A tan for the winter

Last month I had taken Emma and Anthony out one night for pizza and to play indoor dodge ball and after a while I decided I would take a little break and watch what they did on their own. Maybe it was the fluorescent lights but as I looked at them I realized how pale they looked and just imagined how ghostly I must look. I guess that is what comes from having fair skinned parents. So then last week I was driving in the car with Emma having normal conversation. I can't remember how it came up (I think it was her random thought) but Emma started telling me that our skin was "brownish." I told her no that we were actually considered white and that we are pretty light skinned but she insisted that it was not white. I suppose that if you think about the color of paper or a white crayon then we are not white and I also suppose that is what a child would use as a reference. Then she kept telling me that she was definitely darker brown than I was. Fast forward to Sunday morning. We were getting up and rushing out the door and I commented that I was freezing and it was so cold outside. She said that she was cold too but she was not as cold as me because her skin is darker and that she is lucky to be darker and warmer. She explained that people with darker skin don't get as cold. So I asked her if people that are darker brown or black keep warmer and she said yes. I thought the whole thing was very interesting. Kids are so funny. The ways they think always make me smile. So if Emma's theory was correct I suppose that I need to go take a winter vacation to Hawaii and soak up some sun and get a tan so that I can stay warm. Anyone feel like being my buddy on a tropical vacation?!?