Summary of Spring Days with the Moodys

[WonderingInWA]

Off to the prayer closet Myfanwy! :naughty: There house is a laugh riot, there was that hilarious time when Uriah's driver seat kept vibrating Stevie's arse. And it turned out to be his sunglasses lodged in a crack. They laughed all night until Stevie decided they were making an idol of the situation.

Oh, johnhugh, I've missed you. Where have you been hiding? :)

[HoneyBunny]

This Moody book review is getting me through a few tough days here. Many, many thanks for taking one for the team!

"You can keep holding him," said Dad. "We don't want him to learn that his feelings matter."

"You can keep holding him," said Dad. "We don't want him to feel that we respond to his needs."

"You can keep holding him," said Dad. "We don't want him to think that we care when he is afraid."

"You can keep holding him," said Dad. "We don't want to encourage him to communicate his feelings."

"You can keep holding him," said Dad. "We are trying to teach him it is hopeless to object to anything we inflict upon him."

"You can keep holding him," said Dad. "We are trying to teach him to submit to anything a stranger does to him."

Now that would be honest!

Yes, that would be very honest. Well done for stating all the things wrong with that sentence so succinctly.

[Myfanwy]

Off to the prayer closet Myfanwy! :naughty: There house is a laugh riot, there was that hilarious time when Uriah's driver seat kept vibrating Stevie's arse. And it turned out to be his sunglasses lodged in a crack. They laughed all night until Stevie decided they were making an idol of the situation.

You're so right I had forgotten that. Also, the gut busting cheese plastic eating thing. It is humour and joy at every turn; what was I thinking!!!

[Jana814]

Loving these summaries!!

[Jasmar]

I'd never hrd of these people until I found this site, either. Before I registered the other day, one of the things I read through was the summary pages of the major players. Nothing in the fundi world has depressed me as much as this family. I'm a homeschooling mom (tragically, with a quiver of only three sarcastic, funny, awesome arrows), and while I know some people who have been into Vision Forum, I've never run across anything as deeply depressing and hopeless-feeling as these people. :(

[twin2]

Sadly, Sarah is probably living vicariously through the Moodys.

I doubt her days are/were half as "fun" as the Moodys...

[Dog-n-Suds]

I think Sarah, and probably the rest of the Maxwell "children" miss their dog Honey, and would love to have another one. Come on Stevie...your adult children have so little to look forward to, let them have another dog!

[twin2]

I think Sarah, and probably the rest of the Maxwell "children" miss their dog Honey, and would love to have another one. Come on Stevie...your adult children have so little to look forward to, let them have another dog!

But the time spent with the dog is time not focused on the sweet baby Jesus.

Do you know where you will go when you die?

[julie paradox]

You know, I wrote a story when I was five that had more action than this.

(As I recall, it involved my favourite doll who had come to life (as they do) and a boat trip including the whole family to - I don't know where, somewhere fantastical, I think. My early childhood reading obviously involved Ungodly Influences. Andersen and Grimm, probably.)

[SPHASH]

I think Sarah, and probably the rest of the Maxwell "children" miss their dog Honey, and would love to have another one. Come on Stevie...your adult children have so little to look forward to, let them have another dog!

Whatever happened to Honey anyway? Did she disappear like Tiger on the Brady Bunch?

[salex]

what the fuck is wrong with these people? "the thing I am doing is upsetting this person" "well, you can keep doing it if you want" ... ? ???

why would he want to keep doing it, Daddy Moody? what is wrong with you? this isn't even basic manipulative-babiez fundiespeak, which says they shouldn't be able to manipulate you into doing something. the baby's cries are "manipulating" Mr Parker into not actively doing a thing, the thing being ... making the baby cry

an ocean of ???? would not cover this situation what is wrong with your brain Sarah Maxwell?

Dad informed.

?????

???????????

:roll:

[Jasmar]

And what's the point of writing up (deadly dull) descriptions of events the kids have already lived through? If the goal is to provide "acceptable" reading material, wouldn't you want to at least provide some semblance of entertainment value, rather than just a rehash of real life?

[Jana814]

And what's the point of writing up (deadly dull) descriptions of events the kids have already lived through? If the goal is to provide "acceptable" reading material, wouldn't you want to at least provide some semblance of entertainment value, rather than just a rehash of real life?

Soo true!

[FloraDoraDolly]

The Moody's got nothin' on Elsie Dinsmore. I bought that book about a month ago for a quarter at my local library's used book sale, but I didn't get around to looking at it until last night. The opening segment is very similar to the beginning of Jane Eyre, with an older boy relative bullying Elsie and getting her into trouble. But where Jane has gumption, Elsie snivels and cries. And cries again. And again. In every freakin' chapter so far, this kid is crying! If she isn't crying, she is preaching at people. She is so perfectly pious that she makes the Moody kids look like members of the Hell's Angels.

[Miggy]

6. Mitch Learns A Lesson

Kids are doing chores. Mitch has to empty the trash including the diaper pail. Maddie has to feed her fish. Mitch doesn't think this is fair. He whinges to Mom but is told to suck it up. He takes the bag of diapers to the bin and tries to throw them in but the bag breaks and they spill everywhere. (We even get a drawing of this!) Mitch steps on one of the used diapers and needs to was his shoe but first he must catch the dog which has escaped from the front yard. "Lord Jesus, Mitch prayed, please forgive me for my wrong attitude about taking out the diapers. Pride wants its own way."

