There's a wonderful lil' meme going around with 100 things on it. Out of the 100 things, you're supposed to mark off what you've done in your life so far. Here's mine!! The things that I've done are in bold!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (lived there I'm sure that counts as visited right?!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (I have been on the Oriental Express, just not overnight, while in Peru)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (tricky one as I have and haven't)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (hmm does it count if it wasn't on the BIG screen?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (helped)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wordless Wednesday - Finally Spring!
OMGoodness finally Spring... minus the cold front about to hit us.. *sigh*
Monday, April 27, 2009
An Apple a Day
must keep my Doctors away...
Yep... For some reason every time I call to make an appointment for ME (which is rare rare rare) they never have appointments until the next month or longer... *sigh* Like say the end of May..
I then HAVE to make that appointment so I can then call the "nurse" and tell her I have an appointment and get a referral from her to go to the Clinic in town.... It normally takes the "nurse" a day or two to get back to you so you are pretty much S.O.L. for those days...
Then you sit at the walk-in clinic only to be told yada yada better or OMG the infection is so bad you need to be in the hospital... (yeah that was halloween last year hmm perhaps I shall tell that horror story later)
Jumping through all those hoops just so my medical insurance will pay for the appointment... *sigh*
Is it any wonder why I never go to the doctor unless I realllllly need to go... Oh and yes I actually do have a great plan... It's the area and the people my husband work for that bite the big one on medical care...
The sad part is everyone knows that you call, make appointment, call nurse, get referral, and then go to walk-in clinic... Then way can't I just go to the walk-in clinic OR better yet if no one ever goes to the doctor then what are they doing all day long?!?!
Yep... For some reason every time I call to make an appointment for ME (which is rare rare rare) they never have appointments until the next month or longer... *sigh* Like say the end of May..
I then HAVE to make that appointment so I can then call the "nurse" and tell her I have an appointment and get a referral from her to go to the Clinic in town.... It normally takes the "nurse" a day or two to get back to you so you are pretty much S.O.L. for those days...
Then you sit at the walk-in clinic only to be told yada yada better or OMG the infection is so bad you need to be in the hospital... (yeah that was halloween last year hmm perhaps I shall tell that horror story later)
Jumping through all those hoops just so my medical insurance will pay for the appointment... *sigh*
Is it any wonder why I never go to the doctor unless I realllllly need to go... Oh and yes I actually do have a great plan... It's the area and the people my husband work for that bite the big one on medical care...
The sad part is everyone knows that you call, make appointment, call nurse, get referral, and then go to walk-in clinic... Then way can't I just go to the walk-in clinic OR better yet if no one ever goes to the doctor then what are they doing all day long?!?!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
More Money Saving
Awww... Someone was nice enough to point out that I didn't explain "how" Mr Rebates works in my get-as-much-bang-for-your-buck post... I apologize as it was late and apparently my brain was not working at it's full capacity...
It is very easy and simple... You go to Mr Rebates and hit Join Now... Fill in your email address and a password... That's the hardest part!!! In fact, right now they are giving you $5 in your rebate area just for signing up...
Next whenever you go shopping online you first go to the Mr Rebates site and Login... Then click on the link to the store you want to shop at from Mr Rebates ... easy huh...
Finally, once you have atleast $25 dollars of rebates earned; you request your check... It shows up in the mail in about a week and then you are free to do with it what you want...
I joined back in 2006 and didn't really start using them until the end of 2007... Wish I would have started sooner because I have already gotten back just about $300 dollars... Coupons, rebates, sales, etc... You have to do what you can to save your money...
If you still have questions take a look at their FAQs... Okay I hope that cleared things up for those of you that asked... As always please feel free to email me and ask a question....
It is very easy and simple... You go to Mr Rebates and hit Join Now... Fill in your email address and a password... That's the hardest part!!! In fact, right now they are giving you $5 in your rebate area just for signing up...
Next whenever you go shopping online you first go to the Mr Rebates site and Login... Then click on the link to the store you want to shop at from Mr Rebates ... easy huh...
Finally, once you have atleast $25 dollars of rebates earned; you request your check... It shows up in the mail in about a week and then you are free to do with it what you want...
I joined back in 2006 and didn't really start using them until the end of 2007... Wish I would have started sooner because I have already gotten back just about $300 dollars... Coupons, rebates, sales, etc... You have to do what you can to save your money...
