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Post by aln1982 on Jun 9, 2007 7:59:57 GMT -5
I really wanted to read this book last night but didn't have it - Boo and Bullfrogs I don't remember it really well but could really relate to how Karen didn't want anything to change. I was so frustrated last night because I don't like change, either, and it felt like all kinds of little, stupid things in my life (brands stopped making things, old computer games wouldn't work, etc) kept changing. Wonder if anyone else ever finds a LS or BSC book that just really relates to the mood they are in right then. As for the strict sitter in this book, she reminded me for some reason of MA's old sitter in MA's Book. I might have to reread MA's Book - and Karen's Nanny once I get a copy from the library - to see why I am making this connection. Anyone else see it?
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Sept 23, 2007 19:06:13 GMT -5
I say hats off to Karen for trying to stop changes in her life. At the time when I was reading it, I totally understood how she felt. I thought she went a little overboard with it, especially with the whole, "I gotta line up behind Bobby" thing and when she came to school on a warm day with layers of winter clothes, but her intentions were good. I liked the time schedule she put together- I used to love making schedules like that at the time. I think LS was my inspiration lol. I do kind of see the connection between MA's old sitter and Mrs. Hamilton (the strict sitter, who was one of the nanny candidates). They acted exactly the same.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 3, 2008 9:19:34 GMT -5
I think this is one of my favorite LS books. I might be able to relate to it more than any other I can think of. So many of the things Karen does – even laying out the clothes ahead of time ;D – is so “me.” I’m a real stickler for and tend to go overboard with routine and sameness to the point where I drive myself and others insane. This book helps me deal with it when I am forced to adapt to a change and makes me laugh at myself. It is funny in other ways too, especially Andrew’s resolution to “eat more cake and ice cream.” Karen’s final statement about “drawing the line at peanut butter” has been making me laugh since reading it because that is just what I would say. ;D
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Post by sparklymouse on Jan 3, 2008 17:37:42 GMT -5
^My mom taught me at a rather young age to lay my clothes out the night before school to save time in the morning. I still do it now. I'm not scared to change my mind when I wake up though!
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 3, 2008 17:53:41 GMT -5
^ I still do it, too. I do tons of stuff like this to save time (and thought ;D) It's easy when I wear the basic "Kristy" uniform. ;D
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Jan 3, 2008 21:09:38 GMT -5
I think this is one of my favorite LS books. I might be able to relate to it more than any other I can think of. So many of the things Karen does – even laying out the clothes ahead of time ;D – is so “me.” I’m a real stickler for and tend to go overboard with routine and sameness to the point where I drive myself and others insane. This book helps me deal with it when I am forced to adapt to a change and makes me laugh at myself. It is funny in other ways too, especially Andrew’s resolution to “eat more cake and ice cream.” Karen’s final statement about “drawing the line at peanut butter” has been making me laugh since reading it because that is just what I would say. ;D I'm also a stickler for routine aln, so that's probably why I love this book so much because I can relate to it ;D. That line about the peanut butter is so funny because that's something that I would say too ;D.
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tiff85
Junior Sitter
Posts: 583
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Post by tiff85 on Apr 6, 2009 20:39:45 GMT -5
I can also relate to a lot of things in this book as well. Karen's nanny reminded me of my grandma.
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Apr 8, 2009 15:47:02 GMT -5
^My mom taught me at a rather young age to lay my clothes out the night before school to save time in the morning. I still do it now. I'm not scared to change my mind when I wake up though! Yeah I always do that too because then I'm not rushing around to figure out what to wear before going to class. However, if the weather turns suddenly, I change my mind too.
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tiff85
Junior Sitter
Posts: 583
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Post by tiff85 on Apr 9, 2009 17:09:04 GMT -5
^My mom taught me at a rather young age to lay my clothes out the night before school to save time in the morning. I still do it now. I'm not scared to change my mind when I wake up though! I used to do the same thing from the time I was in elementary school to the time I graduated from high school. Always got me prepared for the next day. If I didn't lay my clothes out, I would be late for school!
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Post by anzuhana on Dec 23, 2010 12:52:40 GMT -5
I think Karen went overboard when she tried to stop the changes in her life but I understand why she tried. When Ms. Colman said that there were nine planets, I thought that the book was slightly dated since Pluto now is no longer a planet.
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Post by virgoscorpio on May 16, 2011 14:57:40 GMT -5
This is another example of the somewhat cute Karen craziness!
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supprazz
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,106
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Post by supprazz on May 31, 2011 3:07:40 GMT -5
Totally ghostwritten! I read it after years of not reading new LS and BSC book and really noticed.
