October 18, 2000 - Wednesday
Because I had an evening event after work today, Harry and I went in a little late this morning and that gave us some time to play around the house. Unfortunately, it also seemed to throw off his schedule a bit and he got a bit cranky right before we left. However, before fatigue set in, he was in a fine mood and took another climb up the stairs. But, this time, after playing upstairs for several minutes, he decided that it was time and he was ready to go down.

This was fascinating to watch. All of a sudden, Harry headed straight over to the stairs, slowing as he got closer to the top and looking over the edge down the staircase. Then, just as I had been trying to show him, he turned his body around with his belly on the floor until one leg dropped over the side of the top step. His foot immediately began reaching for a place to land, pumping up and down as he lowered himself just enough to gain the step. With one foot planted, he quickly pushed his other leg out from underneath himself and down onto the same step, all the while holding the step above with both hands. For the next step, he simply squatted down and thrust one leg backwards, then again pumping it searchingly for the next landing spot. Even more interesting, perhaps, he tested his methodology on just a couple of steps before returning to the relative safety of the top of the staircase to reassess the situation. He did the same trial run thing a couple of days ago after he first climbed the stairs, but today he was committed to conquering the descent and quickly attacked again, this time going all the way down to the bottom. Of course, I was right there the whole way, but only needed to touch him on the last step before the bottom. Whether he thought the last step was different than the others, got careless thinking he was almost done, or just got confused, he changed his technique on that last step and seemed to try to sit down sideways. Admittedly, this could have worked, too, and maybe he was going to take the last step facing forward and be off and running about the house from there. But, his dad was not ready to wait and see and caught him as he sat. He quickly regained his reverse motion and achieved the final step and, of course, was off about the house, but not before a proud father congratulated him for his excellent learning.

I know it's a big stretch, but Harry's tentative, yet committed assault on the stairs and the apparent accessibility of his thought process in the matter, reminds me of when his mother and I climbed the Angel's Landing at Zion National Park. Harry was a mere embryo of about four weeks at the time, but maybe somehow, some of that exhilaration tasted good to him. If so, maybe we're in trouble.


Comments, opinions?