Cousins!

Billy heard that company was coming. He decided it was time for a real haircut. We got into the car and drove across town to the place where they cut hair.

The lady who cuts hair wrapped him in a big apron to keep hair from falling into his shirt. He knew it wouldn't hurt. It doesn't hurt dolls to have their hair cut. It doesn't hurt real children to have their hair cut, either. The only difference is, Billy's hair won't grow back.

The lady who cuts hair carefully took small sections of hair and cut off little bits at a time. Billy watched in the mirror. You could see the little holes in his head where the hair comes out. The lady told Billy that it is important to be very careful with scissors. You should never walk around with them in your hand and you should always put them away carefully when you're done using them. Billy as very happy with his new haircut. We went home and took this picture.

Then Billy went to find the other dolls. He found them in the living room. Mariah, Charlotte and Jolena thought they were talking to Mandy. They had a question about something.

"Mandy, where does the snow go?" Charlotte asked.
"I'm not Mandy," the doll who looked exactly like Mandy said.
"But you look like Mandy," Mariah said.
"That's because we're the same kind of doll," the doll who looks like Mandy explained.

They were very surprised.
"My name is Bella," she explained. "Mandy and I are two of the same kind of doll. There are hundreds of us, all over the world."
Just then, Veronika and Mandy came into the room. "My goodness," Jolena exclaimed. "You look exactly alike!" They did. "That isn't like real children at all."

"Two children in the same family can look exactly alike," Mandy said. They are called identical twins. That means they look just alike. There are always some differences, though. Every child is just a little different and special.

"It's like looking in a mirror," Bella said, "only when you look in the mirror, everything is opposite. That means if you part your hair on the right, it will be on the left in your reflection."

"What's a reflection?" Billy wanted to know.
"It's what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror, or in a pool of water, or a window," Mandy explained. "It's exactly like you, but it isn't you, and everything is on the other side, like the part in your hair."
"When I had my haircut I could see myself in the mirror. So that's my reflection!" Billy exclaimed.
Billy climbed up on the couch, so he could see where Mandy and Bella had their hair parted.

"Your hair is parted in exactly the same place," he agreed.
Bella and Mandy looked at each other. The other dolls looked at them looking at each other.

"Bella is here for a visit," Veronika said. "We are cousins."
"Let's take a photo," Billy suggested.
"That's a great idea, Billy," Mandy agreed.
Billy found the phone and took a photo.

This is what he took.

"Jolena, Bella brought her skis with her," Mandy said. "Maybe you can teach her how to ski."

"That would be fun," Jolena agreed. "We can start with something simple, like the snowplow. You hold your feet like this." She showed them.

Bella went and found her ski equipment and ski suit. Jolena showed her how to put everything on, so she could do it by herself. First she had to put on the pants, then the jacket, then the helmet to protect her head if she fell, and the funny glasses to protect her eyes.
"You have the same skis as I do!" Jolena said. She showed Bella how to put on her skis boots and skis, and how to hold her ski poles.

"The snowplow is an easy way to slow down," Jolena added. "We can practice in the backyard on the slide."

Jolena went to get into her own ski pants and jacket, while Bella carefully removed her skis, because she knew you don't wear skis in the house. The two dolls went to the back door, making sure that they didn't knock anything over with their skis and poles.

Once the dolls were outside, Jolena took her skis and climbed up the ladder to the slide, and both dolls put on their skis. Jolena stood at the top of the slide.

Bella watched from below.

"Now, you watch, while I come down the slide," Jolena said. "Be sure to point your toes toward each other, but not enough to make your skis cross."

Jolena came all the way down the slide, demonstrating the snowplow to slow down at the bottom.

Jolena and Bella practiced in the backyard until they were tired. Bella learned how to do a snowplow and how to get up if you fall down.
"Thank you, Jolena," Bella said. "It's great having a cousin who can teach you how to ski."
"Tomorrow we'll go to the ski slopes and you can learn some more," Jolena said.

They went the next day into the mountains. Bella and Jolena went skiing, while the others played in the snow and took turns riding Billy's sled. They threw snowballs at each other. They made a snowman.

Everyone thought it was fun having a cousin visit. The week was over before Billy remembered his new haircut. His hair hadn't grown at all.

Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily of London
Bella: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz or Classic Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to a charity that supports pediatric cancer, such as CURE Childhood Cancer or St. Baldrick's Foundation.
"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 2:00 PM Pacific Time.

Copyright © 2019 by Peggy Stuart