if he gets stuck. If he forgets something, gets a poor score on a test, or makes a behavior mistake, it is up to him to figure out how to change it for the future.
One of the big changes is having a weekly meeting, just him and I to discuss the next week of activities and homework. It is a chance to plan out our next week, have him sync up his planner and let me know what he needs from me. We also chat about feelings, highs and lows from the previous week. This week he expressed his fear to me that I was trying to push him out of the nest, basically. He said he thought he would feel very lonely. I reassured him that I wasn't going anywhere, but that it is better to learn these skills now, especially how to remind yourself of something important, rather than continue to depend on me to remind you when I'm not going to be able to drive you to your job and remind you all the things you need for your events in your life. But it was at this meeting that it was very evident how dependent Trevor had become on me. And it was also then when I knew I didn't do a very good job at teaching him independence. Now I know I'm not the worst mother out there. Today on Dr. Phil there was a mother with older teenage kids that she still flossed their teeth for them among many other things. So no, I know I'm not an extreme parent. But today, it was SO hard to bite my tongue and let him go without doing a number of things that I constantly remind him to do.
Another thing that we are going to continue to work on is open communication between his teacher, Trevor, and I. Right now, we primarily communicate via email, and now that Trevor has his own email, he will get cc'd on everything appropriate. The only thing that may not be included are feelings that he might be embarrassed about that he would not feel comfortable directly talking to his teacher about. Really, when you think about it, what good does a parent/teacher conference do when the child isn't there to contribute to the discussion or make plans how to work on his/her own strengths and opportunities?
So here we go. On to a new place. It is interesting to me that when it comes to teaching Gwen these same things, I feel as though she is already ahead of the game. Although she doesn't have homework like Trevor does, she is much more willing to take charge of her things she needs to do for school. Trevor was much more willing to let me help him. I guess it is just the natural differences between the kids, but hopefully when Trevor succeeds with his tasks, it will cause him to take such a big pride in his work that it will be worth the difficult learning times ahead. Only time will tell....
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
I've been away for too long
Once upon a time, I said that once the new year hit, things would slow down for me/our family. Ah....such was the case years ago when the kids didn't have very many after school activities, or even had school all day. But that isn't the case for us anymore. I was looking forward to Trevor having religion class this year and Gwen will start next year, but it seems to throw more of our time away rather than being a good value for us. Not to say we will forgo it, but it just makes us so busy!
So there is school, Chess club, piano lessons, swimming lessons, religion, hockey, dance, the request by the kids to do their after school program twice a week, homework and their own personal play time. Gwen is the only one with time to get together with her friends, and it always happens during the mornings that she doesn't have school. She doesn't have as much time taken up by activities, but rather than being run to errands all the time, she prefers to hang out. I think they would be more likely to get together with friends if we lived in a neighborhood where the kids were within walking distance of a good friend.
But what has been going on with the kids over the past few weeks? We had conferences, and the kids got their semester report card. Trevor's was not surprising. He continues to do very well academically, and needs to work on slowing down...taking his time...and really understanding what is being taught. He has a wonderful teacher, and we are so blessed to have her willing to work with us to find out what works best for everyone.
Gwen...well, Gwen is Gwen. Honestly, I was shocked at her report card. After her fall conferences, I finally felt at peace with the decision to send her early. She seemed to be fitting in both socially and academically. Now...with the report card, I'm still not understanding how she could be doing so well. They don't have grades. They simply explain if she meets the standards for Kindergarten. If she tests above those requirements, she can get an "exceeding expectations" score. It is the same numbering score as Trevor, the simply have different requirements. I made darn sure to not compare kids, especially since I don't want to make it a competition. These kids are SO different. But it seems as though Gwen is meant for school. She is in a wonderful mix of kids, she is being challenged, and her teacher really enjoys what she adds to the mix of kids. She loves going every day and talks about how she wants to go the entire day. Hopefully we can continue the momentum next year. That will be a very tricky thing.
After conferences, I went to Vero Beach, FL for a moms only weekend. It was interesting to be away from the family during a somewhat busy time. 3 other moms and myself decided to stay at a very nice spa/hotel right on the ocean for 3 nights. While we had no interest in the spa itself, it was such a nice hotel facility. The offered free coffee and tea in the morning, hot chocolate early afternoon and wine in the evening. The area of the city we stayed in was really quiet. We found out the first few hours we were there, the city motto was: "Home of the newly-wed and almost-dead". Because it wasn't heavy honeymoon season, there were a lot of elderly people there. While we were there, at the hotel I think we came across 3 families, one of which were from Spain I believe. They were European at least. We had such a good time, simply laying in the sun, eating really good food, or enjoying live or DJed music in the local watering holes. However, even there, we were lucky to see 20 other people. I have no idea how these places can stay in business. I guess they depend on the off-season slow down when they have peak timing. We also stayed a block away from a hotel owned by Gloria Estefan. If we ever go back, we'll have to look at that place. But really, there wasn't anything to complain about. We didn't have to worry about the kids. We could simply de-stress. And I came back completely de-stressed. It was SOOOOO nice. Add to it a few hot yoga sessions and I can continue the good feeling for a few more weeks until we go back as a family at the end of March.
So while this isn't a lot of new information, I figure I'd at least acknowledge that I need to get back on the blogging wagon. Its time for the annual not-exactly-valentines-day-celebration-but kinda..... nice dinner and a movie! Yipee!!!
So there is school, Chess club, piano lessons, swimming lessons, religion, hockey, dance, the request by the kids to do their after school program twice a week, homework and their own personal play time. Gwen is the only one with time to get together with her friends, and it always happens during the mornings that she doesn't have school. She doesn't have as much time taken up by activities, but rather than being run to errands all the time, she prefers to hang out. I think they would be more likely to get together with friends if we lived in a neighborhood where the kids were within walking distance of a good friend.
