The Doll's Storybook

Stories about dolls who live in our world. Although these stories are suitable for children, they should check with their parents before reading and always be careful online. Readers are invited to donate to a charity supporting pediatric cancer treatment and research. Images shown are taken by the author or from a free image website with attribution and appreciation. The author has no connection with Götz Puppenmanufaktur, but gives them credit for the amazing dolls they produce.

Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts

Friday, October 4, 2024

Storytime in Bend

Once upon a time there were seven dolls. Their names were Charlotte, Mandy, Veronika, Billy, Mariah, Emil and Jolena.

They all lived together in a big house with a little old man and a little old woman. The little old woman wrote stories about what she imagined the dolls were doing. The dolls enjoyed being written about.

They liked having their clothes changed and their hair brushed and arranged for photos that would go with the stories.

They liked pretending to go on adventures and to have fun together doing things. The dolls were happy that they had fun toys to play with. They were happy that they had books to read and pets to care for.

They liked pretending to sleep or eat. They liked pretending to be real human children.

The dolls listened to the little old man and little old woman talking to each other. The dolls heard them talking about how they were going to go on a trip and would be gone for a week. They talked about having the post office hold their mail until they got back. They talked about what clothes and other things they might need while they were gone.

One day the little old man and the little old woman put some things into the back of the car.

"The car is pulling out of the garage," Jolena said from the windowsill as the other dolls looked up at her. They listened as the garage door closed.

"The little old lady is getting in on the passenger side," Jolena said.

"That's it! They've gone," Jolena said. "The car just drove away."

"What should we do while they're gone?" Billy asked. "We have the house to ourselves."

"Let's clean the house again!" Veronika exclaimed. "That was so much fun the last time!"

"Let us, I mean Emil and me, do the vacuuming," Billy said. "We've done it before, and we're good at it."
"You can do the vacuuming, Billy," Mandy said, "but don't forget, you will need to do the dusting first. Otherwise, the dust will fall on the clean floor. You want the vacuum to pick it up."

The dolls all agreed that cleaning the house again would be fun.
The boys got to work getting the dusting done, so they could get on to the fun part.

Mariah and Jolena changed the sheets on the beds. They had to work together, because it's hard to do when you're so small. They carried the dirty sheets down the hall to the laundry room. Then they got out some clean sheets from the linen closet. They worked together to get the clean sheets on the bed and the pillows into the pillow cases.

Veronika did the laundry. She washed all the white things together and then put them into the dryer. Then she washed the colored things. She would put them into the dryer when it was done. She knew the colors sometimes like to leave one thing and move into something that's supposed to be white.

Mandy and Charlotte cleaned the bathrooms.

When they were done, they got dressed and went looking for the others. They found the other girls in the workroom. The boys were not there.

"Where are the boys?" Charlotte asked when she and Mandy were dressed.

"I think I hear the vacuum downstairs," Mariah told them. "They must still be working."

The girls went downstairs to look for the boys. They found them in the dining room, still vacuuming the floor. They were using the new robot vacuum cleaner. They were having too much fun to stop. All they had to do was push a button, and the vacuum would move around on the floor, sucking up all the dirt and dust. The boys had been letting Billy's teddy bear ride it and pretend to be driving. Billy and Emil knew they were not supposed to climb onto the vacuum, but Teddy is very small and light.

The dolls spent the next few days reading, playing games and pretending to eat and sleep.
Every day, the boys would run the robot vacuum for a while. They knew it wasn't a toy, but they still thought it was fun. They named it "Beatrice (BEE-ah-triss) the Cleaning Lady." They took turns using the remote control to change the way Beatrice cleaned. They laughed when Beatrice bumped into something and just turned away to vacuum in another direction. They knew it didn't hurt Beatrice to bump into things. When Beatrice was tired, she would go back to her charging station.

On the last day, Jolena got some frozen tomatoes out of the freezer and started them cooking on the stove to make jam.

While the jam was cooking, Jolena started a loaf of bread in the bread machine.

When the jam had cooked long enough, Jolena washed some jars. Then she spooned the jam into the clean jars.

She left the jars of jam on the big cutting board on the stove.

When the bread was baked, she took it out of the oven.

While it was cooling, she went and found a clean cloth napkin. She wrapped it in a cloth napkin and left it on the counter.

The little old woman and the little old man returned in the evening.

"I'm tired," the little old woman said, as she put down her suitcase. "I'm not looking forward to cleaning the house,"
"I'll do the dusting," said the little old man. "Then we can run the vacuum. Just let me get a good night's sleep first."

Then the two real human people stopped and looked around. Something was different, and they had the feeling they were being watched.

"The house looks clean," said the little old woman.
"It smells clean, too," said the little old man, "and I think I smell fresh bread! We must have elves!" he added with a laugh. He looked around. (Elves! What a silly thought!)

The "elves" stifled their giggles.

The old couple walked into the kitchen, following the smells.

There they found the jars of homemade tomato jam, still warm.

On the counter was the bread, wrapped in a cloth napkin, also still warm.

