I had one very bad burn on my back as an 8-year-old and another serious burn on my back as an adult. Both times it was due to not applying sunscreen. I am a fanatic about sunscreen.

I have used different brands over the years. Here’s my take on sunscreen/sun exposure:

• I never used sunscreen on a baby less than 6 months. I limited sun exposure until the baby was over 6 months of age.
• Coppertone Baby is excellent for babies up to late elementary school age. Comes in the pink bottle. It is a thick liquid.
• For active kids, Banana Boat or Coppertone Active is excellent. It is thick, plus resistant to sweat. I reapply after swimming for a long period.
• When my kids were about 8, I started letting them sunscreen their arms and legs. I would do their backs and chest.
• With my tween and teen, I trust them to apply sunscreen.
• Each of the kids carries a sunscreen in their pool bag in case they go to the pool with a friend.
• The kids wore rashguard shirts on the beach and at the pool until around age 10.
• If you need sunscreen due to fair skin AND you are going to the beach, apply sunscreen before you go on the beach. Applying sunscreen to already sandy legs can result in uneven sunscreen coverage.
• Avoid spray sunscreens! The spray will not cover all areas. I find myself applying twice as much spray to be sure.
• Only use cream sunscreens. I like to see the cream on the children’s skin to know that I have covered each body part.
• We have a house rule that if a child refuses to use sunscreen the child does not go outside. No exceptions.
• The worst time of year for sunburn is April/May and September/October. At these times of the year, the sun can be bright but I don’t think about using sunscreen. Invariably one of the kid ends up with raccoon eyes.

I’ll be keeping this list of tips in mind as I prepare to travel to Ocean City with my family. The beach is a hit with my husband and kids. Not so much me, with my fair skin and ability to burn when near the sun.

One constant in any of our active activities is the value we place on safety. Whether it is wearing a helmet for lacrosse or skiing. Or wearing appropriate shoes for volleyball. Or getting enough sleep before a swim meet. We stay safe.

Underwriters Laboratories and Disney have a list of tips for summer safety — pool, water, and playground safety.

Keep your family safe by reading the following tips:

POOL SAFETY AT HOME
·    If you have a pool at home, install a fence. The fence should be at least four feet high and have a self-closing, self-latching gate that has a locking mechanism beyond a child’s reach.
·    Cut overhanging tree limbs and remove chairs or ladders from the pool area to prevent children from climbing over the fence that surrounds the pool.
·    Keep grates and drain covers in good repair and secured in place. Alert your family and guests to stay away from these devices, as the suction from drain outlets can be strong enough to cause entrapment of hair or body parts, which can potentially cause a person to drown.
·    Make sure you know infant and child CPR if you own a pool.

BE SAFETY SMART WHILE SWIMMING
·    Supervision is a must. Follow the 10/20 rule when you’re at the pool. The 10/20 rule states the supervising adult needs to position themselves to be able to scan the pool every 10 seconds, and reach the water within 20 seconds.
·    Always have rescue devices, such as UL-LISTED life preservers, nearby.
·    Flotation devices, toys and inflatable swimming aids are not safety devices. They are toys and can easily puncture and deflate.
·    Always drain wading pools after children are done playing. Infants can drown in just a few inches of water.
·    Have a telephone nearby and appropriate emergency numbers posted.
·    Remove all toys when you leave the pool. Toys may attract children to the unattended pool.Check out these guys…Timon and Puumba from the Lion King…in a video teaching kids how to stay safe while swimming during the summer, and all year long.

BEFORE INSTALLING A BACKYARD PLAY SET…
·    Make sure your backyard is large enough for playground equipment. The site must also provide good visibility and security. Before setting up equipment, look out for obstacles, such as the garage, tree branches, utility poles and wires.
·    Read and follow the manufacturer’s directions when setting up play set equipment. Be sure your child’s weight and age fall within the manufacturer’s recommended limits for the equipment.
·    Install protective surfacing, such as rubber tiles or mulch under the play set, at least six feed in all directions, to prevent serious injuries should a child fall.

BEFORE HEADING OUT TO PLAY…
·    Carefully inspect backyard playground equipment. Make sure equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed and bolts are not protruding.
·    Check for spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs. These spaces should measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.
·    Always supervise children on play set equipment to make sure they are playing safely.
·    Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, pet leashes or cords of any kind to play set equipment. If used improperly, they can be potential strangulation hazards.
·    Watch for potential trip hazards, such as rocks, tree stumps and concrete footings. Make sure you’re children are aware of them as well.
·    Do a sandbox check. Before letting your child dig in, rake through the sand to check for debris or sharp objects. Also, inspect for any animal contamination or insect problems.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Underwriters Laboratories. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I have spent my life hitching up my pants. Wearing capris in the winter months as I don’t sew. Looking at the hems on pants and thinking “I should sew these pants” and then drifting off to the 1 million things that I would rather do than hem pants. Buying boots with a highish heel to wear with pants that really need to be hemmed. Getting frustrated in the summer months that I cannot wear said pants and said boots in the heat of the summer. In short, being short is a problem.