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Post by zoar3 on May 21, 2013 17:17:25 GMT -5
Out of the bunch of LS books I've read lately, I think I (overall) prefer Gabrielle Charbonnet to Stephanie Calmenson. May I make a late May resolution to eat more ice cream? Maybe try to have a sundae of sorts every Sundae if nothing else. I love how Andrew said that. I really did like Rose, the first Nanny (I wanted to type IE instead of Y for Nanny, guess that might show how BSC my mind is). I can see how she might have been too hyper after a while. Merry Perkins, though her name is a bit, sounded nice. I had hoped either Lisa or Seth would ask Watson if he can spend some of the time with Andrew and Karen before going the nannie route but they didn't That is one thing I have never gotten about the custody arrangements. I would think since they are on good terms, when possible the other parent should be the first choice of "sitter." Just my three cents. I have to admit the Jupiter subplot bored me. I am not into jewelry much at all but it might have been more interesting reading about Lisa as a character away from her family (working at the arts center). I am a Mary Poppins fan so I liked that a character other than Stacey, enjoyed the book and movie, too.
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Post by zoar3 on Dec 30, 2014 16:53:59 GMT -5
No one has read this in over a year and a half? Thank you Scrounge for the reminder that this is a New Years book. I did just finish it and loved it. So much better than Karen's New Year (KNY for short)which to me was so negative much of the time. I did in this story feel badly for Karen and wonder why neither her mom nor Seth took the time to realize how unhappy she was. I still as posted this morning in the KNY thread, wish as in Karen's Baby-sitter that Watson had been asked about extra time. That would have been so cool to read about Andrew and Karen spending an afternoon or two at the Big House during a Little House month and maybe they got involved with something going on and wanted to stay, just to show some flexibility in the custody arrangements and of course that their parents were wanting their children to be heard and happy. Back to this story, sorry for the tangent. I still feel the same as I did above. So funny how Andrew resolves to eat more cake and ice cream, I know my Grandma would have loved that idea especially with candy and I did just tell her about this book, maybe she is enjoying a treat in Heaven. I've never been a big fan of change, myself, I do tend to prefer original, sometimes simpler, versions of products to their newer counterparts. Minus a turtleneck which I can't stand, I do wear a basic Kristy uniform and planning some things like a Disneyland trip can be fun. When I was Karen's age and younger I loved my playmobile kids and would write out and plan all sorts of adventures for them some in their egg carton classroom and others in domino houses and a lot of those scenarios were similar and I am sure that constancy I controlled helped young me deal with some turbulent things in my life. We talked about change a couple weeks ago at Church. I have learned that there is most welcome types of change and that can be grown into with God's guidance. Littler stuff like a dependable ice cream flavor for me (not a peanut butter person) not so much. :)I really did enjoy this book a lot and wouldn't have minded hearing somehow from Rose again, too. I will start reading Dawn's Big Date tonight and tomorrow night Karen's Mistake. ETA: I almost forgot I wanted to be sure and say how fun it is to grow in BSC/LS book favorites and that different stories as Afton often shared in her posts and I believe if my ancient memory serves others of you (and I previously) have too, truly do mean more when read according to need or mood, or season. I do enjoy making favorite lists of the BSC kind and may need to look for our threads on that and see if my own choices are currently the same. That might make a fun New Year's discussion for us, too.
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scrounge
Sitter-In-Training
Boo and bullfrogs!
Posts: 414
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Post by scrounge on Dec 30, 2014 17:51:47 GMT -5
In a way Karen's rigid schedule reminds me of Mallory On Strike, where she makes the schedule and then has no room in it for new things that come up. I have to smile when I read about poor Karen dancing grimly around her room and liking it less and less each day. Some of the outfits she ended up wearing were funny, too.
I'm pretty sure Claudia wore a few outfits that were pretty close to that, and everyone said she looked great. I guess Karen just needs a pair of skeleton earrings to pull it all together.
I'm a bit surprised that Karen enjoyed Mary Poppins the book and that Andrew liked listening to it. I tried reading it when I was a kid and couldn't get past the old-fashioned language, plus I kept wanting the same things that happened in the movie to happen in the book. I am glad they didn't end up with Mrs. Hamilton for their nanny but I am pretty surprised that she got past Lisa's initial screening. You'd think she might have noticed during the interview that Mrs. Hamilton was maybe not the best choice for an active four- and seven-year old anybody's kids ever. Book of moral lessons indeed.
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