New Blog!

I moved my blog and here it is...easier name..fresh start...

http://adventuresofacrazymama.blogspot.com


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The things my kids say...

Okay so this is a new one.. Do your kids say the weirdest things ever! Mine do and well so do I. Here is the best one I have heard in a long time. This one was said by my oldest son Isaiah on the way home for track practice. Setup: He really had to go to the bathroom...

Mom..hurry up..I have to go so bad my weiner is curling up!

I laughed so hard I almost had an issue myself! Just thought you all could use the chuckle! What goofy things do your kids say?

Julie and Julia and finding myself??

Has anyone seen Julie and Julia? a great movie about a girl who has lost herself just a little and decides to cook her way through The Joy of Cooking, which is made by Julia Childs. I am in a funk and need to find myself so I am going to cook my way through The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook. The Pioneer Woman has the best blog out there and all her recipes are AWESOME! So, I figure that I will promote her by cooking her recipes. Cooking with the Pioneer Woman will begin this Sunday! Stay tuned for what recipe I cook! yummmmmmm.... How I'm going to lose this last 20 pounds..I do not know?

What I have been up to....

Well....Yesterday I started a new job at The Buddy Group as the Office manager. Super excited and what an awesome place to work! I think I will like it very much, other than the fact that I always feel guilty leaving my kids, even though, I only work 8:30-2:30..but still I feel like I should be home cleaning, ironing and sewing stuff. Is it bad that I enjoy working?? Is it bad that I need the break and I like being creative?? I have always said that I would never let work compromise my kid's education or activities and so far so good. The only thing I worry about is school. Presently, all of my children are doing well in school, but the big budget cuts are kind of making me worry. How in the heck is Isaiah's school going to function with half of the teacher's gone???? Maybe they can have the kindergarten teachers mow the lawn and the principal can run the cafeteria? Seriously, we cannot afford to cut education anymore! So, this leads me to my issues...Isaiah will be spending 7 and 8th grade being home schooled so he will be ahead and ready for high school. He is happy to go to his school for 6th because of science camp and all that fun stuff!
Other than that I have been up to my ears with children and their sports. Andrew is in guitar and Soccer which he loves! Isaiah is in track and dance. I am trying to create the perfect men here ladies! I want my boys to be polite, know how to dance or play an instrument, be athletic and smart and of course love God and be humble. The being humble part is a little harder but we shall see what happens in that department. In Isaiah news..he ran a 5:29 in his mile on Saturday which is his best time and I was very excited but that track meet went on all day which was not exciting especially when you are kicking it in Compton. Andrew's team lost their first soccer game, bummer but he had fun!
Now...to get ready for Easter this weekend! We are going to my Grandmas and I'm going to cook an Easter dinner. I am trying to stay optimistic but with my mother being gone and my Grandpa having Alzheimer's..it'll be difficult. It seems like I miss my mom more everyday? I thought it was supposed to be the opposite?
Oh well..it is what it is! Hoppy Easter!!!

Vegas Baby!

Last weekend we went for a Much needed Weekend away with just the girls! Why is it that the best weekeneds are spent away? Really truly, that is the only way, MOMS ever get a real vacation. We layed by the pool, slept in, went out for some great dinners, had a slumber party in the room and most of all relaxed. When I came home I felt so much better and so much more rested and Zen like! Of course I missed the hubby and the kids but it was nice to get away and be just Jenny for the weekend and I got to re-connect with my girls. Most of us have been friends since the thrid grade....thats a LONG time.. Can't wait to do it again!

5 question Friday

Linking up with MAMA M



1. How much time do you spend on the computer a day?

Ummmm..too much..Sometimes an hour or two a day..sometimes none at all. Just depends

2. Will you pay for your children's college or raise them to pay for their own way?

I will try to pay for some of it, it just depends. my husband and I both put ourselves through college and grad school. Our parents helped us a bit, a couple hundred here or there, but mainly we did it on our own. I think that is the way to go but hopefully my boys will get scholarships:)

3. Have you ever been in a car accident?

I have been rear-ended twice..but that is it..Oh and Once I dented my truck around a gas station cement thingy..I was a teenager and Fred the Ford was a big truck.

4. What is your favorite book?

Twilight books..don't judge me!

