On Saturday morning, Mariah found Jolena in the kitchen. "What are you doing, Jolena," Mariah asked.
Jolena had an egg, some milk, some flour, some butter and some sugar. She also had an egg beater, a bowl and the muffin pan.
"I'm baking a cupcake for Charlotte," Jolena replied. "Dolls don't eat much, so a whole cake would be too much. I still need to get out the baking powder, vanilla and salt."
"It must be exciting to have a birthday," Mariah said. "What time is the party," she wanted to know.
"We're planning on four o'clock," Jolena said. "And we will get to celebrate our birthdays––yours and mine––when it's time for them, too. Dolls' birthdays are the day they come out of their boxes with their new families."
"We're planning on four o'clock," Jolena said. "And we will get to celebrate our birthdays––yours and mine––when it's time for them, too. Dolls' birthdays are the day they come out of their boxes with their new families."
"How do you know how to bake a cupcake," Mariah asked.
Jolena thought for a minute. "I think I've always known. I think cooking is my superpower, besides flying through the air on skis," she decided. "What's your superpower, Mariah?" she asked.
"I don't know," Mariah said. "How would I know what it is?"
"Well, what do you like to do that you can do well?" Jolena asked.
"Well, what do you like to do that you can do well?" Jolena asked.
"I think what I like best to do is write," Mariah said. "I like to write stories, poems, shopping lists, notes to friends and stuff like that." Suddenly Mariah had a thought. "I know what! I'll write Charlotte a birthday poem! I'll start on it right now!"
Mariah climbed down from the kitchen counter. She ran and got a pad of paper and a pencil. Then she looked for a place where it was quiet and no one would bother her. She found a nice, quiet place on the stairs.
Mariah thought a bit.
She wrote a few words, then put the pencil over her ear and thought some more.
She crossed out a word, then decided to use her eraser. She wrote in the word she liked better. When she was satisfied, she made a neater copy, so she could read it at the party.
The dolls decided to wear pretty dresses. Together they put the tablecloth on the table, which was set up in the big bow window that looked out onto the backyard. Charlotte discovered that Pierre, her puppy, was very interested in the cupcake.
She picked him up and put him on her lap when they all sat down about the table.
Jolena lit the candle in the middle of the cupcake. There was one candle, not just because Charlotte had been out of her box for one year, but also because there's not much room on a cupcake. Dolls don't grow bigger when they get older, the way real children do, although they do learn a lot.
When the candle was lit, Mariah stood up and read her poem.
Mariah's poem went like this:
"Happy birthday, dear Charlotte!
Happy birthday to you.
We hope all your wishes today will come true.
We're wishing for you, our dear Charlotte Anne,
That your day today be the best that it can,
Not just today, but the rest of the year,
And not just for you, but for all you hold dear.
Happy birthday, dear Charlotte!
Happy birthday to you.
Now, blow out your candle and make a wish, too!"
The other dolls clapped their hands when Mariah finished.
"That's a wonderful poem, Mariah!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I think it's not just for me, but for all of us, because all of you are dear to me."
"Blow out your candle, Charlotte," Mandy said.
"Don't forget to make a wish," Veronika added.
Charlotte thought for a moment. "I have everything a doll could want," she said. "I think I will wish for my family and friends to be happy and healthy. I wouldn't mind having a brother, but I really love my sisters!"
With that, she blew out the candle. The dolls all cheered and clapped their hands.
"Don't overdo it," Charlotte said. "It's only one candle."
Veronika laughed. "One candle is a challenge for those of us who can't open our mouths if someone is looking," she said.
The dolls pretended to eat their cupcake, and it was delicious. They all complimented Jolena for her baking skill.
Then it was time for presents.
Charlotte received a wind-up walking sheep from Jolena, who wound it up for her. The dolls watched the sheep walk across the table.
Pierre watched, too.
Charlotte told Jolena how much she liked the sheep, and how much fun it would be to wind it up and watch it walk around.
"Thank you, Jolena," Charlotte said. "This is a great toy. And thank you for the great birthday cupcake. It was delicious."
Mariah wanted Charlotte to open her present next. "I know you celebrate Hanukkah, and this is about Christmas, but I thought you would like it all the same," Mariah said.
Charlotte opened the package. "It's about Rudolph!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I love this story! It tells about someone who feels bad because others make fun of him for being different, and then he finds out that that his difference is a good thing," she explained. "Then he's the hero!"
