Category - Parenting

Josiah and the Bug

October 3, 2015

My two-year-old, Josiah, has a love-hate relationship with bugs and other creepy crawlies. On one hand, he is fascinated by what they look like, what they do, and how they move. He can watch them from a distance or read about them with his big brother all day.

On the other hand, if even a fly gets too close to him, he will scream. If a bug actually lands on him or crawls across his shoe – watch out! He will freak out, flail, scream, and cry until that bug is nowhere to be seen.

This summer proved to be a trying time for Josiah, as ants, both sugar and carpenter, were finding ways to infiltrate our house, along with the usual summertime don’t-leave-the-door-open pests of flies and mosquitoes.

The ants were the worst, though. The sugar ants love our kitchen, of course, and our dark granite-looking countertops are not helpful. Do you know how hard it is to see a black ant on a black, speckled surface? The ants must know, and they take full advantage of it. Keeping food cleaned up and putting out ant traps helped keep them at bay, though.

The carpenter ants kept popping up in the bathroom or living room, scurrying across the floors or up the wall. These became Josiah’s nemeses. He was on the constant look out for them and would yell for me to come kill them when he saw them.

Then one day, he was sitting on the floor near me and told me, not really panicky or whiney but with just a hint of distress,

“Mommy, bug in my mouth.” Then he spit.

Looking over I realized that he did, in fact, have bits of an ant in his mouth. There was only one way that would have happened.

“Did you put it in your mouth,” I asked.

His simple reply was, “Yeah.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Okay.”

I chuckled at his silliness. He hates bugs, but he put one in his mouth, only to complain that a bug was in his mouth. I don’t know why he even touched it, let alone tried to eat it. I guess he was curious?!?

Yuck.

But I guess that ant is kind of like sin. We don’t particularly like sin to touch us, but it can be fascinating enough to spark our curiosity. Then, if you allow yourself to follow that spark, before you know it, you’re not only fascinated, you’re curious enough to touch it, taste it. And then…well, it’s not so great. We don’t really love the consequences that it brings, and every sin brings consequences.

So we go to God, if we’re smart. We tell him about it, the sooner, the better.

He says, “Did you do this?”

Hopefully, we’ll answer honestly, “Yeah.” (And add, “I was wrong. I’m sorry. I repent.”)

“Don’t do that.” (And He’ll add, “I forgive you, and I love you.”)

“Okay.” (And, “Thank you. I don’t deserve it, but You are merciful and gracious. I love you, too.”)

And hopefully we’ll have learned, like Josiah did, that it’s not a good idea, and we won’t do it again.

“For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:12

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15

Elijah and the Clean Water

October 2, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Write 31 Days - Out of the Mouth of Babes - Elijah and the Clean Water. Responding to needs with prayer and action.

One day last summer, then-4-year-old Elijah was being especially whiney and demanding, complaining about things that he “needed,” such as new toys. Being a stubborn child, he can be rather argumentative when he thinks he’s right (I can’t imagine where he gets that!), so I decided the best way to deal with it was to show him what real “need” was about.

A quick search through YouTube brought me to a video from World Vision that focused on a young woman in rural Africa and her daily trek to get clean water for her family to drink.

After watching the video with him, we talked about how we are very rich compared to so many people in the world, and while he was busy complaining about getting more “stuff,” some children just want the very basic necessities to survive, like food and water. He initially suggested that they just go to the store and get some, but then I reminded him of how poor they were and how that isn’t an option for them as it is for us.

Elijah has always been a generous boy. He loves giving people gifts he’s made – cards, crafts, etc. – for no reason at all. His kindergarten teacher has received something from him nearly every day this year, even though I’ve told him that he doesn’t need to take her “gifts” all the time. And this past weekend, he HAD to give a picture he’d drawn of LEGOs to the guy who worked at the LEGO store.

Seeing how thankful others were for a simple drink of clean water definitely touched that giving heart of his. That night when we prayed, he asked God to “give all the people of the world good water.”

But he’s taken it even farther. The day we watched the video, he told me, “I will try to save money so I can give it to them, so everyone can come to Ohio and have clean water.” He even talked about saving money so that he could travel to them and take them money and water.

