It was New Year's Eve, and the dolls had been sitting around, pretending to drink hot chocolate, because it was cold outside.
"I was just thinking about how we do things together, but we also do things alone," Mariah explained. "Each of us has done some things alone this year."
"That's right," Jolena said. "I did a lot of cooking alone.
"I also went to Argentina to ski," Jolena. "I wasn't alone, exactly, I was with the Doll Ski Team, but I was the only one of our family to go, so I did it alone."
"I remember," Veronika said. "It was summer here, but they had snow in Argentina, because that's in the part of the world that was tipped away from the sun. Now we are."
"I know what I did alone," Charlotte said. "I practiced my violin alone. I did it a lot!"
"Yes," Mandy agreed. "You're the only one who plays the violin, and you're getting to be very good."
The dolls all agreed that Charlotte's violin playing was sounding lovely.
"You also played Goldie Locks in the play about the bears," Mariah pointed out.
"That was fun," Mariah added. "I like it when we do plays, even when only one of us gets to act a part."
"I feed Cleo alone," Veronika said. "It's my job to feed her because she's my fish."
"She doesn't eat much, because she's small," she said, "and she isn't a real fish." She thought for a moment. "I was supposed to go on that cruise alone," she said. "It was cancelled because of the hurricane."
All the dolls remembered that.
"I was disappointed, but maybe I can go next year."
"I do most of my writing alone," Mariah said, "unless we're working on a play, and I need advice."
"You're the only one who fasts during Ramadan," Jolena pointed out. "You do that alone. Then you have a big dinner after it gets dark."
"Yes," Mariah agreed, "I'm the only one in our family who celebrates Ramadan by fasting, but I'm not really alone. There are people all over the world doing the same thing with me."
The dolls agreed. Mariah was part of a larger body of dolls and people who were all celebrating Ramadan in the same way, the way other dolls and people all over the world sing Christmas carols at Christmas.
"Mandy knits alone," Billy said.
"She knits alone," Emil pointed out, "unless she's teaching someone else to knit."
"I found Marmalade alone," Mandy said.
"That's because he was meant to be your cat," Emil said.
"That's true," Mandy agreed. "I needed Marmalade, but I didn't know it. He knew, though, and he needed me, too."
"What have you done alone, Billy?" Emil asked.
"Well," Billy said, thoughtfully, "I learned to take photos all by myself."
"You take a lot of photos of all of us, though," Charlotte pointed out. "You aren't alone then."
"Yes," Billy agreed, "but then I go to the computer and decide which photos are good and fix the ones that need fixing."
"I often see you reading, Billy," Mariah said.
"I love to read," Billy agreed. "I think we all do, and often we read alone, but we also read to each other."
"Emil is the only one who can talk to animals," Jolena said.
"We all have at least one talent," Emil said. "I guess that's mine."
"You're good at a lot of things, Emil," Veronika insisted, "but that's one thing you do alone."
Emil agreed, he was the only one who could talk to animals, and he did it alone, unless you counted the animal he was talking to.
"I mostly look after Brownie by myself," he said.
"You know what she needs," Mandy said. "I think she's your horse."
Emil agreed. "I don't mind sharing her, though," he said.
Charlotte yawned, which is hard to do, because her mouth doesn't open very far. She stretched.
"I'm getting sleepy," she said. I think it's time for bed.
"Tomorrow, can we talk about all the things we've done together during the year?" Mariah asked.
The dolls all thought that would be fun to talk about. Now they would have something to think about before tomorrow. They went and pretended to brush their teeth. They had to pretend, because their teeth are pretend.
Real children have real teeth, so they have to brush their teeth for real, not pretend. Have you brushed your teeth? You will, if you want to have real teeth.
"Happy new year!" the dolls called to each other as they went to bed.
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL
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, St. Baldrick's Foundation or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"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.
Image on Mariah's shirt used with permission with thanks, from Free To Be Kids, where human-size shirts with this image are available.
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Copyright © 2019 by Peggy Stuart
