Big, Big, BIG slide!

Well, folks, this proves it. Despite the fact that Katie pretty much hasn't been out of my sight since the moment she was born, I think she must have been switched at birth. She can't possibly be my child. (Let's also ignore the fact that she has my cheeks, my stubbornness, and my narrow feet.)

Today, at the ripe old age of not-quite-2 1/2, Katie went down the biggest, steepest slide imaginable. Seriously, it's said to be the second-largest in California. Here are some pics:

See? I couldn't even get the whole thing in frame. It's nearly three stories tall! And not only did Katie go down it once, she wanted to go again. And again. And again!

Here's a video - watch the grin on her face as she shoots out the bottom at 100 miles an hour. (OK, it wasn't that fast, but when it's your firstborn, it sure seems like it!)

We had so much fun at this playground. There were only 3 or 4 other kids there, so that made it even nicer. I didn't have to worry about bigger kids pushing Katie out of the way on the climb up to the big slide. All I had to do was make sure she safely got past the last opening on the staircase (she loves to try to climb down things that are way too advanced for her - in this case, a 10-foot vertical rock wall). After that, the staircase was entirely enclosed. I climbed up with her the first time to make sure it was safe. She didn't need the least bit of reassurance, just a reminder to go feet first! After the 5th or 6th time, I was finally comfortable enough to let her climb by herself while I hurried to the bottom of the slide. I heard her say, "Feet first, here comes Katie!"

My little daredevil! Who knows where she gets it from!