Then last fall when he heard that both of his grandpas would be going on mission trips (One to Belize, and one to Grenada), he raided his piggy banks. He told me that he wanted to send his money to help the people get water. Even when I explained that clean water might not be an issue for those countries, or at least in the areas where his grandpas were going, he still wanted to send money to help in some way. So, we divided his change into a couple of sandwich bags and marked them with his grandpas’ names.

Photo courtesy Grandpa Lape

I was so proud of my little boy and his big heart. But I don’t think anyone was more proud or excited than Elijah when he was able to give his money to his grandpas, knowing it would go to those in need.

His exuberance in giving was convicting. He was the epitome of the cheerful giver of 2 Corinthians 9: 6 & 7, and a sweet echo of the widow who gave her two mites (Mark 12 & Luke 21).

I love that when he saw a need, he responded, not just with prayer but with action, too. He knew, trusting with a child’s faith, that praying meant God would help, but he also decided that HE would help however he could. I am praying that this is a lifelong pattern for him.

Of course, being a child, he still has his moments of “give me” and “I want.” (Then again, so do we as adults.) However, to this day, he continues to pray every so often about the “people who don’t have water.” This lets me know that seeds of the Great Commission are firmly rooted in his heart. He has the beginnings of an awareness of what true need is, and he has grabbed on to the joy of giving to help reach those needs.

Recognizing another’s need and caring enough and being willing to give and sacrifice to do something about it – that’s God’s heart. And it’s encouraging and inspiring to see it being mirrored in my child’s.

Great-Grandma’s Rainbow: A Lesson in the Little Things

September 19, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Great-Grandma's Rainbow - A Lesson in the Little Things

When I was a little girl, my family lived about an hour or so from both sets of my grandparents and my two great-grandmothers. This meant that any time we got to visit them, it was exciting and special.

My Great-Grandma Leora lived down the road from my maternal grandparents, in the old farmhouse that my grandpa had grown up in. The farm was across the road from an old schoolhouse and a little white country church (which happens to be the church my great-grandpa & she attended, where my grandparents attend, where my mom grew up & was married, and where Brad & I got married).

Being that I was a little girl, I don’t remember much about my great-grandma. She was always kind to me and always had some kind of treat, but beyond that and what she looked like, I didn’t know her well. I imagine I was too busy at 5- and 6-years old investigating the old toys in her closet to really have an in-depth conversation with her.

My great-grandparents, my grandpa, & his sister in 1935. (I wasn’t around quite yet.)

I do remember, though, that her house fascinated me. It always felt as though you were stepping back into time, with old-fashioned doorknobs, a claw-foot tub, a door that led up steep steps to the attic, that closet full of toys my mother had played with when she was little, and an old-home smell that was part mothballs, part ancient wood, and part good home cooking. (In case you think I’m crazy, that nearly exact same smell can be found inside of the built-in-1856 home at the historical farm near where we live. Every time we visit there, I think of my Great-grandma’s home.)

Her kitchen was especially memorable, not only because of the yummy cookies that came from there, but also because of the rainbow of light that came from her kitchen window. Above my great-grandma’s kitchen sink was a window looking out to the yard, and in the window sill were 4 brightly-colored plastic coasters (I didn’t know they were coasters at the time). When the sun shone in just right, the coasters cast a rainbow of red, yellow, green, and purple onto the floor or wall of the room. I’m not sure if that’s why she had them there or not, but to little-girl-me, it was magical.

This little girl (little Kishona) clearly loved colorful things.

I remember visiting her with my mother when Great-grandma was sick, and I wasn’t much older than 7 or 8 when she passed away. When my grandpa and his sister were sorting through Great-grandma’s estate, they allowed each of their children and grandchildren to walk through the house and pick out things that they would like to have to remember her. When it was my turn, the very first things I chose were the coasters from her kitchen window. They were probably worth very little in monetary terms (looking at them now, they weren’t even as old I was, and they were just a promotional item for an event at Lazarus, so they were likely free). Even my mother seemed amused when I asked for them.

To me, though, they were special.

Now that I’m a mom, remembering the wonder I found in something so simple makes me pause, ponder, and consider the world through my children’s eyes.