But what has been going on with the kids over the past few weeks? We had conferences, and the kids got their semester report card. Trevor's was not surprising. He continues to do very well academically, and needs to work on slowing down...taking his time...and really understanding what is being taught. He has a wonderful teacher, and we are so blessed to have her willing to work with us to find out what works best for everyone.
Gwen...well, Gwen is Gwen. Honestly, I was shocked at her report card. After her fall conferences, I finally felt at peace with the decision to send her early. She seemed to be fitting in both socially and academically. Now...with the report card, I'm still not understanding how she could be doing so well. They don't have grades. They simply explain if she meets the standards for Kindergarten. If she tests above those requirements, she can get an "exceeding expectations" score. It is the same numbering score as Trevor, the simply have different requirements. I made darn sure to not compare kids, especially since I don't want to make it a competition. These kids are SO different. But it seems as though Gwen is meant for school. She is in a wonderful mix of kids, she is being challenged, and her teacher really enjoys what she adds to the mix of kids. She loves going every day and talks about how she wants to go the entire day. Hopefully we can continue the momentum next year. That will be a very tricky thing.
After conferences, I went to Vero Beach, FL for a moms only weekend. It was interesting to be away from the family during a somewhat busy time. 3 other moms and myself decided to stay at a very nice spa/hotel right on the ocean for 3 nights. While we had no interest in the spa itself, it was such a nice hotel facility. The offered free coffee and tea in the morning, hot chocolate early afternoon and wine in the evening. The area of the city we stayed in was really quiet. We found out the first few hours we were there, the city motto was: "Home of the newly-wed and almost-dead". Because it wasn't heavy honeymoon season, there were a lot of elderly people there. While we were there, at the hotel I think we came across 3 families, one of which were from Spain I believe. They were European at least. We had such a good time, simply laying in the sun, eating really good food, or enjoying live or DJed music in the local watering holes. However, even there, we were lucky to see 20 other people. I have no idea how these places can stay in business. I guess they depend on the off-season slow down when they have peak timing. We also stayed a block away from a hotel owned by Gloria Estefan. If we ever go back, we'll have to look at that place. But really, there wasn't anything to complain about. We didn't have to worry about the kids. We could simply de-stress. And I came back completely de-stressed. It was SOOOOO nice. Add to it a few hot yoga sessions and I can continue the good feeling for a few more weeks until we go back as a family at the end of March.
So while this isn't a lot of new information, I figure I'd at least acknowledge that I need to get back on the blogging wagon. Its time for the annual not-exactly-valentines-day-celebration-but kinda..... nice dinner and a movie! Yipee!!!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Hot hot hot yoga
Not sure how many people have ever heard of hot yoga before. I had through some people that I golf with. One of the people there is also an instructor. I wasn't really sure if it was something I could do during the summer, but it sounded very intriguing during the winter. I knew there were a lot of different places that did it, although there are a lot of places that don't only do hot yoga, just variations of yoga and do have hot yoga in the mix. There have been groupons and other deals that have come into my email that I have checked out, but it looked like it was going to be something that was going to have to wait until Gwen was in school full time. The times they usually have sessions were early morning, morning, lunchtime, or evening. That 1-2 didn't seem like anyone was offering it. So I kept it in the back of my mind, and didn't really pay any attention to it.
In having conversations with various people, it kept coming to my mind. Another groupon thing came to my email that was very inexpensive, for an unlimited two month membership to an exclusive hot yoga place. That's all they do. Their room is 105 degrees and it only is about 15 minutes from my house. I figured I would jump. I knew that it wasn't going to be perfect, but with Gwen trading playdates every week with a girl from her class, I figured I would at least try it and then try to make it work when I could during the weekend, early mornings if I had to. Now, after purchasing clothing, gathering the necessary equipment over the holidays from birthday and Christmas gifts, I was nervous, but ready to try it out.
I first went the day before my first workout to know where I was going and get registered. Gwen came with me, and she was excited for me too. I think if I let her into the room, she probably immediately would have not liked it as much, but she knew that I was really pumped, so I knew that was what she was reacting to. Ever since that day, before I had even gone, she was telling everyone she saw that I was doing hot yoga.
So the time had come...I did my best to try to fit in, and also let the instructor know that I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I was not flexible and completely out of shape because I had never, never, NEVER done anything in order to be in shape or be flexible. At least in the summer, I can claim some muscle movement due to golf and walking the course. The instructor assured me that I picked the right session to start with because it was a much slower paced class than some of their others. Also, since it was in the morning, there were fewer people and more space to pick where you wanted to be compared to their afternoon and evening classes.
I got into the class and picked my spot and relaxed on the mat. What a wonderful feeling...like being in a sauna. This was Friday, before the cold snap, so I wasn't chilled, but even if I had, that would all be out the window as soon as I entered the room. During the session, I was confused on many occasions, trying to make sure I heard and processed what we were supposed to be doing, and I was dripping sweat within a matter of minutes. They had a midpoint break, and towards the end, I felt I had probably pushed myself hard enough and had to rest for a bit. At the end...I felt so warm and relaxed and sooo....pumped on endorphins probably. It is a hard feeling to describe. I'm guessing it is that feeling that marathoners or people who do races get when they are finished with their event. I hear it a lot from people that have decided to take up running. That the first time someone does a 5K, it is addictive and you want to do more. I can only guess that that feeling is what I felt. I knew I could never do running, but I'm glad I found something that gives me that feeling. It puts me in a better mood, and I feel so warm for many hours after the session. I went back on Sunday morning, and while that was a very cold day, it didn't feel so bad to me. But also when I went back on Sunday, I had a different instructor, fewer people in class and it was even slower and not as difficult for me to know what was being done and yet this time, I really felt it in my muscles. Even today, two days later, I'm still sore. In my neck, shoulders, and hamstrings. It is cool to think that I could become more flexible and get this wonderful feeling maybe once or twice a week. Maybe it will help my golf game. I'm glad I took a chance and did it.
