I threw an awesome birthday party for the kids this weekend, although, unfortunately, it ended up being full of drama. We rented out a pizza restaurant for 2 hours and hired Matty Roxx, an amazing children's entertainer in our area.
Princess wore a brand new poufy pink tutu and new silver shoes, along with a pink furry stole. She looked precious. We got the boys, (T and Goober, as well as my nephew) matching outfits. They all wore black superhero T-shirts and acid washed black jeans.
While I was going nuts baking the night before at my mom's house (2 types of cake pops and a banana cake), she mentioned that my MIL told her that Rick, the kids' grandpa, was coming. I was annoyed. First of all, he hasn't seen the kids since Christmas 2010, when he promised them all presents and never followed through. I don't care that he didn't buy them stuff, but it made me so mad to see my kids disappointed by him. I was also very irritated that my MIL invited him and didn't tell me. I have a right to know who will be at my kids' party.
The kids had a ton of fun and Matty put on a great show. It was nice to be in a place where 12 kids could run wild.
I've written before about how my SIL and I do not get along, at all. And a lot of the time, I am not the most mature person about it (like Christmas Eve, when I totally ignored her and pretended she wasn't in the room-it was the better option than ruining the holiday)
Well, my MIL took it upon herself to invite my SIL and not tell anyone-not me, not my parents, not my boyfriend. I was near the door, waiting for my best friend from college to arrive, and instead, my SIL walks in. I was shocked, and so angry I was shaking. The first thing out of my mouth was "You weren't invited, so feel free to leave." I really didn't mean to be mean. I just got taken off guard and was furious with my MIL.
They both left, and apparently, she told my boyfriend she was going to kick me out of the house-except I'm on the lease and I pay rent. She can't do that just because she's mad at me. I'm back home now, and we're avoiding each other like the plague. I want to be able to explain to her why I said what I did to her daughter, but I don't think I can without blaming her for overstepping her bounds and inviting her without telling everyone. It wasn't her party, or her place, to do so. I hate being the last person to things, and it seems like she always does this. I thought she learned after the last time, when she invited her daughter and her dogs to stay for a few days at our house and I found out on Facebook.
At least the party was good. And, I found out my college friend is pregnant, and due 2 months before her wedding. I am so excited for her! Now I have baby fever, and I want another one, even though that's crazy and I can't afford it at the moment.
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Monday, January 30, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Happy 3rd Birthday to the Princess!
I can't believe Princess is 3 years old today. Time has just flown by. Just like with T, I can't remember her being a newborn. I see the pictures I have and it's crazy to see how much she's grown.
I remember making Chocolate Banana cupcakes for her welcome home/T's first birthday party. I loved getting adorable outfits for my little girl, since girls are so much more fun to dress than boys.
Princess actually slept in a crib as a baby, and was the only one of my kids to do so. We moved her to a toddler bed at 11 months, but when I was 9 months pregnant with Goober and our apartment flooded, we had to move really quickly, and she's been sleeping on a couch with her dad since then.
She's always been my little drama queen. She constantly gets "boo boos" and cries about them until you pay attention to her. She hates to share, and is incredibly jealous, especially when it comes to daddy. She also bangs her head on the floor when she's mad-I thought she would have grown out of it by now, but at least we have wall to wall carpeting upstairs. Princess is definitely the little boss of our house.
When she was about 15 months old, we lived in a little 2 bedroom apartment and had the kitchen gated off because the landlords wouldn't fix the broken cabinets. Anyway, next to the baby gate, there was a big drawer that we used as a junk drawer. She somehow got into it one day, and drank an entire air freshener plug in. The boyfriend called poison control and she was okay after she drank 2 cups of milk. I will never forget that her breath smelled like flowers for 3 days. You knew she was in the room, even when your eyes were closed. I thought it was hilarious.
She's my go-to child when I need to run errands. She'll walk around the stores and really enjoys it. I've yet to have her throw a tantrum in a store, unless it's because we're leaving and she doesn't want to go home. If I want to go out to eat, she and I usually go together too. The boyfriend hates restaurants, so I take her instead. She's my little buddy.