It’s amazing what children notice, remember, and prize. Something that we grown-ups might see as insignificant or worthless can be a fabulous treasure in a child’s eyes. My boys get excited over lots of things, such as rocks in the driveway, random feathers on the ground, lightning bugs in the yard, and getting stickers from the cashier at the grocery store. Aside from the lightning bugs (I love to watch lightning bugs!), those are things I can quite easily overlook in my busy “mom” world. But they spark joy, curiosity, and delight in my boys.

God created a beautiful world for us to enjoy, and I think there are plenty of times that we get so busy and distracted that we fail to appreciate it. We dismiss this or take them for granted because it seems common or ordinary or invaluable.

But children, with their innocence and inquisitiveness, never fail to take it all. Even though there may be times that I’d rather they didn’t notice every leaf, spider web, and bird in their path, (especially when we’re in a hurry, and I’m trying to get them into the car), I don’t want to do anything to discourage or dampen that fascination for them. I want them to hold on to that for as long as they can. It’s part of the sweetness of childhood – seeing the beauty and wonder in the common or simple things.

It also reminds me of the verse in Romans, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,” (Roman 1:20). My boys are noticing God’s “invisible attributes” in the world around them.

I want to encourage my boys to always appreciate the little things in the world, and I don’t want to be too busy myself to notice the tiny miracles around us.

My great-grandma’s coasters are a great reminder for me. Those little plastic discs now rest in the window sill above my kitchen sink, throwing glowing reds, purples, yellows, and greens across the floor and onto the wall to enchant and delight my children as well as myself. (Typing this I can see the colors shining through onto my living room wall, and they still make me smile). They are a little more worn than when I first got them, but they are still beautiful when the light hits them.

Once upon a time, I was the one easily seeing the value in the ordinary, and now every time I see a rainbow in my kitchen window, I get to remember how important that is.

Tried It Tuesday: My Favorite FREE App for Kids

September 15, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - My Favorite Free App for Kids - The Bible App for Kids

Each night in Lape Haven finds my husband and me guiding our little boys through their bedtime routine. Some nights it’s sweet and easy, and some nights it’s a struggle because “I DID brush my teeth” and “I want you to hold me” or “I’m too tired.” (That’s the boys, not Brad and me…usually)

However, no matter how delightful or frustrating the getting-ready-for-bed goes, we always finish the night with Bible reading. We generally have a bedtime story before our Bible time, but we have found that when the boys are not behaving during the getting-ready time, losing their bedtime book can be a rather effective punishment. However, we never take away Bible time.

Since our guys are little, we have various kids’ Bibles and books that we pick from for our nighttime reading, but our absolute favorite way to study the Bible with the boys is doing “Bible Guy” on Mommy’s phone or Daddy’s tablet.

The actual name for the app is The Bible App for Kids, but around here it is affectionately known as “Bible Guy” because when we first started using it, Josiah was just starting to talk. One day he wanted to play on my phone and kept asking for “guy.” It took a second, but I finally realized that he was referencing the icon for The Bible App for Kids, which is a cute cartoon Jesus. I asked him, “Do you want to play the Bible?”

His reply, “Bible guy.”

And there you have it.

The Bible App for Kids is from YouVersion (makers of The Bible App, which is a great regular Bible app to have on your phone or tablet), produced in partnership with OneHope, and is a FREE app of interactive Bible stories, with new stories added regularly. Each story is age-appropriately told without sacrificing the truth of the Word and features narration, touch-activated animations, questions throughout the stories, and special activities and challenges to help children enjoy and remember them.

One of the things I love is that fact that they don’t just tell your cookie-cutter “for kids” Bible stories. While they do include Creation, Noah’s Ark, David & Goliath, Daniel & the Lion’s Den, and Jesus’s birth and death, they cover the whole Bible. Some of the Old Testament stories include Adam & Eve’s first sin, Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son, the plagues in Egypt and Passover, Samson’s disobedience, Elijah’s challenge on Mt. Carmel (my Elijah LOVES that story), and Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. From the New Testament, they have stories about Jesus’s baptism (which sparked the conversation with Elijah that led to his baptism this year); Jesus being tempted in the desert; several of the parables that Jesus told; miracles that He did (including delivering the demoniac); His death, resurrection, and ascension; the coming of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s conversion and travels; and a glimpse into Revelations about Heaven. There is even a story that ties the whole Bible together, showing children God’s plan of salvation for them. And, as I said, they are updating and adding new stories frequently.