In having conversations with various people, it kept coming to my mind. Another groupon thing came to my email that was very inexpensive, for an unlimited two month membership to an exclusive hot yoga place. That's all they do. Their room is 105 degrees and it only is about 15 minutes from my house. I figured I would jump. I knew that it wasn't going to be perfect, but with Gwen trading playdates every week with a girl from her class, I figured I would at least try it and then try to make it work when I could during the weekend, early mornings if I had to. Now, after purchasing clothing, gathering the necessary equipment over the holidays from birthday and Christmas gifts, I was nervous, but ready to try it out.
I first went the day before my first workout to know where I was going and get registered. Gwen came with me, and she was excited for me too. I think if I let her into the room, she probably immediately would have not liked it as much, but she knew that I was really pumped, so I knew that was what she was reacting to. Ever since that day, before I had even gone, she was telling everyone she saw that I was doing hot yoga.
So the time had come...I did my best to try to fit in, and also let the instructor know that I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I was not flexible and completely out of shape because I had never, never, NEVER done anything in order to be in shape or be flexible. At least in the summer, I can claim some muscle movement due to golf and walking the course. The instructor assured me that I picked the right session to start with because it was a much slower paced class than some of their others. Also, since it was in the morning, there were fewer people and more space to pick where you wanted to be compared to their afternoon and evening classes.
I got into the class and picked my spot and relaxed on the mat. What a wonderful feeling...like being in a sauna. This was Friday, before the cold snap, so I wasn't chilled, but even if I had, that would all be out the window as soon as I entered the room. During the session, I was confused on many occasions, trying to make sure I heard and processed what we were supposed to be doing, and I was dripping sweat within a matter of minutes. They had a midpoint break, and towards the end, I felt I had probably pushed myself hard enough and had to rest for a bit. At the end...I felt so warm and relaxed and sooo....pumped on endorphins probably. It is a hard feeling to describe. I'm guessing it is that feeling that marathoners or people who do races get when they are finished with their event. I hear it a lot from people that have decided to take up running. That the first time someone does a 5K, it is addictive and you want to do more. I can only guess that that feeling is what I felt. I knew I could never do running, but I'm glad I found something that gives me that feeling. It puts me in a better mood, and I feel so warm for many hours after the session. I went back on Sunday morning, and while that was a very cold day, it didn't feel so bad to me. But also when I went back on Sunday, I had a different instructor, fewer people in class and it was even slower and not as difficult for me to know what was being done and yet this time, I really felt it in my muscles. Even today, two days later, I'm still sore. In my neck, shoulders, and hamstrings. It is cool to think that I could become more flexible and get this wonderful feeling maybe once or twice a week. Maybe it will help my golf game. I'm glad I took a chance and did it.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Oops...there went half of January!
The holidays seemed to get away from me pretty quick this year. Or I should say blogging about the holidays and after seemed to get away from me pretty quick. This year was pretty similar to past years. Christmas Eve mass, with dinner and gifts at Vicky's. Then Christmas morning at our house, so Santa can come and visit. Then Christmas afternoon and evening dinner with my folks for my birthday and gifts, and then the day after it was ice skating, dinner and gifts at Jerry's house. It just so happened that Russ's alumni hockey game was that morning, so we watched Russ skate at his old home rink while the kids and I huddled under my new fleece Bears blanket, also under the barely warm heaters.
The next day was Vicky's 12/12/12 birthday celebration so that everyone could come and visit. We saw some out-of-town guests that we don't get a chance to see very often and got ready for Trevor's hockey practices and games. Gwen had caught yet another cold, so we spent 120 minutes at the minute clinic to get a prescription for an ear infection before driving out to the lake for New Years weekend. We got to see a few more families there before heading back on New Years Day since the kids had school the next day and my parents left for Florida that morning.
The kids got spoiled and the family got some new toys that we are still trying to work the kinks out of. But it was a wonderful holiday season to spend as a family. It was hard to get thrown right back into the heavy routine of all the activities the kids have. I decided to finally cave and let the kids try out the after school program that working families sometimes use. I knew it would save me a trip to school on Mondays since Trevor already stays after for Chess club and also knew I couldn't get away with only letting Gwen use it since Trevor had been asking too. So now, twice a week, I get an extra hour and a half without the kids. Assuming the weather is nice enough, the kids also have the option of going outside and being on the playground. Gwen used that to its full potential on her first day and was complaining that I should leave again to give her more outside time. It's a pretty sweet deal for me!
Russ went on a little vacation with his dad and brother to play baseball with the Twins. Sounds like they had a blast and only got rained out one day. He was gone 10 days, over the stretch of two weekends. That was a strange adjustment having him gone on the weekends. Poor Gwen didn't like all the extra hockey things she had to come along for. Trevor ended up asking to not play in a hockey game on Saturday because he came down with a bad cold. I was watching for a fever, but it never occurred, thankfully. Even with most of the entire day that we never left the house, it was such an exhausting two weekends. But it does keep the time flying by.
Now, since the holidays are over, it is already time to start thinking about the summer. By the end of the month, the summer programs are usually published and we already have the traveling baseball tryout dates. It always makes me feel a little warmer to start pushing forward towards summer, after the holidays. There is a lot to get done to make it through to that point next!
The next day was Vicky's 12/12/12 birthday celebration so that everyone could come and visit. We saw some out-of-town guests that we don't get a chance to see very often and got ready for Trevor's hockey practices and games. Gwen had caught yet another cold, so we spent 120 minutes at the minute clinic to get a prescription for an ear infection before driving out to the lake for New Years weekend. We got to see a few more families there before heading back on New Years Day since the kids had school the next day and my parents left for Florida that morning.