5. Do you make your bed everyday?

Ha...sometimes I do for a long time and then I back slide..badly
----------------------------------------------

A great POST!

Keeping with my most recent theme..check her out! I love what she has to say..especially when it comes from someone who knows what she's talking about..the whole walk in my shoes..before you judge me! I have walked in the parent of a disabled child shoes and I agree!

http://specialneedsmomslikeme.blogspot.com/

A Person is a Person...no matter how small.

A Person is a Person no matter how small..

In honor of 40 days of Life and Dr. Seuss' 100th birthday I wanted to write this little post...

Have you ever seen or read Horton hears a Who? It is a great book/movie about Horton who one day hears a who on the tip of a flower. Everyone wants him to just clear the field and forget about the people on the tip of the flower. They're small and insignificant and aren't really big enough to count for anything. The who's in fact are in entire civilization living basically on the end of this flower..seeing a relation yet..hold on its coming. The whole world is telling him that these people are insignificant but Horton insists that they matter. He braves being laughed at, made fun of, "tortured" in a very g rated way..because he believes that A Person is a person no matter how small! What a great message for our kids to hear. Now, lets relate this to life. A person is a person no matter how small, so how can the world say that a fetus, an embryo, a whatever, is not a baby?? Don't tadpoles eventually become frogs? Do people dispute that? The sad thing is that the world has made babies before a certain development not human so that it is okay to kill them, after all Women deserve a choice. Murder is not a choice. I guess what I felt compelled to say was that it just shocks me how much people have cheapened life and how little respect life gets. Women who get pregnant out of wedlock ( is that even said anymore?) or are teenagers, and have the whole life ahead of them are urged to abort and get on with their lives instead of taking responsibility for their actions ( yes I know some girls are raped, abused, etc..obviously I am not talking about them). We have truly become a society of death, so much so that no one is even shocked when one says casually oh, I've had like 10 abortions...blah..blah..WHAT! I have been there. I got pregnant before I was married, the month after I graduated high School, while I was a teenager and I was terrified. True, I was a very mature, very responsible teenager and had a supportive family, but I knew that I had to take responsibility. I choose life. Isaiah has been the best CHOICE I ever made. 3 years later I had a baby who almost died and spent 30 days in the NICU clinging to life, and now Andrew, is the best gift I ever got. Then, in 2004 I had the child who changed my life forever, Nicholas. Deaf and autistic with loads of other issues, had I known that he was going to be disabled I never would have aborted him and he is the best gift God ever gave me. We must treat our children, no matter how or when they are conceived like they are a gift from God! So, like Horton, we have to be ready to stand up for those tiny people and scream a PERSON is a PERSON no matter how SMALL!

Snow Day

the boys had two Mondays in a row off so we decided (My aunt and I) to take the kids to the snow to play for the day. We found a spot just off the beaten path, grabbed our sleds, put plastic bags over and under our socks, because thats how we southern California people do it


My Andrew..ever the character..after he did some serious sledding

This is me..being silly and illustrating how to dress in the snow when you really don't have a lot of snow clothes..and why I look weird in beanies..

What a beautiful day in Big Bear! The sun was shining through the trees and we found this perfect little spot to ride down.It was untouched snow and gorgeous!

Isaiah was trying to get Nicholas to come along on the sled..but Nicholas was having NONE of it! Loved the snow, or at least eating it,but the sled..No.

The whole Motley Crew!

Did I mention I hate my computer??? yes..okay..

A Recap of January

Once Again I hate my computer, but I digress.
January was a busy month here and there was a lot going on. So....I'll start in order of the pictures. First, my youngest son Nicholas turned 6! The top picture is of my friend Nick and his son Nico at Nicholas' birthday. I have known Nick since I was 8 and I used to watch Nico. I took this picture at Nicholas' birthday and love it...and I think it's funny how many variations of Nick I can use in one sentence!. This second picture is my sweet baby...errr..BIG boy Nicholas eating yogurt at his party. He was so happy and just loved everyone and everything but lets be real..he likes him some yogurt!
Then...my dear friend Susie turned 40! Her husband surprised her by getting a limo, flying her mom and brother and sis in law out from Nebraska and having a group of her friends waiting in the limo and taking said limo on a wine tour in Temecula! Too fun..so here is a pick of me, the birthday girl and our other friend Mary at the first winery.
Next...my baby bro finally graduated from school..well actually he graduated in Sept. but the actual graduation ceremony was in January. So here we are after the ceremony..My mom would have cried if she was still alive..we all cried because we were proud and we knew she was. At least she knew he finished before she died!
Well that was all the fun times in January! Stay tuned for February..LOL!