She's just grown up so fast. I remember dressing her in itty bitty outfits when she was 6 months old, and now she's 3. Her Belle Halloween costume sits in my closet, and it's small enough for some dolls to wear.
I don't know what I would do without Princess in my life. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing daughter, and I adore spoiling her (like buying the entire prarie girl line of clothes at Babies R Us for her today-they are so cute-if you have a daughter, you should totally check them out).
I remember making Chocolate Banana cupcakes for her welcome home/T's first birthday party. I loved getting adorable outfits for my little girl, since girls are so much more fun to dress than boys.
Princess actually slept in a crib as a baby, and was the only one of my kids to do so. We moved her to a toddler bed at 11 months, but when I was 9 months pregnant with Goober and our apartment flooded, we had to move really quickly, and she's been sleeping on a couch with her dad since then.
She's always been my little drama queen. She constantly gets "boo boos" and cries about them until you pay attention to her. She hates to share, and is incredibly jealous, especially when it comes to daddy. She also bangs her head on the floor when she's mad-I thought she would have grown out of it by now, but at least we have wall to wall carpeting upstairs. Princess is definitely the little boss of our house.
When she was about 15 months old, we lived in a little 2 bedroom apartment and had the kitchen gated off because the landlords wouldn't fix the broken cabinets. Anyway, next to the baby gate, there was a big drawer that we used as a junk drawer. She somehow got into it one day, and drank an entire air freshener plug in. The boyfriend called poison control and she was okay after she drank 2 cups of milk. I will never forget that her breath smelled like flowers for 3 days. You knew she was in the room, even when your eyes were closed. I thought it was hilarious.
She's my go-to child when I need to run errands. She'll walk around the stores and really enjoys it. I've yet to have her throw a tantrum in a store, unless it's because we're leaving and she doesn't want to go home. If I want to go out to eat, she and I usually go together too. The boyfriend hates restaurants, so I take her instead. She's my little buddy.
She's just grown up so fast. I remember dressing her in itty bitty outfits when she was 6 months old, and now she's 3. Her Belle Halloween costume sits in my closet, and it's small enough for some dolls to wear.
I don't know what I would do without Princess in my life. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing daughter, and I adore spoiling her (like buying the entire prarie girl line of clothes at Babies R Us for her today-they are so cute-if you have a daughter, you should totally check them out).
Monday, January 23, 2012
Happy 4th Birthday!
T is 4 today. It's kind of bittersweet for me. It feels like I was pregnant with him just yesterday, and now he's not a baby anymore.
I mentioned it in my last post too, but I can't remember T being a newborn. I vividly remember my awful labor and epidural experience, and I remember them whisking him away a few minutes after he was born to lay under the lights (he was a little bit jaundiced).
I remember how it was impossible to get him to go to sleep at night. By this time, I was very pregnant with Princess, and the boyfriend and I would have to rub and tap on his back for hours until he finally fell asleep. If we stopped, even for a minute, he would start bawling and we would be back at square one.
Once he was comfortable crawling around and standing up on his own, he wasted no time figuring out how to knock the baby gate down so he could get out of the bedroom in the mornings. We coslept with him, and every morning, I was awakened by the gate crashing to the floor. The boy's never met a baby gate he couldn't open.
His first birthday was awful. He felt a little bit warm and was cranky, but we chalked it up to teething and gave him some Tylenol. He went down for a nap and woke up crying a half hour later. When I went to get him, he was burning up and had a seizure. I have never been so terrified in my life. By the time we got to the emergency room, he had 3 seizures and his temperature was above 104. Spending the whole day in the emergency room was terrible for everyone, but thankfully his fever came down and he was okay.
