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Never Say Never….

Posted on by Angie

I think at some point in every woman’s pre-kid life there are things that they swear they would never do or say when they become a mom…  When I was kid-less I was never going to be “that” parent. I was going to be Mother Superior, I had it all mapped out…. In my head. It was such a nice place to be at that time. Then? I gave birth and everything I thought I knew went out the window (along with many other things.) In one quick blink, I became my Mother. I became all of those other Mothers in the world who swore the same thing before me and my Mom and my Grandmother and so on…

While there are gracious plenty to choose from I’ve narrowed it down to a few things, things I swore I would never do or say when I became a parent… How bad do you think our Moms (and their Moms and so on…) are laughing at us right now?

“Because I said so!” This was a biggie for me, I always felt like you should have a reason and that your child would understand the reason. I also underestimated sleep deprivation, massive amounts of housework and the persistence of an inquisitive toddler/pre-schooler who’s favorite word is “why.”

Do you have ants in your pants?/Sit up straight/ Why can’t you sit still? She’s 4! That’s why she can’t sit still, but really why do I care? So long as she’s quiet.

Stop Yelling!?! I yell to the child playing upstairs in the playroom with a movie going. Wonder why she yells?

Sacrifice fashion for comfort… Let’s face it, cute heels and playgrounds just don’t go together. You can try, but those of us who have “given up” will talk about you behind your back. We really will.

Watch Barney… I managed to make it through one child without having to endure the obnoxious purple dinosaur but somehow, someway (I blame my Mom) the twins are obsessed. While it’s cute when they sing “I lub ew, ew lub me….” I would rather sit in the corner and have people spit on me than listen to him in my living room.

Listen to the Wiggles… See Above only instead of people spitting on me, I think I could tolerate something like hot pokers to my cornea.

Allow my kids to eat candy for dinner… or crap in general. Whaddayagonnado? Life never works out as planned, and sadly nutrition sometimes falls by the wayside. We get home late or there’s just no time. If my kids like mini corn dogs in bulk from Costco who am I to complain? It saves my day sometimes. That and a pack of smarties – Yes! I’m mother of the freakin’ year!

Have you become your Mom (your Grandma, her Mom or so on?) share with us what you are doing now that you swore you would never do.

Event of the Week! Birmingham Arts and Music Festival

Posted on by Angie

Birmingham Arts and Music Festival (BAAM!) is a weekend-long festival celebrating Birmingham’s rich music and cultural arts scene. Modeled in part after the highly successful South by Southwest festival in Austin Texas, BAAM! will take place in a number of venues throughout the Greater Birmingham area.

BAAM! will offer patrons of all ages an unforgettable experience. By utilizing existing performance venues throughout the city, including arts centers, theatres and nightclubs, BAAM! will feature the city of Birmingham as a new destination for musicians who wish to showcase their talent for new audiences. Programs will include live music from all genres, all ages, all walks of life.  There will also be offerings of short films, artistic work created by area children, and a number of surprises for the whole family to enjoy.

BAAM! Fest is a celebration of our community’s past, present and a nod to its bright future. With the support of the city’s cultural arts organizations, artists, and the City of Birmingham—this event will surely entertain, engage and educate.

BAAM! Fest hopes to increase the public’s awareness of Birmingham’s burgeoning cultural arts community, all the while generating revenue for existing performance venues, hotels, night clubs, restaurants and museums.

For more information on Venues, Acts or to purchase tickets visit their site.

Type A Mom: Baby Fever vs. The "Plan"

Posted on by Angie

By Alison

It’s not hard to spot a woman with a bad case of baby fever.  Put her within a fifty-foot radius of a curly newborn and suddenly, her voice softens and heightens in pitch.  Her arms stretch out, a smile erupts, and then, the magical inhale.  You know the one – where the nostrils are entertained by the sweetest scents of baby powder, shampoo, and something that can only be described as “new baby” smell.  A woman stricken with newborn-itis never smells the poop inside the Pampers.  It’s a phenomenon that can wash over even an unsuspecting woman, sounding off an alarm instead of just a tick off the old maternal clock.  