A Movie Review

Went and saw Valentine’s Day this weekend with my 2 hot dates, Nicholas and Isaiah. Nicholas goes to the kids club (babysitting in a movie theatre...the best idea EVER!) and Isaiah got to be my hot date. Now usually I would not let my almost 11 year old go see a PG-13 movie but he knows there are some rules:
1. If I cover your eyes...no fighting me...NO EXCEPTIONS
2. You will listen to my opinions and my explanations, i.e. “Now you know it is not okay to have sex before you get married right?” “ People should not live together before they get married” or “ Isn’t that horrible for a man to cheat on his wife, those poor kids, how horrible”
3. I’ll share my soda but it’s going to be half diet coke half cherry coke and you can hold the popcorn.
4. No candy, I’ll eat it.
5. Laugh when I laugh and I’ll mommytize it for you later.
All in all it was a fun date and I really enjoyed spending the one on one with my oldest boy. He’s a pretty cool guy and is definitely his mother’s son and we are so alike! I wonder if he’ll want to go shopping with me when he gets older and is so much cooler then old mom????
After the movies we went to Old Navy with Nicholas because he received some gift cards for birthday so he got some really cute new clothes…Green is definitely his color and I love the fact that I can dress him HOWEVER I WANT...no complaints, only loves and smiles all the time.

Tiger Woods..

Dear Tiger,
I watched your speech today and while I commend you for having the balls to stand in front of the world and admit what you did (even if your PR people probably told you to do it)..I don't think it was really necessary. Yes, you are a big golf star but you are still a person and you really don't owe anyone anything. We are all human, we all make mistakes and you don't see us all up there holding press conferences. Instead, I hold my own press conference with God and confess all my sins and mistakes to him. Thank goodness, he doesn't bring in his own body language expert to analyze my every move! Can you imagine? What if you would have sneezed? Or coughed? People actually get paid to analyze someones body language and criticize and judge them?? What is this world coming too? Now, I am not sugar coating the fact that what you did was morally reprehensible and disgusting! I believe that cheating is the lowest one can go especially when you have children..really when you cheated on your wife..you cheated on your children and brought shame, hurt and sadness to their doorstep. I truly hope you can get the counseling and therapy you need..but please don't jump on the sex addiction train...bad choices and lack or morals don't always = addiction. Find Jesus! Pray and get help!
Sincerely,
a Concerned citizen who just happened to see you on the news

Stream of Consciousness

Went to my Dad's house this weekend..next time I'm going to shoot up with anti-depressants before I go.Just kidding, I've never done drugs nor shot up with anything, I'm being dramatic and you get the picture. He's doing well, considering that he lost his soulmate to cancer not even 5 months ago and now is lost. Thank God he's christian and has God!!!! Saw the amazing fireworks show in Lake Havasu and got a kick out of watching Nicholas' face light up everytime the fireworks went off. Missed my mom, terribly,painfully..cried a lot. Took the kids to the movies and then to bowling. Karoke and family bowling should not go together. These people were horrible and I think when we left my ears were actually bleeding. Got back home to flowers for Valentines Day from the Hubby and the trash overflowing..was that part of the present??? A for effort! C for follow-through! LOL.. Now just relaxing after driving home in the car with 3 kids..does cleaning and doing laundry count as relaxing?? No..didn't think so but what the heck..my life is just so EXCITING! Will definately post more pictures soon as I have been so Lazy!

How to lead people to God..Part 1

Don’t be a hypocrite...the “do as I say not as I do” mentality does not work well here. People will always watch you, are always judging you and will always be the first to let you know. As Christians, people are watching us more closely and waiting...waiting for us to slip up so they can say to one another, “Look there she goes. Some Christian”. While it is impossible to be without sin, without mistake, it is possible to be with Christ. To do as the old cliché says, “What would Jesus Do?” I find that I often ask myself this but unfortunately I don’t always listen. Be slow to anger. Slow to judge.Often I am the opposite. However, the difference between the world and a Christian is that I have the knowledge to know that I am wrong. I cannot sin and feel nothing. I know what I did was wrong and I feel conviction and the need to make amends. If I want to lead as an example of a Christian, I must acknowledge my faults, apologize when necessary and repent. Most of all I need to try and do better the next time. Don’t be a hypocrite and think that your sin doesn’t count or isn’t as bad as another’s. Don’t be fooled, all sin is equal in God’s eyes.