"Besides," Charlotte went on, "here we all celebrate each other's holidays together. This is a wonderful gift, Mariah. Thank you!"
"That's true, and now it's my turn," Veronika said, sliding a big red heart-shaped box across the table. "This is for you, Charlotte."
Veronika lifted the lid off the box.
"Chocolates!" Charlotte exclaimed.
"Just be careful of the pins that hold the chocolates in the box," Veronika warned. "You don't want to eat pins, even to pretend eat them."
Charlotte passed the box around before she took one for herself. "Mmmmm!" she said. "Chocolates are wonderful, even with being careful about the pins. Thank you, Veronika!"
Mandy's present was next. She had packed it in a bag with hearts on it. "I hope you like it," she said.
Charlotte pulled out the paper, and a soft lump came out with it. She unfolded the paper to find something knitted. "It looks like a hat," she exclaimed. "You didn't knit this did you?" she asked Mandy.
"I did," Mandy replied, "and it was fun. It's called a 'messy bun' hat, because it has a hole at the top, in case you're wearing your hair in a pony tail."
Charlotte had to try it on.
"It's perfect! I love it!" she cried. "Oh my, what a wonderful birthday present. Thank you Mandy!"
The sun was setting, and it was getting dark outside. The dolls picked up the paper, cleared the table of dirty plates and put them into the pretend dishwasher. Then they posed for a group photo, so Charlotte would always remember her first birthday.
"I may not have a brother," Charlotte sighed, "But I have the best sisters in the world!
The dolls pretended to eat their cupcake, and it was delicious. They all complimented Jolena for her baking skill.
Then it was time for presents.
Charlotte received a wind-up walking sheep from Jolena, who wound it up for her. The dolls watched the sheep walk across the table.
Pierre watched, too.
Charlotte told Jolena how much she liked the sheep, and how much fun it would be to wind it up and watch it walk around.
"Thank you, Jolena," Charlotte said. "This is a great toy. And thank you for the great birthday cupcake. It was delicious."
Mariah wanted Charlotte to open her present next. "I know you celebrate Hanukkah, and this is about Christmas, but I thought you would like it all the same," Mariah said.
Charlotte opened the package. "It's about Rudolph!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I love this story! It tells about someone who feels bad because others make fun of him for being different, and then he finds out that that his difference is a good thing," she explained. "Then he's the hero!"
"Besides," Charlotte went on, "here we all celebrate each other's holidays together. This is a wonderful gift, Mariah. Thank you!"
"That's true, and now it's my turn," Veronika said, sliding a big red heart-shaped box across the table. "This is for you, Charlotte."
Veronika lifted the lid off the box.
"Chocolates!" Charlotte exclaimed.
"Just be careful of the pins that hold the chocolates in the box," Veronika warned. "You don't want to eat pins, even to pretend eat them."
Charlotte passed the box around before she took one for herself. "Mmmmm!" she said. "Chocolates are wonderful, even with being careful about the pins. Thank you, Veronika!"
Mandy's present was next. She had packed it in a bag with hearts on it. "I hope you like it," she said.
Charlotte pulled out the paper, and a soft lump came out with it. She unfolded the paper to find something knitted. "It looks like a hat," she exclaimed. "You didn't knit this did you?" she asked Mandy.
"I did," Mandy replied, "and it was fun. It's called a 'messy bun' hat, because it has a hole at the top, in case you're wearing your hair in a pony tail."
Charlotte had to try it on.
"It's perfect! I love it!" she cried. "Oh my, what a wonderful birthday present. Thank you Mandy!"
The sun was setting, and it was getting dark outside. The dolls picked up the paper, cleared the table of dirty plates and put them into the pretend dishwasher. Then they posed for a group photo, so Charlotte would always remember her first birthday.
"I may not have a brother," Charlotte sighed, "But I have the best sisters in the world!
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kids Vroni
Veronika: Götz Classic Kids Vroni
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
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Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.
"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.
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Copyright © 2018, 2023 by Peggy Stuart
"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.
Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook and Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Royalties (net proceeds) go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. If you don't get free shipping elsewhere, buy from Book Baby. Half of the price goes to charity (specific information available upon request). Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author. (Multiple books to the same address have a discount on shipping.) To inquire, email thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.
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Copyright © 2018, 2023 by Peggy Stuart
I think this one is my favourite so far! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness what fun they have!
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely story, lovely furniture, and I like the 'pretend' dishwasher!
ReplyDelete