When I was a little girl, I never sunburned. Ever. I have this awesome olive skin that has always given me a beautiful tan --even now in my old age! However, after I turned 18, I realized I needed to sunscreen up as much as the next girl --no matter how pasty white.
I forgot that today.
In March.
When we finally got some sunshine after weeks of miserable cold and wind and snow.
Alison (whom I love, because she likes me for me, and not because I hang with Leonardo...) came down to visit me, and we went to the park (because I had, of course, scheduled the carpet and upholstery cleaning guys the same day. I'm not one for thinking ahead, dear reader, especially when I'm with child-who-robs-me-of-my-nutrients-and-brain-cells). It was the perfect day! 60 degree plus weather, no clouds, happy children, great pb&j, fabulous conversation, etc.
But I forgot about sunscreen.
Until I noticed #4 was getting slightly pink. The poor kid already has sensitive skin, so I was worried, but Alison had some in the car. We got the kids covered, I remembered to cover my lower legs (I was wearing capris) and forgot my arms. I think. But we were out there for a good 2 hours before I thought about sunscreen!
Needless to say, I am a lobster right now. My legs AND my arms AND part of my face AND probably my hairline (gah! Don't you hate sunburns on your scalp? It's like you have massive dandruff!) are red.
Luckily, I have aloe vera.
Not so luckily, it's hurting, which is not a good sign (meaning the burn-age has totally beaten the don't-you-realize-it's-March-you-cursed-Sun?!?).
Sigh...oh, well. I shall live and learn.
You know, I used to always have sunscreen on hand in the car. In fact, Alison and I were laughing because we both had car blankets --and I told her how in California I would have everything in the car so we could go at a moment's notice: sunscreen, sand toys, water toys, blankets, first-aid kit, umbrellas, strollers, hiking stuff, kites, etc. And now? In Utah? In winter? I don't even know what's back there.
But the sunscreen goes in tomorrow!
Hey, but I have some questions: Are you guys good about the sunscreen? With you and/or with your kids? Do you slather them up before you get in the car to go, or do you slather them up upon exiting the car at your destination? Do your kids wear hats well? Do you? Do you remember to sunscreen yourself? If you are awesome at sunscreen-ing, please help me! Tell me how you remember! Because I'm looking at a long, hot summer before me...
*I meant April. It's April! Not March. April! ~sigh~
12 comments:
Have to tease you here. It's APRIL, not March. :D
3 of my kids are redheads = sunburns. One is especially fair-skinned and turns into a lobster just seeing the sun. I have to be really careful with them. (But have I gotten out the sunscreen yet? No.)
As for me--my daily moisturizer and my foundation both have a small SPF, and if I'm out long, I'm big about sunscreen and wearing sunglasses. Possibly why I'm the least wrinkled of my siblings--and I'm not the youngest!
Shoot! It is April. Thank you, Annette. :) (and for the knowledge!!)
I always remember sunscreen when we're at the beach, when we're just hanging out outside, not so much. But then, I live in Seattle, so we're not exactly accustomed to carrying sunscreen in our cars. My kids are decent hat-wearers. I am not. I need to find some really cool hats because I hate the sunburnt and now flaking scalp mascarading as dandruff bit.
i block them up in the morning, before we do anything. if we're going somewhere like the beach or the park later in the day, i wait and block them before we go there, then we reapply while there. we have sunblock in every nook and cranny of our car and house and go through almost an entire tube each family application! my husband and i are both fair and freckly and he's a redhead, so all of us are sun-sensitive. i dropped our oldest off at a party once, all blocked up, but they did water games and i wasn't there to reapply. taking your baby into the urgent care for second degree sunburn will cure you of not blocking well enough! man, i felt AWFUL! it was almost three years ago and she still talks about it, of course.
we also keep hats everywhere and in every size. when they go on clearance somewhere like target, i just stock up.
when i get ready every morning, i put a lotion with an spf on my face and i just lotion up my forearms and chest with regular sunblock then.
"makakona"
I'm horrible at remembering sunscreen, because I think my skin is completely immune to the sun ( i don't burn, I don't tan, I'm just lily white 365 days a year), but I forget that my poor defenseless daughter needs it, because she's deathly pale and DOES burn, and, well, basically every summer for the past 3 years I've earned the Worst Mother of the Year Award on at least one sunny day.
I was laughing the entire time at your pregnancy-induced calendar confusion... darn vampire fetuses! Give us back our brain cells!
You know my kids and they have that wonderful Italian skin...lucky them!!! The first few times they go out I try to remember to put it on them...the shoulders especially. I have never really worried about their legs, they are boys and Robert has hair like a carpet so it doesn't really matter anyway...
Once they are tan I don't worry to much unless we are at Seven Peaks for the whole day or Brian is out on the tramp for hours with the sprinkler going, then I try to remember.
As for me...Gio usually reminds me. One time in Italy I was so sunburned that I had blisters for more than a week and had to lay face down on the bed for several days..It wasn't a pretty sight!
As for how you can remember...I know that some people put the small keychain sunscreens on their keys, that way they see it and have some ready to use when they need it...Just a suggestion.....
Do you need anything???
I used to have sunscreen in the car, but I never used it. Then one time I took it out and it's never gone back in. If we are going to the pool or beach I always lather my kid up but if we are just at the park I rarely if ever do. I don't know, it's something about the bathing suit being on that makes me want to put sunscreen on. Last Wednesday we were at the park and I got sunburned on just my left arm and chest. That looked great! Boogers doesn't burn very easily so we got lucky with her skin.
I wouldn't say I am awesome but I am definitely good. Why? I have to be. I have strawberry-blond hair and freckles. My kids get slathered with sunscreen by default!
Me I get an award for worst mother of the year. I am way fair but always get burned at least 2 times a year. I have sunblock everywhere but just don't do it. I am WAY lazy just don't tell....
I'm horrible at remembering sunscreen. I'm half italian, and I think I've only burned once in my life.
I used to think it didn't matter - since I lived in PA, and so I wasn't out in the sun all year long, but now I'm in Scottsdale, AZ, so it's a totally different story. (yay skin-cancer!)
Luckily my kids are better at remembering. Plus, they get sunscreen as stocking and easter basket stuffers. So - even though I'm not the best, they have had good examples in the easter bunny and santa ;)
Good luck with it all.
I am pretty good about sunscreening, if I know we are going to be out in the sunshine for long periods of time. Living in Oregon, this does not happen often. I've always heard that you need the sunblock on overcast days EVEN MORE than on the sunny days, but I have never gotten a sunburn on an overcast day, nor has any of my offspring, so I'm going to continue to fail to put on sunscreen on overcast days, just for the sake of science.
I am better about putting sunscreen on myself than I am about putting it on my kids because my kids just don't burn as easily as I do. They take after their dad. They're all very golden-skinned in the summer. They will not wear hats. (Well, the boys will sometimes, but only in the winter.) I like to wear a hat because I like to be shaded from the sun. The sun is my enemy, except for all the warmth and light that it gives me. It's good for that.
You guys are so awesome! Thank you for the run-downs of your sunblock habits...it has helped, you know.
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