I
like it that Tom realizes how shy and insecure Nona is, and
stands up for her when Belinda puts her down.
"You're so slow!" said Belinda.
"She not," said Tom, "she's careful."
It must feel nice for Nona to have a 'big brother' looking out for
her. And
he is very encouraging when she does the Star Festival.
JOC
----------------------------------
I
feel sorry for Belinda too. She was obviously used to being the
baby and getting all the attention, and then in comes this interloper,
lol. Not that she's handling it well, but I can understand her
position.
It's part of life to realize you are not the center of the universe,
but it
comes harder for some than others.
JOC
---------------------
I'm
sorry that Belinda is displaced as the center of
attention in her family, but like her mother, and even her older
brother who
steps up for Nona, I'm disappointed that she can't see past
herself.
There is little empathy or sympathy. She's a "tough customer"
when it comes to wanting her own way, and she doesn't seem willing to
back down
in the least. Her behavior is a bit embarrassing, yet she's not
the least
embarrased by her own rudeness. She doesn't even make the
effort to
pretend to be nice. Happy
-------------------
I found
the most awesome thing to use for a quick wall covering and mats. The
wall
scroll calendars you get from Chinese food restaurants are awesome!. If
you cut
off the calendar part and reattach the bamboo stick at the bottom, you
have a
wall mural on a screen. Then you can turn over the part the calendar is
printed
on, turn under the ends and glue to secure and use the unprinted side
for the
floor. I will have to take photos later to show. I picked up a couple
from the
thrift store for less than $1 each, though one of my daughters claimed
one for
her own room.
Anna
B
-------------
I am
finding Belinda very unlikeable and a bit irritating. But
there has to be some hope, and these two little Japanese dolls seem to
be good
wishers. Nona seems to have a lot of inner resources for one so young,
perhaps
this is what makes Belinda a year younger, seem so immature in
contrast. Let's
hope that harmony somehow brings in some healing and peace!
Caro
---------------
She
is indeed rather unlikeable
isn’t she? You wonder just why she is like this. Is
it because she
is the youngest and has been rather ‘spoiled’ and
doesn’t like another coming
in and perhaps seeming to take her ‘place’. You
wonder why some children
do seem like this. Nona I think having been an only
child, is
perhaps more independent in thought and actions, she has had to learn
to use
her inner resources, and even more now she has come to another country
and
feels very ‘alone’ even though she is now surrounded by
other
children. As a book lover myself and one who is
always
looking things up, I love that she uses the books to their full
potential. I think someone else mentioned that sadly that seems
to be
less and less of the case in our electronic age. The joy of books
is a
discovery that lasts a lifetime.
Lorraine
----------------------------
yes,
I do agree--Nona being so resourceful makes Belinda look so
immature. She's so jealous of Nona. I do think that Belinda is
very
jealous. She probably had the "spotlight" because she was the
youngest in the family, and she feels that Nona is (or will be) taking
the
attention from Belinda.
JOC
----------------------------
I
think it's possible that Belinda feels threatened by Nona being
more like her siblings than she is, and also the dawning realisation
that she
is brattish and needs to change, but is deeply resistant at present
because
specifically she knows she should be better behaved .. like Nona and
the
others. The more the others try to make Nona feel better by saying nice
things
to her, the more it needles Belinda, she recognises they are right but
isn't
yet mature enough to admit it. And yes, although she doesn't need to
move from
the position as youngest since Nona is a year older, she still has to
share a
further division of parental & sibling time. And perhaps she isn't
ever
destined to have a 'girlie' personality, she can be a tomboy, but she
certainly
needs to behave more nicely to others, and especially Nona.
-------------------------------
From
friends in
the adoption/foster community, I've often heard that it is the child
that is
closest in age to the new arrival that is impacted the most. So, even
though
we, from our adult 2014 perspective, find Belinda churlish and
unpleasant,
perhaps she is simply reacting normally. I am happy to see the group
having a
bit of sympathy for Belinda. It can't have been easy for her. We
are all
rooting for Nona, but her behavior wasn't particularly pleasant,
either. It
must have been a disappointment for Belinda to imagine having a
play-fellow
close in age, only to find Nona so "other" and unresponsive.
Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, humbling themselves, wish hard for the
cushions
and, when Nona includes Belinda, by pleading for the opportunity to
make the
cushions, the wish is felt by Belinda. "..and she was suddenly
ashamed". She not yet ready to be gracious, though. Sigh...
Now, how does one differentiate between a doll's "wish" and Hitty's
"demands"?
Caro: "You could make a doll's house", said Tom.
Jane
-------------------
totally agree--Nona has had a hard time, but she is attempting to
overcome her timidity and so forth. Poor Belinda doesn't seem to get
any
sympathy. I think she is being rude and, as you
say--churlish! But
there is to me a good reason she is acting so poorly.
JOC
--------------------------