After a week-long teacher strike, the new school year is finally underway. Marley is in 2nd grade in, first year teacher, Ms. Mitchell's class. And Amelia is in full-day kindergarten with, veteran teacher and fellow Schmitz park parent, Mrs. Cook. They are both loving school so far, and everyone
assumes that I am loving having them gone all day.
Which is not exactly true. And not because I miss hearing their melodic voices all day. (Ha!) I mean, it's not like I'm free. There are still two whole children here with me. And one of them desperately misses his older siblings. Sam is used to having constant playmates, and expects ME to fill in for Marley and Amelia while they're at school.
The problem is (and this is going to sound really bad) but I don't like playing with my kids. I mean, I enjoy reading to them. And I don't mind playing board games, or doing puzzles or building stuff. But, I just cannot get into pretend play with them. It's too hard. My imagination stopped working decades ago. But, that's all they do! From morning til night all summer long they pretended things. Every weekend and every afternoon. When we're in the car, when we're walking to and from school, when they're taking a bath. Pretend, pretend, pretend! And while I
really dislike playing with them, I love watching them play. I mean
love, with a capital L.
For a while now I've been trying to get a transcript of one of their pretend play sessions. It's tricky, though, because they play all over the house and I can't keep up with them and type at the same time. But, I did recently catch them playing in the bathtub and was able to get most of their dialogue. So, here you go. A little glimpse into the pretend play world of Marley, Amelia, and Samuel.
Sam: We forgot to choose our names.
Amelia: We were walking without our moms and dads and we tripped and fell into the water. And two spiders were circling around me and one grabbed onto my head and I got the power of sea spiders.
Marley: To make your power better you could have the power of all underwater animals.
A: I just want the power of some animals like spiders and dolphins.
M: And sea horses?
A: Yes.
S: What's my name?
M: Tsunami, and my name is whirl.
A: And my name is Spiderina.
S: And a big big boat drove away.
A: And pretend we tried to climb onto the boat, but it drove away.
M: There's a tsunami over there I'm going to go where the whirlpool is.
A: I decided I only take care of underwater spiders.
M: Okay lets see how I make a whirlpool. I use my power to spin the water faster and bigger until its a giant whirl pool.
A: Pretend I'm helping the spiders by making a stew for them and I need a bowl.
S: And I fall down in the ocean.
M: Maybe I'll make this whirl pool a bit larger so I swirled around until the whirlpool is the size of a really big lake, like Lake Union.
S: Marley, What is my power?
M: Tsunami - but call me whirl.
S: And I poked the water to make my huge huge salami.
M: Haha! You mean tsunami.
A: Say "su-na-me"
M: And pretend I whispered this to myself and you didn't hear me: "Maybe now I can get some of those pesky spiders."
A: Pretend I picked up all the spiders to hide them so they won't get hurt.
M: Maybe I should make a bigger whirl pool to suck those spiders up.
A: Pretend you said it louder this time and I heard you so I protected them.
S: And my hair is crazier!
A: I love you spiders, I love you so much.
M: Hey Spiderina, I think they're getting a little hungry and they might bite through your skin.
A: I can pour this potion into my hand and they can eat it.
S: (crying) What's my power?!?
M: Tsunami.
A: I am going to go to my castle.
M: I'm going to go into my whirl pool hide out. Let's all go back to our hide outs. There's a boat coming and we don't want them to see us. I was soaking in my whirl pool.
S: And I was soaking in my drain.
M: You mean your tsunami.
S: Yes, my tsunami.
A: I was in my castle and I got a little hot so I got out.
S: And then I take a rest in my tsunami and then I fell down. And I was going in my tsunami and then it slipped down on me.
M: (whispering) Maybe we can get some of those pesky spiders.
A: Pretend I felt a thorn go into my head, and then I pulled the thorn out and said, "What's this?" Then I threw it in the garbage on top of your whirlpool.
M: Maybe I should try my plan again.
A: And I threw it into the garbage can.
M: Then I put it on a rope and I swung it around and I tied it onto your chimney and I pulled myself up and I slid down your fireplace.
And that's where I stopped typing. I guess we'll never know whether or not Whirl ever got those pesky spiders...