The characters and animation are adorable, and my kids love to see what part of the pictures “does something.” The creators of this app clearly love children and have a great imagination and a good sense of humor. My boys are engaged in each story, which means they will remember the truths they are learning. While their site says the app is for children 2-8 years old, my littlest guy loved it when he was even younger, and so do my hubby and I (and we’re slightly older).

This app is also available in many different languages, which I think is awesome. This means that children around the world are learning God’s Word through this app. In fact, one of our missions for the children at our church’s Vacation Bible School this year was raising money to help get this app translated into yet another language. (If you’d like to support OneHope, you can check out their ministry here.)

I should mention that there are NO in-app purchases, and it is not easy for your child to accidentally download something else. Just to rate the app, I had to hold down on the “Rate This App” button for 3 seconds before it would open up an outside link. As a mom who has found random apps on her phone from my child clicking on a button while he’s playing, I appreciate the child-proofing they’ve done with the app while still making it easy for my kids to navigate through it.

The only issue we’ve had with the app is that it used to crash at random times. However, they seemed to have fixed that issue lately, as they’ve brought out updates and new stories.

The Bible App for Kids is easily our favorite FREE app for kids, but I would pay for it in a heartbeat. When something as simple as a phone app can get your child excited about the Bible, spark important conversations about their relationship with God, and help them see His love for the whole world, I’d say it’s worth it.

*Logos and The Bible App for Kids pictures are copyrighted by OneHope and YouVersion. *

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Tried It Tuesday: Our Experience with ABCMouse.com

September 8, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - Our Experience with ABCMouse.com

When I was pregnant with my second child, part of my “nesting” involved preparing Elijah to no longer be the only child and planning for ways to make that transition easier for him and for us. Knowing that I would be occupied with his little brother quite a bit in the first few months (nursing, changing, rocking, repeat), I was on the lookout for an activity that he could do somewhat independently, that would keep him quiet(ish), and that would be educational, if possible.

I had seen numerous commercials for ABCMouse.com on the preschool channel we watched, and one day I decided to see how much it was and if might be a good idea for Elijah.

When I pulled it up on my computer, I was almost overwhelmed by all that the program offered, but in a good way. I started to sign up, but then decide that maybe I should talk to my hubby first about committing us to a subscription of about $8 a month (billed yearly), even though it did include having two children on one subscription. However, since I’d already entered my email, after I closed out the sign up, I got either a pop-up or an email that gave offered me a “special” rate to join, which brought the price down to about $5 a month. I knew we could do that, so I signed Elijah up, and the two of us began exploring the site. (Since this was a couple of years ago, I’m not sure they still do that, but it’s worth a try!)

From the get-go, he loved it, and I loved it. The program, which is for ages 2-6, starts off with very basic “Toddler Time,” where children learn shapes, colors, letters, and numbers by completing lessons along a curriculum-driven learning “path.” Each lesson is made up of four to six activities (as they graduate up to higher levels, lessons can have more), including coloring pages, games, songs, puzzles, and stories. As the child learns, you can adjust the difficulty levels of the each activity, so even though they might repeat a puzzle as they progress from Toddler Time to Pre-K and Kindergarten lessons, they are still learning new things.

There are plenty of incentives for your child to keep moving along and completing lessons. For each activity completed, they earn virtual tickets to spend in the “stores,” where they can buy outfits for their avatar, items to decorate their “rooms,” or they can even buy and care for numerous virtual pets. At the end of each lesson, they win a “prize,” and at the completion of an entire section – they graduate with a printable certificate and a bigger prize. In our house, we celebrate a graduation with a special treat, too.

Not only can the child follow the specified curriculum in their “classroom,” they can also explore a zoo and a farm, where they learn all about different animals; complete individual basic activities to really focus on a certain area; and watch tons of music videos at the theater. My boys LOVE the videos, which all teach something, including letters, colors, numbers, and seasons. Each child also has a fish tank and a hamster that they can visit and design the tank/cage for. (Elijah and Josiah love rearranging the hamster tubes).