The kids got spoiled and the family got some new toys that we are still trying to work the kinks out of. But it was a wonderful holiday season to spend as a family. It was hard to get thrown right back into the heavy routine of all the activities the kids have. I decided to finally cave and let the kids try out the after school program that working families sometimes use. I knew it would save me a trip to school on Mondays since Trevor already stays after for Chess club and also knew I couldn't get away with only letting Gwen use it since Trevor had been asking too. So now, twice a week, I get an extra hour and a half without the kids. Assuming the weather is nice enough, the kids also have the option of going outside and being on the playground. Gwen used that to its full potential on her first day and was complaining that I should leave again to give her more outside time. It's a pretty sweet deal for me!
Russ went on a little vacation with his dad and brother to play baseball with the Twins. Sounds like they had a blast and only got rained out one day. He was gone 10 days, over the stretch of two weekends. That was a strange adjustment having him gone on the weekends. Poor Gwen didn't like all the extra hockey things she had to come along for. Trevor ended up asking to not play in a hockey game on Saturday because he came down with a bad cold. I was watching for a fever, but it never occurred, thankfully. Even with most of the entire day that we never left the house, it was such an exhausting two weekends. But it does keep the time flying by.
Now, since the holidays are over, it is already time to start thinking about the summer. By the end of the month, the summer programs are usually published and we already have the traveling baseball tryout dates. It always makes me feel a little warmer to start pushing forward towards summer, after the holidays. There is a lot to get done to make it through to that point next!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Trevor growing up
Since the wonderful Monday luck that I had a little over a week ago, many things have changed. Mostly our luck...but we'll start with the first big event. Trevor had a well-check for being 9 years old. Not really surprisingly, the kid is growing up, literally, quite fast. I was asking if he would please start to slow down, at which the doctor explained that no...he goes faster before finally slowing down. So he's now less than a foot away from over taking me. 92nd percentile for height and 76th percentile for weight. Not exactly a string bean, but he's leaned out over the years. We had a little conversation about how he'll probably be the tallest one in our immediate family and I don't think the idea really makes sense to him. I'm guessing its one of those things you can't really imagine what it would be like to be that big. I don't know that I ever really thought about it. I was usually one of the tallest girls in my class. Anyway....it was a good appointment and we had some good conversations about what is expected for his age.
Then, this past week, the kids have been pretty pumped to get close enough to Christmas to see it coming within a week. Unfortunately, Gwen got a bad cold starting on Monday night. She had a low grade fever, and didn't have any energy on Tuesday. So I explained she wouldn't be going to school. She was SO mad at me. She was crying "Mommy, PLEASE can I go to school. I REALLY want to!" Man, if I could have recorded that conversation to play for her later. It really gives me a peace of mind that we made the right choice for her this year. She got better that day and night so she was able to go to school the next day. So on Wednesday when she went to school so was so happy.
As a side note to all of this: Russ and I volunteered to help with the winter party in class on Thursday. They were playing a game that put the kids in a line to hand the game to the player sitting behind them. The class spontaneously chanted "cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-CHA" while sitting down and their teacher remarked...."this class is so fun...they will be remembered as the class that spontaneously breaks out to cha-cha." Russ and I see it too. The kids get along very well as a class, have fun and still know how to get down to business and do what is expected of them.
So on Wednesday, our traditionally busy day, we went from school to swimming to religion class. Trevor reported that he got two rocket rewards that day...at the beginning of the school day. The kids got their last day of swimming classes in, and we had to run to church after eating a quick dinner in the car so they could practice for Christmas Eve mass: bringing the nativity characters up to the manger. We made it just in time to practice and then get back home for a half hour before religion. This religion class was really just their Christmas party, which I volunteered to help for. When I got to his class, it turned out that they had more than enough people to help organize the snacks for the party. So we tried to get as much done as we could, but there was a lot of waiting around. Then my special time happened. The religion leader came in looking for someone to help drive a person that came in for confession, but broke their key off in their car lock and needed a ride back home to get their spare set of keys. I jumped at the chance. It was a perfect opportunity to pay it forward since I was the one in need just a week prior. The woman offered to pay me for gas, but I declined. She then said that she would pray for me and my family, and that was something I could accept. She needed a ride about 5 miles away and back, but we got back in plenty of time to do what was needed to help for the party.
I had a chat with Trevor about how lucky I felt to be able to pay my help back to someone that needed it. Because of his day of rocket rewards, and my luck he thought maybe it was just a lucky day for the Johnson family. I said that because of Gwen being able to get back to school that day, I knew she would agree that it was a great day for her as well. We decided that because Russ was in town to enjoy the day, that would be his lucky day as well.
So the kids are now off of school until next year. It started off with Gwen having a difficult sleeping night last night with her cough but she seems to be handling it ok. Trevor has been playing Ninjago/Lego Friends with her nicely for most of the morning and we have activities to get them through most of the next week. Christmas will be here quick! Happy Holidays everyone!
Then, this past week, the kids have been pretty pumped to get close enough to Christmas to see it coming within a week. Unfortunately, Gwen got a bad cold starting on Monday night. She had a low grade fever, and didn't have any energy on Tuesday. So I explained she wouldn't be going to school. She was SO mad at me. She was crying "Mommy, PLEASE can I go to school. I REALLY want to!" Man, if I could have recorded that conversation to play for her later. It really gives me a peace of mind that we made the right choice for her this year. She got better that day and night so she was able to go to school the next day. So on Wednesday when she went to school so was so happy.
As a side note to all of this: Russ and I volunteered to help with the winter party in class on Thursday. They were playing a game that put the kids in a line to hand the game to the player sitting behind them. The class spontaneously chanted "cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-CHA" while sitting down and their teacher remarked...."this class is so fun...they will be remembered as the class that spontaneously breaks out to cha-cha." Russ and I see it too. The kids get along very well as a class, have fun and still know how to get down to business and do what is expected of them.