If you still have questions take a look at their FAQs... Okay I hope that cleared things up for those of you that asked... As always please feel free to email me and ask a question....
Wordless Wednesday- If a tree falls
..in your front yard does it make a noise? YES... YES it does.... Here is the tree in my front yard of this piece of SH so wonderful and happy to be living here house... This is NOT a rare thing as this is the third.. yes I did say "third" time this tree has fallen... Thankfully this time it didn't HIT the house only touched it.... My DH finally had to borrow a neighbors chainsaw because they never came to remove it...
It looks so sad now.. Happy Earth Day
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Get as much BANG for your Buck
In this day and age we all want to get as much as we can for our money.... Why shouldn't we want that... We work harder and get less while the cost of living has gone up...up...up
Not to hmm age myself but I can remember when I could fill up my truck and it was less than 10 bucks...
My family does "try" to be as frugal as possible however, we still have to get stuff... Food, clothes, medicine, etc... In fact, I am the queen of coupon, code, free shipping, get it as cheap as possible... I'm the one searching the Internet researching the prices of different places to see which has the better deal for me... Even willing to call my mother and ask her to look something up if I'm at a store and wonder if I can get a better deal online... OOO the shame...
You know what?... Half the time I can get it cheaper and GET MONEY BACK... Yep that's right I get money back for buying it online at a cheaper price and most of the time free shipping (you have to include that in the total price to actually save)... It's a thing of beauty...
How? Well, a few years ago my mother actually introduced me to a wonderful site... At first I was thinking no way and rolling my eyes... Then we moved and ouchy.... The cost of living went sky high for us... So, I went back to the site and was surprised at how easy it was... My first rebate check was $132.98.... Of course it took me awhile to get that much but how sweet it that... Right now I have another $100ish waiting to be cashed... What do I do with the money when I cash my check? Why it goes into the savings account...
Asking yourself what this wonderful site is yet? Well, if you looked around you might have noticed a link in the top left-hand corner of my site... *points to above the archives* Easy to see up there but if you missed it here it is again...
Mr Rebates
Feel free to check the site out... They list all the codes for the store in one easy pop up window and I love that... However, being me I still check a few other sites first to see if there are any other codes and sometimes there is and sometimes not...
Not to hmm age myself but I can remember when I could fill up my truck and it was less than 10 bucks...
My family does "try" to be as frugal as possible however, we still have to get stuff... Food, clothes, medicine, etc... In fact, I am the queen of coupon, code, free shipping, get it as cheap as possible... I'm the one searching the Internet researching the prices of different places to see which has the better deal for me... Even willing to call my mother and ask her to look something up if I'm at a store and wonder if I can get a better deal online... OOO the shame...
You know what?... Half the time I can get it cheaper and GET MONEY BACK... Yep that's right I get money back for buying it online at a cheaper price and most of the time free shipping (you have to include that in the total price to actually save)... It's a thing of beauty...
How? Well, a few years ago my mother actually introduced me to a wonderful site... At first I was thinking no way and rolling my eyes... Then we moved and ouchy.... The cost of living went sky high for us... So, I went back to the site and was surprised at how easy it was... My first rebate check was $132.98.... Of course it took me awhile to get that much but how sweet it that... Right now I have another $100ish waiting to be cashed... What do I do with the money when I cash my check? Why it goes into the savings account...
Asking yourself what this wonderful site is yet? Well, if you looked around you might have noticed a link in the top left-hand corner of my site... *points to above the archives* Easy to see up there but if you missed it here it is again...
Mr Rebates
Feel free to check the site out... They list all the codes for the store in one easy pop up window and I love that... However, being me I still check a few other sites first to see if there are any other codes and sometimes there is and sometimes not...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
I'm innocent I tell you..innocent
The truth is out...
I'm busted...
DH knows everything now..
He is always teasing me that he knows I'm having an affair with THE MAILMAN!! Well, now he has proof....
The funny thing is I don't remember being pregnant, giving birth OR being in Pennsylvania... Plus did ya see the names of little Logan's Godparents... Arthur V. Pompousass and Elmira R Fastidious... scandalous..
I'm busted...
DH knows everything now..
He is always teasing me that he knows I'm having an affair with THE MAILMAN!! Well, now he has proof....