The little old lady and the little old man thought they knew who had been busy in their house. "We should do something to thank them," the little old man suggested.
"I know what!" the little old lady exclaimed. "I'll write them a story about how dolls cleaned the house!"
"No one will believe it," the little old man pointed out.
"I'll just start it the way you start fairy tales," she replied, "'Once upon a time...'"
"Does that mean we get to live happily ever after?" he asked with a smile.
The old lady nodded. "It has worked so far," she pointed out.

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
Beatrice: Eufy 35C RoboVac
The little old lady and the little old man: themselves

You can follow The Doll's Storybook here.

Do you have questions or comments for us? Would you like to order an autographed copy of one of our books? You can email us at thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

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.

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.

Author's page on Amazon.

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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Friday, February 9, 2024

A Field Trip to the Dentist

"I'm so excited!" Billy exclaimed, as he sat down to wait for The Writer to back the car out of the garage.

"So am I!" Jolena agreed. "I feel so lucky to get to go on this field trip!"
The dolls were sitting on the stairs, waiting to leave to go to visit the dentist. While they were waiting, Mandy explained that a dentist looks after people's teeth. She told them what they would see and do at the dentist's office. (It's always good to know what to expect before you go somewhere new.)
"I know you will remember your manners," Mandy said after she had explained everything to them. "You are both well-behaved dolls. I know you will say please and thank you, and that you will ask before you touch anything."
Jolena and Billy nodded.
Mandy wanted to make sure the two younger dolls remembered what she told them. "Now, tell me what you will do there," Mandy said.

"First, we will go in and let them know we are there," Jolena replied. "Then we will sit down and wait for someone to come and get us."

"Yes," agreed Billy. "We will be patient and quiet. Then, when someone comes to get us, we will do what they say."
"You will be fine," Mandy assured them. "You both have had a lot of practice doing things real children do. This is no different."

"It's exciting getting to do what real children do," Jolena said, "even though a lot of it is pretend for us."

"Pretending is what we do best," Mandy agreed.

The drive to the dentist's office only took a few minutes. As soon as they arrived, Jolena went to sit down on a chair, while Billy waited for the lady to come back to her desk, so he could tell her that they were there.

After he made sure she knew they had arrived, Billy went to sit down with Jolena to wait patiently.

It was interesting to look around the waiting room. Neither one of the dolls had ever been in a dentist's waiting room before.

Jolena noticed that there was a big fish tank full of fish. She watched the fish for a while. They made her feel very relaxed.

Billy wondered if every dentist had fish. He knew that some fish have teeth, but not the kind of fish people usually keep as pets.

After a few minutes, the nice lady at the desk told them that it might be a few minutes. She suggested they might like to do some coloring at the children's table in the corner. That sounded like fun!

While Jolena looked through the coloring book to find a page to color, Billy picked out the colors.

Soon the dolls were happily taking turns coloring in the coloring book.

In a few minutes another lady came to the waiting room and said they were ready for Billy and Jolena. She introduced herself. She said she was a hygienist (HIGH-jeh-nist). A hygienist is a person who knows all about keeping teeth and gums clean and healthy. She explained that her job is to clean people's teeth and to help with anything the dentist needs help with, like taking X-rays or handing the dentist the right tools when the dentist fills cavities (KAH-vuh-tees) in people's teeth. Cavities are holes in the teeth caused by something called decay (dee-KAY).

They went down a hall and into a smaller room.

"This looks like the bridge of a starship!" Billy exclaimed when he saw it. The first thing he noticed was a set of cords with things at the ends that looked like something could be attached to them.

"Can you tell me what all of these things are for please?" Billy asked politely, pointing at them.

The hygienist showed the dolls how you could attach tools to one of the cords. She attached a cleaning tool and turned it on. It had a little foam brush at the end that went around and around, very fast.

While it was moving, she touched it to Billy's fingernail, so he could feel it. Then she let Jolena feel it. She told them that was what it felt like on your teeth.

Then the hygienist showed the dolls a tool that could shoot water, like a water pistol. It was used to rinse the teeth. It could also shoot air to blow the teeth clean, so the dentist can see. It made a swooshing sound. She let each doll feel what it was like to have the water or air on their hands.

Another tool was like a little vacuum cleaner. It is used to remove the water from a person's mouth after the teeth are rinsed. Each doll felt what it was like. It made a slurping sound.

"That's really cool!" Billy exclaimed.

While she was showing these tools to the dolls, the hygienist explained why it is important to look after your teeth. Billy thought it was very interesting.

Jolena was very interested in the computer. She learned that it is used for things like looking at X-rays and for checking to see how long ago X-rays had been taken.

The hygienist explained that X-rays are pictures of the teeth using high-energy waves to show things you can't see with just your eyes. Some cavities or other problems only show up on the X-rays. If the teeth aren't straight enough, it can make it difficult to eat or speak, and sometimes it causes a person's mouth to hurt. If the dentist sees that kind of problem, the person will be sent to a special kind of dentist called an orthodontist (or-thuh-DON-tist) to get their teeth straightened. It's very important to check children's teeth, because if there's a problem, finding it early can make it easier to fix.

