Sudo’s Day of Living Dangerously: Swimming, Sprinting, and Getting Busted

Dear Diary, Sunday was the most EPIC and also the most PAINFUL day of my entire three years of existence. And yes, I mean that literally.

Sudo diary section 1

Sudo Conquers the Pool and Swims With the Sharks

So last Sunday, Baba and Mama took me back to the swimming pool. Now, the FIRST time we went, it was practically empty. Just me, the water, and my thoughts. Very peaceful. Very zen. Very “Sudo at a private resort†vibes.

Sudo diary section 2

This time? OH NO. We went earlier and the place was PACKED. Like, wall-to-wall babies. Babies everywhere. Babies in floaties. Babies screaming. Babies doing… whatever babies do. It was basically a baby convention, and apparently, ALL of us had the same idea: learn to swim.

Sudo diary section 3

But here’s the important part — Mama bought me INFLATABLE ARM FLOATIES. Yes, those glorious puffy things that make you feel like you have superhero muscles. I looked INCREDIBLE. I looked POWERFUL. I looked like I could take on the entire Pacific Ocean.

And you know what? I basically DID.

Baba took me into the water, and I just… went for it. I swam from ONE END of the pool to the OTHER END. By myself. With my own arms and legs. Sure, Baba was right there supervising me the whole time — because apparently that’s a very big deal when you’re three.

According to water safety experts, young children should always be kept within arm’s reach of an adult while swimming. They also recommend choosing a designated “Water Watcher†— one adult whose ONLY job is to watch the kids. No phone. No chatting. Just watching. (Safe Kids Worldwide) Baba was basically my personal Water Watcher. Good job, Baba. You get a gold star.

Then we swam over to where the BIG kids were. I call them the sharks and the whales. These kids were ZOOMING through the water like tiny torpedoes. Swimming fast. Diving deep. Doing things that made my little arm floaties feel very, very inadequate.

But you know what? I survived. No incidents. No emergencies. No dramatic rescue scenes. Just Sudo, casually swimming among apex predators and coming out alive.

Next time though? I’m staying in the baby zone. Not because I’m scared. Obviously. I just think the sharks need their space. It’s called being considerate.

  • Always supervise children actively when they’re in or around water — no exceptions (Joliet YMCA)
  • Kids should only swim in designated, safe areas appropriate for their skill level
  • Having a safe pool environment is “quite literally lifesaving†(Cleveland Clinic)

The Great Escape — The Worst Decision of Sudo’s Career

So here’s the thing about turning three. Something happens to your brain. You wake up one day and you’re like, “I can do EVERYTHING by myself. I don’t need adults. I am INDEPENDENT. I am FIERCE. I am basically a grown-up in a very small body.â€

They call it the “Threenager Crisis†and honestly? It’s not a crisis. It’s an AWAKENING.

Anyway. That same afternoon, Baba took me to the playground downstairs. We were having a lovely time. Slides. Swings. The usual toddler entertainment package. And then… something came over me.

I just… RAN.

I launched myself off the slide, sprinted ACROSS THE ROAD, flew up the stairs, and ran ALL THE WAY back to our apartment. By myself. Like a tiny marathon runner who forgot to tell anyone she was competing.

Now. Here’s where it gets scary. And I’m being serious for once.

There were no cars when I crossed. But RIGHT after I made it across? A taxi came zooming by. Like, IMMEDIATELY after. The timing was so close that even I — a very brave and fearless three-year-old — understand that this was NOT okay.

Baba was NOT happy. Baba was the OPPOSITE of happy. Baba was whatever emotion is on the other side of the universe from happy.

I got a spanking. A REAL one. And then I cried. A LOT. Like, I’m pretty sure I cried out every single drop of pool water I accidentally swallowed that morning. Two whole liters of tears. Maybe more. It was a FLOOD.

But you know what? I get it now. Roads are dangerous. Cars are fast. And Sudo is small. Running away without Baba is NOT the flex I thought it was. Lesson learned. The hard way. On my butt.

The Aftermath — Ten Shades Darker and One Lesson Wiser

Oh, and one more thing.