Bean burritos for lunch. Mom tells Mollie they are going to make new bean filling again soon. When? "Some weekend after our safari trip." (Wow, this really is riviting stuff.) Mr Delome and Mrs Bagwell visit. Mrs Bagwell talks about a real estate agent but gives him the wrong name. She calls Max "Mix" but Max doesn't correct her because he remembers she often gets names wrong. (I think this is meant to show how polite Max is but it reads to me like the kids are laughing at her behind her back.) Mrs Bagwell gives Mollie a Violin. Mr Delome tells Mom he has found somewhere to buy "farm fresh eggs" which are much healthier than store bought eggs. They leave. Mom takes dinner to the neighbours. Grandpa comes to visit and reminds them it is eleven days to the safari trip.

I often hear/ read about reality tv and how the most difficult thing is to make it interesting because people are basically boring. Producers set up situations and edit heavily to make sure things happen. Authors don't usually have to worry about boredom - they can give their characters lots of things to do. Sarah writes exactly like reality. No editing. No placing the characters in unusual situations to see what happens. They just plod through everyday like normal people. IT'S. SO. BORING.

[Naga Viper]

Jesus, right down to the bean burritos. She can't even escape into imagining more flavorful foods.

Any signs of hidden "Help me" messages? Maybe concealed in the first letters or words of each line, like a Rickroll?

[twin2]

Jesus, right down to the bean burritos. She can't even escape into imagining more flavorful foods.

This just proves that the Maxwell children have had all their creativity beaten out of them......

[Miggy]

The diaper bag.

[Miggy]

7. Packing the Bags

Maddie wakes up early. They are going to the safari park today. Mom wakes them all up. Bible time. Showers. Breakfast of granola bars and fruit. (Yay for boring details.) Discussion about what they are doing for dinner that night. Take dog to Grandna Clifford's. Take fish to Mr Delome's. Mollie breaks her bag by packing too many things so they find a new one in the basement. Sandwiches for lunch.

8. The Trip Begins

Dad comes home. Load van. Drive to hotel. Grandpa and Max go to check in. Grandpa converts the guy at the desk. He starts with the "good person test" where he asks him questions that prove what a bad person he is, then says he is in the same boat but is forgiven and this guy needs to turn to Jesus NOW! (I can hear Steve doing this but somehow I can't hear the person immediately converting.) to the rooms. Mitch has trouble unlocking the door. They order pizza. Loooong discussion about the tip. "Twenty percent. I gave him a tip for his physical needs and a tract for his spiritual. As a Christian, we should bless others, and one way is by tipping. It's actually a testimony to other people how much we tip. I might have given him less, but since I gave him a tract, I tipped a little extra."

Mitch has forgotten his pyjamas. They pray for the pizza guy and desk guys salvation and that it won't rain the next day.

[Miggy]

Jesus, right down to the bean burritos. She can't even escape into imagining more flavorful foods.

Any signs of hidden "Help me" messages? Maybe concealed in the first letters or words of each line, like a Rickroll?

Just wait ... later on we even get the receipe!

[Honeysuckle]

6. Mitch Learns A Lesson

Kids are doing chores. Mitch has to empty the trash including the diaper pail. Maddie has to feed her fish. Mitch doesn't think this is fair. He whinges to Mom but is told to suck it up. He takes the bag of diapers to the bin and tries to throw them in but the bag breaks and they spill everywhere. (We even get a drawing of this!) Mitch steps on one of the used diapers and needs to was his shoe but first he must catch the dog which has escaped from the front yard. "Lord Jesus, Mitch prayed, please forgive me for my wrong attitude about taking out the diapers. Pride wants its own way."

Dog status: still the only character who actually catches my attention. RUN DOG RUN. Get far away from the Moodys as fast as you can!

[twin2]

7. Packing the Bags

Maddie wakes up early. They are going to the safari park today. Mom wakes them all up. Bible time. Showers. Breakfast of granola bars and fruit. (Yay for boring details.) Discussion about what they are doing for dinner that night. Take dog to Grandna Clifford's. Take fish to Mr Delome's. Mollie breaks her bag by packing too many things so they find a new one in the basement. Sandwiches for lunch.

8. The Trip Begins

Dad comes home. Load van. Drive to hotel. Grandpa and Max go to check in. Grandpa converts the guy at the desk. He starts with the "good person test" where he asks him questions that prove what a bad person he is, then says he is in the same boat but is forgiven and this guy needs to turn to Jesus NOW! (I can hear Steve doing this but somehow I can't hear the person immediately converting.) to the rooms. Mitch has trouble unlocking the door. They order pizza. Loooong discussion about the tip. "Twenty percent. I gave him a tip for his physical needs and a tract for his spiritual. As a Christian, we should bless others, and one way is by tipping. It's actually a testimony to other people how much we tip. I might have given him less, but since I gave him a tract, I tipped a little extra."

Mitch has forgotten his pyjamas. They pray for the pizza guy and desk guys salvation and that it won't rain the next day.

Oh my you deserve a medal for taking one for the team on this. This book seems to be a kids version on their blog.

[anjulibai]

Is there an actual plot to this book that I'm not seeing? Because it's just going from one average day to the next, with nothing really happening whatsoever...

How many chapters are there, BTW?

[lilith]

But the time spent with the dog is time not focused on the sweet baby Jesus.

Do you know where you will go when you die?

Something to think about....

[sparkles]

This takes the "write what you know" advice to new writers to a whole new level. As I'm reading Miggy's brilliant synopses (far more enjoyable than the actual books, I'm sure) I'm hearing the opening narration from Dragnet in my head. "The story you are about to read is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the (not so) innocent..."

And yes, Honey went the way of Tiger. One day she was there, the next day she was gone, never to be seen or heard from again. She was definitely getting on in years, so I'm assuming she died. Given Steve's proclamation about not loving the dog, I'm not surprised there was no mention of it. I hope the kids at least were permitted to mourn her.