I was NOT this person – at least not before my first.  I always knew I wanted children, but I was never goo-goo-gaa-gaa over anyone else’s child.  A decade later, when I gave birth to my dear son, I had a revelation.  Motherhood is the best gig ever, so how could I not look forward to expanding our family?  Ever since, I’ve been treading through a non-stop cycle of baby fever vs. sticking to the “plan.”

The “plan” is not rigid, just a simple philosophy of when we think it’s most logical to have another child, based on our employment situation and when it would be ideal for our lifestyle.  According to the schedule, we need to wait at least half a year, perhaps a little more, before trying to conceive.  Even though I know our plan is the smartest route, I can’t help but want to be pregnant again, to hold a newborn again.

The first round of fever, albeit mild, started when my baby was only about four months old.  We had slowly gotten into a routine, and the sweet boy loved to sleep.  I wasn’t in that perpetually exhausted zombie mode anymore, and my son was happy to go anywhere we needed to be.  On a normal fever scale, I’d say it was just a 99.5.  Then mobility began, and after chasing my son through every park/museum/play date locale in the Birmingham area, I slowed down my thinking.  Baby fever hit me in spurts when I would visit a new mommy friend in the hospital, but it was usually remedied by lots of cuddles from my own baby boy.

Most moms would probably agree that the worst form of baby fever follows the realization that your last baby isn’t truly a “baby” anymore. Each milestone is a bittersweet reminder.  There isn’t a day that goes by now that my husband and I don’t look at our son with astonishment, sounding like a broken record as we say, “He’s so … big!” My fuzzy-headed cooing infant has been replaced by an active little dude with preferences, attitude, and a voice that expresses both.  While I adore this age, it seems like yesterday we brought him home, all tiny and swaddled.  A little ache occurs, as I know we can’t freeze time or go back.  Hey, we could have another!  Then I think about the plan, but the yearning remains.

As if this isn’t enough, the fever starts going viral.  Most of my closest friends are about my age, and coincidently, they had their own first children about the same time as I did.  First birthday bashes have come and gone, and thus begins the second-child baby boom.  It seems everyone I know is pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or talking about getting pregnant.  Right now, my childhood best friend is preggo.  My college BFF won’t be far behind.  Some of my local friends joined the bun-in-the-oven club recently too.  It seems like the baby influx has swept through my mommy group and my favorite parenting message boards.  I want to drink the water, and yes, I do want to jump off the bridge with them. I wouldn’t call it peer pressure in the least – more like peer appeal.  I’m not jealous per se.  I am delighted for every one of them.  It is possible to be thrilled for them and also want to be in their shoes.  Contradictory feelings make perfect sense.  Apparently it’s a side effect of baby fever.

All of this leads me to wonder, how do others deal with the temptation to give in to baby fever despite their immediate future plans?  Is there a good way to shake off the symptoms until the timing is right?  Is there really a “right” time anyhow?  There will always be a list of reasons to wait, but those baby-centric emotions happen for a reason.  It reminds me of the love we want to give another child, the life we want to share with him or her.  Although having another child is never too far from my mind, we’re sticking with our original plan for now.  I’ve got the fever, but when I’m able to trade it in for some good ole morning sickness, I’ll be ready to begin a new set of plans (color-coded ones, of course).  Good luck, fellow fever fighters!

52 New Things – Week 32

Posted on by Angie

Angie –

Since I’m still eating no meat, I’ve started exploring the world of vegetarian recipes. This week I tried Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers – While they were hearty and filling the flavor was lacking. I will definitely try this or a similar recipe again in the future, it will just need a little kick. I loved the ingredients, and the fact that they cooked in the crockpot,  just needed more flavor. If you have one to share, please pass it along!

