What a Difference a Year Makes

After I wrote yesterday, and after I looked through the pictures of Annie in her skis, Jason took the girls ice-skating on Reed's Lake while I ran around it, happy to be pounding the dry pavement instead of snow and ice. In the afternoon, we took the girls swimming, where Annie swam all the way across the pool several times without any flotation device whatsoever.

We came home, and I cooked dinner while Annie and Jemma helped set the table. We decided to be "fancy" and eat by candlelight, and while we ate, we talked about all the things that Annie can do today that she couldn't do a year ago:

• Ride a bike without training wheels.
• Swim unassisted.
• Ice skate.
• Play soccer.
• Ski.
• Read.
• Write.
• Set and clear the table.
• Choose all her own clothes and dress herself every day.

I know everyone says that the first year of a baby's life is full of huge changes, and it's true, but watching her eat turkey sausage and pasta by candlelight, it was pretty clear that this last year has been full of change, too. I am so, so proud of you, Annie.