|
Post by candykane on Sept 3, 2009 9:25:37 GMT -5
One thing that always made me kind of LOL was the part where they're about to leave for Boston and Jeff announces that he doesn't want to go there anymore, and they HAVE to go to D.C. instead. I know he was just doing it to be a brat, but it was kind of funny to me because I'm sure he knew d**n well that they weren't going to say, "Okay, cancel the Boston trip! Let's book a flight to D.C.!"
Doesn't he talk about how fun it would be to drop water balloons on people's heads from their hotel window and Dawn secretly disagrees, but out loud to Jeff agrees that it would in fact be funny?
|
|
|
Post by sparklymouse on Sept 3, 2009 15:39:35 GMT -5
I didn't like how they all made up by laughing hysterically at their angry family portrait. It was a too easy ending. I bet the photographer really hated them.
|
|
|
Post by sugarandspicexx on Sept 9, 2009 3:06:41 GMT -5
^ I'd also have thought that if they'd decided to pay a photographer to come out and take a family portrait, they might discuss BEFORE he gets there where the photo's might be taken?
|
|
|
Post by zoar3 on Oct 5, 2009 23:08:19 GMT -5
I also don't quite believe that Richard and Sharon would be fine with Mary Anne bunking in their room. On page 94 after MA and Richard have gone off on their own in Boston Jeff makes the comment that "The Schafers (him, Dawn, and their mom) are alone at last). I guess Sharon still= "A Schafer." Also on page 94 as a p.s. in a postcard to Claudia, Dawn tells C not to eat too much junk food until she (D) gets back...does that mean Dawn will grant (or does grant) C permission to gorge away on treats while D is in Stoneybrook? On page 116 Dawn makes (a sort of) disparging comment about Claudia, who along with Shannon is sitting for the feuding Barrett-DeWitt kids: It's a good thing, too (Shannon was there) because I know Claudia would not have been able to handle the Barretts' alone." I realize this was D's way of saying the 2 baby-sitter per 4 or more kids is a good rule, especially when kids' are fighting but, did she have to be so snarky to Claudia about it?
|
|
oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,263
|
Post by oldhickory on Apr 24, 2010 23:51:34 GMT -5
this part was so little and quick, but it really made me aww. richard and sharon are talking about jeff's visit and richard says something along the lines of "i don't know anything about boys, i've only ever raised girls." it's one of the only times in the series that we see richard as dawn's father.
|
|
|
Post by anzuhana on Apr 26, 2010 14:48:37 GMT -5
I hated Jeff in this book. I thought that he was really rude to Richard. Dawn and Mary Anne were annoying as well. I found it strange that Mary Anne knew nothing about the Tea Party. Maybe if she was 10, then it might have been believable but not when she's 13 and also because she probably would've learned about in school. Maybe it should have been Jeff who spoke up about the Tea Party.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Feb 9, 2011 18:35:16 GMT -5
Another first time read. Dawn says in the beginning, "I wear clothes that are comfortable." Who DOESN'T, Dawn? Does Claudia ever say, "I like really trendy outfits! I wear clothes that are uncomfortable!" ??
I was like WOW to this. Really, Dawn? It's that kind of attitude that turns Jeff into the entitled brat we saw in this book. Good for Mary Anne for not dignifying that and just leaving the room.
She was also really mean saying that the only way MA sounded smart was through her guidebook. But I can understand why she said it, she didn't like seeing Jeff feel dumb.
I felt like it was Jeff and Dawn who started things...Jeff can no longer hide his annoyance about Richard and starts to sulk, which leads Dawn to think Richard is the one to blame for Jeff's bad mood. Then Mary Anne gets upset about that and starts making little comments about how they're not appreciating Richard's efforts, Jeff being messy, etc.
Poor Sharon. Jeff took advantage of the fact that she hadn't seen him in so long and just wanted everything about the visit to go well.
Isn't there a picture of them posed on the porch in Mary Anne's scrapbook?
|
|
|
Post by anzuhana on Feb 9, 2011 19:15:21 GMT -5
^ There is a picture of them posed on the porch in Mary Anne's scrapbook.
|
|
u4me
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,655
|
Post by u4me on Feb 9, 2011 20:16:47 GMT -5
Jeff was a monster in this one. I like this book for the most part, though. I liked the scene where they did the portrait, although I think it's always strange that so many people in these books make up because they were giggling at something and then everything is magically better. I had make ups with my friends like that in middle school, but they were stupid arguments to begin with. I thought the kids were awful in this book. I think they deserved a good lecture!
|
|
|
Post by zoar3 on Feb 9, 2011 20:47:53 GMT -5
All the kids were terrible in this one. I felt worse for Richard because there he was taking off time from work, trying to get to know Jeff and hang out with him, and all it got him was trouble. Almost seemed like whoever was driving should have stopped the car and said, "Either get it together or we're going home." I thought it was ridiculous that it took so long for Sharon and Richard to say anything. The trip could have been a lot of fun.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Feb 9, 2011 22:42:16 GMT -5
I liked the portrait part too, although my eyes narrowed at Sharon not wanting Tigger in the portrait, saying "he's not a part of the family, he's just a cat." Heartless!
Seriously, he just shouldn't even try. So ungrateful of Jeff. I even sensed Sharon getting a bit fed up with Richard, calling him a "worrywart"... I think the Schafers are the ones to make insensitive remarks first usually, which leads me to side more with the Spiers.
|
|
|
Post by zoar3 on Feb 10, 2011 0:04:42 GMT -5
As much as I loathe cats and am dispassionate about Tigger, I completely agree, BooBoo. Sharon had to have known (by then) that Mary Anne considered Tigger "family." Sometimes, I think MA thought Tigger=her family. It would have been an easy compromise to have taken two pictures, one with Tigger and one without.
I never felt there was a "Spier" family, of three. (Richard, Sharon, and MA). It was Dawn/Sharon and MA/Richard. Richard just happened to be married to Sharon. We never even saw their "marriage." I mean the two of them going out or displaying affection toward one another. They certainly rarely, if ever?, acted the part of newleyweds who were given a second chance at love both in general and with one another. Some of their past history could have been interesting to read about.
How does the above relate to Jeff? Just that when he came to visit since the new "family" had not come together as Kristy's did, everyone had yet to feel comfortable with one another let alone loving so (I am not excusing his behavior at all), maybe Jeff didn't know how to act. The only person I side with is Richard.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Feb 10, 2011 1:10:40 GMT -5
Well, Tigger jumped out of Mary Anne's lap pretty quickly, but Richard understood and just put a hand on MA's shoulder, saying "let him go," which I thought was better than getting frustrated with her. I guess I really can't blame Sharon that much seeing as how Dawn and Jeff had already made her mad for refusing to get dressed.
Good point about Jeff.
|
|
|
Post by candykane on Feb 10, 2011 9:30:18 GMT -5
I never felt there was a "Spier" family, of three. (Richard, Sharon, and MA). It was Dawn/Sharon and MA/Richard. Richard just happened to be married to Sharon. We never even saw their "marriage." I mean the two of them going out or displaying affection toward one another. They certainly rarely, if ever?, acted the part of newleyweds who were given a second chance at love both in general and with one another. Some of their past history could have been interesting to read about. Agree. After Sharon and Richard got married, they got boring. It was more interesting when they were dating, IMO.
|
|
|
Post by anzuhana on Feb 10, 2011 10:31:22 GMT -5
^ Maybe they should've dated longer before getting married.
|
|