After all that swimming in the sun? I am now approximately TEN SHADES DARKER. I went into that pool as Sudo and came out as Shadow Sudo. My skin said, “Oh, you wanted a tan? HERE’S ALL THE TAN.â€

Note to self: Next time, we are applying sunscreen BEFORE the pool. Like, the WHOLE tube. I want to look like a cute little ice cream cone, not a roasted marshmallow. 🦖

Mama already said next time she’s bringing the “kem chống nắng†(that’s sunscreen for you non-bilingual people). Smart woman, my Mama.

Sudo’s Official Lessons from Sunday:

  • Swimming is AWESOME but stay in the baby zone (the sharks can have their territory)
  • Always have a grown-up watching you in the water — this is non-negotiable
  • NEVER run across the road alone. EVER. Cars don’t care that you’re cute.
  • Sunscreen exists for a reason. USE IT.
  • If you make Baba panic, you WILL face consequences. On your butt.

Signing off before I get in trouble again,

— Sudo, Age 3, Professional Risk-Taker (Retired) ðŸŠâ€â™€ï¸ðŸš«ðŸƒâ€â™€ï¸

———- tags: [‘swimming’, ‘toddler swimming’, ‘water safety’, ‘terrible threes’, ‘toddler independence’, ‘pool safety’, ‘running away toddler’, ‘threenager’, ‘sunscreen for kids’] categories: [‘Toddler Adventures’, ‘Water Safety’, “Sudo’s Diaryâ€] imagePrompts: [‘A cute 3-year-old Asian girl wearing inflatable arm floaties standing at the edge of a crowded swimming pool, looking brave and excited, cartoon illustration style, bright sunny day’, ‘A tiny toddler girl with arm floaties swimming across a big pool with her dad watching closely nearby, other kids swimming fast like sharks in the background, playful cartoon illustration’, ‘A dramatic cartoon scene of a little 3-year-old girl running up apartment stairs looking mischievous while her dad chases behind looking worried and upset, urban setting’, ‘A funny cartoon of a very tanned toddler girl looking at herself with surprise, holding a tube of sunscreen, with a dinosaur emoji floating nearby’]

Original: Xin chào, hôm chủ nhật tuần trước sudo đã đi bơi, thật dũng cảm… mà cũng thật nguy hiểm.

Tuần trÆ°á»›c baba và mama đã dẫn sudo Ä‘i bÆ¡i ở hồ bÆ¡i, hmm lần đầu Ä‘i thì ít ngÆ°á»i lắm, lần này sudo Ä‘i sá»›m hÆ¡n và rất đông ngÆ°á»i, có rất nhiá»u em bé giống sudo và tất cả Ä‘á»u Ä‘i há»c bÆ¡i. Hôm đó sudo đã được mama mua cho cái phau bÆ¡i kẹp tay, và baba đã dẫn sudo Ä‘i khám phá đại dÆ°Æ¡ng luôn. Sudo đã tá»± bÆ¡i từ đầu này đến đầu kia của hồ bÆ¡i (tất nhiên là có sá»± giám sát của baba rồi). Qua đến khu các bạn cá mập và cá voi nữa, mấy cá này bÆ¡i ghê lắm, rất nhanh và lặn rất sâu. Thật may mắn cho sudo bữa đó không có issue gì. Lần sau sudo chỉ bÆ¡i trong khu của em bé thôi cho an toàn. Chắc là mấy nay sudo lên 3 và gặp hiệu ứng khủng hoản tuổi lên 3, muốn tá»± làm, tá»± chứng minh là mình làm được. Cùng ngày Ä‘i bÆ¡i, chiá»u đó baba dẫn sudo xuống công viên chÆ¡i, chÆ¡i má»™t lúc thì sudo tá»± Ä‘á»™ng chạy từ cầu tuá»™t, băng qua Ä‘Æ°á»ng, chạy lên cầu thang, chạy lên tá»›i nhà má»™t mạch luôn. Rất may mắn là không có xe chạy lúc đó, sudo vừa qua Ä‘Æ°á»ng thì có chiếc xe taxi chạy đến. Thế là sudo lên nhà bị baba đánh đòn cho má»™t trận, khóc hết 2 lít nÆ°á»›c mà sudo uống trong hồ bÆ¡i hồi sáng luôn.

Hmm… đi bơi sudo đã đen đi 10 tông màu, lần sau phải sứt kem icream mới được 🦖