A Boy Doll Diary - The photo story about a man living with his boy doll

Dear Diary, Jesse : Boy Story  i s a doll company with a worthwhile mission for boys everywhere.   The company has the following 2 goals: 1. Play! And play some more. And have fun while you're at it!  2. Break down stereotypes! Watch these videos:  Visit their site:  https://boystory.com/ I purchased one of these dolls because I want to support this  exceptional effort. This isn't just about making boy dolls available; it's about making it possible - and acceptable - for boys to play with dolls. I wonder how my own childhood would have differed had this philosophy of play been available to my parents.  I look forward to Mason's arrival.

Dear Diary, H ans :   The winter solstice will soon be here.  Like our ancestors, we will celebrate the change of the seasons, from winter to spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  For centuries, pre-dating the arrival of Christianity, people of ancient times found meaning in the shortest day of the year.  The practice recognised the movement from the dark days of winter to the ever-lengthening days of spring.  The celebration honoured the fertility of the earth, upon which the survival of humankind depended.  As Christianity sought to subsume the old religions, it adopted the story of darkness to light and applied it to the birth of its founder, Jesus of Nazareth.  Gradually, the notions of the old religions were replaced with Christian theology but in many cases the ancient symbols remained.  The celebration of Christmas is best placed in the Northern Hemisphere where the darkness of the long days of winter is replaced by the lengthe...

Dear Diary, H ans :   Guten Tag!  Ich heisse Hans Kruse.  Ich komme aus Deutschland.  Was?  You don't speak German?  Entschuldigung - er - pardon me.  I will speak in English instead. My name is Hans Kruse and I just arrived in New Zealand from Germany where I've lived since I was born on 15 January 1943.  My grandmother was Kathe Kruse, a world famous doll creator from early in the last century. When I was told I was to be auctioned and there was a chance I'd go abroad to live, I was very concerned about where I'd end up.  You see, being born in Germany in 1943, I know all about fascist regimes and how awful they are.  I worried that I'd end up in the country with the now-emerging neo-fascist government and I thought that sounded like an awful future.  Thankfully, I avoided this fate, being purchased by my new Vati (German for Dad) and coming to New Zealand, a socially progressive and stable country. ...

Dear Diary, Jesse : This blog is intended to encourage guys to actively play with their dolls.  It's geared to blokes but by extension, it can also be an encouragement for lads, too. I found these two items on Pinterest and wanted to share them here.  This is the story of how a mother transformed a girl doll into a boy doll for her son's birthday. This is about a boy doll available for purchase to the general public: http://pin.it/GYyfqgS http://shop.mysiblingdolls.com/collections/boy-dolls/products/18-boy-doll-my-pal-for-my-school   Remember, it doesn't matter what kind of dolls are chosen. Action, fashion BJD, male, female,collectible, childhood - they are all equally valid.  It's all about playing with your dolls.  

Dear Diary, A dam :  It's now early summer and time to harvest the gooseberries.   We planted 3 gooseberry bushes a couple of years ago but had to move them last year for better drainage.  The plants seem to have appreciated the new place in the garden as they have produced lots of berries.  Angelo and I went out to pick them.   A ngelo :  We have the old variety which has long, very sharp thorns which make picking the berries perilous.  "Ouch!  Bloody thorn!" A dam : We love gooseberry jam and pie so we wouldn't let the thorns get the better of us.  We picked and picked until we had almost 2 full baskets of berries. Say, Angelo, Do you remember in the movie Krull when Ergo says "I'd wish for a gooseberry pie as big as a house"? A ngelo :  Yes, I do remember that part. A dam : Well, I think we've now picked enough gooseberries to make his pie! Lots of good eats here. "Oops - I missed one!" "Get out...

Dear Diary, A dam :  Today was my day to make bread for the family.   It's an easy job because we use the no-knead method of Jeff Hertzberg and keep the dough stored in the refrigerator until we want to bake some bread or rolls.  I just took this out of the oven and Angelo came to check it out.  He loves bread; it must be his Italian heritage. "Take the lid off, Adam, so we can see it.  I can already smell it and my mouth is watering!" I was delighted to see how well it had raised ('oven spring') and how nicely brown and crispy the crust is.  It's a 2 pound loaf. "Oooo - that looks yummy!" Now, we need to cool the loaf for several hours before cutting it.  Angelo gets impatient and wants to eat it now.  I have to always explain to him that the bread isn't done baking until it's cool.  Patience, Angelo! "I've got the knife and I'll run and get the butter!"

Dear Diary, J esse : I want to share this photo of the boys.  It's not always easy to get them to sit still together for a photograph.  I like this photo because it gives a peek into each doll's unique personality.

Dear Diary, This is what happens when a young girl with scissors is left alone with a doll: "Could this be any worse?" "I must have had holes in my head to trust that child! When a young boy with scissors is left alone with a doll, you'll probably get a cut and styling. "How would you like the sides and back?"

Dear Diary, A dam :  In the past, Jesse and I have been very critical of the shoddy design and production of many of the boy doll clothes we have purchased from Carpetina. We've made no secret of our dissatisfaction with almost every item of clothing we've purchased.  The fit, styling and craftsmanship have been below grade, not to mention the use of poppers and velcro.  When the newest boy outfit, coat with tails was offered, we were very reluctant to purchase it.  However, we couldn't resist and did buy it, keeping our expectations low. Well, imagine our utter amazement when we opened the package and examined the goods - the outfit was fantastic and we were very chuffed!  We were so pleased that we felt it merited a positive post, complimenting Carpetina on an excellent product. Getting a good view all around. Although the fabric is just polyester, it does look pretty good.  The design of the clothes actually fit Adam and there is enough ...

Never trust a man who, when left alone with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on.

Dear Diary, A dam :  Another letter from Minneapolis - yeah! D ear Adam and Angelo - Our little friend Emile recently became part of our family.  Emile is from France and he's a very charming and outgoing boy, although he can be quite outspoken in his opinions.  We quickly learned not to get Emile and Giancarlo into a debate on the merits of French vs. Italian culture. Emile believes that a daily stroll is a quintessential Parisian activity.  He will not forgo his walks, no matter what the weather is like. Even though it has been rainy and overcast here, everyday Emile takes his umbrella and raincoat and goes for a stroll around the garden. Emile is a very colorful little boy in many respects, and we have become quite fond of him. Take care. Sasha