Then the hygienist showed them the frame that holds the film. When you're having X-rays taken, the hygienist will put the frame in your mouth. Then she asks you to bite down on the frame. The frame on this one is red. She takes the photo through the blue part.

The hygienist explains that it doesn't hurt, and it's fun to see what your teeth look like with X-rays.

In the middle of the room was a big chair. The hygienist let the dolls sit in the chair. First it was Jolena's turn.
"It's like a big recliner," Jolena said.

Then she got down and Billy climbed into the chair.
"There's lots of room for my legs," he said.

"May I pretend to be the hygienist?" Jolena asked.

"I'll be the patient!" Billy exclaimed. "If I may, please," he added.

The hygienist said that was a good idea. She took Jolena to the counter at the side of the room. She showed her a set of tools.

She showed Jolena each tool and explained what it was for. There was a tool to pull off bits of stuff that collects on people's teeth. She tapped Jolena's fingernail with it.

"This is what it feels like when it's used on a person's teeth," she explained.

"That's interesting," Jolena said.

Then the hygienist showed Jolena a little mirror that is used to see the back side of a tooth. Jolena could see her face in it. "That mirror is doll-size!" she exclaimed.

After the hygienist had explained all the tools to Jolena, she took them over to Billy and showed each one to him. Then she explained that the dentist and the hygienist would wash their hands at the little sink before checking someone's teeth and gums. She had Jolena pretend to wash her hands and then show that they were clean.

Normally, the dentist and the hygienist would each put on some special gloves and a mask before they touch a person's mouth, but there aren't any in Jolena's size, so they decided she would just pretend.

After telling Billy what was going to happen, the hygienist made the chair lie back. Billy thought it was like going for a short ride.

"I can see the ceiling," Billy said. "I'm glad I'm not the kind of doll with eyes that close."

The hygienist put a kind of bib on Billy, so he wouldn't get his shirt messed up. Then she brought down a big light that is used to shine in a person's mouth, so the hygienist and the dentist can see well. It was very bright. Now Billy wished his eyes could close.

Jolena was ready to pretend to be the hygienist.

"I can only open my mouth if I no one is looking," Billy said, so the hygienist closed her eyes. (She had eyes that can close.)
Jolena pretended to check his teeth and poke around in his mouth. She asked Billy if he had been brushing his teeth correctly and if he had been flossing. (That means using a special kind of thread between the teeth to clean where the brush can't reach.)

"I would brush and floss my teeth, if I had any teeth," he replied.

"I know you would brush your teeth and floss if you had teeth," Jolena said. "So would I!"

Both dolls laughed. The hygienist laughed, too, and then she opened her eyes again.

"We have to pretend to brush and floss our teeth after we pretend to eat," Jolena said. "Also at bedtime," she added.

"We are supposed to limit how much candy and other sweets we eat," Billy said, "because that stuff is bad for teeth."

"You are very smart dolls," said the hygienist. Then she gave each of them a little bag with some teeth-cleaning supplies. There was even a little hourglass timer, so they could be sure they brushed long enough.

When they had seen everything, the hygienist took Jolena and Billy back to the counter next to the waiting room. The lady at the counter said she would make their next appointment. "When would you like to come back?" she asked.

"Tomorrow!" the dolls said together.

"How about in six months?" the lady suggested.

Billy and Jolena went to find Mandy when they got home. "How did it go?" Mandy asked as Jolena climbed up and sat on the big chair with her.
"It was fun," Billy said, climbing up to join Mandy and Jolena.

"We saw some really cool stuff," Jolena agreed.
"Tell me what you learned," Mandy said. She put her glasses to the top of her head, which meant she was ready to listen.

"I found out," Jolena explained, "that the dentist looks at children's teeth and gums to see if there are any problems and to make sure their teeth are developing properly as they grow. Children's teeth can even be straightened if they need it."
"I found out," Billy added, "that the hygienist cleans and flosses their teeth and looks for cavities. Cavities are holes in the teeth," he explained.

"Cavities are caused by something called decay," Jolena added. Then Jolena explained that flossing is using a special kind of waxy string to get in between the teeth to remove little pieces of food that your toothbrush doesn't reach.
"It leaves your teeth all clean!" she exclaimed.

Mandy nodded.

"They use X-rays to find the cavities," Billy said excitedly. "They put a little plastic frame with some special film inside a person's mouth. The person holds it still by biting on it while the hygienist takes the picture. Then you can look at the pictures and see your teeth the way Superman could see them!"

"If the person has a cavity," Billy continued, "the dentist will remove the bad part of the tooth with some of those tools and then fill it with special filling material. I'd like to see that."

"Maybe when we go back in six months," Jolena suggested.

"You really learned a lot!" Mandy said with a smile. "You remembered it, too," she added.

"It was fun," Billy said again. "Now I almost know what it's like to have teeth."
"I wonder what it's like to chew," Jolena mused.
"Me, too," agreed Billy.
The three dolls thought about that.

The dolls also thought about how important it is to take care of your teeth...if you have teeth.

Cast--

Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London

Many thanks to East Bend Dental in Bend, Oregon, for allowing Jolena and Billy to visit and learn about trips to the dentist.