Tara turned three this week, and I can hardly believe it. It seems like it was only yesterday that she was at least five, and in other ways, she’s still a baby.

She learned how to defend herself from her older sister. She learned a lot about swimming. She became a picky eater. She developed a fear of spiders, even if they’re barely large enough to see, and of Oscar the Grouch, because he’s grumpy. She still has very little interest in using the potty. She still sleeps in the crib after several unsuccessful tries in a big kid bed. She decided that sometimes life is not fair. She went from being a terrific sleeper to being a terrible sleeper in the course of a couple months. Her cuteness is nearly overwhelming at times. She is almost always in a good mood. She learned some Spanish. She became a little more moody and a lot more headstrong.

It’s been a big year, and to me it seems like it’s been an awfully long time since she turned two, which is a good thing.