Each time they move through a set of lessons, they are also able to learn about different environments in the world, including the animals and plants that live there, so they are getting some basic science added to their reading, math, art, and music.

When your child first starts, you definitely need to help them in some ways, but the program is designed so that they will easily be able to move through it independently eventually. One of the first lessons when you set up an account is on how to use a computer mouse, and Elijah picked that up really quickly. Of course, you can also access the site through tablets and smart phones, so touch-screen is also an option. And we all know how quickly little guys can learn technology!

The only downside to them being able to move around so easily in the program is that they can leave a lesson without finishing it, click in to exploring the zoo instead of finishing a story in their lesson plan or deciding it’s time to play with the hamsters rather than color the letter P. They won’t move forward in their lesson without completing the activities, though. This mean that most of the time I need to be right beside them, Josiah especially, or at least nearby (doing dishes with him at the kitchen table), so I can monitor what they are working on. Plus that way I also can encourage them or talk them through something if they get stuck.

In our house, the rule is for Elijah to complete two sets of lessons before he can go “off-roading.” For Josiah, it’s at least one whole lesson. (Josiah started even younger than Elijah because he kept watching Elijah use it. Since you can have two children on one subscription, I just added him in when he was old enough, and he started at the beginning, just like Elijah had). We try to have them do ABCMouse (or “B-Mouse” as Josiah calls it) a few times a week at least, and most times, we don’t even have to remind them. They ASK to “play” ABCMouse, sometimes even fighting over who gets to. While I could do without the fighting, I’m thrilled that my boys are so excited to learn.

I’m also very certain that these lessons helped Elijah be more than ready for kindergarten. For example, he knew 22 of the 35 site words for his class the first time he saw the list! He just rattled them off, running right down the page. While I have worked with him a little outside of ABCMouse (not really on words, though), and we read together every day, I was surprised. I know that working in this program, or “playing” it, helped prepare him.

So after at least two years of “trying” ABCMouse.com with our boys, I can easily say that, for us, it is a keeper.

How about you? Any experience with this online program?

Giving Him “Apple Pieces to Put in the Pan”

September 5, 2015

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Giving Him Apple Pieces to Put in the Pan, Life in Lape Haven. Sometimes it takes a little extra effort or time for us as moms when our children want to help us throughout our day, but the memories, bonding, and time together are so worth it for them and for us as parents.

When Elijah started kindergarten and was at school for six hours or so every day, Josiah was getting something that he hadn’t really gotten to experience much in his life: hours with Mommy all to himself. He ate it up. And even though I missed Elijah, I also loved having time with my other little guy, too.

This post was first written during that precious time a few years ago when it was just Mommy and Josiah at home during the day. Here is a little look back:

Finding himself without his constant playmate, Josiah has become my little shadow. He will play by himself off and on, but for the most part, he wants to be with Mommy. Generally that means “you play with me, Mommy?” and we do a puzzle or two, color, read books, or play cars, “duck ‘n goose,” or “ring a Rosie” until Mommy HAS to get something done. At that point, he’s either content to be alone, or he’s ready to be my “big helper boy.”

Josiah has discovered a love for vacuuming with me. He wants to be holding the handle the whole time which makes the process take FOREVER, but he’s also learned how helpful it is for him to move the chairs out of my way or pick up his toys really quickly. The other day I got smart and finally pulled out our older vacuum, the one where we can only use it with the attachments. He vacuumed with that thing while I used the good one, and I was able to move a lot quicker while he helped out!

The other task he loves is unloading and loading the dishwasher. He gets super excited when he can stack the plates or the bowls. He is so proud of being “strong” enough to lift them (with Mommy’s very close supervision). He really thrives on being a part.

That’s why earlier this week, he insisted on being my “big helper boy” as I made homemade applesauce. At first I was leaning toward, “Go color” and “Where are your Legos?” or anything that would keep him occupied long enough for me to peel and chop up a large bucketful of dropped apples from my grandparents. I’d had them for a few days, just sitting on the counter, and I knew I had to use them, or I wouldn’t at all.

However, as soon as I was all set up, ready with my paring knife, cutting board, and rinsed apples, there he was, dragging a kitchen chair across the room to the counter. Realizing that having him nearby would be easier than having to keep stepping away from my task to check on him, I relented and let him stand beside me. He even had to have his apron since Mommy had hers.

