When You Can't Tan...

Wish I Were Here?

Ah, friends...I do believe Summer is upon us. Well, maybe not entirely, but it's getting in the 90's here in Georgia, and that's close enough.

This time last year, I could barely walk, giant pregnant belly obstructing my feet from view, waddling back and forth between the freezer and my chair (Popsicle in hand). It's not officially summer yet, but I'm already getting the question, "So, are you gonna tan this year?"

Um, well first I can't. I literally can't. Not easily. I'm so fair skinned, I have to burn repeatedly until my skin just eventually turns brown. I can do the burning part very well. But the time factor is the pain of it.

Before my baby, it wasn't a big deal to spend the days (which were most because I often worked at night) laying out in the sun, slowly working on a good base "red."
Envious of all the other (younger) tan girls at the beach, I would try all year, get a little darker, and promise myself that next year...next year would be different!

Now I'm a Mommy...and no longer have the time to just lounge in the sun. My days are filled with nursing, diaper changes, teaching someone to walk, watching Elmo look for a damn crayon...God I wish I could just lay in the sun and drink a margarita!

Not really I don't though. Because when you take on the responsibility of motherhood, you will find yourself giving up a few things. not everything, but a few things. And even if my day-to-day can get tedious and boring, forcing my porcelain skin to become even whiter (and then even more burnt when I do venture outside) it's part of my new life now. And there was a time that while lying on a beach, bored and waiting for my skin to turn, I kinda wanted to be doing something better with my time-like raise a family.

I remind myself of this when noticing that my now-brown shoulders clash with my stone white legs in photos, because I never lay out anymore. When hes older, playing with his dad in the surf, or even poolside, I can lay out then and work on my uncooperative complexion. The sun isn't going anywhere.