I really don’t know why I felt the need to write this tonight. I just sometimes feel that God makes it so easy for us and we screw it up. God is not a religion; He is a person, a being, and one that we choose to follow. He gives us a book that has all the instructions we will ever need in it and all we have to do is follow it. So in an effort to keep myself on God’s path I have to write out the things that are in my brain. I know its weird, but that’s how I process things. It’s almost as if I’ll go mad if I let all this stuff bumble around in my head... (bumble?? Ramble, rumble...you get the idea). So this is my advice today, don’t be a hypocrite people because everyone is watching and most importantly…You can’t ever fool God.

Memories and Reflections

Today is my youngest sons 6th birthday! So many thoughts go through my head as I relfect on his last 6 amazing years! he has defied all odds and grown and achieved things no one ever thought possible (except me of course)He has become an amazing little boy who is capable of so much more. although the cochlear implant didn't work out as good as we had hoped (autism and his genetic deletion thingy complicated things) it still is a vital part of him and he loves it and wants it on, but signing will be his language. So when I look back on the child who the doctors told me " do not expect too much" from and "just be happy with what you get" I feel like saying HA HA Neiner neiner..I can actually sign this in sign language..I learned! So as I decorate my house with cowboy stuff for his birthday party and make him a strawberry shortcake guitar cake (which is AWESOME! pics will for sure follow)I can't help but be amazed by the gift God had entrusted me with, and thats what it is. He is not mine, he is and has always been one of God's angels and luckily I get to be a part of raising him. I just can't wait to see what the next 6 years will bring!

Identity theft??

So I was reading through some random blogs and I read a lot about people stealing other bloggers pictures and passing them off as their own on their blogs...can we say FREAKY..SICK..FREAKY..oh wait I already said that but ou get the picture..A lot of the bigger blogs keep their kids names private or give them cute little nicknames to protect their privacy.So I'm thinking I shall do the same..be a follower..LOL..Now to think of some good names for my kids..hmmm..terd boy and Sir Farts ALot..no? Well off to think and sleep??

Crazy Letter Thursday

Dear Mr. My house is by the School and so is my driveway,
I get that your house is in front of the school and thus people sometimes are in the way. But today you made a total arse out of yourself when upon coming home from where ever and finding someone parked in your driveway (I get that that was not cool, but an honest mistake, and it was also POURING rain)you sat in the driveway blocking all the cars around the school and proceeded to lay on your horn. You continued to act like an idiot and lay on your horn while everyone around you looked as you waved your hands in the air and whined about how someone was in your driveway. You know you easily were able to go around her and get into your driveway and garage. I mean was it really that big of a freaking deal to let this lady with her little 1st grader park in your driveway for 5 minutes? I watched you from across the street scream at this lady and then go over to the cross guard like you were going to tattle some more! Geez Mister..be a little more graceful..have some compassion for your fellow man and don't be such a pill. You were embarrassing to watch and you could have handled it sooo much differently. No matter how justified you felt, I just want you to know that you made an absolute fool out of yourself in front of everyone who was watching and that I will pray for you tonight, and ask God to lessen your burden just a little since you are obviously so stressed out that you have to go ballistic on someone for parking in your driveway on a rainy day.
Sincerely,
The Mom that told her boys how foolish that crazy man across the street was behaving.

