blogcat: Doll Interviews

Introducing January’s Doll of the Month Rayna!

Rayna always has a taste for fun with her foodie family and friends. Today we had a chance to chat with her to learn more about what it’s like to live with a stutter and how she overcomes obstacles with courage and optimism.

(PS – Look for definitions of words with a * at the end of the interview!)

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today, Rayna!

Awww thank you for choosing me to interview! This is the first time I’ve ever done one, so I feel honored to have been asked.

Before we start, we wanted to let our readers know something that we feel is important to explain and share about you.

Absolutely, I’m not shy, you can go ahead and tell them!

You’ve had a *stutter your whole life and even though it’s apparent when we speak with you, when we write up the interview, we will be writing the text as if you had none.

Yes, I’ve asked for you to do this to make it a little easier for people to read *she laughs*. It sometimes takes me a while to get my message out when I’m speaking, so it’s nice to know that when I’m writing or in interviews like this, my thoughts can come across more easily. I feel like that’s the beauty of the written word!

We feel you do a fantastic job of communicating, despite your stutter!
We just love your book The “The Foodie Friends Project” and wanted to learn more about what it’s like living with a stutter and how you’re able to overcome the challenges that go along with it!

Well, I’ve been dealing with this stutter my whole life, and it’s something I’ve come to accept. Once people get to know me, they seem to ignore it or accept it too. I’ve also had a lot of help since we moved here, now that I have Becky, my speech therapist. To be honest, I don’t really feel as if it hinders me too much these days. I still feel confident in myself… well, maybe a little less so with public speaking. *she laughs*

You came up with a great way to get help your friend Miranda get over her fear of public speaking, and a way to stop your stuttering!

Yes, it’s a really interesting trick isn’t it!? If I sing along, or repeat along with others, my stutter magically disappears. And I figured since Miranda was so *musical, and confident when she plays the drums, that it would be the best way for her to present as well. It ended up being a win-win all around, because it also ended up being more entertaining for the audience too.

We thought it was a fantastic way to present your *foodie project. Speaking of food… would you ever consider stepping into your family’s footsteps and owning your own restaurant or food truck one day?

I do love being and working in the restaurant… and talking to people! I could see myself taking over the family business one day, but there are so many things I love to do, that I can’t say for sure what the future holds for me quite yet.

We wish you all the best of luck no matter what you end up doing, and thank you for sharing your story with us Rayna.

Thank you so much for the interview, I had fun!

You can read more about January’s Doll of the Month Rayna in her storybook, “The Foodie Friends Project.”

Definitions:
Words can sometimes mean different things. Within this interview, these words mean the following:
*stutter: when someone speaks with continued involuntary repetition, especially at the beginning of words or sentences
*musical: when a person is good at, or likes to create music
*foodie: someone who shows a particular interest in food

Whether she’s doing axel jumps and figure eights on the skating rink or getting to know a mountain town during a blizzard, December’s Doll of the Month Katelyn brings kindness and friendship to everyone around her! Today we had a chance to chat with her to learn more about her life, friendships, and what brings her joy.

(PS – Look for definitions of words with a * at the end of the interview!)

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, Katelyn!

Thanks so much! I’m really happy to have the chance to chat with you, too!

We learned a little bit about you in the book “Blizzard on Moose Mountain,” but we’d love to hear more about your skating in particular! How long ago did you start, and what do you see yourself accomplishing in the future?

Well, I’ve been skating for a while now and it always surprises me how much I continue to learn about the sport. My skating has really matured*, and I have my eyes on competing even more in the future. I’m not sure that I’d ever be able to compete at the Olympic level, though. *she laughs* I mean, I will always try my hardest, but I’m not cut out for it personally. It does bring me a lot of joy though, and I’m pretty good at it, so I’ll keep doing it for as long as it continues making me happy!

Well, the Olympics aren’t for everyone! We’re happy to hear that skating brings you joy, and it seems to be a great way to make new friends too, like your new friend Annie!

Yes, it’s a great way to meet new people that I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to meet! And isn’t Annie is a wonderful person and friend!? It can be really hard to introduce new friends into an old clique but she’s so special to me. She’s so kind and open-minded*, and we like some of the same things, like skating. I’m really happy that she’s been accepted into my group of friends too!

Seems like you’re very lucky to have so many friends! Why was it so important that Annie be a part of your group?

Well, I think because we all go to the same school, and I felt so much pressure to spend time with my old friends, I didn’t want to alienate* anyone. Annie is so sweet and I bet it’s hard to go to a new school where you don’t know anyone. I wanted her to feel welcome, and I thought it was a good experience for me and my friends to get to know someone new, too. It’s also so much easier to have all your friends like each other, so you don’t feel like you’re caught in the middle. Plus, it means we can spend more time all together instead of splitting my time between everyone. It’s just too bad they don’t all like skating.

Do you have any other hobbies other than skating that you can share with us?

Well, I’m skating a lot. *she laughs* But when I’m not skating, I’m usually spending time with my friends, making crafts, listening to music, and dancing. I’m not into many other sports, but during the summer I like to play tennis a lot, even though I’m not very good at it yet. It’s so much fun!

We’re so happy to have had this chance to talk with December’s Doll of the Month Katelyn! Read more about her in her storybook, “Blizzard on Moose Mountain!”

Definitions:

Words can sometimes mean different things. Within this interview, these words mean the following:

*matured: to become more advanced, or more skilled

*open-minded: willing to consider new ideas or concepts

*clique: a small group of people, with features in common, who spend time together and do not easily allow others to join them.

*alienate: to make someone feel unwelcome, or unwanted

It’s a bird, it’s a plane…no, it’s Kaihily the Pilot! Pilots travel a LOT, and Kaihily is no exception… we’ve caught up with her to find out all about her latest adventures and to see where she’s off to next.

(PS – Look for definitions of words with a * at the end of the interview!)

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, Kaihily!

I’m happy to be here!

So, where have you flown to recently? You’re a difficult gal to get a hold of!

(She laughs) Well it’s been a busy few months, but I just arrived here from Hawaii.

I hear it’s beautiful there this time of year! Is that a typical route for you?

I actually live in Hawaii! I was home for nearly a week between flights. I don’t usually have typical routes. Since I have seniority* at my airline, I usually get to choose the flights I want and build my own schedule. This month I had 17 days off!

Wow, that seems like a lot of days off. Do you find it hard that you don’t have a typical schedule?

That’s a good question… I think because I’ve always had such a varied* work schedule, I’ve become used to it. I like that I can choose my routes depending on where I want to go that month, or how many hours I want to fly. It gives me a lot of flexibility!

Did you always want to become a pilot? And was it easy to become one?

I didn’t really know what I wanted to do until I was a little older and already finished university. It wasn’t too difficult to be a pilot, but required a lot of time. In order to become licenced*, I had to pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test after logging a minimum of 250 hours of flying time. After that, I needed to have at least 1500 hours to become licensed as an airline transport pilot, which is the type of pilot who works on commercial airlines. (source: https://study.com/articles/Become_a_Licensed_Commercial_Pilot_Step-by-Step_Career_Guide.html)

What do you like to do when you’re back home?

I LOVE to skateboard. It’s one of my favorite things to do! Sometimes I choose my flights based on places that have great skateparks, so I can go try them out. I also love yoga… I find it keeps me grounded… (laughs) … no pun intended!

Definitions:

Words can sometimes mean different things. Within this interview, these words mean the following:

*seniority: “a privileged position earned by reason of longer service or higher rank”

*varied: “having more than one option or form”

*licenced: “to permit the use of something, usually legally”