Three wins

Today each year I look back on the year and think of all the resolutions I didn't keep, the goals I didn't achieve, the Nobel Prize I didn't get... This year, for a change, I'll focus on three wins:

1. I ran my first and second half-marathons. For the first my goal was just to finish. For the second I set a time goal, and I made it.
2. I drove with my children across the country. We left T at Niagara Falls and reunited 3 weeks later in Seattle to spend a week in the San Juan Islands. In between we drove to Toronto, Lansing, Lake Michigan, Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, the Badlands, the Black Hills, Bighorn National Forest, Yellowstone National Park, Bozeman, Lolo National Forest, and Spokane. We learned history, saw beautiful geography, and met old family and new friends.
3. I helped local candidates win elections. I knocked on a lot of doors. In May, I helped keep cross-filed Republicans off the Democratic side of the ballot. In November, I helped elect Democrats to county council for the first time in forty years and I helped flip our local school board. 

What were your wins in 2017?

Parenting win

This fall D was going through a phase where he never asked for anything, he DEMANDED it. I came up with this reminder to help him change his behavior:

- Friendly face and voice
- Ask, "Could you...?" "Could I...?"
- Reason (give one)
- Thank you (say it)

The genius part is that the acronym spells FART. He makes a grumpy demand. I say, "D, could you FART please?" Hilarity ensues, behavior improves.