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Post by aln1982 on Apr 17, 2007 15:33:55 GMT -5
I already know what sotypical's thoughts are on the CA clients from the thread on CA Girls but wondered if anyone else had other opinions or if she had more to add. Basically, I like reading about any of the babysitting jobs but don't particularly care for the CA clients with the exception of Stephie. I think she sounds cute, though maybe a little clingy. I loved it in CA Girls how she isn't afraid of anything at Universal and how she doesn't let the boys really bother her. I can't stand the Dewitt boys. They are so wild. And I have no real opinion on Clover and Daffodil, other than I can't stand their names. If I did have to form an opinion on them, I might consider them "Sunnys in training" (aggh! I can't stand Sunny). I won't even go into my feelings on Whitney but will just say that Dawn and Whitney Best Friends was one of my least favorite books.
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Post by sotypical42483 on Apr 17, 2007 19:09:58 GMT -5
I forgot about Clover and Daffodil. They are the two CA clients I like, lol. I guess we have differing tastes I just picture these cute little hippie girls... love that. They always sounded really cute, I liked when Dawn took them to the fair or whatever in some book. They seemed sweet. Eric and Ryan were the WORST. I guess my only thing w/ Stephie is she's so cliche. The scared, shy, meek little girl suddenly becomes all confident and independent over the course of one book!
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Post by aln1982 on Apr 17, 2007 23:36:29 GMT -5
It's funny how we share the same opinions on a few topics (Andrew Brewer) and are so totally opposite on most of them, sotypical I enjoy reading your different points of view, though. Just wondering if you've always lived in AZ. It always interests me how different places and upbringings impact people's points of view. As for Stephie, I saw more of a warming up to MA than an actual transformation of personality. Maybe this is because I was kind of that way - shy when I first met someone but after feeling comfortable with them (which often only took a few minutes) I couldn't shut up
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mckay
Junior Sitter
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Post by mckay on Apr 18, 2007 2:30:04 GMT -5
I couldn't stand Erick and Ryan. I have known little boys like them and I was forever wanting to smack them and scream, "For god's sake, shut up, sit down and do as you're told!" And I'm normally pretty patient. I just can't tolerate genuine brats.
Clover and Daffodil seemed nice, and Stephie seemed sweet. I think I would have liked Sunny as a little girl, too. A weird kid, sure, but really interesting and smart. I mean, what other six-year-old knows Morse Code?
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inge
Junior Sitter
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Post by inge on Apr 18, 2007 5:23:50 GMT -5
I liked Clover and Daffodil a lot, too, and I actually love those names! Especially Daffodil. Aww I hated Erick and Ryan, like the rest of you, and I was pretty neutral towards Stephie. I agree she was kind of cliche.
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Post by booboobrewer on Apr 18, 2007 11:53:57 GMT -5
I had a stuffed cat named Clover, so I like that name better than Daffodil, but I think both names are fun and cute. I just hope Daffodil insisted on having no nicknames. Can you imagine? Daffy, Dilly...*shudder*
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Post by sotypical42483 on Apr 18, 2007 12:20:34 GMT -5
I'm thinking I should re-read some CA books to see if my opinion on Stephie is any different. I'm mostly basing my comments off what I thought of her as a child! Oh, to answer your question aln, I was born in North Dakota and lived there til I was 10, but I've lived in AZ ever since then.
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Post by aln1982 on Apr 18, 2007 14:52:41 GMT -5
I was just about to say the same thing about rereading to see if I changed my mind about Clover and Daffodil - they do seem pretty cute. Maybe it is just their names and the whole fact that I know they are "hippies" that bugs me (I'm judgmental - I know )) I'll bet you like the weather a lot better in AZ, sotypical. I've lived in MI all my life and probably will never move but am fantasizing about being warm right now
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Post by hitzpink on Apr 19, 2007 19:32:19 GMT -5
I love Clover and Daffodil! They sound adorable and for some reason I love the name Clover. I'd never use it for a baby, but I can picture it on a cute little girl. Are they really that hippie-ish though? I mean I guess their parents might be "hippies" although I don't really remember anything specific about them... but what exactly can two little girls do that makes them hippies? Even if they're vegetarians and into animals (for example), being vegetarian doesn't mean you're a hippie, and a lot of kids love animals and don't think people should hurt them.
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Post by aln1982 on Apr 19, 2007 23:46:11 GMT -5
Okay, I reread the Clover and Daffodil chapter of Dawn on the Coast and they do sound pretty cute. The reason I called them hippies is because it mentioned that their parents used to be "flower children." I know I shouldn't have judged the kids because of this. I'm trying to work on my intolerance so sorry if I sounded like a judgemental jerk To clarify my view, I don't really even associate vegatarianism and animal rights (both of which I respect) with being a hippy. When I hear the word, it makes me think of the "free love, drugs, peace movement" counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s (which I will not get into my feelings about on here ). I shouldn't have judged Clover and Daffodil because of that view. Anyway, they do sound pretty cute and smart, though I still don't personally care for the names for kids (but they are creative and I thought Clover was a cute name for my friend's pony foal). I'll have to read some more about them. Another point about the CA clients... I do like all of the parents in CA - they seem really warm and open. But I do find this a little bit of stereotyping on Ann's part - like all people from CA are warm and expressive and people in Stoneybrook don't seem as much so (it still bugs me that MA, Kristy and Claud grew up together and don't seem close with any of each other's parents). I've known all kinds of people from both sides of the country and find that personalities tend to differ more with individuals than with geography (though there are some general trends). Wish that more of the parents in Stoneybrook would have been like the CA parents.
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Post by booboobrewer on Apr 20, 2007 0:34:48 GMT -5
The California parents did seem nice. I think there may have been exceptions, though - in Dawn and the Halloween Mystery, she notes that the father of one of the kids she is sitting for seems kind of gruff and rude.
I remember one book where MA says how much she likes Kristy's mom and that she can go to her with questions and feel comfortable talking to her. She also says Kristy would never feel that way about Richard. Hope I wasn't dreaming that; I think it's mentioned in an early book...
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inge
Junior Sitter
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Post by inge on Apr 20, 2007 6:48:07 GMT -5
I think Mary Anne mentions in MA saves the day that Elisabeth is like a mom to her, but that her dad is very much not like a dad to Kristy.
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Post by aln1982 on Apr 20, 2007 7:50:17 GMT -5
She did mention that in a few books but just never seemed all that close with Elizabeth - with the exception of their conversation in Secret in the Attic. It would have been nice to see a relationship between them like between MA and Mimi. Can understand how Kristy and Richard wouldn't be close (he's not a very open person by nature) but do remember some references to how he kind of looked out for her. Can't remember what book, though.
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Post by hitzpink on Apr 23, 2007 21:52:55 GMT -5
Aw, aln, I didn't mean that you sounded judgmental! Actually, it kind of annoyed me that their parents were "flower children" because it was just another example of how stereotyped all of the CA characters were.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
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Post by lilafowler on May 9, 2007 16:29:30 GMT -5
Hahahaha, I'm pretty sure AMM didn't mean to imply that elementary school-aged characters were toking up and sleeping around.
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