Trish –

My new thing this week was sending a kid to kindergarten.  I haven’t been a wreck over it like I thought I would.  Instead, I’m more just proud.  He’s so well adjusted and I’m not worried that he’ll be lost or missing me.  I think he’ll jump right in and love it.

For more New Things or if you’d like to participate in 52 new things along with BirminghamMommy and many others – please join in by posting your new thing to your blog, facebook or on twitter (use #52newthings) – Also, you can head over to www.willblogforshoes.com to link up every Thursday!

Exclusive Back to School Shopping Event!

Posted on by Angie

Join us along with B-Metro for an Exclusive Shopping Event at Grandmother’s Joy in Mtn Brook!

Grandmother’s Joy is offering some HUGE discounts for our shoppers— 70% off summer/spring items, and 20% off new fall arrivals. We’ll have some yummy food catered by Jim ‘n’ Nick’s BBQ!

Numbered shopping passes will be issued as you arrive beginning at 6:00pm, and you will be called in to shop in intervals. First 30 lucky ladies (or gents?) to arrive will get one of our swag bags AND a $10 gift card to Grandmother’s Joy, to be used whenever!

So come out and see us Thursday Night, August 19th at 6:00pm and take advanage of these wonderful savings!!

Weekly Events Calendar! August 16th – 22nd

Posted on by Angie

Things are still a little slow around town but he weekend will be loaded up with fun activities for you to do with the family, including the new Birmingham Arts and Music Festival that is sure to be a hit so make sure to get out there and support our community!

Farmers markets are still going strong and there are a few storytimes going on. Check out Barts Books at the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Back to School Bash going on at Homewood Park!

We update the calendar as we learn of new events so stop back by throughout the week to see what’s new!

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Monday August 16th

Holy Inappropriateness!!  We couldn’t find any special events happening in the ham’ today. See below for what’s going on daily at the Birmingham Zoo or McWane Science Center.

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Tuesday August 17th

Barnes and Noble –  Summit – Terrific Tuesday Storytime
Who wouldn’t love to hear a fun rhyming read-aloud about llama drama? Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney will relate to any parent about the drama of the dreaded bedtime.
11:00am

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Wednesday August 18th

Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am

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Thursday August 19th

Exclusive Back to School Shopping Event – Grandmother’s Joy, Mtn Brook
Grandmother’s Joy is offering some HUGE discounts for our shoppers— 70% off summer/spring items, and 20% off new fall arrivals. Jim ‘n’ Nick’s BBQ will be catering. Numbered shopping passes will be issued as you arrive beginning at 6:00pm, and you will be called in to shop in intervals.
First 30 lucky ladies (or gents?) to arrive will get one of our swag bags AND a $10 gift card to Grandmother’s Joy, to be used whenever!

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Friday August 20th

Birmingham Arts and Music Festival – Downtown Birmingham
BAAM Fest is an experience for all ages. It is a celebration of our community’s past, present and a nod to its bright future. With this in mind, B.A.A.M Fest will offer a “Virtual Festival” experience. Through a consortium with existing venues in Paris, Amsterdam and London, events in Birmingham will be streamed live over the internet to audiences overseas, creating a virtual relationship to citizens of different cultures and backgrounds. With the support of the city’s cultural arts organizations, artists, and the City of Birmingham–this event will surely entertain, engage and educate.
Visit their site for times and tickets.

Family Movie Night – Emmett O’ Neal Library Lawn
A kick of to the Dawg Daze parade and flea market – Enjoy a night out with the family. Don’t forget your blankets.
8pm – in the event of rain the movie will be moved inside the Library

Wild about Books Story Time – Birmingham Zoo
Come join us for story and craft time with Books-A-Million at the Birmingham Zoo! Every Friday through summer on Grandma’s Front Porch in the Children’s Zoo area
10:00am

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Saturday August 21st

Birmingham Arts and Music Festival – Downtown Birmingham
BAAM Fest is an experience for all ages. It is a celebration of our community’s past, present and a nod to its bright future. With this in mind, B.A.A.M Fest will offer a “Virtual Festival” experience. Through a consortium with existing venues in Paris, Amsterdam and London, events in Birmingham will be streamed live over the internet to audiences overseas, creating a virtual relationship to citizens of different cultures and backgrounds. With the support of the city’s cultural arts organizations, artists, and the City of Birmingham–this event will surely entertain, engage and educate.