So on Wednesday, our traditionally busy day, we went from school to swimming to religion class. Trevor reported that he got two rocket rewards that day...at the beginning of the school day. The kids got their last day of swimming classes in, and we had to run to church after eating a quick dinner in the car so they could practice for Christmas Eve mass: bringing the nativity characters up to the manger. We made it just in time to practice and then get back home for a half hour before religion. This religion class was really just their Christmas party, which I volunteered to help for. When I got to his class, it turned out that they had more than enough people to help organize the snacks for the party. So we tried to get as much done as we could, but there was a lot of waiting around. Then my special time happened. The religion leader came in looking for someone to help drive a person that came in for confession, but broke their key off in their car lock and needed a ride back home to get their spare set of keys. I jumped at the chance. It was a perfect opportunity to pay it forward since I was the one in need just a week prior. The woman offered to pay me for gas, but I declined. She then said that she would pray for me and my family, and that was something I could accept. She needed a ride about 5 miles away and back, but we got back in plenty of time to do what was needed to help for the party.
I had a chat with Trevor about how lucky I felt to be able to pay my help back to someone that needed it. Because of his day of rocket rewards, and my luck he thought maybe it was just a lucky day for the Johnson family. I said that because of Gwen being able to get back to school that day, I knew she would agree that it was a great day for her as well. We decided that because Russ was in town to enjoy the day, that would be his lucky day as well.
So the kids are now off of school until next year. It started off with Gwen having a difficult sleeping night last night with her cough but she seems to be handling it ok. Trevor has been playing Ninjago/Lego Friends with her nicely for most of the morning and we have activities to get them through most of the next week. Christmas will be here quick! Happy Holidays everyone!
Friday, December 14, 2012
One of those days
There actually haven't seemed to be that many unlucky days in my life. So maybe I was due for one. Regardless, last Monday was it. It started on Sunday afternoon when I went to try out a refurbished snow blower that was given to us since our one that we had been using was also broken. I wanted to make sure I knew how to use it since Russ would be traveling that week. Well, after 4 runs of the driveway, I broke it. Russ tried to fix it, but when he did, the auger didn't move. Boy did I feel bad that I had already rendered it useless in the middle of a big snowstorm. Thankfully, Russ finished the job with a shovel.
Then, in the morning, when I was getting ready to take the kids to school, the van was starting funny. I thought it was due to the temperature, and just that it needed to warm up. I was able to get Trevor off to school before Gwen and I were off to run our errands. We stopped at a local bank, then went across the street to do our grocery shopping. After the groceries were back in the car, the car decided to not start for me. *Sigh* Getting the car looked at was on the list of things to do this week, because it was also in need of an oil change. But of course it had to happen right after a snow storm. So when I called roadside assistance, they were backed up. I started off asking for a jump because they said it would be quicker. But when they quoted two hours and said I had to be with the car when they came, I cancelled the service. I had them tow it, instead. That was another 4 hours but at least I didn't have to be with the car. I had them tow it to the service dealership so it could be serviced for other things as well.
Then we went in the grocery store to see if we could get a cab to take us home. Nope. The cab companies the grocery store suggested were booked and not taking any calls, or disconnected. Then I made the call list through my phone book and found a willing friend to pick us up and drive us home. Since we had another car, I got reorganized and took Gwen back to the car so we could pick up our groceries. Got those, got on with the day, and when the dealership called, I was told that it was the battery that needed changing and that once that was fixed, it was fine. I asked to get the key automatic door openers looked at, and an oil change.
When I went to pick Trevor up from school after chess club, I made the mistake of putting the mail on top of the car and forgot to take it off. It blew all over the road and I didn't recover all of it. So I decided that that was my three things that were going to happen to me that day. Unfortunately, on Tuesday when I went to get the car, they didn't understand about the key and said I would need to leave it there longer, (to which I said no thanks), the car still isn't starting like it should, and two of the tires are low on air, which should have been taken care of with the oil change. *sigh* So that means another discussion with the service station. Hopefully someone will listen to a dissatisfied customer. And hopefully the car continues to actually start until next week. Russ is home until the new year, so we need both cars during some scheduling conflicts.
On to Christmas! I want some more fun times please!
Then, in the morning, when I was getting ready to take the kids to school, the van was starting funny. I thought it was due to the temperature, and just that it needed to warm up. I was able to get Trevor off to school before Gwen and I were off to run our errands. We stopped at a local bank, then went across the street to do our grocery shopping. After the groceries were back in the car, the car decided to not start for me. *Sigh* Getting the car looked at was on the list of things to do this week, because it was also in need of an oil change. But of course it had to happen right after a snow storm. So when I called roadside assistance, they were backed up. I started off asking for a jump because they said it would be quicker. But when they quoted two hours and said I had to be with the car when they came, I cancelled the service. I had them tow it, instead. That was another 4 hours but at least I didn't have to be with the car. I had them tow it to the service dealership so it could be serviced for other things as well.
Then we went in the grocery store to see if we could get a cab to take us home. Nope. The cab companies the grocery store suggested were booked and not taking any calls, or disconnected. Then I made the call list through my phone book and found a willing friend to pick us up and drive us home. Since we had another car, I got reorganized and took Gwen back to the car so we could pick up our groceries. Got those, got on with the day, and when the dealership called, I was told that it was the battery that needed changing and that once that was fixed, it was fine. I asked to get the key automatic door openers looked at, and an oil change.
When I went to pick Trevor up from school after chess club, I made the mistake of putting the mail on top of the car and forgot to take it off. It blew all over the road and I didn't recover all of it. So I decided that that was my three things that were going to happen to me that day. Unfortunately, on Tuesday when I went to get the car, they didn't understand about the key and said I would need to leave it there longer, (to which I said no thanks), the car still isn't starting like it should, and two of the tires are low on air, which should have been taken care of with the oil change. *sigh* So that means another discussion with the service station. Hopefully someone will listen to a dissatisfied customer. And hopefully the car continues to actually start until next week. Russ is home until the new year, so we need both cars during some scheduling conflicts.