And for my second letter to the second Idiot of the day (Myself)
Dear Jennifer,
Next time you are feeling like a stud and want to put all that weight on your bar at the 24Lift class..think twice. Your body just isn't ready to work that hard. I mean you have us on this diet and then are all out there working out too hard and killing us. Oh, by the way, thanks for stuffing us with 3 pieces of pizza last night as a reward..Thanks! Seriously, tonight when we go back to The Nazi's class..maybe be a little nicer??
Sincerely,
Your butt and thighs

3rd and Final

Dear HORRIBLE DENTIST,
Thanks a lot for being a slacker in Dental school or maybe just being lazy and not paying attention to me and my needs. Because of your in-attention to details you put a crown on my tooth incorrectly and caused me to have to get that tooth pulled out...and now to have to get an implant costing around $2000 and to make matters worse..the other crown and root canal you did was crap too! Guess who had to have 2 more root canals and 3 crowns because of it??? You guessed it..another $2000..I hope you have a great vacation as mine this year will not be happening because the money had to go to my mouth so I could continue to breathe and not get addicted to Vicodin for the pain..
Sincerely,
Jennifer "official white trash now that I'm missing a tooth" Madrigal

Finally

Dear God,
Please forgive me for being unChristian about my fellow man. I know I should pray for these individuals and I will starting right now. Love You and thanks for loving me even though these things to BUG Me. I promise to drop it and move on right NOW!
Love,
silly, hair-brained Me

Wordless Wednesday

This was painted by my buddy Rebecca Rois-Mendez who is an AWESOME Artist! I chose it because it is beyond words..it reminds me of how us as Christians are constantly being tempted by the evil forces around us..so awesome

Saturday Night Confessions!

These are my confessions..cue Usher song..LOL
Just kidding..sticking with my New Year's Resolution..you know the one about Writing becuase after all WRITERS WRITE! So many excuses are now null..void and lets be honest they are excuses and as my lovely Southern Grandma used to say.." Excuses are like booties..we all got em' and they all stink!". Gotta embrace the truth of an old southern saying that while a little crass (spelling?) is so true!
So here is my attempt at writing consistently and maybe trying to get the 5 people in the world who read my blog to chuckle a little..so here are my confessions on this Saturday night..don't know what caused me to do this..it could be the Mexican food I just ingested..sucked down..Mexican food makes me honest..
1. I'm pretty much the same as I was when I was 6. Seriously, while I may be more mature I pretty much still have the same personality and tolerance level.
2. I think I need to seriously seek therapy for my addiction to the TWILIGHT books. I've read them all 3 times and listened to them on Audiobooks about 10 times each..I know.."WHERE DO U GET the TIME?" Seriously, audiobooks on an ITOUCH is life changing people! You can do so much while youlisten to a book and the narrator for those books is soo good. I'm thinking that my love of listening to them has something to do with finding an escape from all the recent saddness in my life..but who knows maybe I'm just a dork.
3. Everyone thinks I'm a great cook..I'll admit I am..but my kids eat a lot of Easy Mac and sandwiches..sometimes I'm lazy.
4. I never reveal my TRUE weight..I always fudge by at least a few pounds
5. Speaking of addictions...did I mention I listen to books on my I-touch..a lot! I'm trying to listen to sermons and the Bible to balance out all the other garbage I listen to.
6. And the biggest confession..I am such a dork that I actually went to the midnight showing of New Moon and was SUPER excited to see it and yes I will do the same for the next movies..so there..who cares if I'm 30..I'm still a teen inside!
Ahh..feel so much better..what are your saturday night confessions or are you out having a good time or doing something cool? Whatever..

Letter of Intent

The stinkin' Letter of Intent Icon won't upload because my computer is a RA-TARD

Dear Nicholas.
I know you are deaf and autistic and thus cannot hear and really understand anything but I have a few little things I would like to get off my chest. First, I love when you kiss me..but if you could please do it without smashing my face off..that would be awesome! Next, while I love the ease of diapers, maybe almost 6 years old is a bit old to still be wearing them?? I mean buddy, you poop like a man and its very hard to "stomach it". Also, if you could stop writing your name on the wall, the shower in steam, the car window and with yogurt and instead use a pencil and write on paper..it'd be much obliged...but most of all Nicholas thanks or being such a super awesome kid! You amaze me daily with your ability to figure out the world around you and somehow find a way to thrive. I pray that one day you will learn how to talk, sign or at least somehow communicate enough to tell all those neurologists,geneticists,etc..that said to forget about you and to expect nothing to KISS OFF..hmmm maybe I'll make shirts. I wish you could understand how much everyone loves you! You are a blessing to my life and those around and I wouldn't have you any other way..you are an EXERCISE in patience..and I know that someday when you meet me in heaven you'll be the most beautiful, hearing, speaking,running and understanding Angel anyone has ever met.now if you could just please use the toilet and not finger paint your glasses, put your cochlear in the washing machine, toilet or out of the car window, or...well anyway I guess I'll keep you anyway.
Love,
Mom

Wordless Wednesday

Story behind picture..this is what one looks like when they have been all numbed up for dental work..I was smiling normal but half my face was numb..my Dad was laughing so hard!

