Eight Favorite Things

"Another year is over," Mandy said, as the dolls sat around the fireplace, pretending to drink cocoa, because it was cold outside.

"It has been a busy year," Emil pointed out. "We did a lot of things."

"What was your favorite thing we did, Emil?" Veronika asked. "What's your favorite memory?"

Emil thought about that for a moment. "I think it was when Billy and I went fishing," Emil remembered.

"That was fun," Billy agreed, "but it was also fun when we cleaned the house and got to use the robot vacuum cleaner."

"When The Writer and her husband were gone," Mariah explained to Pippa. "There were a lot of things we thought about doing, like filling the tub with water and going for a swim."

"I'm glad we cleaned the house instead," Jolena said. "It made the writer very happy."

"Yes," Charlotte agreed. "We did the laundry and changed the sheets on the beds, too."

"That was fun," Billy said, "but my favorite memory was when we got our new wigs!"

"Yes!" Emil agreed. "That was very memorable!"

"We finally looked like real boys," Billy said.

Billy turned to Charlotte. "What about you, Charlotte?" Billy asked. "What is your favorite memory?"

"I think maybe when Jolena came back from her ski trip," Charlotte said.

"We all helped her bring all her things in from the car," she added, "or maybe when Mandy came home from Ireland."

"I had a great time in Ireland," Mandy said, "especially going out to tea."

"I agree, though," Mandy went on, "the best part was coming home. I missed my family, and I wanted to tell you all about my trip."

"What about you, Mariah," Charlotte asked. "What's your favorite memory from this last year?"

"I have enjoyed a lot of things," Mariah said, "but I think it must be being in the play. It was hard work learning my lines."

"I was so afraid I would mess up in front of all those people," Mariah added, "but I felt so good when the curtain went down and the audience applauded. It was worth all the hard work!" 

"You did a great job," Mandy said, and the other dolls all agreed.

"I thought you really were that character," Charlotte said. "That must be what acting is all about."

"Let me go next," Jolena said.

"Everyone keeps picking my favorites," Jolena explained, "but I'll bet no one will pick this one. For my favorite memory from this past year I pick visiting with my friend Elizabeth using the iPad. We only see each other on ski trips, but we can read to each other, play games, perform dances and do cooking demonstrations together. We even pretend with the bear house. We can see each other and hear each other. That's almost as much fun as being in the same room."

"That was important for children who couldn't be with their friends for months," Veronika pointed out. Then she turned to Mandy. "What was your favorite thing about the past year, Mandy?" she asked.

"My absolute favorite time," Mandy replied, "was when Pippa showed up at our door. I laugh every time I think about Billy's puzzled look, and how he said, 'You're tiny.'"

"And I told him I'm Pippa and that Tiny went to New York," Pippa giggled. She remembered that, too.

"That was funny," Mandy said, "but that isn't really why it's my favorite memory. It's because that's when you came to be with us and brighten our lives with your antics."

"Like getting into the medicine cabinet," Mariah admonished.

"Well," Pippa piped up, "I won't be doing that again!"

"It's OK, Pippa," Veronika reassured the smaller doll. "There's so much to learn when you're new." She paused, then went on "So what was your favorite time, Pippa?" Veronika asked. "What's your happiest memory from this past year?"

"I don't have too many memories yet," Pippa mused, "and Mandy already picked my first favorite." Then Pippa thought for a moment. "Well," she said finally, "I guess I would have to say it was when Veronika explained about the stories. That made me feel important. I'm part of something big, even though I'm little."

"We all feel that way," Jolena agreed.

"It's good you missed the fire," though," Mariah told Pippa. "That was scary! The smoke alarm went off. We grabbed all the pets that were indoors and met by the big tree in front of the house."

"Yes," Jolena agreed, "except that it turned out there really wasn't a fire. It was a false alarm."

"It was good practice," Veronika pointed out. "It was like a fire drill, and everyone did what they were supposed to do if we had a real fire."

"Veronika," Pippa said, "You haven't told us your favorite memory yet."

"Every memory I have is my favorite," Veronika replied, "and my seven favorite things are sitting right here with me!"

This must be another favorite memory for Veronika.

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

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL

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.

"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.

Mariah: Stories from the Doll's Storybook is available from Amazon worldwide and from BookBaby and other booksellers. Royalties go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment.

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 © 2021 by Peggy Stuart

The Book

Veronika was looking at a book when Pippa came in from school.

"What are you reading, Veronika?" Pippa asked.

"It's our book," Veronika replied. "The copies for us just came." Veronika turned the book so that Pippa could see.

"It's Mariah," Pippa said. 

"Yes," Veronika agreed. "It has three stories about Mariah, but we're all in it except for you, because you weren't with us when these stories were written."

"I wish I were in it." Pippa said. "Maybe if I had come sooner...."

"Don't worry, Pippa," Veronika reassured her. "I'm sure you will be in the next one."

"I've been wondering," Pippa said, "why did The Writer start writing the stories?"

"It started before I came," Veronika began, "The Writer realized that many people were unhappy, and it was making them want to be unkind to others."

"When Mandy and I came," Veronika said. "The Writer realized that we knew how to be kind and other things children need to know. She thought that maybe we could work together to teach children how good it makes us feel when we do something good for someone else."

Pippa nodded. "Being unkind is bad for you," she said. "It makes you feel bad about yourself afterwards."

"Right," Veronika agreed. "Most dolls know this," she went on. "We come out of the box knowing it. Maybe it's because we're supposed to help children learn to care about each other. It's our most important job."

Pippa nodded again. She hadn't been out of her box very long, but she knew this already. "Being kind makes me happy," she said.

"Yes," Veronika agreed, "and The Writer hoped we could teach her grandchildren to care more about other people, so they would be happier when they grow up."

"Then we discovered that it's easy share the stories in a blog with other children," Veronika continued. "Come, and I'll show you the blog."

Veronika led Pippa to the dining room where the tablet was lying on the table. She helped the smaller doll climb up onto one of the chairs.

Veronika turned on the tablet and showed Pippa what the blog looked like.

"Hey, that's me!" Pippa said.

"Yes," Veronika agreed, "and you are in the story we're working on now, too. See? The Writer is taking photos now, and you will be in them."

"I guess we're pretty important," Pippa said.

"Yes," Veronika agreed, "but every doll is important. Each doll has a human person to care for and love. Some of them help a child go on imaginary adventures. Some stand on a shelf for a human person to admire and enjoy. Many of them are company for real children who can't go play with other children. Each doll has a job to do."

"And our job is to be in stories!" Pippa exclaimed. She jumped up onto the table. 

"That's the best job of all!" Pippa added.

"Um...real children should not stand on the table, Pippa," Veronika pointed out.

Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta

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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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Copyright © 2020, 2023 by Peggy Stuart