Visit their site for times and tickets

Dawg Daze Parade and Flea Market – Mountain Brook
A parade of dogs and children’s activities in Crestline Village with a family movie preview on a giant outdoor screen with blanket seating on the lawn in Crestline the evening before. More than 100 “dawgs” parade down Church Street in costume with their owners. The  Canine Queen and King are crowned after the parade in front of City Hall. Merchants have special sales, also known as “flea markets”,  the entire day with tents on the streets.
8am – 4pm

Back to School Bash – Homewood Park
The back to school bash will be held at Homewood Central Park. The event will kick of the new school year with an array of rides, inflatables, cfood and entertainment throughout the night.
5:30p – 8:30p

Barts Books – Birmingham Museum of Art
Suki’s Kimono
A little girl reclaims her roots by wearing a traditional kimono.
Free Storytime – 11:00 am

Fresh Market on the Green – Ross Bridge
Fresh Alabama grown fruits & vegetables, locally harvested honey, goat, cheese, fresh baked goods, coffee café, live music,arts and crafts, kids activity and more!
8:00am – Noon

Helena Market Days/Farmers Market – Helena Amphitheater
8:00am – 12:00pm

Urban Cookhouse Farmers Market – Downtown Homewood
7am – Noon

Pepper Place Saturday Market
We spread out of the parking lot to include 29th Street as we accommodate local farmers, artisans, music, art and food!
7:00am – Noon

Valleydale Farmers Market –
Valleydale Farmers Market is dedicated to bringing fresh, local produce to communities around Alabama and the Southeast.
Music, cooking demos and storytimes along with fresh produce a great way to spend a day!

Saturday Storytime at Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us as we read about one sassy fish who has to have it all: good looks, charm, and a perfect smile. Swim! Swim! by Lerch tells a story about a lonely fish who finds love unexpectedly.
2:00pm

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Sunday August 22nd

Birmingham Arts and Music Festival – Downtown Birmingham
BAAM Fest is an experience for all ages. It is a celebration of our community’s past, present and a nod to its bright future. With this in mind, B.A.A.M Fest will offer a “Virtual Festival” experience. Through a consortium with existing venues in Paris, Amsterdam and London, events in Birmingham will be streamed live over the internet to audiences overseas, creating a virtual relationship to citizens of different cultures and backgrounds. With the support of the city’s cultural arts organizations, artists, and the City of Birmingham–this event will surely entertain, engage and educate.
Visit their site for times and tickets

Scholastic Chess Club at Books-A-Million Brookwood Village
In our upstairs Kids Nook.  Beginners are welcome, lessons
available, K-12, other mind sport activities are available such as
checkers and GO.  Free to attend!
2PM – 5PM

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Open Daily

McWane Science Center

Mr Potato Head Exhibit – Families won’t want to miss The Adventures of MR. POTATO HEAD, a new interactive traveling exhibit that features the much-loved MR. POTATO HEAD character will lead young visitors and parents on a number of fun and educational adventures. From trips to outer space to jungle safaris and archeological digs, each activity will provide children with engaging learning experiences. Through Sept. 26

Itty Bitty Magic City – NOTE: ITTY BITTY IS AN ITTY BIT SMALLER THIS SUMMER!
The Itty Bitty Magic City will be on display this summer in addition to The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head exhibit. The Itty Bitty City is a little bit smaller than usual, but favorite areas including the grocery store, Tot Spot area, crane, and factory are still in the city. The Itty Bitty Golf Course and a few other items were removed temporarily to make room for the new exhibit “The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head” that is also designed for an early childhood audience and they will return in the Fall.

