Climbing: Part 1 of 3 -- The Swingset

The twins each have a lot of traits where we wonder the origin. Sometimes Amy or I try to take credit for a trait. Other times, we blame a trait on the other. One trait shared by our twins where there is no question of origin is their love of climbing. I was definitely a climber as a youngin', and even now, I sometimes, er often, think, "hey, I bet I could climb that."

The kids are getting better and better at climbing. We try keep a close eye on them, which is easier said than done. It has become a common occurrence for us to search for a kid only to find them on top of something. We often find them on the diaper changing table, the kitchen table, desk, indoor playscape, entertainment system, bed, etc, etc, etc. Both kids can scale these items in a mere matter of seconds.

A couple weeks ago, the kids found something outside made for climbing--the swingset! We have used the swingset many times over the last year for swinging. But now, the kids know they can climb the six foot ladder, play on the top, and go down the slide all by themselves. Their first time to do this was in front of a very worried Grandma and Aunt Angie.

Here is my little man heading on up the ladder
Caroline was literally right on his heels.
Now, it is Caroline's turn to go first.Grandma was close by to make sure Caden didn't fall.
Caden pulling himself up to the top.
You may have noticed our kids did not have pants on in these pictures. My bad. The next time we went out to climb, both kids were fully dressed.

Notice two fully dressed and proud kids.
Caroline even wanted to sport her Minnie Ears.
One thing both kids liked doing was grabbing onto the handle bars, standing close to the edge, and hanging out as far as their arms would let them. I didn't get a picture of them doing that because I was busy being ready to catch them in case they fell.
While Caden was doing this, he scared me by declaring, "fall!!!" Typically, when Caden says this, he intentionally falls off whatever he happens to be on. This normally entails him falling off the couch head first. He always finds it hilarious. This time, I explained how it would not be funny to fall from this height and that he would get hurt. I hope he understood. :)
Caroline preparing to go down the slide while Caden patiently waited for his turn.
Now, it's Caden's turn.
I look forward to years of watching the kids play on this swingset. I wonder how long it will be before one of them is on the roof top or walking down the swing crossbar as if it were a balance beam? And in case you are wondering, I think I could do it. :)