My teen has never been tall. She was in the 50 percentile from toddler hood through elementary school. At 14 she is almost as tall as I am. She has not had her growth spurt yet. There is hope for her yet. She’s a skinny thing so perhaps she won’t have the problems her nonskinny mother has had all her life trying to find pants that fit.

On Saturday my teen reached a milestone. What was the milestone? For the first time in over 4 summers of having the swim team photo taken she was not placed next to her tween sister.  For the swim team photo, the kids are placed in height order from tiniest to biggest. As a comparison, my son was one of the youngest kindergarteners on the team last year, but was placed with the 2nd graders based on his height.

My girls were separated by about 10 or so other kids. I was proud of my teen. It is hard to be the same height as your younger-by-two-and-a-half-years sister. I know!

I wrote about our homework struggles. While most of the country’s kids are skipping out of school, our county’s kids are “still going and going” — like the Energizer Bunny. I complained about how much time we spend at volleyball tournaments. I even wrote letters to my kids. The post I need to write is about our summer plans. So here goes…

Nine years ago we joined a swim club. Back then I had a 2-month-old, a 4-year-old, and a 7-year-old. When our name came to top of the waitlist I strongly argued to my husband that we NEEDED to join the swim club. He was very much opposed as our children were young and taking all three children swimming was a two-person job.

I prevailed. We joined the club. Even my husband agrees that it was the best decision. The year after joining the swim club, the older two kids jumped in to the swim team. Best decision #2. Our summers for the last eight years have been dominated by the swim team…in a good way.

Our mornings are all about swim practice. Our afternoons are a little more unpredictable. Some days we stay at the pool — my youngest loves this. Some days we stay at home — my oldest loves this. Some days we go on a excursion — kids’ excitement level varies! But, what do we do with the time when we are at home.

The kids would love to be plugged in all day long. Quite honestly some days I am plugged in all day long. So, I have prepared a plan…

The Musings from Me family plan for “use of anything with a plug.”

• Following on from the school year, there will be no TV before breakfast and swim practice on weekdays. On weekends, TV can be watched in the mornings.
• Once swim practice is over, kids will play outside or inside.
• If inside kids will ask permission for screen time only after summer workbook pages and reading have been completed.
• Chores need to be done before screentime or “use of anything with a plug.”
• In the evenings, kids can watch TV if we are watching as a family.
• If kids want to go online, permission will be needed from a parent.

Online use in our house could be PBS Kids, Webkinz, or Yoursphere. I find all three sites to be a safe place for my kid, my tween, and my teen. Yoursphere is a site that my teen used extensively during the school year. My tween is very involved on Yoursphere…playing games…racking up points…starting spheres or groups…and having a good time. My youngest is asking to join. I think I might sign him up this weekend.

Speaking of signing up for Yoursphere… Yoursphere is now FREE! Yay FREE!. Kids, tweens, and teens can sign up. Moms and dads when you are signing up your kids, be sure to use Code YSMC-0051.

Yoursphere has an exciting incentive for Musings from Me readers tied to my referral code! Anyone who uses Code YSMC-0051 to register on Yoursphere.com will be entered into a weekly drawing to win a $50 gift card. The Yoursphere Test Drive Mom with the most referrals above 200 will win a $1000 American Express gift card!

So, you can sign up for Yoursphere for FREE using Code: YSMC-0051 and we will both be entered in to a drawing for a gift card. Thanks for helping me have a chance to win the gift card!

I wrote this review while participating in the Yoursphere Test Drive program by Mom Central on behalf of Yoursphere. I received a free lifetime Gold membership on Yoursphere.com, Yoursphere t-shirts, and a $50 American Express gift card to facilitate my review.

I knew the Toy Fair would be big, but never guessed just how big it would be. It was located on 3 floors of the Javits Center. I walked through about 80% of the exhibits. My choice of walking shoes was a good one. My decision to carry my laptop and a bag of books/work papers for the train rides was a bad one as I was dragging — literally — as the day came to a close. Plus, Amtrak has no wifi. Doh!

