Friday, May 16, 2008

Living in a Pretend World


I am not sure that all kids are like this, but my girls love to pretend. They have done it for years. They are always acting out some story or book or show and pretending to be different people (sometimes even animals). There is a part of it that I LOVE, and some that I don't. I love that they are living in the innocent world and do not worry about the cares of real life. I love when they dress up and look adorable. I love that their world is pure and unblemished from our society. I guess we do sort of live in a bubble.


There is part of the pretend world that I don't like so much. Like when one of them is always the main character (insert sounds of bickering). Or when they make their little forts all over the yard but don't want to pick them up. Sometimes they are such in a pretend world that they are not even aware of what is going on right in front of them. We have to have times when we say, you are going to be Tally and Tissy and not Laura and Mary.












There is also part of the pretend world that I envy. I would like to escape reality and "be someone else" for the afternoon. I don't want to keep my house perfect (for it is on the market), I don't want to pay the bills, I really don't want to do the chores and the needful. I would like to ignore all the responsibilities. I would like to have a little pitty party for myself. I don't want to be strong today. UGH. It has only been one week with out Chuck here and I really don't want this to go on for too long. ***yikes this was supposed to be about my sweet girls in their adorable dress up outfits and somehow my raw feelings spilled out***

All and all, we are doing just fine here. I am relying on God's strength to get me through and I am appreciating all your thought and prayers. Since we don't live in a pretend world we will manage to get through this and be better for it.

15 comments:

Julie said...

Love it! Great pictures!

Lulu said...

Oh that reminds me SO much of my girls! Every detail, from the prairie girl outfits to the messes left behind. Another thing to treasure about this lifestyle, the time and ability to play out some of those imaginations...

And I hear your pain too. I'm so sorry for the tough time. We do have to live with our realities...I find a good Christian fiction helps me "escape" just a little! :)

Red said...

When my daughter was younger, she LOVED to dress up. I remember when she wanted to go with me to pick up her brother from school (back when we were in the public school system) and she wanted to wear her tiara (sp?), plastic high heels, magic wand and feather boa.

I wanted to say no, but it wa smy sister who told me to let her be and she would appreciate me letting her be herself and not stop her.

I have never regretted letting her be her!

Annie said...

I played "Laura and Mary" ALL the time as a little girl. Except I had no one to play with, so I wandered around talking to myself!

Adorable photos. My daughter Lydia and I did some historical re-enactment for a while when she was homeschooling. It was SO much fun!

Lee and Bev said...

The girls' pictures are precious! How we pray that God will sell this house quickly and enable you to all be together SOON! Thanks for being vulnerable, Cris. It's OK to share our weaknesses! BTW - BLOGGING BUDDIES - Cris celebrates a birthday in a few days.Maybe you could wish her "Happy Birthday"

Christy said...

There is nothing better than a little pretend. I sometimes pretend- I pretend there is no laundry to be done, I pretend that my boys aren't bickering, I pretend that I'm a size 2! Fantasies- I love them! Wishing you a great weekend, despite the absence of Chuck.

Denise Punger MD IBCLC said...

I LOVE the photos. I want to come play Little House, too!

junglemama said...

Those outfits are adorable! Did you make them?

My girls love to pretend too but more about HSM stuff. :(

Tim and Susan said...

The pictures are really sweet. It is great to escape just a little to help us survive...that is why I like to read...it's an escape into another world. I suppose tv and movies is the same. I escape even when I do my patchwork or picture books. But, like you said their is a limit to what is a healthy amount of escaping to cope in life...ie. your bizare aquaintance livng in a pretent wolrd all the time even as an adult, scary!

crispy said...

I LOVE these pictures and outfits too. The first pic is of them playing on the swing that hangs from the tree.

A dear friend of mine made the bonnets. She wanted to do something creative and she knew that my girls would appreciate them. After she made them I asked for the dress to be made for Tristen (when she was in kindergarten). It was the ONE thing that she wanted that year for her birthday. Then after that my Mom made the pink one for Tally. They are out growing them. And it breaks my heart to see them grow (physically) up TOO fast.

I really need to get a machine and attempt this on my own. **hint hint** eh hem...birthday idea alert***

Rachel said...

I'm so sorry your struggling. If I were closer I would play pretend with you and my girls would fit in perfectly with yours! It is amazing how many children play WITHOUT their imaginations these days. Sad.

Salzwedel Family said...

Your girls are precious. It's great to see kids using their imaginations!

Still praying for your home to sell so you will all be reunited SOON!

A Girl, her God, and a Gift! said...

Adorable photos. I got a machine when Emma was a baby- after my cousin came over and helped me sew her a cute little jumper. I am NOT a seamstress... ask my Home Ec teachers... thankfully our grades depended 1/2 on cooking. Perhaps I will find an easy pattern and at least make one or two things for Genevieve also. Thanks for the encouragement to sew. Praying for you all. I made potato salad tonight for a BBQ- everytime I make it I think of you and how much you liked it the first time I made it at FBC- I miss you!

Ginny said...

So sweet! Funny the contrast between what sort of things your little girls pretend and what my little boys pretend.
I do hope your house sells soon! I completely understand how hard this time is!

Mrs. Hammer Time said...

I was so good at playing pretend. I would get so lost in it... I wonder how and when that disappeared. It would be nice to be able to go back to pretend world just for a little.

PS Pics are great!