Playing it Out

Zoe was the first one to remember Tuesday morning that it was Maya's "gotcha day" (we're back to calling it that, even though I don't like it, because the kids like it).  After all, Zoe says, it's natural that she'd remember since it's HER "gotcha day" too, since she got Maya for a sister!  I'm sure I would have remembered eventually that it was the 15th, but have to admit that being on Spring Break and in a hotel room in Abilene means it would have taken awhile!

The girls are really great travelers -- we don't have a DVD player in the car, we don't listen to music the entire time, the girls don't play their electronic games the entire time.  Mostly, they act out stories with the dolls and stuffed animals they bring and it is great fun to listen in to those stories.

Driving back from Abilene (about 2.5 hours), Maya played by herself while Zoe listened to music on the iPod.  And the play was all about adoption.  In one story, Lambie was in an orphanage and Wolfie came to adopt her.  Wolfie explained what adoption is: "You know what an orphan is, right?  Well, since you're an orphan I've come to make you part of my family forever.  That's what adoption is."  Wolfie and Lambie go off happily together.  In another story, Lambie's mom and dad tell her they can't take care of her because they are too poor.  They assure her they love her, and that she will be adopted.  They take her to the orphanage, and Wolfie comes to adopt her.  Over and over again, scenario after scenario, Maya worked through -- or played through -- adoption issues raised by this anniversary. After awhile, the play veered off in another direction, issues seemingly dealt with -- at least for now.

Quite a healthy way to deal with it, I think. Here's a previous post about using play to discuss adoption issues.