Gooly swims

3 posts in a day? Never mind lah! This is history in making!

Gooly swam! Or rather, is swimming without his arm floats. Now let me track back the history of his swimming gala.


At 8 months, he had his first dip.

As you can see, he had very little hair. Hoi, don't go off the tangent! His float was kinda sissy, but it was marked down by 70%. By one and half, his fatty thighs couldn't fit into the two leg-holes anymore. I reckon he didn't like that float much, to begin with. Well, he would always insist the top umbrella-flap to be pushed down. He knew he was too macho for that.


Without that sissy float, we spent many wet afternoons, splashing by the pool. *yawn* I could never spend more than half hour at the pool then. It was too 'stationary'.

So we bought him another float. And a board for extra safety measure. And yet, he was adamant about remaining only in the kid's pool.

We'd invite him to swim with us, he'd politely decline with a "No, thank you."


We'd say, "It's fun!", and he'd think lining up Dorothy the fish with the scooter is equally excitable.

He would ask for all sorts of swimming gear; flippers, mask, oxygen tank, goggles, etc. but he would just remain seated at the pool. So of course we didn't get him any except for the goggles, which he wore at home more than at the pool.


Can we say, at this point that he was a reluctant swimmer? Yes, you could have given him a bath tub the size of a basin, and he'd be just as happy, as long as he deemed it was safe.

Can you imagine even with a history of three years in the pool, he has never gotten his head dunk in?( except for the few mishaps, when Papah was in guardian). For a while, I was eager for him to gain confidence. I coaxed and cajoled, without being too pushy.

He started kicking with his float in the adult pool with me since we moved here. While I am pleased that he is safety conscious, but part of me kinda wished he is more adventurous, more daring, more jump in-see later kinda attitude.

Though in Malaysia, I don't often seen kids that age swim at ease, but here.. all kids that age can swim! Without floats! In the adult pool! It's so cute to watch them kick, gasp for air, kick, gasp for air...

While thinking of another few more years to wait, he surprised me two days ago! He decided to remove his floats, put on his goggles, and dunk in his head!

Just like that!

I have told myself many times. This boy is a master of himself. He decides what and when to do stuff.

And so this is another milestone which I am very very proud of. Within minutes, he was kicking and blowing out bubbles like a pro.

I went in the water to look at him.

My boy, so cute, with his cheeks puffed out, hair whirling, smiling, bubbles babbling. And I thought, " I haven't seen him from this angle.." Have you, of your kids? I just kept looking at him. And he spun around me again and again. Though soundless, I could feel his laughter in the water.

It's all very mystical and magical. The weightless sensation, the hair melayang layang, the broad grin.. :)

And amidst the silence, I thought, "Just when I thought you couldn't, you proved me wrong!"

I am glad I was wrong.. :)