docs: def noEmptyNests(node): 
      '''recursively make sure that no dictionaries inside node contain empty children lists '''
      if type(node)==list:
          for i in node:
              noEmptyNests(i)
      if type(node)==dict:
          for i in node.values():
              noEmptyNests(i)
          if node["children"] == []:
              node.pop("children")
      return node