Playing Pretend

Often when the girls are playing, they are playing "pretend" as they call it. I often have to stop the playing because screaming and yelling is going on and sometimes hitting. I have talked with them about when they are "pretending" they can still hurt feelings. I have heard them call each other ugly names, hit each other, yell in the others face. They unfortunately are role playing what they witnessed in their homes for so many years. It breaks my heart that they had to witness such awful things. Their excuse is always that they were just playing. Usually some has hurt feelings already. Today one girl said their BP's acted that way when they were drunk. I asked her if she is drunk since she is acting that way. She looked at me like I was crazy, but it got her attention. I asked her how it made her feel when she saw her BP's act that way. She said she was scared. I asked them if that is how they want to act when they are married. They said no. I asked if they see Daddy and I act that way. They said no. I told them that is not the plan God has for marriage. We always want to love each other as God loves us. I think they vent their frustrations acting this way. Am I handling this correctly? Morgan is learning a lot by role playing with these girls.

On a much lighter note...

We had a great weekend. We went to my parent's lake house again. My daughter that was afraid to jump off the pier and ride the tube behind the boat was doing all of it this weekend with very little fear. She would jump off the pier, off the boat in the middle of the lake, ride the tube in the rough water. It was so exciting to see her acting like a child, not an adult. Two of the three girls showered when a storm blew in. I told them they wouldn't be getting back in the lake if they showered. They chose to anyway. The sun came back out and one twin wanted to ride the tube again. She convinced her daddy to ride with her. She had the largest most genuine smile I have ever seen on her face. She said the best part was having her daddy's arm around her the whole ride. Wow!! She must have felt secure and safe in his arms! What a blessing! We have come so far in eight weeks!

Our birth daughter is really testing now. I am not surprised at all. She is probably just acting like she did before the girls came.