Ya’ll we are having a really great mild winter here in Arkansas and I am loving it. We have a couple of cold days, some rain, and then it’s right back up in the 60s and that is just fine with me. No matter that our persimmon tree seeds predicted snow, I am pretty much always happy when predictions fail to come true.

It seems like we’ve turned a curve here at age three. We still have surprise moments where she’s covered herself in sunscreen (today at 5:45 pm) or when we find her under the table painting herself and everything else with purple fingernail polish (yesterday at 3:20 pm), she is finally able to entertain herself a little while when we are doing school. I can get out the Play Doh or her stamps and she will sit there quietly (for the most part) while we do table work. When I’m reading aloud she can play memory or hook together her bead set. It’s not all quiet and peaceful, but it’s a lot better than it was about six months ago.

We started a fun science/ art project this week and I’m eager to share it if it turns out the way we hope. It involved a tiny bit of math so there’s a chance nothing will turn out right at all.

I’ve been doing Darcy’s Project 52 photo challenge, but I’m posting all the challenges on my photography blog. You can find them all here. This week’s theme is self-portrait. I actually thought that theme was last week and I started taking shots of myself every day so I could pick the best one. Then I realized I was two weeks ahead and I just kept doing it. Every day. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep it up, but right now it’s a fun challenge just to get a shot of myself every day. It forces me to learn some new things and helps me understand how uncomfortable it can be in front of the camera (big uncomfortable). I’m storing them all in my flickr set.

Are you doing any photo challenges this year?

Sing a Song of Sixpence is one of my most favorite nursery rhymes and I never fail to recite it that day in winter when blackbirds cover our trees and lawn. I love blackbird day! Of course it’s a holiday I entirely made up myself. I prefer celebrating made up holidays than the real ones. I’m a rebel like that.

Some people don’t like the blackbirds, but I like their noise, their amazing coordinated flights, the sheer number of them. It’s a marvelous thing, and thankfully a temporary thing.

They will spend a day or two here then move on to another yard.

I watched the Republican debate this weekend and it was the first I’d seen. I’d heard a few of the candidate’s names and maybe saw a few faces in passing, but I rarely watch the news so I didn’t recognize who was who during the debate. I believe they should be required to wear name tags.

I have to tell you I’m completely underwhelmed by our choices. Where is our leader? Are we failing to raise men with integrity. Men who can lead our country? In our history lesson yesterday we read about Calvin Coolidge. He assumed the office of the president after Harding died. He was frugal and conservative, a nongambling, nondrinking, churchgoing president during the Roaring Twenties. He reduced the national debt by a billion dollars. He did not favor bail-outs. He cut taxes. He won with the slogan “Keep cool with Coolidge” for a second term at a time when I doubt the word “cool” was overused.

Although he never participated in a Republican debate live on television, I have to wonder if he would have been the type to attack and slander fellow candidates? That kind of turns me off.

I have officially launched into one of my New Year’s Goals. I have starting painting the house. One room is completely done. Progress is a wonderful thing.

My friend Marsha may be having her baby today. Or tomorrow. In Guam the time is all messed up. I’m so excited for her.

What New Year goals have you tackled?