Little Miss Daredevil

There are many characteristics that have been linked to genetics in just the past few years. Everything from eye color to taste preferences are attached to some gene that your parents have passed down to you. Unfortunately for us, adrenaline junkie is also a trait that is passed down to Alexis from both sides of the family.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am NOT the adrenaline junkie in our family. It comes from my Uncle Richard who was always testing the limits and my brother who has a thing for rollercoasters and trying new things.

Bob is most definately an adrenaline junkie. His nickname is "Skid" because he ate it so many times on a dirtbike. He has all kinds of scars and two screws holding his ankle together. He started out doing BMX as a kid, then moved to dirt bikes as soon as he could get his hands on one, then motorcycles, jetskis, snowboards and when he got more money he started flying airplanes. Anything that can get his blood pumping or his heart to skip a beat he is all for. Poor Bob, his baby girl takes after him.

Alexis is really at the climbing stage right now and I thought that it was about time that I get her a climbing structure for the house so I don't have to keep telling her "no" all the time. I had bought one for Katya when she was about the same age and it was a lifesaver for her getting some energy out. We had it for years until we eventually passed it down to someone else. I found one for a reasonable price at Target and after making sure I coudln't get it somewhere else cheaper, I went ahead and bought it. Bob put it together for me and we put it in the living room (it will eventually live in the backyard after we get that area turned into a gated dog poop free zone).

Alexis took to it no problem, but she was really freaking Bob out. Bob was standing there with one hand on either side of her convinced that she was going to fall and telling me that she was too young for it. Once I convinced him that she could handle it , and Bob left the room, I let her get used to it. Pretty soon she was holding on with one hand and standing on one foot while waving the other one over the slide. Then she started standing at the far edge of it with only her heels on the platform and she would wiggle from side to side. She tries to walk down the slide and to walk up it. Needless to say, she stresses Bob out to no end when she is on that thing.

Bob's mom says that he is getting payback for what he did to her. Can you imagine when she gets older? She will give us both a heart attack.