NatureScope –  Explore the great outdoors from inside the museum. McWane Science Center and the Birmingham Audubon Society are partnering to create a new exhibit called NatureScope. Explore the science of the birds and the bugs in this new area! Get up close and personal with some resident creepy crawlies! Learn what role insects play in our ecosystem with the decomposition chamber. Meet large bugs including emperor scorpions, a tarantula, and even a giant African millipede!

Animalopolis at the IMAX – ANIMALOPOLIS will take you on a voyage into the magical world of animals. A bit fanciful, a bit “Seussian” perhaps, a place of good natured humor, beauty and just plain fun for kids and their parents.

Birmingham Zoo

Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.

RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm

GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am  & 2pm – 3pm

Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!

Does Living With Bad Air Affect Your Childs Life?

Posted on by Angie

According to the American Lung Association the greater Birmingham area has the worst air quality in the south, and some of the worst air quality in the country. Poor air quality is not healthy for anyone, but especially for children, since their lungs are still developing. If a child already has an existing respiratory condition such as asthma, bad air can become downright dangerous.

Alabama First is a new organization working to bring attention to the public health problems associated with poor air quality. If your child is suffering from a respiratory condition and you are interested in helping to make a difference to improve our air, they want to hear your story.

Please contact: info@AlabamaFirst.org

Birmingham Moms Rock 2010!

Posted on by Angie

 

 

This is from Moms Rock 2010. For current Moms Rock info, head here.

 

Do you know a Mom who manages to make “Mommy” look like a verb?

We are so excited to announce our next event coming up this September! Mark your calendars now for this exciting and fun night out with live music, prizes, swag, and of course some Rockin’ cocktails!  Not only will this be a great night of fun for you and your Mommy Friends but we are looking for nominations for Local Moms who Rock and we need your help!

Nomination Form is here.

Do you know a mom who manages to make “mommy” look like a verb?  We’re not looking for the “perfect” moms, we’re looking for the ones who love their families and make mommying fun.  We want the women who manage to keep their life balanced, all while putting their kiddos first.  Face it, the moms who rock are everywhere… they’re at the grocery store in stained sweats, they’re at work in a business suit, they are donating their time to local charities, driving carpool and rockin’ the PTA with baked goods, they’re all around you! Don’t forget the Mommy-to-be in your life – think she’s going to be a Rockin’ Mom? Let’s give everyone some love!

We want you to nominate your friends or loved ones who are a “Birmingham Mom who ROCKS!”  10 finalists will be chosen by panel for the chance to win a beach vacation and other fabulous prizes!  (Who doesn’t need a vacation?)  Nominate as many moms as you’d like by clicking HERE and giving us 500 words about “Why this Birmingham Mom rocks.”  The “Mom Who Rocks” and the “Expecting Mom Who Rocks” will be announced at b-metro and BirminghamMommy.com’s Birmingham Moms Rock! Event on September 16th at The Wine Loft.  Presented by Brookwood Medical Center.

Presented By:

Sponsored By:

How to Master SmartPhone Photography

Posted on by Angie

We recently ran an article giving you tips on how to take good pictures of your kids, even though you’re well, not a photographer. Turn off the flash, don’t force a smile and the best time of day to get that money shot. All of that is great advice when you’re working with an actual camera, but something that I was thinking about the other day, (when I could have really used my good camera) was that I rarely have it with me. I’m willing to bet that most moms find themselves in that position 90% of the time.

An impromptu trip to the ice cream shop on the way home leads to an adorable photo op of a kid with ice cream on her nose. You need to capture the moment so you can facebook the cuteness to all of your friends, only all you have with you is your iphone/smartphone. How in the world can you expect to capture the full impact of the moment with just a shotty camera phone? Have no fear, BirminghamMommy is here and we’re sharing what we’ve learned!