Stream of Consciousness

Just write whats on your mind..my brain is a really crowded place to go..do you really want a peak in there?
I am so sick of being plump. want my old youthful body back and whjy is this stupid weight staying on??? WTH!!! I wish I could look like I have it all together and why do I really bother writing on this blog at all..noone reads it..but do i really care..sometimes its just nice to vent and say what you need to say and get it out there..its freeing in a way..I use the .....way too much but I think it shows my pause and reflect..its the poet in me...the wait and the pause signify thought and well pause..I need to go the gym and work some booty off but I also need to clean the house..and get a real job and get out of debt and refinish my kitchen cabinets and balance my checkbook and trim all the bushes in the front yard and write a book which keeps bouncing around in my head..Does blogging mean you are an attention whore? Geez I really should use better language and beter spelling..I'm a disgrace to Englsih degree holders everywhere..look I even mispelled English! People, I can spell its my typing skills which SUCK! Speaking of sucking..Cancer sucks..I miss my mom..I think of her at least once every 30 minutes..her picture is looking at me right now and I spoke to it..alright I talk to her all the time becuase I know she can hear me and it makes me feel better..so does blogging or writing anyway..who cares if no one cares it feels good to release it..Grr..I'm feeling responsibel now so I better get off and clean..ta ta for now!

All that really matters..is the ever after..

What does this mean to you? Is it about love? is that all that matters the happy ever after?? I heard this line or something like it in a song on the radio and I wrote it down, becuase thats what I do..I hear words or lines and I write them down becuase they usually lead me on some other tangent. To me they mean the real ever after..the place we go when we die..ever after..forever after..you know eternity. Really everything we have on earth means so little and we can't take it with us when we leave. All that is left of us when we leave is the memories and the lives we've touched. Its so true that one should spend their life earning tresures but those treasure are the eternal tresures and crowns that one may only redeem in heaven..I am so grateful that while I was never overly materialistic or vain, I have been humbled greatly and God brought me to my knees by snatching my mother away from me..I get it now..I have seen the light (Cheesy I know..but sooo true)All that realy matters IS the EVER AFTER! Afterall life is just a practice round where God grooms you and molds you into the person you are suppossed to be and prepares you for Eternity with Him. So even when the whole world feels like its falling apart, try and see the purpose of it, suffering is good for you. it humbles you..it rebuilds you and as long as you can see that light at the end of the tunnel, sometimes even when you can't, trust in God. He does have your back and no one thats ever followed Him has been led the wrong way. They may have been led astray by other forces but never away and I assure you that they will spend the Ever After with Him and thats all the really matters.

Neighborhood Christmas Party!

These are my wild and crazy neighbors! This was our 6th(?)annual Christmas Party. These crazy people are a big part of the reason why it would be very hard to leave this neighborhood..They seriously are like family..a large dysfunctional but lovable family..Check out the kids all sitting on the stairs..crazy children..Love em' all and we had a great time and the tamales were fabuloso!

Cookin' with the Fam Bam!

Okay so every year...for the past 3 or so..we have this little holiday cookie cookin' tradition so we can spend time with my bestest cousin Heidi and her girlies..We make a lot of cookies and the kids eat a lot of sugar, frosting and cookies..but its all good anyway..It was a little weird without my mom being there..but we marched ..or should I say..baked on and I'm glad we did. The results were..delicious..(oh..just a side note..my stupid computer won't let me write about each picture individually..so know these pictures are of my family..Tom, my brother and Christy his wife. My aunt Jackie and her daughter Sarah and son Tristan. My cousin Heidi and Makayla and Nia her daughters and my kids, Isaiah, Andrew and Nicholas..)

The Amazing Nicholas!

Okay..maybe this does not look amazing to you..but to me..he is wonderful. He watched me pound the dough, cut out the cookies and then place them on the cookie sheet and he figured out how to do it himself and helped..Best of all he was so happy and completely thrilled with himself.He is amazing!..at least to me he is!