Then there was the time he and the boyfriend were playing and they banged heads. After I realized T was okay, I noticed that the boyfriend wasn't. He was sprawled on the floor, completely out of it. By the time the paramedics came, he was out cold, and stayed that way for the better part of an hour. T was about 14 months old at this time, and he and the boyfriend both ended up getting CT scans. T was fine, the boyfriend had a nasty concussion. He'd kill me if he knew I told the bloggy universe that his son knocked him out.
T also knocked Princess out when he was 2 and she was 1. He has a hard head and likes to give head injuries. My daughter turned into Linda Blair in the Exorcist, and I swear, there was puke on my ceiling. After more CT scans after a trip to the ER in a blizzard, she had a concussion and he was fine.
He was diagnosed with apraxia when he turned 3 and started with a new speech teacher through the school district. She was the one who made a breakthrough and got him to say his first word, "ball." I was so proud of him I almost cried. After 3 long years, my son finally talked. Now he chatters constantly and part of me misses the days when he was quieter.
I look back on all the strides he's made and I can only imagine what he will be able to do this year. He's brought so much light to my life and I can't imagine what I ever did without him. Happy birthday to my baby, T, who isn't a baby anymore.
I mentioned it in my last post too, but I can't remember T being a newborn. I vividly remember my awful labor and epidural experience, and I remember them whisking him away a few minutes after he was born to lay under the lights (he was a little bit jaundiced).
I remember how it was impossible to get him to go to sleep at night. By this time, I was very pregnant with Princess, and the boyfriend and I would have to rub and tap on his back for hours until he finally fell asleep. If we stopped, even for a minute, he would start bawling and we would be back at square one.
Once he was comfortable crawling around and standing up on his own, he wasted no time figuring out how to knock the baby gate down so he could get out of the bedroom in the mornings. We coslept with him, and every morning, I was awakened by the gate crashing to the floor. The boy's never met a baby gate he couldn't open.
His first birthday was awful. He felt a little bit warm and was cranky, but we chalked it up to teething and gave him some Tylenol. He went down for a nap and woke up crying a half hour later. When I went to get him, he was burning up and had a seizure. I have never been so terrified in my life. By the time we got to the emergency room, he had 3 seizures and his temperature was above 104. Spending the whole day in the emergency room was terrible for everyone, but thankfully his fever came down and he was okay.
Then there was the time he and the boyfriend were playing and they banged heads. After I realized T was okay, I noticed that the boyfriend wasn't. He was sprawled on the floor, completely out of it. By the time the paramedics came, he was out cold, and stayed that way for the better part of an hour. T was about 14 months old at this time, and he and the boyfriend both ended up getting CT scans. T was fine, the boyfriend had a nasty concussion. He'd kill me if he knew I told the bloggy universe that his son knocked him out.
T also knocked Princess out when he was 2 and she was 1. He has a hard head and likes to give head injuries. My daughter turned into Linda Blair in the Exorcist, and I swear, there was puke on my ceiling. After more CT scans after a trip to the ER in a blizzard, she had a concussion and he was fine.
He was diagnosed with apraxia when he turned 3 and started with a new speech teacher through the school district. She was the one who made a breakthrough and got him to say his first word, "ball." I was so proud of him I almost cried. After 3 long years, my son finally talked. Now he chatters constantly and part of me misses the days when he was quieter.
I look back on all the strides he's made and I can only imagine what he will be able to do this year. He's brought so much light to my life and I can't imagine what I ever did without him. Happy birthday to my baby, T, who isn't a baby anymore.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Year is Not Going as I Planned
I've been so lazy about blogging since the holidays. I can't seem to get inspired enough to write, and being sick for an entire week totally threw me off.
I've still only gone to the gym once, and now my parents reneged on watching 2 of my kids to give me a chance to go because my sister decided to go back to school. She's starting a nursing program this week, so they have to watch her son while she's at school. I don't know why she decided to go to community college where I live, because she lives an hour and a half away. It just kind of puts a damper on things for me, because sometimes I need the help, and now they have to watch my nephew every day. T is going to be pretty bummed out too, because now he can't go there after school for a few hours every day like he's used to.