I saw as many vendors as I could. I left with 3 bags full of brochures and samples. Some products I passed by without a backward glance. Some products I stopped because I wanted to know more.

I spent quite some time chatting to a mom who created a line of dolls for girls who love sports. I chatted to Jodi Norgaard, the founder of Go! Go! Sports Girls dolls, about girls, sports, blogging, and social media. She very kindly gave me Suzi the Swimming Go! Go! Sports Girl. Once I arrived home from #ToyFair, my tween daughter took possession of the doll — she is a swimmer. The Go! Go! Sports Girls swimmer doll has a cute pair of flip Flops and adorable goggles. Best of all, Suzi the Swimmer is wearing a one-piece swim suit!

Go! Go! Sports Girls are a line of dolls for girls who love sports. The dolls are girl-shaped — no Bratz or Barbie silhouettes on these dolls. The dolls remind me of a girl doll I had that looked like me. I never see dolls for tween girls that look anything like tween girls, do you?

Go! Go! Sports Girls are available for golf, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, and many other sports. My girls love volleyball and swimming, so I knew Go! Go! Sports Girls would have two new fans! The dolls are available from the following online retailers: amazon, Sears, Target, Kohl’s, and Sports Unlimited. The dolls are appropriate for ages 3-12. I can tell you that teen girls also love these dolls, too!

Giveaway for Musings from Me readers! I am giving away one Go! Go! Sports Girl of your choice. Once I choose a winner, I will ask the winner to pick a doll. One comment = One entry. Enter now!

• For one entry, go to the Go! Go! Sports Girls website and tell me something interesting you learned.
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I was given a Go! Go! Sports Girls doll as part of my review. The views expressed in the article are my own. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends June 9, 2010, at 11:59 p.m.

The highlights — more detailed blog post to follow:

• tween and teen happy to stay in dorms
• thankful that other moms were happy to chaperone both of my daughter’s teams
• thankful for comfy King-Size bed
• puzzled by spa tub in the middle of my hotel room
• irritated that my son did not like sleeping on the rollaway cot provided by the hotel. I insisted he stay in his bed, but boy did he whine about the metal springs. The Prince and the Pea!
• satisfied by the dining service food
• more than satisfied by eating at Eat n Park in State College.
• Glad to be home!!Here’s my Whrrl

Our first Nerf was an NFL football. We tried to find a Redskins football, but had no luck. Our search began when the Redskins were doing well. Now…I suspect a Redskins Nerf football might be hard to find. Or, is a Redskins football even manufactured by Nerf? Eeek. I’d better not ask my die-hard Redskins loving husband! We had to settle for a Nerf NFL football. All three children played with that football. It has weathered many a storm, but is shredding and peeling and in need of replacing.

As the fabric of the football continued to disintegrate, I got the call asking if I wanted to review a new Nerf football. I did not have to be asked twice if I wanted to review the Nerf Weather Blitz Football. I was intrigued by the idea of a Weather Blitz football. Anyone with kids will know that it is the goal to keep all toys in pristine condition, but the reality is that toys will be left outside in all-weather conditions. We have had balls that have met the fate worse than death — death by lawnmower. Balls that have been left outside to disintegrate due to water and sun damage. Could a Nerf football survive the wilds of our backyard?

The Nerf N Sports Weather Blitz Pro All Conditions Football was put through its paces. We played with it after a rain storm turned parts of our yard in to a mud puddle. The Nerf football was left outside numerous times. I almost rolled over the football with my minivan…I noticed the football before driving over it. Note: Not even a Nerf football can withstand the power of the Mom’s Taxi!

The Nerf N Sports Weather Blitz Pro All Conditions Football plays in all weathers. Wind. Cold. Rain. Wet. You name it we played in it. The football has a special technology that gives this ball a water-resistant surface for extreme performance, grip, and durability even in the toughest rain or sleet.

My son was a fan of the Nerf N Sports Weather Blitz from the moment he opened the package up. My husband? Well, he would have preferred any other team on the football than the Dallas Cowboys! Oh well!

Want to try a Nerf N Sport Weather Pro Blitz All Conditions Football? Yes! Leave a comment. One comment – one entry. Enter now!

• Subscribe to my blog via reader. Leave a comment.
• Subscribe to my blog via e-mail. Leave a comment.
• Friend me on Google Friend Connect. Leave a comment.
• Fan my blog on Networked Blogs. Leave a comment.
• Fan my blog on Facebook. Leave a comment.
• Follow me on twitter. Leave a comment.

I was given a Nerf Football as part of my review. The views expressed in the article are my own. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends June 7, 2010, at 11:59 p.m.