1. Hold steady – hold your phone with 2 hands. The less shake you have the better your picture will be. Granted taking a picture of your kids being still is a whole other issue. Sometimes turning your camera sideways can help you control your shot a little more.

2. On an Iphone Press the “Camera” icon and hold it down while framing your shot. The picture does not actually take until you release your finger from that icon. This makes a huge difference in getting a good shot of a child before they duck out of the frame.

3. Spend a little money on a good camera app. A couple that we like for the iphone are Camerabag (see pics below) ,  Hipstamatic and Format 126 (see above pic) The cost is about $2.00 each and will make a huge difference in creating something really cool with some of the pictures you are able to snap. I absolutely love the Helga and 1964 features in the Camera bag. You can also add Photoshop or Photogene (which works like photoshop) to your phone allowing you to crop or tweak the images and play with the contrast. Both apps will save your updated version without losing the original.

I was able to take this picture (the original on left) and do a couple of cool features with those apps.

Using the Helga Feature
(below)




Using the 1964 feature (left)

A couple of other apps that are pretty cool for taking pictures are:

Photostamp: PhotoStamp “stamps” any image stored on your iPhone with a copyright line, URL to your Web site, your name, or any custom line of text, and then saves a copy of that image in your Camera Roll. Options include a custom stored text line, a button to make it easy to include a copyright symbol, and black or white text. Great for Moms who blog!

Project 365 – Take a picture every day of the year, become a better photographer and never forget a day in your life. This application will allow you to easily create and update your own project 365 photo album. To add new photos use your iphone’s built in camera or choose from your photo album. You can share your photos using facebook, twitter or email.

Cameras on the Android keep getting better here are a few great apps for this smartphone:

Snap Photo Pro – This well-rounded photography app includes a timer, multi-shot bursts, stability mode, brightness and contrast adjustment, zoom features and photo filters. Some users with other devices say it beats built-in camera features by a mile. Cost 99 cents.

FX Camera – FxCamera lets users apply a bunch of fun, cool effects to photographs. Effects include ToyCam, Polandroid, Fisheye, SymmetriCam and Warhol. This app is equivalent to several popular iPhone camera apps like CameraBag, Picoli or PhotoBox and is a great (and free) cure for iPhone envy.

Have you mastered the art of SmartPhone photography? What tools/apps do you use to help you capture those precious moments?

Lunchbox Giveaway!

Posted on by Angie

CONTEST IS CLOSED!!

OUR WINNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY EMAIL  – THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

School is starting and we have 2 more adorable lunch boxes to giveaway! We have a tiger and a bunny Munchler from Built NY..  These little guys are ideal for little hands, they are insulated and make a great reusable placemat!

“In their quest for a lunchbox that would captivate every kid, or kid-at-heart, Built® developed a concept that incorporates whimsical fun with practicality. They collaborated with the award-winning children’s book illustrator, Stephen Savage, to take on the project of creating zoo animals for the design of the lunchboxes. After all, what good is a lunchbox that doesn’t look good?”

Here’s how you enter:

1. Leave us a comment on this post telling us which one you like best the Tiger or the Bunny – we will divide the entries and choose one winner from the Tiger entries and one winner from the Bunny entries.

2. Tweet this: “@birminghammommy is giving away 2 Munchlers http://ow.ly/2o3jf ” then come back here and leave us a comment letting us know you tweeted.

3. If you aren’t already subscribed, subscribe to our newsletter. Come back here and let us know that you subscribed.

You can leave a comment and tweet once each day for extra entries. The newsletter sign up will only count as one. The contest will run from Wednesday August 11th at 8am until Friday August 13th at 6pm. We will announce our winner on Saturday August 15th. The winner will be contacted via email and will be responsible for replying to us with an address for mailing the lunchbox.

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