Conquering the stairs

Luke is obsessed with climbing! We usually have a gate at the bottom of the stairs to block it off so he can't climb them. But the second we take that thing down, he races to the stairs. He's actually really good at climbing the stairs. If he would just climb up like normal it wouldn't be that bad but he thinks he has graduated to walking up and down the stairs like us. This usually ends up in disaster...I don't think that is is physically possible for him to walk up and down, his legs are too short! So we'll give in once and awhile and walk him up and down with us holding his hand and him half walking, half slipping down. But once and awhile he'll try to take that first step by himself...scary! So we have to keep the gate up!

Anyway, the other day Cory, my grandma, and I were talking on the stairs so we let Luke get over the gate and crawl up and down with us standing right there. With all of us there I guess we weren't watching him as close as we should have, he was at the very top and I'm not even exactly sure what happened it happened so fast, but he must have taken a step by himself and the next thing I knew he took a front face dive down the stairs and did two sommersaults all the way down!!! I just about died! I hurried and scooped him up, he was of course crying. I inspected him and there was a red mark on his head but he seemed to be okay other than being hysterical. Then, after no more than 20 seconds, he started squirming and whinning to get out of my arms and trying to get back on the ground. I was confused at what he was trying to do, but I set him down, and that little stinker ran right back to the stairs, climbed back to the top where he had fallen from, and stood up looking down! I could just see him thinking...you haven't conquered me, stairs!! Cory and me and my grandma didn't know what to think! We were all shocked! He just did a complete roll down the stairs, but he wasn't even scared, in fact he was back for more! It kind of scares me how brave he is and how he will just keep going back for more!

This is right after the tumble...after he had started climbing the stairs again I ran and got my camera. I love the look on his face here.

And there he goes again...