There’s a two-story “tower” in the little play area of the mall by our apartment in Shanghai. There’s a tall tubular spiraling slide to get down. To get up, though, it has no ladder or ramp of any kind; it has several layers of crisscrossed straps (see the photos below).

This is something of an acrobatic feet to climb, and most of the other kids that do it are at least 4-5 years old, it seems. Alana just did it at 2 and a half! That’s not easy, with legs as short as hers. She’s already done it 4-5 times, though.

Here are some shots (note the older girl she totally leaves in the dust, ha ha!): Watching her struggling to ascend that tower was so exciting! It was even better than a super-tense scene in an action movie, or Game of Thrones. And when she made it, I was, of course, immensely proud. Alana is turning it to be much more courageous and athletic than I would ever expect for a 2-and-a-half-year-old.