For the most part we have done nothing this summer. I was sick and not fit for travel so we stayed home, unlike past summers. My kids spent a lot of time watching television, playing the Wii, reading, and moping about. They didn't even have their computers for a couple of weeks as the remodeling was in full swing. After my first visit with the gastroenterologist we did the travel for four days to Key Largo. I felt guilty that I hadn't been able to do more this summer. So when the final week of vacation came I said "yes" to every invitation that was extended to the girls.
Thursday we met at the beach to visit with friends who had moved out of town two years ago. Originally we were to only be there for two hours, but I canceled our next engagement and we opted to hang at the beach. Several classmates were there and the girls spent all of their time in the water. Before we left I ordered on the sunscreen. Darcy listened. Madison whined that she really hates to do it ahead of time because "there is the stickiness and it feels so weird on my skin" and so as soon as we landed on the sand I reminded her of the sunscreen. Instead while I chatted with some parents at the end of the walk-way leading to the sand my daughters dumped everything they carried on the ground and ran into the gulf. I too left everything right where they had dumped it when I made my way to the spot where everyone had set up chairs.
By that time I was sweating something fierce as it is 175 degrees here in Florida so I hurried out of my cover-up and entered the 100 degree water. I swam out to the gaggle of girls, hugged those I hadn't seen in awhile, said hello to those I had, and immediately and kindly told the girls I left their belongings at the base of the walk-way and reminded Madison that she needed to put on sunscreen. Out they both trooped to take care of things. They moved their things and Madison put on sunscreen all over her wet body. When I mentioned that to her she replied, "It's waterproof."
An hour later I exited the water and sat under an umbrella reading a book. Girls came and went getting drinks and food out of coolers, but they quickly were back into the water. Never once did I think about reminding any of them to reapply. My bad. We were at the beach for five hours. By the time we got home, showered, and met others for dinner my two girls were lobsters on their faces, shoulders, and backs. It was painful looking. By the time dinner was over my entire face was a lobster except where I had worn my huge sunglasses. I looked like an idiot - in more ways than one.
The next day we had accepted an invite to head to Adventure Island, a water park north of us. Against my better judgment, we went. I made both girls wear shirts, lather up, and I gave Madison my hat to wear once we arrived and I saw her face in the sunlight. Kelly, who had the two younger girls, made sure to check in at our station to reapply. Madison and her friend did the same. I sat mostly in shady spots all over the park as the sun moved, but occasionally I lounged in the lazy river, the wave pool, and the cliff diving pool hoping to get some coolness. We were there for a little under 5 hours. By the time we got home, showered, and sat down to dinner we didn't look any better than we had the night before. Main difference was my forehead was burned this time as I hadn't a hat and Madison's sunburn was now blistering under her eyes and her chin.
She and her pal looked up sunburn on the Internet and gave each other an oatmeal facial. By this morning her face was worse, her throat was sore, and she ached all over. My daughter had sun poisoning. She tried to be a warrior, but by late afternoon she was in bed. I gave her Tylenol and water to hydrate her. Tom bought her some aloe. Darcy fixed her some pasta and jello and brought it to her on a tray. She promptly fell asleep by early evening.
School starts in two days. All of the teachers saw both my girls' lobster faces on Friday before the Adventure Island visit. One teacher jabbed me from hello with, "Nice job seeing that your kids were lathered up with sunscreen." Imagine the label I'll have when I have to call her in sick for sun poisoning or worse when she goes to school with blisters all over her face. Her father blames her for not taking care of her own body. She lives in Florida she knows what is expected. I, of course, blame myself. I will blame myself if she ends up with skin cancer. I am going out tomorrow and purchasing bags and bags of sunscreen. I will put sunscreen in their backpacks and their lunchboxes. It will go in their underwear drawers, in the bathroom drawers, and I shall hang cans from each door that leads to the outside. No way will this be allowed to occur again.
Mothers - sunscreen up those innocent. lily white faces and bodies. NOW.
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