Potty words and suntans

Doesn't seem to go together, does it? I don't know what's gotten into the two talkers this week. They keep singing songs, substituting words for things we do in the potty and certain body parts. I really had to get on them today and took away snack time and did some time outs. What really was disturbing was when they sang Sunday school songs, eg "Jesus Loves the Little Children". And substitute children for a potty word. Not sure who started it, but I've got to nip it in the bud quickly. This must be the age to be fascinated by bodily functions.

Then, the suntan thing. I don't tan. Sometimes I turn a slight peachy color with supervised, limited sun exposure. Otherwise, I burn or freckle. I have very light skin and I've slowly come to terms with that over the years. First, after years of playing with friends who would take me to the pool all day and not make sure I wore adequate sunscreen--then subsequent 2nd degree burns on my back and shoulders. Very painful, large blisters, led to big brown freckles all over my back and arms. Then there were the years of "laying out" in the sun as a preteen/teenager to try to get the desired "peachy" color. I burned the back of my legs really badly once right before an awards ceremony and wore panty hose that night---ouch!!!

Now as a more educated, aware adult, I understand that the effects of sun exposure are cumulative and can lead to skin cancer, especially in the light-skinned folk like myself. And here I am, headed to sunny Florida next week, new bikini in tow, and no chance of a tan. However, what do I find myself doing the past two days? I wore shorts and sat outside with the kids sunning my winter legs, hoping for that slightly "peach" color. I felt myself asking, "What are you doing??" Why do we think that a certain "shade" of skin is desirable? What's wrong with good, healthy white skin? Healthy skin should be our primary concern, even if it means we must forego the hopes of a tan, or even a "peachy color".

So, off I go to Florida next week, and I will wear that new bikini, my beach hat, sunglasses...and plenty of sunscreen. I will not let myself be the lady I saw in the beauty shop the other day. Probably no older than 60, but so much sun damage that her skin was leathery, wrinkled and baggy. Not trying to sound judgmental, but if striving for the perfect tan leads to looking like I'm 90 when I'm 60, count me out.