Good thing I was off eating tofu last night with my dear friend Trish, because I’m a big chicken when it comes to the kids taking risks.

I’ve grown accustomed to seeing Annabelle scamper to the top of the wall at the rock gym around the corner from our house, but I wasn’t prepared for the email that popped up as I was getting ready to leave Trish’s last night. The subject line was: “Sophie can climb” but on the small iPhone screen it looked like that was Annabelle halfway up the wall.

Everyone was alseep by the time I got home.

“Hey!” I stage whispered, and Ray rolled over. “That wasn’t Sophie in that photo, was it?!”

“Yes!” And back to sleep he went. This morning he offered more photographic proof, taken by Annabelle while he belayed the world’s newest rock climber. Up until last night, Sophie would do one move (which would get her about three inches off the ground) and stop. Last night was a breakthrough. I’ll shut up and let you enjoy the pictures.

He’s right. Ya ain’t. For a long time now, he’s been taking the girls to the Phoenix Rock Gym. Annabelle scampers to the top of the wall, but for months, Sophie’s been stuck at one move — maybe two. Yesterday he had a breakthrough. Ray swears the following came with just one tiny boost. Scares the crap out of me. But that’s probably because no one took me to the rock gym when I was five.

If it were up to Ray, I’m quite certain there’d be an X Games version of the Special Olympics.

He’s my daredevil. The guy hikes Camelback Mountain in the dead of the Phoenix summer; tosses himself and his mountain bike down South Mountain; and last week, he insisted on soloing a climbing route that had recently made the news because the kids who tried it required a mountain rescue (complete with firefighters and a helicopter) to get down.

He’s nuts. And that’s part of what makes him such a good dad. My dad is great, but the hilly-est surface he’ll attempt is a golf course, and he didn’t even force us (much) onto one of those, growing up. Ray hasn’t taken our girls on much outdoors (yet) and I do worry about the day he starts, but for now we’re all content to hang out at the Phoenix Rock Gym.

I don’t normally go along for Ray’s rock gym excursions — partly because the place is swamp-cooled,  mostly because I prefer to hear about the girls’ adventures once everyone’s back on the ground. But yesterday we all ventured forth. Annabelle scurried to the top of a couple of routes — she’s amazing — and for the most part, my job was to keep Sophie out of the way of other climbers.

But Ray did put Sophie in a harness and climbing shoes, and coach her up the wall. She did really well, reaching for the holds like a pro and getting herself all the way off the ground several times. Best of all, she was delighted — cracking up and calling for me to watch, which I did.

Ray’s convinced she’ll be at the top of the wall by the time she’s 6. That, I’m not sure I can watch.