On to Christmas! I want some more fun times please!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Starting our Christmas season
This year, we have just started our Christmas season, but already done so much in the way of changing things a little bit here or there. First off, on Black Friday we happened to go and see Wreck it Ralph at a nearby mall, and when we came out, we noticed Santa's line was really short, so rather than find another day to come out and visit, we went and saw him. I put the photograph in the frame this weekend and noticed that we only missed one year, the year Trevor was 2. But we've seen the same Santa for all but one year. Usually it is some time in December but I'm happy not to have to make another trip out there.
Speaking of Santa, I finally gave in to Trevor's asking about Santa. I have read about parents writing a letter to their kids about Santa and have a blogging friend that used one last year for her daughter that seemed to fit well with us (Thanks Erika!). Here's what it said:
So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too. I love you and I always will.
Love, Mom
Speaking of Santa, I finally gave in to Trevor's asking about Santa. I have read about parents writing a letter to their kids about Santa and have a blogging friend that used one last year for her daughter that seemed to fit well with us (Thanks Erika!). Here's what it said:
Dear Trevor,
You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”
I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.
The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.
I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Dad helps, too.) I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.
This won’t make you Santa, though. Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.
It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.
Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.
You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”
I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.
The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.
I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Dad helps, too.) I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.
This won’t make you Santa, though. Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.
It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.
Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.
Before you go around telling your sister, or friends that
there is no Santa, be careful because believing in Santa is all about believing
in a Christmas miracle, and destroying someone else’s belief is a very sad
thing to do. If someone asks me if I
believe in Santa, I honestly say “YES” because I do believe in all the
Christmas miracles that the idea of Santa brings. I don’t know if this helps you understand why
there is a belief in Santa until you are a parent, but hopefully it is a start.
So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too. I love you and I always will.
Love, Mom
He didn't get the letter before we visited him, but he also didn't say anything that I'm aware of. I also didn't give him the letter before his sleepover party on Thursday night, but I did hear the boys talking about it that night. I hope Trevor didn't ruin anyone's Christmas spirit! So when he read the letter, he seemed very happy and told me that he wouldn't go spilling the beans to anyone else. He thinks that when Gwen knows, we'll stop doing a lot of the traditions that make Christmas fun.
What is interesting about this whole thing to me though, is that we still have our Elf on the Shelf (Frankincense) that comes around and I think...like his toys, he still has a hard time fully believing that they don't come to life when we aren't watching. A few months ago he told me that he can't throw away his character toothbrushes because of what happened in Toy Story 3. He has such an imagination that while he has loved to create his own stories with his toys, its hard to switch off that imagination switch when it comes to seeing the toys portrayed as real things when no one is watching.
Gwen has been loving the Christmas changes in our house and taking full advantage of the new music selections on both the radio and the CDs that we have. Her favorite is a Kids Bop Christmas CD that we have already listened to 5 times and it has only been out for 3 days. Her dance class is starting to prepare for their Winter Show in January, and they are performing "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" but if she hears the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, she actually still remembers most of the moves from that recital as well.
We have only seen 2 movies of our Christmas collection - both Grinch movies. She has been playing with the Christmas ornaments and as a side note, we were putting the ornaments up and Trevor opened his Lightning McQueen and Toy Story ones, and saying that they didn't have hooks on them. I explained that he never let us put hooks on them because he always played with them instead, so he took them out of the box and put them by the doll house to be used as a toy. Gwen, of course, picked up right where he left off. She undecorates and redecorates the tree. She has a lot of princess ornaments and so with the lights, they put on a show...usually some kind of dance number. Now that Frankincense is here, she also wants to give him part of her Advent Calendar chocolate the way Trevor has the past few years. At least, that is what she said this morning...and then she ate both pieces.
She also is enjoying the books that come out too. I somewhat forgot about those and got more library books so I've read her favorite books, but she has some other new books (American Girl Doll books) that we have been reading as well.
So with all that, I believe we are in the Christmas spirit. The kids are again slotted for bringing up Mary and Joseph for the manger scene at church on Christmas Eve. This will be Trevor's last year bringing a character. He can bring other things, but they listed pre-k to 3rd grade. His comment is, why does church have to be so long that day? He's used to Children's Liturgy where the kids get to go out of the service to have their own discussion about the readings. It's a nice break for them so that they don't have to be still for the entire hour. But that doesn't happen on Christmas Eve. Hard to believe it's only 3 weeks away. I gotta get on the shopping bandwagon! I'm probably very behind!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Trevor's parties
Well, we had three of them. Technically, I don't know that you would call his actual birthday a party since it was just the family. Regardless...it was something else I had to organize. We had his family party on Sunday prior to his day. It was a day for the Bears vs. Vikings football game....glorious game. We watched it and when the Bears won, Trevor quickly removed his Vikings jersey only to prove that he was cheering for both teams and had his Bears jersey underneath.
Trevor wanted his traditional spaghetti (two years now) dinner instead of pizza or lasagna. We ate, sang happy birthday and opened gifts. After that, it was time to clean up and get ready for school the next morning, so he didn't really get a long chance to play with his gifts. He opened his character Ninjago sets because those he could put together quickly and play with. This Sunday was the last day of the kids' 5 day break from school. So we had to make sure we were ready to go the next day.
On Tuesday, we had spaghetti again, and he got his gifts from us. This time, he had to run to hockey practice and since Monday is going from school to chess to dance class (for Gwen, not for Trevor), he hadn't had any chance to play with his gifts until Thursday (Wednesday is swimming and religion class.) But wait...Thursday was the last school day of the week for him, so we decided to have his sleepover party with 3 of his friends since they didn't have school and he didn't have hockey on Friday. Turns out, two of the three boys had never had a sleepover at a friends house before, so it was somewhat of an experiment. One of the two did have a hard time falling asleep, but finally did so right around 11:45. Then they were up again at about 5:30am. I suppose at some point, I will have to do this with Gwen to keep it all equal, but I can guarantee I'm not doing a group of guys again. I can handle one at a time. Its not a big deal at all. But wrangling and keeping all 4 of them busy and entertained was not all that easy. Perhaps I should have pushed it away from the other parties because I was seriously burned out by this point in the month.