The funny thing is I don't remember being pregnant, giving birth OR being in Pennsylvania... Plus did ya see the names of little Logan's Godparents... Arthur V. Pompousass and Elmira R Fastidious... scandalous..You should see some of the other "dads"... I had to laugh when the mailman came up and DH almost had coffee come out his nose when I showed him...
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter
HAPPY EASTER!!!
No time now to post of how the visit from the Easter Bunny was.... kids.... pulling me.... begging... for time.... need.... eggs.... color..... read books....
No time now to post of how the visit from the Easter Bunny was.... kids.... pulling me.... begging... for time.... need.... eggs.... color..... read books....
Friday, April 10, 2009
Return of the Vegetables
OOoo just look at the lovely vegetables we got this week... Those Acorn Squash are just perfectly shaped.. See those big green Avocados... hint they are the same size as the squash... Those Sweet Potatoes... even the Butternut Squash is beautiful...Normally, I don't get this excited about vegetables but with all the horrid weather (snowed again two days ago) the pickings have been well slim... Now, I have some lovely vegetables to make some great meals...
I can't wait for the fruit to start looking good again... It's times like this when I wish I could have a garden...
I forgot to take pictures but I did cook the Acorn Squash already and it was delicious.. Below is the super simple recipe for some Baked Acorn Squash..
Baked Acorn Squash
Ingredients
1 Acorn squash
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Sometimes they can be a tad hard to cut so use a good knife and be careful. Use a spoon and scoop out the seeds in the center of each half. I normally poke holes with a fork but you can also score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife.
Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Add a Tbsp of brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up.
Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don't burn and the squash doesn't get dried out. (I actually never do this and have no problems; however, it's in all the recipes I have ever seen sooo) Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Remove from oven and let cool before serving as is; or scoop out the squash and lightly mash in a bowl to serve.
Side note... As always, I don't follow recipes to the T... You should always follow them the first time and then adjust them as you want... Thus... with this recipe I do things a little different..
I don't add water and it has never dried out... I never do just one squash always two... Don't measure my butter and sugar anymore.. Eyeballing is just quicker and easier since I have done this recipe so many times... Everyone loves this dish and it is easy to make and normally a hit with friends... Even kids like it..
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Truth is the safest lie
A lie (also called prevarication), is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others, often with the further intention to maintain a secret or reputation, protect someone's feelings or to avoid a punishment...
Now, I really dislike lying... Do not get me wrong I have lied and will most likely lie again; no one is perfect... Oh and if someone tells you they have never lied... Well, they are lying... Most lies are to ourselves and often seen as excuses...
So, I try to instill in my children that telling the truth is better than lying... However, we all know kids will be kids and there is nothing we can do about that but have patience and continue to love them...
This weekend the amount of lies coming from my Wee Man was too much for me... Let me start the scene for you...
It was a gloomy rainy day... Inside the Shenanigans kitchen we find Mom fixing some colored pasta for Lil Kiwi while Wee Man played....
"Mom, can I have colored pasta to eat?"
"No, you are having what your father and I are having"
"Okay, after I finish my colored pasta can I have a snack?"
"No, you can NOT have colored pasta.. you are eating what your father and I are.. and no snacks"
"Okay, so when I finish my colored pasta can I have an apple?"
This goes on for while... That is until he discovered the chocolate bars my DH left in a bag on the counter top...
"Mom, when I'm done with my colored pasta... I think... I think I can have one of these...*sniffing chocolate bar*"
"No, you are not having colored pasta and why are you smelling the chocolate?"
"To see what it smells like.. what does it smell like?
"Well, Wee Man it smells like chocolate you know what chocolate smells like..."
he puts them back (or so I thought) and heads to the living room to play (or so I thought once again)...A few minutes later I head out to see how he is doing.. Surprised to see he is playing in his room... I knock on the door and he turns... This is where everything went down hill..
His face is covered in chocolate... his hands are covered in chocolate... even the back of his shirt has chocolate on it... I'm really not sure how he got it on the back and no where else...
"Did you have chocolate?"
"No.... No... I didn't have chocolate"
"Okay, I'm giving you one chance to tell the truth and not lie... Did you eat any chocolate... You aren't in trouble... I would just like to know..."
"*shakes head* nope I didn't have chocolate."
Knowing full well what must have happened I point out the chocolate evidence... He looks shocked and covers his mouth.... Yet STILL denies eating the chocolate...
