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Post by zoar3 on Dec 13, 2010 19:05:48 GMT -5
I agree with Amalia about the labelling. Poor Jenny sure does get that a lot. It seems like way back from their first meeting in #4, when MA and Jenny seem to connect regarding J's lack of play clothes and Mrs. P's attitude about such things, that over time the bond between them would grow. Instead it's always "MA is the only one that can tolerate Jenny."
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Post by zoar3 on Jun 29, 2011 22:49:55 GMT -5
Yikes this book is at the bottom of the barrel. I normally would add to my earlier post but lol that was much earlier! I just re-read and actually liked the book better. Except as others have said upthread all the "Adam and the boys." Makes it sound like Adam is not a boy or seperate from his brothers.
I thought this was one prime time where a parent should have been forthright with the sitter from the (soon) getgo. Yes, MA should have told Mrs. P her concerns about Jenny or * gasp * tried to talk to Jenny about them. I mean, I know Jenny is only 4. I have taught many a 4 year old. MA could see Jenny was unhappy, shouldn't she have tried to comment "You look unhappy sitting there, Jen, anything you want to talk about? Or It must be hard always seeing Andrea and your mom go off?" Anything! Mrs. P should have told MA that she was aware of the situation, even if neither she nor her husband it sounded like were addressing it.
Question: Did Jenny ever go to preschool? I know Jamie didn't start until he was 4. I remember Andrew and Emily (she was supposed to except she never aged) started preschool at 3. At one point in the book, MA tells us that Andrea's jobs are also in the morning. Does that mean Jenny is left in the care of an adult sitter during the school day only to be passed over to the BSC after? If so, that really stinks.
One last, real quick thing, I found weird. Before Jenny makes her peanut butter mess, MA has gone upstairs to get a band-aid for J's hand. MA tells us (Page 113) that the Prezziosos' keep their first aid kit in their linen closet! To me that makes no sense.
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Post by wiggir13 on Jul 4, 2011 11:42:08 GMT -5
Ugh this one was the pits...probably because I don't like MA or Jenny. However, I would have much preferred it if Jenny had ended up being OCD and how that would have been dealt with. I have some bad OCD tendencies and it would have been interesting to read about that disorder rather than jealousy over a baby.
Oh well....I also found it weird that they kept their first aid kit in the linen closet but maybe it was central in the house?
I loved the end when Mal came back and the girls were so happy....except of course MA had to lament over Dawn not being there - barf!
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Post by zoar3 on Jul 8, 2011 11:55:06 GMT -5
Wiggirl, you know my MA thoughts and Jenny, I often feel badly for. I think the BSC could have been a whole lot nicer to her. I did like that the triplets' kickball team is mentioned in passing reference in "Claudia and Crazy Peaches." The girls wonder if Natalie could join. Unfortunately that was it. We never got to see if Mal did ask her brothers or even Natalie if she was interested. Once the rules were figured out, the idea sounded fun.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jul 10, 2011 1:17:03 GMT -5
I think I might have mentioned this before but I remember liking this book more than I thought I would!
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
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Post by oldhickory on Sept 1, 2011 14:35:40 GMT -5
Before Jenny makes her peanut butter mess, MA has come upstairs to get a band-aid for J's hand. i don't remember this part at all, but i find it revolting that a kid with a cut on her hands is touching food.
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Post by zoar3 on Sept 1, 2011 14:51:38 GMT -5
^Ew! Especially since Jenny was only (a youngish) 4 and probably wouldn't have stopped what she was doing. I still want to know if Jenny ever went to preschool or if she was simply smothered by her mother during most days until (sometimes) being left with a sitter. It would have been interesting had Jenny, Jamie, and Johnny (I think Andrew went to a private preschool) were in the same class. We maybe would have gotten to see all of them, particularly Jenny and Andrew as fuller characters.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Dec 9, 2011 0:55:19 GMT -5
^ My assumption is that Jenny did not go to preschool. I don't think we hear about her going in any of the books. She probably just hangs out with Mrs. P all day and gets social with some of the neighbour kids (i.e. Jamie Newton).
I remember this book mentioning the big rock on the edge of Brenner Field -- does anyone else know what other books it's mentioned in?
Haley bothers me in this book, when she demands to be pitcher and then hugs the ball and buries herself in the dirt so that no one else can get it. This, combined with her actions in Little Liar, are underlying bitchy moments.
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Post by zoar3 on Dec 9, 2011 12:16:40 GMT -5
The rock is first mentioned in "MA and the Search for Tigger." That is where the fake cat-napper" instructed MA to leave her ransom money. I don't remember that about Haley. If she really had the ball, she should have just rolled the darn thing. I DO remember Matt running home for a ball and Haley being furious with him for it. So, lol, maybe I do recall the other. I wish the kickball team had not dissipated. It could have finally shown the triplets as true, individual 10 year olds.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Dec 9, 2011 22:47:33 GMT -5
Yes, thanks Mona, now I remember the MA And Search for Tigger rock reference. It made me laugh because I immediately thought of someone trying to scale a large rock looking for an envelope of money.
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Post by zoar3 on Dec 13, 2012 23:18:04 GMT -5
^Lol that might have made the story better had it happened, Virgo! This book has the oddest combination of three "stories." We have: Mary Anne and Jenny, The Kickball Team, and Mallory's (justified) complaints. I still don't get why it was never mentioned (unless because doing so might have forced a revelation on Mrs. Prezzioso's part sooner) who took care of Jenny before the BSC arrived each afternoon? We know her mom was often off with Andrea leaving Jenny behind. I think Mr. P works full-time. It struck me as strange that even Jenny never said "First this morning I was baby-sat for by so- and so- and now MA, at least I know--and like--MA." I wish Jenny had been better written and with more self power. I also wish most all the kickball chapters weren't a replay of the one before! I thought the team was a great idea and would have enjoyed seeing it take off. I also would have loved had we gotten to read about Adam, Byron, and Jordan talking with their parents about being baby-sat for all the time. I know at times they can act much younger than 10, but I really don't think they (always anyway) required their 11 year old sister to keep an eye on them. I did like when MA bought Jenny the popsicle because it seemed like she was trying to be a friend.
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Post by wiggir13 on Dec 16, 2012 22:05:37 GMT -5
I found it hilarious when kristy said we don't want to get a reputation for being pushy with our clients....hmmmmm since when? I liked this one better this time around, but I found the young kids an parents trying out to be just disturbing. I truly don't understand parents that push their kids into a world like this.
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
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Post by wanderingfrog on Dec 17, 2012 20:39:16 GMT -5
The big rock in Brenner Field is even drawn and labelled on the map of Stoneybrook in the 1990 calendar. I don't remember offhand if it's on any of the other Stoneybrook maps, but I know it's on that map because I was just looking at it the other day.
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scrounge
Sitter-In-Training
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Post by scrounge on Dec 18, 2012 4:06:27 GMT -5
It's on the map in the BSC complete guide. I remember being really surprised by it the first time I looked at the map because the big rock is larger than the nearby baseball diamond. That's a really big rock.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Mar 23, 2013 15:45:21 GMT -5
Haley was really annoying in this book actually. If Matt wouldn't have run home to grab another ball, she might have ruined the game for the rest of them. I know kids have their tantrums and upsets, but she kind of pissed me off in that situation. Maybe she felt a bit threatened by the triplets' new power?
The baby/child modeling parts were kind of fun! I always wish Mrs. P acted more like a crazy stage Mom. Maybe she would have more if Andrea wasn't booking everything.
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