Before long he was “oohing” and “ewwing” as I trimmed off the bad parts of the apples as I peeled them, and he was utterly fascinated with the couple of worms we found still residing in an apple or two. However, with each enthralled study of the apples, he leaned more and more on my arm, getting closer and closer to the knife in my hands.

So I brought out the big guns – my phone. With the offer of playing a puzzle on Mommy’s phone, while still standing on the chair beside me, he was with me but safer, and I could move a little faster. While I peeled, he slid digital puzzle pieces together to form random animals.

That’s when he started his conversation about the zoo. He knows we have a zoo trip planned in the next couple of weeks, so every animal he completed, he talked about seeing it at the zoo.

“When I go to dee zoo, I see dee lion. I don’t like dee lion. Do you like dee lion?”

So I would answer, “Yes, I like the lions.”

“I don’t. Them scare me.”

And this was our conversation for several animals. He likes to ask the “Do you like? I like/don’t like” questions with explanations for why he likes or doesn’t like something. Generally, he didn’t like animals that he might think “should” be scary.

Suddenly, I hear him say, “When I go to dee zoo, I see dee din-saur.”

Hmmm…“Well, no. We won’t see any dinosaurs. They aren’t at the zoo. There aren’t any dinosaurs anymore. They’re all gone.”

“They gone? They go ‘way.”

Not knowing any other way to say it, I just went for it, “Well, they all died.”

Josiah is really good at being dejected. He’s perfected his show of disappointment with a very adorable, heartfelt, “Awwww,” complete with his head down. Learning that dinosaurs were dead elicited that response and a frown.

Then he was back at his game. “When I go to dee zoo, I see the bird.”(Ostrich). Then he grinned at me with such delight, “They not die!”

I smiled and affirmed, “Nope. They didn’t die.”

“Nope. They not die,” he echoed happily.

In that moment, I wanted to freeze time and just keep him right there with me, little and sweet and innocent. What a funny moment that I might have missed by sending him to play in the other room!

Smiling, I finished cleaning the apples and prepared to start the chopping. When I moved the cutting board and apples closer to the stove, to be near to the pan, Josiah was on it, moving his chair to right in front of the stove.

Again, I hesitated, but he was being so good and wanting to help, so I decided to let him put the chopped apple pieces into the waiting stock pot (since the stove wasn’t on). Being left-handed, I could put him to my right, chop up the apples, then slide them over to the right side, “his” side, of the cutting board, so he could grab them.

Josiah had so much fun picking up the pieces, one at a time mostly, and dropping them carefully into the pan. He didn’t try to eat them or play around. He was very intent on helping Mommy. At first, we counted them as he put them in, up to 20, a couple times, then we worked in silence for a while.

As I diced up another apple, I heard him say softly and so very sweetly, “Thank you for giving me apple pieces to put in dee pan, Mommy.”

I stopped cutting and asked him what he had said, to make sure I’d heard correctly.

He repeated it, “Thank you for giving me apple pieces to put in dee pan.”

With a full heart, I told him he was welcome, then leaned over for a kiss. He grinned all over himself, and I was caught again with the thought that I almost sent him away. I almost missed this.

And he was so appreciative that Mommy was letting him help. He was grateful for the “apple pieces to put in dee pan” just so he could be with me.

I hope I never forget his sweet voice or delighted grin, those chubby fingers plucking up chunks of apples and tossing them joyfully into a big stockpot. I never want to miss an opportunity to let him be with me (within reason), help me (when he feasibly can), talk to me (so we can bond over dead dinosaurs and not-dead ostriches).

On my own, I might have finished my task much quicker, moved onto my next to-do item, and he would have been good playing with his toys alone. However, the time I could have saved would have cost me precious memories. Him, too. Together we now have another moment to store away and cherish, filling up our love banks just like those little apple chunks filled the pan.

It turned out to be really tasty applesauce. It might have been done sooner had I done it alone, but I can guarantee you that it wouldn’t have been nearly as delicious without those little hands that helped. I may never have applesauce again without remembering that day.

I pray it always reminds me to make sure he has apple pieces to put in the pan.