Fun In The Sun and Water

We couldn't resist any longer... our son's board shorts are just too cute, and at the rate he's growing might only fit another few weeks (thanks grandma & grandpa P)... so we did what any respectful Doha family does on a Friday afternoon, went to the pool - for Aiden's first plunge.

I grew up at the neighborhood pool. It was only fitting that after being raised on Cool Deck, Chlorine, and Otter Pops that I became a lifeguard and swim instructor - hands down the absolute greatest job in the world; getting paid to hang out at the pool 7 days a week! Secretly part of me wants to retire now and pursue a full career as lifeguard on the beach somewhere in Western Australia or Southern California (specifically the part of me that loves flipflops and Otter Pops).

Even though I've replaced my flipflops with dress shoes, I remember my past life as a swim instructor... which means little Aiden gets private lessons with two pretty cool people - his parents. Almost from birth an infant can hold his breath under water (yes the 'blow in the face' trick is a legitimate technique taught in instructor training)... thought: dunking hundreds of little kids in swim classes should prepare you for dunking your own son (FALSE) - so I was relieved when Sheri annouced that Rule #1 of first day at the pool was that Aiden was not to get his head wet!



Problem with Rule #1 of the pool is that it directly contradicted Rule #26 - Aiden has the right to ignore any of the aforementioned rules in pursuit of his own agenda... 12 seconds after handing him to Sheri our son performed a face plant; a move that on land typically bruises our cheekbones, when near water the face plant results in one wet little baby. Aiden came up with a puzzled look on his face, and returned to his peaceful state of mind. He was a pro - looks quite natural in the water, as you can see in the photos we snapped (underwater housing for our Canon Elph = greater invention than the iPhone and DVR combined... especially with kids).





Public Service Annoucements: Teach your kids how to swim as soon as you possibly can. Great materials are available from the Red Cross if you feel comfortable teaching them yourself - otherwise find a local aquatic center or trained professional and enroll them... not only does it provide 30 mins of 'free' baby sitting, it teaches them one of the most critical skills anyone can learn. Did I mention that learning how to swim trains the next generation of lifeguards and opens up the door for your youngster to get the coolest job in town?