Alas, I have no pictures of the feat I am about to share with you.  Laura was in the kitchen making dinner for us (YOU ROCK LAURA!) and Joel was out in the garage doing what men do, getting plywood.  I was alone with the boys and needed to go up the stairs to get a blanket.  We’ve recently gated off the bottom of the stairs from the boys just in case.

Well, I opened the gate and Nic stuck his hand in it before I could close it.  Fine, I told him.  Climb the stairs then.  And he did.  He made it just fine to the first landing and was quite pleased with himself.  Dexter started to yell from the other side of the gate.  ”I want to climb too.”  Fine Dexter, start climbing and I lifted him over the gate to see what he would do.  Slow and steady up to the first landing.  As soon as he got there and saw his brother, he laughed and started to climb the rest of the stairs.  Nicholas was not about to be left behind and away he went.  Up, up and up they went until they reached the second floor.  I felt like I was in a video game “You have reached the next level.”

Lordy, we are in trouble.