Speaking of T, he's turning 4 on Monday, and Princess is turning 3 on Wednesday. I can't believe how fast they're growing up. It feels like they were little just yesterday, but I honestly can't remember either of them being babies, which is weird. I can remember Goober as a baby, but maybe that's because he's the youngest. Thinking about this makes me want another baby, even though I know that is crazy and not possible at the moment.
The boyfriend needs to get a real job, as the internet thing he was working on doesn't seem to be panning out. He was doing well until he decided to have other people help, and everything went to crap. He doesn't seem to care that I'm maxing out all my credit cards just to pay for food, and I'm going to have to borrow money again just to pay our share of the rent this month. I'm really getting sick of him not caring enough to get a job. He knows that if worse came to worse, our families would bail us out so we had food and a place to live, so he's in no rush to get a job.
Since the stupid Star Wars computer game came out a few weeks ago, that's all he's been doing in his waking hours. He wears headphones and plays the damn game. He can't even hear if the kids are screaming 2 feet away from him. I have to tap him on the shoulder and yell if I need his help for anything, and that pisses him off because then he gets killed in his game. I tried to talk to him about it, but he doesn't seem to get it or care, and it's not fair. If he's home and not working, why the hell can't he help a little with the kids, or take out the trash, or clean up his dirty dishes? I wish I knew a way to knock some sense into him.
On a better note, I decided to start a makeup blog as well. You can find it here. I only have a couple posts up now, but I'm planning to swatch a bunch of makeup if I can find a working camera, and post looks of the day.
I hope this coming week will go well. I'm bringing cookie cake to school for T's birthday on Monday, so I hope the kids in his class have fun. I'm also having a party for T and Princess next Saturday. I invited his whole class, and even though the RSVP date was yesterday, I've only heard from 7 out of 17 kids. I hope some more parents call me tomorrow, since we kind of spent a lot of money for the party (we're having a musician who does an interactive show with the kids-my kids saw him when we were pumpkin picking and loved him).
I've still only gone to the gym once, and now my parents reneged on watching 2 of my kids to give me a chance to go because my sister decided to go back to school. She's starting a nursing program this week, so they have to watch her son while she's at school. I don't know why she decided to go to community college where I live, because she lives an hour and a half away. It just kind of puts a damper on things for me, because sometimes I need the help, and now they have to watch my nephew every day. T is going to be pretty bummed out too, because now he can't go there after school for a few hours every day like he's used to.
Speaking of T, he's turning 4 on Monday, and Princess is turning 3 on Wednesday. I can't believe how fast they're growing up. It feels like they were little just yesterday, but I honestly can't remember either of them being babies, which is weird. I can remember Goober as a baby, but maybe that's because he's the youngest. Thinking about this makes me want another baby, even though I know that is crazy and not possible at the moment.
The boyfriend needs to get a real job, as the internet thing he was working on doesn't seem to be panning out. He was doing well until he decided to have other people help, and everything went to crap. He doesn't seem to care that I'm maxing out all my credit cards just to pay for food, and I'm going to have to borrow money again just to pay our share of the rent this month. I'm really getting sick of him not caring enough to get a job. He knows that if worse came to worse, our families would bail us out so we had food and a place to live, so he's in no rush to get a job.
Since the stupid Star Wars computer game came out a few weeks ago, that's all he's been doing in his waking hours. He wears headphones and plays the damn game. He can't even hear if the kids are screaming 2 feet away from him. I have to tap him on the shoulder and yell if I need his help for anything, and that pisses him off because then he gets killed in his game. I tried to talk to him about it, but he doesn't seem to get it or care, and it's not fair. If he's home and not working, why the hell can't he help a little with the kids, or take out the trash, or clean up his dirty dishes? I wish I knew a way to knock some sense into him.
On a better note, I decided to start a makeup blog as well. You can find it here. I only have a couple posts up now, but I'm planning to swatch a bunch of makeup if I can find a working camera, and post looks of the day.
