(The title is a play on an XKCD joke referencing Ender’s Game – sorry for the geek moment.)

We have dispensed with all the baby gates, both at the bottom and top of the stairs. Apparently, they were getting in Lori’s way. She has been pushing them aside and climbing the stairs anyway, so the gates were only giving me a false sense of security and getting in everyone else’s way, too. The only problem was that she could climb up, but not down. She would then teeter at the top of the stairs and make this awful screeching sound until someone rescued her and brought her back down stairs. So that she could practice climbing back up again. This past weekend, Brian and I tag-teamed Lori on the stairs; over the course of 48 hours, Lori spent roughly a quarter of that climbing up and then practicing backing down. She’s now completely proficient at both, and can come and go as she pleases. Which means that she will disappear up the stairs and return downstairs with Cara’s and Evan’s toothbrushes in her hands (and mouth) looking supremely pleased with herself. Now we’re thinking about putting the upstairs bathroom door back on it’s hinges…

Happy First Birthday, Lori!