Once I get him to admit to eating chocolate; I started with trying to find the wrapper because if he had that much on him I needed to clean the area where the wrapper was... You know what... That little stinker LIED to me again..
"Okay so you ate the chocolate I'm not mad at you for that but I am upset you lied to me... Now could you please tell me where the wrapper is.."
"What wrapper" *looks up at me with chocolate still on his face and hands*
"You know the plastic the chocolate was in... the wrapper... what you had to take off to get to the chocolate... where is it"
"oh.....*sits and thinks* In there... *points to the garage can behind me*"
So, I look... Nope no wrapper... Ask him again not to lie to me and just tell me where the wrapper is since he already told me he ate the chocolate...
"It's in there.. hmmm under the water bottle"
I look... I know it's not there but I look because I'm hoping I missed it... Zip... Nyet.. Nothing
"My pockets... I think"
His father walks in and has the strangest look on his face because I'm holding Wee Man and telling him to talk to him... As the story unfolds DH starts to laugh and I'm giving him the look... You know the one you give when you want someone to just stop laughing and keep a straight face... He looks at me strange and then gets the hint... He takes Wee Man to get cleaned up and I go in search of the WRAPPER!
I head to his room and look around.. AH his trash bag.... Right there on top of his trash is a chocolaty brown wrapper... I take the wrapper and head for the kitchen... Thankful that he actually put it in the trash and not in his bed under the sheets...
Now here is the last straw for me... After he LIED to me about eating it.... he LIED to me where the wrapper is... then... OHHHH then he tried to get rid of the wrapper!!!
I'm taking care of Lil Kiwi and telling DH how I'm not upset about the chocolate but I am about the LIES... In the background you hear Wee Man in his room getting dressed...
*rustle rustle.... frantic rustling.... gasp*
I sit there thinking... okay he knows I found it and will come in here..... tell me sorry and we can hug and all be happy... Nope....
"I'm dressed.... and I looked ALL OVER my room but couldn't find a wrapper... Not even in my trash... Nope no wrapper in my trash..."
*sigh* Where oh where did I go wrong... I know he is only 4 almost 5 years old but still I would think he would have the sense to tell the truth... Do I need to push it more or do I need to back off... He's a young boy they do that.... All these thought are rushing through my head...
So, I do what all of us do... I call my Mom... Tell her of my failure... Tell her how her grandson just lied over and over and then tried to get rid of the wrapper... You know what she did... She LAUGHED.... and laughed... Told me that was the hardest she had laughed in a long time.... and then the famous last words...
"hmmm looks like I need to teach my grandson how to eat chocolate without making a mess"
OMGOODNESS!!!
It's moments like this that I'm glad I can see the humor in life...
Now, I really dislike lying... Do not get me wrong I have lied and will most likely lie again; no one is perfect... Oh and if someone tells you they have never lied... Well, they are lying... Most lies are to ourselves and often seen as excuses...
So, I try to instill in my children that telling the truth is better than lying... However, we all know kids will be kids and there is nothing we can do about that but have patience and continue to love them...
This weekend the amount of lies coming from my Wee Man was too much for me... Let me start the scene for you...
It was a gloomy rainy day... Inside the Shenanigans kitchen we find Mom fixing some colored pasta for Lil Kiwi while Wee Man played....
"Mom, can I have colored pasta to eat?"
"No, you are having what your father and I are having"
"Okay, after I finish my colored pasta can I have a snack?"
"No, you can NOT have colored pasta.. you are eating what your father and I are.. and no snacks"
"Okay, so when I finish my colored pasta can I have an apple?"
This goes on for while... That is until he discovered the chocolate bars my DH left in a bag on the counter top...
"Mom, when I'm done with my colored pasta... I think... I think I can have one of these...*sniffing chocolate bar*"
"No, you are not having colored pasta and why are you smelling the chocolate?"
"To see what it smells like.. what does it smell like?
"Well, Wee Man it smells like chocolate you know what chocolate smells like..."
he puts them back (or so I thought) and heads to the living room to play (or so I thought once again)...A few minutes later I head out to see how he is doing.. Surprised to see he is playing in his room... I knock on the door and he turns... This is where everything went down hill..
His face is covered in chocolate... his hands are covered in chocolate... even the back of his shirt has chocolate on it... I'm really not sure how he got it on the back and no where else...
"Did you have chocolate?"
