Thoughts before reading:
I've never read this one before, but it actually sounds pretty good. The story sounds interesting, as we don't normally see much of Watson. There's not many plot lines about family dynamics either, and those are some of my favorites.
I actually really like this cover too. This is exactly how I'd always pictured Watson! Ditto for both kids, who are adorable here. Kristy is also really cute, and actually looks 13.
The basics:
Kristy's noticed Watson seeming run down lately and she's starting to worry- then one afternoon he has a heart attack after shoveling snow. She calls 911, then stays home to make phone calls and watch the kids while the adults are at the hospital. Shannon, Dawn, and Mary Anne come over to help out too.
The heart attack turns out to be mild, but Watson will have to make some big lifestyle changes going forward. Kristy gets to visit him in the hospital, and she brings him a Get Well Quick basket that all the kids helped put together, which makes him teary eyed. They discuss how he'll have to eat healthier, work much less, and start exercising. Kristy offers to help him.
When Watson gets released from the hospital, the kids throw him a low-key party. The whole family gets involved in helping him recover too. Menus are planned out ahead, and they start using an intercom. Watson also announces he's going to be a stay-at-home dad for awhile. Once he's feeling better, he takes over childcare, cooking, and cleaning, and he's actually good at all three.
Nannie, on the other hand, starts getting quieter are staying in her room a lot. Her and Watson butt heads a bit too, mostly over who's making dinner. Then she abruptly announces she's moving to her own apartment, because she needs her own space. The kids are heartbroken.
Shortly after she's moved out, chaos erupts at home. Karen and Andrew arrive for their month at the "big house". A week later, Emily Michelle gets the flu. Watson is completely overwhelmed, and everything starts going wrong. Kristy tells Nannie, who agrees to move back in. (She was just afraid of being in Watson's way.)
Watson decides to work from home from now on, only 3 hours a day.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Marshall, who has been a long time BSC client, starts hiring a sitter for her two kids, and then springing 3 extra kids on the sitter without warning. (They are her friend's kids, and she doesn't pay extra either.) This happens to Dawn first, then Mallory, who ends up calling Jessi over to help after one of the kids cuts his lip and the other four are out of control. Even after being told what happened, Mrs. M refuses to pay Jessi.
For the next Marshall job, Stacey and Claudia show up together at Kristy's suggestion. Sure enough, all five kids are there again, yet Mrs. M is really rude to the girls and refuses to pay for two sitters. Stacey stands up to her and says she can't responsibly care for five children alone. Mrs. M doesn't care at all, still refusing to pay extra, so Stacey says she can't sit at all. Her and Claudia leave, and Claud is really impressed. (Score another point for Stacey!)
The girls decide to make a "BSC Golden Rules" flier, to make sure clients know their policies. Kristy calls and talks to Mrs. Marshall, who finally apologizes. The BSC instates a new rule to ask how many kids will be at any job before they accept it.
Timeline:
It's wintertime, and snowy. This must begin in January, because Karen and Andrew arrive to begin their month with the family on February 1st.
Misc. thoughts:
*Watson is the CEO of Unity Insurance, in Stamford. It took 100+ books to learn this!
*David Michael has gotten really into acting (finally we learn a little about this poor underrepresented kid!). He loves theater, and has gotten a role playing the rooster in the Brementown Musicians. The whole family goes to his opening night together.
*At the first Marshall job in here, Mrs. M doesn't even mention who the extra kids are until Dawn asks. Added to her refusing to pay for an extra sitter, being rude to the girls, and making such bad decisions, I really wish Kristy had refused to have the club sit for her anymore.
*You can tell from this book how much Kristy's come to love Watson, and vice versa. It was really sweet.
*I also really like Watson! You can tell from how he treats his stepchildren that he really loves them, and has become a real father to these poor kids without a biological dad who gives a damn.
*David Michael is also smart, and likes medical shows.
*This book reinforced why I like the family drama plots. I don't care about a random new character and their problems, I want to learn more about the original characters and their daily lives.
*The things Watson loves most are books, so they make the library into a downstairs bedroom for him while he's recovering.
*Kristy babysits for Karen and Andrew at their mom's house, which is rare, and until recently never happened.
*The only thing that made Mrs. Marshall's behavior in here worse was that one of the sitters she springs 5 kids on was Mallory. An 11 year old watching 5 kids under the age of 7? What could go wrong?? This is an astonishingly bad idea... I would struggle to do that job now!
*Instead of just sending a second sitter, Kristy should have called Mrs. Marshall and told her the issue. If she couldn't figure it out for herself, she needed to know.
Books mentioned:
None
My rating:
4 stars. I really enjoyed this. It was predictable, of course, but also a very sweet story. It was nice to see more of Kristy's family and their interactions.
No comments:
Post a Comment