I hope this coming week will go well. I'm bringing cookie cake to school for T's birthday on Monday, so I hope the kids in his class have fun. I'm also having a party for T and Princess next Saturday. I invited his whole class, and even though the RSVP date was yesterday, I've only heard from 7 out of 17 kids. I hope some more parents call me tomorrow, since we kind of spent a lot of money for the party (we're having a musician who does an interactive show with the kids-my kids saw him when we were pumpkin picking and loved him).
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Wordless Wednesday-Birthday Party!
T was invited to his first birthday party that a classmate was having. It was held at a gymnastics place, and he had a ball. Although I wish someone told me beforehand I would have to supervise him the entire time, since I had no socks on under my boots (they're fur and super-comfy inside-socks only ruin that feeling) and had to walk barefoot all over (yuck).
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| Ziplines are awesome |
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cake
For Goober's birthday party last Saturday, I not only made the French Vanilla Cake Pops I posted last Monday, but I also made the best chocolate cake ever. And it is easy. I originally found the recipe here.
This is not your average chocolate cake. It is rich, and gooey, and you can only eat a few bites. It reminds me of fudge, almost. I love it so much I will make it again for every holiday in the foreseeable future.
I did mess up the frosting, which looks awful. It was the first time I bought buttercream in a can and I should have bought icing gel or made my own pastry bag and done it with the homemade whipped cream I served the cake with. Oh well. Now I know what not to do.
Ingredients:
10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I used most of a bag of chocolate chips-there was about 1/4 cup of chips left over)
7 oz. butter
5 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350.
-Butter a 9-inch springform pan and then dust it with cocoa powder, throwing out the excess. Wrap outside of springform pan with foil to make sure it is watertight.
-Melt butter and chocolate together over a double boiler. You can use the microwave also. When it is smooth and combined, remove from heat.
-Whisk together eggs and sugar, then add chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
-Pour batter into springform pan and cover with foil. Place inside a roasting pan and fill roasting pan with water until it is halfway up the springform pan.
-Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
-Remove from water bath. Remove foil. Cool completely on cooling rack before serving.
And that's it! There are only a few ingredients, and it is so easy! It was the first time I ever cooked anything in a water bath, which always seemed a little daunting to me, but it wasn't hard at all. Serve this cake with whipped cream on the side and enjoy. I promise you this cake is worth making!
This is not your average chocolate cake. It is rich, and gooey, and you can only eat a few bites. It reminds me of fudge, almost. I love it so much I will make it again for every holiday in the foreseeable future.
I did mess up the frosting, which looks awful. It was the first time I bought buttercream in a can and I should have bought icing gel or made my own pastry bag and done it with the homemade whipped cream I served the cake with. Oh well. Now I know what not to do.
Ingredients:
10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I used most of a bag of chocolate chips-there was about 1/4 cup of chips left over)
7 oz. butter
5 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350.
-Butter a 9-inch springform pan and then dust it with cocoa powder, throwing out the excess. Wrap outside of springform pan with foil to make sure it is watertight.
-Melt butter and chocolate together over a double boiler. You can use the microwave also. When it is smooth and combined, remove from heat.
-Whisk together eggs and sugar, then add chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
-Pour batter into springform pan and cover with foil. Place inside a roasting pan and fill roasting pan with water until it is halfway up the springform pan.
-Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
-Remove from water bath. Remove foil. Cool completely on cooling rack before serving.
And that's it! There are only a few ingredients, and it is so easy! It was the first time I ever cooked anything in a water bath, which always seemed a little daunting to me, but it wasn't hard at all. Serve this cake with whipped cream on the side and enjoy. I promise you this cake is worth making!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
French Vanilla Cake Pops
Goober turned 1 on Friday and we had his party Saturday afternoon. It was a small party, with family and a few close friends. I think T and Princess got more presents than Goober did, but that's okay because everyone was happy. Anyway, I made an awesome chocolate cake and also some french vanilla cake pops, which were awesome!