"No.... No... I didn't have chocolate"
"Okay, I'm giving you one chance to tell the truth and not lie... Did you eat any chocolate... You aren't in trouble... I would just like to know..."
"*shakes head* nope I didn't have chocolate."
Knowing full well what must have happened I point out the chocolate evidence... He looks shocked and covers his mouth.... Yet STILL denies eating the chocolate...
Once I get him to admit to eating chocolate; I started with trying to find the wrapper because if he had that much on him I needed to clean the area where the wrapper was... You know what... That little stinker LIED to me again..
"Okay so you ate the chocolate I'm not mad at you for that but I am upset you lied to me... Now could you please tell me where the wrapper is.."
"What wrapper" *looks up at me with chocolate still on his face and hands*
"You know the plastic the chocolate was in... the wrapper... what you had to take off to get to the chocolate... where is it"
"oh.....*sits and thinks* In there... *points to the garage can behind me*"
So, I look... Nope no wrapper... Ask him again not to lie to me and just tell me where the wrapper is since he already told me he ate the chocolate...
"It's in there.. hmmm under the water bottle"
I look... I know it's not there but I look because I'm hoping I missed it... Zip... Nyet.. Nothing
"My pockets... I think"
His father walks in and has the strangest look on his face because I'm holding Wee Man and telling him to talk to him... As the story unfolds DH starts to laugh and I'm giving him the look... You know the one you give when you want someone to just stop laughing and keep a straight face... He looks at me strange and then gets the hint... He takes Wee Man to get cleaned up and I go in search of the WRAPPER!
I head to his room and look around.. AH his trash bag.... Right there on top of his trash is a chocolaty brown wrapper... I take the wrapper and head for the kitchen... Thankful that he actually put it in the trash and not in his bed under the sheets...
Now here is the last straw for me... After he LIED to me about eating it.... he LIED to me where the wrapper is... then... OHHHH then he tried to get rid of the wrapper!!!
I'm taking care of Lil Kiwi and telling DH how I'm not upset about the chocolate but I am about the LIES... In the background you hear Wee Man in his room getting dressed...
*rustle rustle.... frantic rustling.... gasp*
I sit there thinking... okay he knows I found it and will come in here..... tell me sorry and we can hug and all be happy... Nope....
"I'm dressed.... and I looked ALL OVER my room but couldn't find a wrapper... Not even in my trash... Nope no wrapper in my trash..."
*sigh* Where oh where did I go wrong... I know he is only 4 almost 5 years old but still I would think he would have the sense to tell the truth... Do I need to push it more or do I need to back off... He's a young boy they do that.... All these thought are rushing through my head...
So, I do what all of us do... I call my Mom... Tell her of my failure... Tell her how her grandson just lied over and over and then tried to get rid of the wrapper... You know what she did... She LAUGHED.... and laughed... Told me that was the hardest she had laughed in a long time.... and then the famous last words...
"hmmm looks like I need to teach my grandson how to eat chocolate without making a mess"
OMGOODNESS!!!
It's moments like this that I'm glad I can see the humor in life...
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Blog Makeover?!?!
Okay.... So we know that last month I enlisted the help of all of you to give me ideas for my blog... Then I went to work trying to figure out how to do some of the things I wanted to add and some of the wonderful ideas you gave.. Thank you once again...
Well.... Right now I have a chance to win a blog makeover... Yeah! The catch is I have to blog about it (no problem there) but then I also have to be lucky enough to win.. (crossing fingers) This would mean I could get my blog looking more like I want without me having to spend hours trying to do it myself... Thus, spending more time with my kids and more time to take pictures and blog...
See I could win a blog makeover from Subjective Beauty courtesy of Mama Makes Money and her lovely giveaway... If you are interested in a blog makeover yourself head on over and enter the contest... OR check out Subjective Beauty and see about ordering yourself a new blog design...
Well.... Right now I have a chance to win a blog makeover... Yeah! The catch is I have to blog about it (no problem there) but then I also have to be lucky enough to win.. (crossing fingers) This would mean I could get my blog looking more like I want without me having to spend hours trying to do it myself... Thus, spending more time with my kids and more time to take pictures and blog...
See I could win a blog makeover from Subjective Beauty courtesy of Mama Makes Money and her lovely giveaway... If you are interested in a blog makeover yourself head on over and enter the contest... OR check out Subjective Beauty and see about ordering yourself a new blog design...
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