The one saving grace through all of this was that the boys were saying the next day how awesome of a party it was. That was my hope....Trevor had been to a sleepover party earlier in the year which was where he got the idea. So I'm glad he got to feel as special as he did having more than one friend over to stay over night.
And with that....this weekend we were finally able to get out the Christmas decorations. His birthday celebration is done. Time to get reorganized and ready for the incoming gifts this month. I'm finally feeling like I can start to cross things off the list now. Here's hoping!
Trevor wanted his traditional spaghetti (two years now) dinner instead of pizza or lasagna. We ate, sang happy birthday and opened gifts. After that, it was time to clean up and get ready for school the next morning, so he didn't really get a long chance to play with his gifts. He opened his character Ninjago sets because those he could put together quickly and play with. This Sunday was the last day of the kids' 5 day break from school. So we had to make sure we were ready to go the next day.
On Tuesday, we had spaghetti again, and he got his gifts from us. This time, he had to run to hockey practice and since Monday is going from school to chess to dance class (for Gwen, not for Trevor), he hadn't had any chance to play with his gifts until Thursday (Wednesday is swimming and religion class.) But wait...Thursday was the last school day of the week for him, so we decided to have his sleepover party with 3 of his friends since they didn't have school and he didn't have hockey on Friday. Turns out, two of the three boys had never had a sleepover at a friends house before, so it was somewhat of an experiment. One of the two did have a hard time falling asleep, but finally did so right around 11:45. Then they were up again at about 5:30am. I suppose at some point, I will have to do this with Gwen to keep it all equal, but I can guarantee I'm not doing a group of guys again. I can handle one at a time. Its not a big deal at all. But wrangling and keeping all 4 of them busy and entertained was not all that easy. Perhaps I should have pushed it away from the other parties because I was seriously burned out by this point in the month.
The one saving grace through all of this was that the boys were saying the next day how awesome of a party it was. That was my hope....Trevor had been to a sleepover party earlier in the year which was where he got the idea. So I'm glad he got to feel as special as he did having more than one friend over to stay over night.
And with that....this weekend we were finally able to get out the Christmas decorations. His birthday celebration is done. Time to get reorganized and ready for the incoming gifts this month. I'm finally feeling like I can start to cross things off the list now. Here's hoping!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Such a big kid
Today's the "real deal". The day when my baby boy turns 9. He has been excited to get another year older, but he also knows it isn't exactly a new thing anymore. We had his family birthday celebration on Sunday, and he was correcting everyone so that they knew he wasn't 9 yet. He has school on his birthday, so that allows him to bring cookies for his birthday to share with his class. He usually gets about 2 per 6 or 7 years and starting next year, he's going to have a stretch of a few that he doesn't get to school for. Regardless, it's always a special day when you get to celebrate your birthday at school. Or at least that's what I've been told ;-)
He has decided that he wants to have a sleepover party this year, but he also wants to be able to play nintendo, so I explained that he can't have more that 4 people and that's what he's doing. Hopefully they will be able to get to sleep at some point and everyone will have a good time. Then we can full out decorate for Christmas.
He has his doctor appointment in a few weeks to get his measurements...I'm pretty sure he's on the tall end of the spectrum. And he's proud of that. He's catching up to a lot of his relatives...at least he's within a head of a few of them now. Part of the getting bigger means more responsibilities. He can stay home by himself for short periods of time, which Gwen is not all that impressed with. Thank goodness we have the idea of babysitters almost being someone to play with, rather than someone to watch over you. He's never put up a fight to have someone watch him.
He's also having a lot of activities that he enjoys. Baseball, hockey, swimming, golf, chess, religion class, and piano. With school this year, he just starting hitting some subjects where it doesn't automatically come to him without thinking. To which he said last night, "I think they gave me 5th grade homework or something. I don't know how to do this yet." Granted, he has been learning a lot in his other subjects, but I don't know that he has understood that there are different things and rules to learn with new topics in math. I guess I'll have to sit down with him again to help him through the new stuff.
While he does love his video games and computer time, I'm SO happy to say that he enjoys his time away from the screens just as much. He spends hours outside throwing the ball around during baseball season. He still gets out his diecast cars and plays around with them. He writes in his journals and reads a few different books for extended periods of time. And I LOVE to have heart to heart conversations with him. I know he has already stopped believing in Santa, so I'm prepared to have that conversation with him but he has never been ready to give it all up. Which for me, is very nice.
I hope to continue these wonderful memories the next 9 years. It's time to celebrate today! I love you, my 9 year old!
He has decided that he wants to have a sleepover party this year, but he also wants to be able to play nintendo, so I explained that he can't have more that 4 people and that's what he's doing. Hopefully they will be able to get to sleep at some point and everyone will have a good time. Then we can full out decorate for Christmas.
He has his doctor appointment in a few weeks to get his measurements...I'm pretty sure he's on the tall end of the spectrum. And he's proud of that. He's catching up to a lot of his relatives...at least he's within a head of a few of them now. Part of the getting bigger means more responsibilities. He can stay home by himself for short periods of time, which Gwen is not all that impressed with. Thank goodness we have the idea of babysitters almost being someone to play with, rather than someone to watch over you. He's never put up a fight to have someone watch him.
He's also having a lot of activities that he enjoys. Baseball, hockey, swimming, golf, chess, religion class, and piano. With school this year, he just starting hitting some subjects where it doesn't automatically come to him without thinking. To which he said last night, "I think they gave me 5th grade homework or something. I don't know how to do this yet." Granted, he has been learning a lot in his other subjects, but I don't know that he has understood that there are different things and rules to learn with new topics in math. I guess I'll have to sit down with him again to help him through the new stuff.