• chorus concerts
• piano recitals
• band concerts
• Daisy, Brownie, Girl Scout bridging cermonies
• soccer, t-ball, basketball, and volleyball matches
• swim meets
• poetry readings
• plays and musicals
• school awards ceremonies

My son was a mere 1-month-old infant when he was taken to his sisters’ t-ball game. I recall covering his stroller in a blanket to make sure he did not get any dirt blown in his face or experience any direct sunlight. I have walked him miles along corridors and hallways in his stroller while his sisters were in classes and activities. As a toddler I could distract him with snacks in a way that did not work when he was a preschooler. At 4, he wanted to do the activity. Woe betide ANYONE who stopped him from coloring the outside of the shoebox for the Brownie Christmas gift boxes. He was a preschooler on a mission to crayon a shoe box, STAT.

He’s now a 1st grader with his own interests. He has tried his hand at soccer, music, t-ball, basketball, and now lacrosse. In the fall, we will have a tackle footballer in our midst.

My son is old enough to know when the activity is about him and when it is not. I try when I can to avoid taking him to the girls events. Some events I do take him to like band concerts as I think that the event is cultural and enriching. All-day volleyball tournaments are not a fit for him. I send my husband with the girls or I take whichever daughter has a tournament. He does not need to spend time watching match after match.

In a turn of the tables, I do make sure that his sisters come to his lacrosse games, preschool graduation, and soccer games. It’s only fair for them to support him the way he has cheered them on.

This weekend was an exercise in restraint for him. His sisters and dad planned a roadtrip to the Happy Volley Tournament at Penn State. I booked a hotel room for my son and I. I wasn’t sure if I would go or not. I wanted to leave my options open. I wanted to be able to cheer on each of my daughter’s during their matches. My husband helps coach both girls, so I knew he would be tied up in one gym while one of the girls played in another gym. I was torn. I wanted to go to the 3-day tournament soooo badly, but I knew that 3 days of volleyball is hard for an adult, but torture for a kid.

My son is active…very active. He needs to run and play. Sitting in a gym for hours is not a good move for him. I don’t have anywhere to leave him at home. 3 days is too long for both sets of grandparents. With no solution in sight, I decided on a compromise…my son and I would go for 2 days not 3. I would have him watch 1 match per day per daughter — so two matches per day. I would plan activities for the down time between matches. Note: My idea for a trip to BABW was a bust as there are no BABWs within 50 miles of State College, PA. The movie theater was a good plan, but my son if given the choice prefers to see a movie at the movie theater with the whole family. The hit of the trip? I let my son play catch with the Nerf football in the hotel hallway. Who knew that he would love throwing that ball around so much!?

I’m writing this post on the second night at the hotel. We arrived late last night. Today after a frazzled start we watched the tween’s match, then the teen’s match with lunch in between. My son found a friend to play with which meant we saw about 1/2 of another match …a bonus for me! How crazy is it to meet a boy from your son’s lacrosse team hundreds of miles from home?

After the bonus match it was back to the hotel for a quick shower for me and a quick TV fix for him before heading out to the tween’s team dinner. Even with the compromises it, the weekend was punishing. Would I do it again? I’ll make that decision next year. Will I bring my son again? I’m not sure. With each passing year, it is harder and harder to drag him to events that are not his own.

As a swim mom for the last 7 seasons to an 8 and under, an 11-12, and a 13-14 swimmer, I would add the following:

Check out Volunteer Spot for an easy way to coordinate volunteers. I will let our swim team volunteer coordinator know about this comprehensive service for next season!

As a swim mom or the last 7 seasons, a swim team mom should:

- Bring a paper and pen to record your swimmer’s times. You can use the meet program or a paper plate, but a piece of paper will enable you to keep track of times.

- Explain to your young swimmer that doing his or her best is more important to you than coming in first in the race or winning the heat.

-  Work out a family plan for meets with a concession stand. In our family, we let the kids buy food only after their races. I pack food and drink in a cooler, but if every other swimmer is buying from the concession stand it is hard to say no to your swimmer. You don’t want your kids to load up on food and candy before a race.  My preteen will buy a donut while my teen prefers a hamburger.

- If the meet is outside, scope out a shady spot for your family. A beach umbrella or a shaded collapsible awning come in handy at outdoor summer swim meets. Many pools will provide chairs or loungers, but it is always a good idea to bring a chair or two.

- Bring extra towels. At indoor swim meets, kids will go through several towels as the heating and AC are often inconsistent. Bring a warmup suit so that kids can change in to warm clothing after drying themselves off after racing.