Ingredients:
Cake:
1 box french vanilla cake mix (I chose Betty Crocker, but you can choose any brand, or make it from scratch)
Frosting:
7 extra-large egg whites
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 bag cake pop (or lollipop) sticks, at least 6" tall
2 bags melting chocolate, in your favorite color (I chose vanilla flavored light blue chocolate)
floral foam or styrofoam block
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Add batter to a 9"x13" pan or a large round cake pan (mine is a 13" round). Bake 30 mins or until light brown on top.
-Let cake cool 10-15 minutes. Using a dull knife, scrape all the brown off the top. Cut around the cake edges and remove. Flip the cake onto a plate and scrape the brown off the bottom, so all your cake is a uniform white color.
-Crumble the cake into a large bowl.
-In a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, whisk together egg whites and sugar until sugar is melted and mixture reaches 140 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on high until stiff peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Add cream of tartar and beat for one minute more. Reduce speed to medium and add butter, a few pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract; beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator; chill for 15 minutes .
-Mix frosting into cake crumbs a big spoonful at a time until the cake and frosting mixture is really moist and can be rolled into balls and hold together. You will not use all the frosting (I mixed the rest with the cake scraps and let the kids eat it). Chill for at least 30 minutes.
-Cover a tray that will fit into your freezer with waxed paper. Roll cake mixture into uniform balls (mine were about 1 1/2" in diameter), then put a stick in them, about 3/4 of the way through each ball. Lay them on the waxed paper and freeze 20-30 minutes.
-While the pops are in the freezer, pour melting chocolate into a heatproof bowl over simmering water like you did for the frosting. Stir constantly until melted. I usually turn off the burner once the chocolate is melted and it stays warm for a while.
-Take the pops out of the freezer and dip them in chocolate so all the cake is covered. I use a big spoon to help drizzle chocolate over the part near the stick. Shake off excess chocolate so the pop is evenly coated. If the cake slides off the stick, you need to freeze it longer. Stick pops into the styrofoam until the chocolate is set. Refrigerate finished pops until 1-2 hours before serving.
Cake:
1 box french vanilla cake mix (I chose Betty Crocker, but you can choose any brand, or make it from scratch)
Frosting:
7 extra-large egg whites
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 bag cake pop (or lollipop) sticks, at least 6" tall
2 bags melting chocolate, in your favorite color (I chose vanilla flavored light blue chocolate)
floral foam or styrofoam block
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Add batter to a 9"x13" pan or a large round cake pan (mine is a 13" round). Bake 30 mins or until light brown on top.
-Let cake cool 10-15 minutes. Using a dull knife, scrape all the brown off the top. Cut around the cake edges and remove. Flip the cake onto a plate and scrape the brown off the bottom, so all your cake is a uniform white color.
-Crumble the cake into a large bowl.
-In a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, whisk together egg whites and sugar until sugar is melted and mixture reaches 140 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on high until stiff peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Add cream of tartar and beat for one minute more. Reduce speed to medium and add butter, a few pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract; beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator; chill for 15 minutes .
-Mix frosting into cake crumbs a big spoonful at a time until the cake and frosting mixture is really moist and can be rolled into balls and hold together. You will not use all the frosting (I mixed the rest with the cake scraps and let the kids eat it). Chill for at least 30 minutes.
-Cover a tray that will fit into your freezer with waxed paper. Roll cake mixture into uniform balls (mine were about 1 1/2" in diameter), then put a stick in them, about 3/4 of the way through each ball. Lay them on the waxed paper and freeze 20-30 minutes.
-While the pops are in the freezer, pour melting chocolate into a heatproof bowl over simmering water like you did for the frosting. Stir constantly until melted. I usually turn off the burner once the chocolate is melted and it stays warm for a while.
-Take the pops out of the freezer and dip them in chocolate so all the cake is covered. I use a big spoon to help drizzle chocolate over the part near the stick. Shake off excess chocolate so the pop is evenly coated. If the cake slides off the stick, you need to freeze it longer. Stick pops into the styrofoam until the chocolate is set. Refrigerate finished pops until 1-2 hours before serving.
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