While he does love his video games and computer time, I'm SO happy to say that he enjoys his time away from the screens just as much. He spends hours outside throwing the ball around during baseball season. He still gets out his diecast cars and plays around with them. He writes in his journals and reads a few different books for extended periods of time. And I LOVE to have heart to heart conversations with him. I know he has already stopped believing in Santa, so I'm prepared to have that conversation with him but he has never been ready to give it all up. Which for me, is very nice.
I hope to continue these wonderful memories the next 9 years. It's time to celebrate today! I love you, my 9 year old!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Thanksgiving dinner
Well, we made it through another event of this part of the year. We are a little over halfway done with the busiest four months...at least from my perspective. I decided to not go out into the Black Friday abyss because there wasn't anything on anyone's list that we had to have, so it made the day a little less stressful. Since stores are now opening Thursday evening, there seems to be a little pressure to get everyone home to get back out the door to the stores.
I am off topic, yet again. The kids only had school Monday and Tuesday this week. Gwen had her usual dance lesson, and both kids had their swimming lessons on Wednesday evening, but no chess or religion. Plus, Russ was home all week so it didn't seem so unmanageable, but as always, time flies by. As sort of a treat for the kids, since we didn't have to rush out of swimming lessons, I let them play in the leisure pool area for a while after their lessons. Both kids were really looking forward to that. Gwen passed her shallow water swim test, so I didn't even have to be in the water with her. She was THRILLED! She is to the point now where she can float on her own and swim about 5 yards unassisted both on her front and back and loves to be in the water. I don't know if she will need her swim vest in Florida...although I'm guessing she will want it for confidence-sake.
The school also had its family breakfast, bright and early on Tuesday morning. Gwen got a taste of eating a meal at the cafeteria, which I think she is really looking forward to doing next year. I don't know what of the lunch meals she actually will feel like eating, but she knows its an advantage of being in 1st grade or older.
So Thursday comes....with the help of my mom, the house is reasonably organized and clean. I only had to go to the grocery store 3 times that week. And one more this weekend because of Trevor's birthday gathering. Apparently, the turkey I got could have been larger, due to the fact my daughter decided she was going to eat practically all the dark meat off of the bird by herself. "More Butterball Turkey, please!" she said more than twice. Trevor ate a bunch of mashed potatoes, which I have never seen him eat and I believe he also ate a slice of banana cream pie?
We all fit at the large table....a little snug, but at least we didn't have a kids table this year. Perhaps next year, as Trevor's birthday falls on the day before Thanksgiving, so for the next two years we are going to have to have his party on Thanksgiving. Just something to think about for next year, family ;-) But it was a good time. I was thinking back....I believe that was my 11th turkey I had made. Would have been 12 but I had a little surprise turkey of my own that foiled those plans. But I must say, it has finally become easier and I have a certain level of confidence about it. I know how to make the stuffing, and know about how long it will take to cook the turkey and clean it....I don't think I will ruin it anymore. Yes, a disaster could happen, but my nervousness has decreased over the years.
So thank you to everyone who was able to come and join us this year. We are blessed with so much health and happiness and have a great time. There are two more celebrations - one as a big gathering, one as a small family for a certain birthday kid. More to come on that. Bottom line....I'm not willing to admit he has now hit the age where he is halfway to being an adult....*sigh* Doesn't help that both kids have been breaking out the old photo albums and remarking how young everyone looked. Well yeah....now that it's been 8-9 years since those pictures were taken.....
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I am off topic, yet again. The kids only had school Monday and Tuesday this week. Gwen had her usual dance lesson, and both kids had their swimming lessons on Wednesday evening, but no chess or religion. Plus, Russ was home all week so it didn't seem so unmanageable, but as always, time flies by. As sort of a treat for the kids, since we didn't have to rush out of swimming lessons, I let them play in the leisure pool area for a while after their lessons. Both kids were really looking forward to that. Gwen passed her shallow water swim test, so I didn't even have to be in the water with her. She was THRILLED! She is to the point now where she can float on her own and swim about 5 yards unassisted both on her front and back and loves to be in the water. I don't know if she will need her swim vest in Florida...although I'm guessing she will want it for confidence-sake.
The school also had its family breakfast, bright and early on Tuesday morning. Gwen got a taste of eating a meal at the cafeteria, which I think she is really looking forward to doing next year. I don't know what of the lunch meals she actually will feel like eating, but she knows its an advantage of being in 1st grade or older.
So Thursday comes....with the help of my mom, the house is reasonably organized and clean. I only had to go to the grocery store 3 times that week. And one more this weekend because of Trevor's birthday gathering. Apparently, the turkey I got could have been larger, due to the fact my daughter decided she was going to eat practically all the dark meat off of the bird by herself. "More Butterball Turkey, please!" she said more than twice. Trevor ate a bunch of mashed potatoes, which I have never seen him eat and I believe he also ate a slice of banana cream pie?
We all fit at the large table....a little snug, but at least we didn't have a kids table this year. Perhaps next year, as Trevor's birthday falls on the day before Thanksgiving, so for the next two years we are going to have to have his party on Thanksgiving. Just something to think about for next year, family ;-) But it was a good time. I was thinking back....I believe that was my 11th turkey I had made. Would have been 12 but I had a little surprise turkey of my own that foiled those plans. But I must say, it has finally become easier and I have a certain level of confidence about it. I know how to make the stuffing, and know about how long it will take to cook the turkey and clean it....I don't think I will ruin it anymore. Yes, a disaster could happen, but my nervousness has decreased over the years.
So thank you to everyone who was able to come and join us this year. We are blessed with so much health and happiness and have a great time. There are two more celebrations - one as a big gathering, one as a small family for a certain birthday kid. More to come on that. Bottom line....I'm not willing to admit he has now hit the age where he is halfway to being an adult....*sigh* Doesn't help that both kids have been breaking out the old photo albums and remarking how young everyone looked. Well yeah....now that it's been 8-9 years since those pictures were taken.....
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
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