Steve: encouragement to "dads across the world"

[albanuadh_1]

Steve's b'day - nice that Sarah loves her father but this is a bit much!

[Justme]

Check out the pictures of him holding the little GIRLS! :shock: Don't tell me he doesn't read here!! :lol:

They also have their fall "tour" posted. Just a few stops. I don't care for the new picture. Sarah is by herself while the others are "coupled".

[16strong]

Check out the pictures of him holding the little GIRLS! :shock: Don't tell me he doesn't read here!! :lol:

They also have their fall "tour" posted. Just a few stops. I don't care for the new picture. Sarah is by herself while the others are "coupled".

Nice try, Steve, but it's not about what other people think. It's about what your granddaughters think, and I guarantee you that they know they're not your favorite. Kids are way smarter than you give them credit for.

[PrairieGirl]

Check out the pictures of him holding the little GIRLS! :shock: Don't tell me he doesn't read here!! :lol:

They also have their fall "tour" posted. Just a few stops. I don't care for the new picture. Sarah is by herself while the others are "coupled".

Honestly, I prefer Sarah alone in a photo versus other photos I've seen where the ladies have been paired up with their brothers. I believe the Botkins have done this as well. It just looks too "couplish" and creepy to me.

Happy Birthday, Stevie. Oh yes, FUCK YOU! :disgust:

[BullyJBG]

Nice try, Steve, but it's not about what other people think. It's about what your granddaughters think, and I guarantee you that they know they're not your favorite. Kids are way smarter than you give them credit for.

Aren't these older photos of the oldest granddaughters? Steve, if you want us to shut up, try getting and posting photos of you and Ruthanne and Lydia. Just a thought. Keep trying, though. :cracking-up:

[HoneyBunny]

Hmmmm...I thought Ruthanne and Lydia were in the photos, along with Tina. But, yes, he definitely reads here.

[formergothardite]

Here's an idea Steve, instead of having your daughter tell the world that you are gentle, compassionate and transparent, why don't you show the world that you are? Actions speak louder than words and reading your comment section shows a man who is rude, condescending and who edits comments to the point that they end up saying things that are the opposite of what the person who wrote them meant.

[Terrie]

Here's an idea Steve, instead of having your daughter tell the world that you are gentle, compassionate and transparent, why don't you show the world that you are? Actions speak louder than words and reading your comment section shows a man who is rude, condescending and who edits comments to the point that they end up saying things that are the opposite of what the person who wrote them meant.

Thankfully, my dad is opaque, not transparent. I have no desire to see his internal organs. ;)

[HerNameIsBuffy]

I am struck by Sarah's description of her dad's personality: gentle, compassionate, giving, transparent, thoughtful.

I believe he's transparent - I don't doubt for one second everyone in that house knows what he's thinking at all times. The gentle, compassionate, and thoughtful...if she says so. He seems scary as hell from here, but I don't live with him so maybe he has his moments.

But giving he is not. I don't care what he provided for his family in a material sense, he withheld from them the most important things a parent is obligated to give their kids. Opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills at every developmental stage, experiences and relationships with those outside of their four walls to broaden their worldview, pride in their unique gifts and encouragement to explore who they are, freedom to be themselves even if that means going off his script, emotional safety to know to the core of their beings they are loved and valued and cherished for exactly who they are and no choices they make will change that. Oh and an education not delivered by a frustrated and overwhelmed woman with no joy in teaching.

The whole job of parenthood is to protect, nurture, and prepare them to launch with the skills, education, and confidence to become self-supporting, well adjusted adults. You can see in every page of that blog he never gave them that. Giving he isn't.

My dad didn't quit his job to be with me 24/7, probably spent zero time worried about where I'd go when I'd die, and was outwardly a pretty cranky curmudgeon much of the time, and to this day I've never eaten a burrito. But I've never doubted for one moment how loved I was and how much he adored me even when I was being a defiant pain in the ass. And since he was the smartest man I'd ever known his unshakable belief in my abilities and talents built a foundation of self-confidence that's carried me through some very dark times. His biggest fear was in dying before he was sure we'd all be able to make our own way. Yeah, he was a great provider materially - but the intangible gifts helped make me who I am. He gave me the ammo to get through life - and taught me how to use it.

Since you guys think Steve reads here I really hope at some point, in his quietest moments, he takes a realistic look at how his kids will function when he and Teri are no longer here and take steps to make sure they find their footing before their world collapses. I was younger than 5 of Maxwell kids when I lost both my parents within a few months, I don't know how I'd have gotten through if I hadn't been taught how to function.

[mango_fandango]

Hmmmm...I thought Ruthanne and Lydia were in the photos, along with Tina. But, yes, he definitely reads here.

I think Lydia is the kid in the bottom picture. She looks quite big already for a five-month-old. It might be because of the hair though, and the fact she's constantly in dresses as opposed to a romper suit. (I know most babies have some kind of hair, but I had NONE for my first 15 months. Only a little bit of fuzz. Then, at around the 15 month mark, POOF! Hair!)

[SPHASH]

Not to be mean but Lydia doesn't look right, like she has Down Syndrome or something.

[RosyDaisy]

Fuck you, Steve! My father could give you some advice on how to be a good man, husband, and father!

[DaffyDill]

Aren't these older photos of the oldest granddaughters? Steve, if you want us to shut up, try getting and posting photos of you and Ruthanne and Lydia. Just a thought. Keep trying, though. :cracking-up:

The two littlies in the fetching denim ensembles are Ruthanne and Lydia, I think. And Christina is the older one.

So the top photo is Ruthanne and (Chris)Tina, and the bottom one is Lydia.

Steve looks like he's going to hand Lydia off the very second after the photo is taken. He doesn't look comfortable holding her at all.

[thoughtful]

Thankfully, my dad is opaque, not transparent. I have no desire to see his internal organs. ;)

You just made me think of an educational toy my brother had when we were kids!

[PopRox]

Reminds me of TAM, the Transparent Anatomical Mannequin that we used to visit on tips to the health center in elementary school (anyone else remember Tam?). Except Tam was-- gasp-- a woman, and we got to see her evil defrauding breast tissue, not to mention learn about the reproductive organs. Can't be learning about THOSE before marriage!

http://m.mcmillencenter.org/?url=http%3 ... rrer=#3039

(Sorry, kind of off-topic.)

[terranova]

I think Lydia is the kid in the bottom picture. She looks quite big already for a five-month-old. It might be because of the hair though, and the fact she's constantly in dresses as opposed to a romper suit. (I know most babies have some kind of hair, but I had NONE for my first 15 months. Only a little bit of fuzz. Then, at around the 15 month mark, POOF! Hair!)

It must be Lydia in the bottom pic and Ruth in the one above, with the pigtails. Both are in pink-accented denim.

Lydia looks like a mismash of both her parents.

[IrishCarrie]

Can I just add the irrelevant factoid that yesterday, for the first time ever, I visited their website. I've been lurking here for years and knew all about them but I'd never seen pics.

Wowsers.

That's all.

:cray-cray:

[WonderingInWA]

I agree that the photo of Lydia makes her look like she's got Down's, but hopefully it's just a bad photo. They never admitted they knew what was wrong with Susannah (Melanie and Nathan's first baby), but I think they probably did. Doctor's don't just throw their hands up and say "oh, we have no idea why your baby died!". If you look at the photos of her, she clearly had trisomy of some kind. But when asked, Steve claimed they didn't know what the cause of death was. So, he's not "transparent" in all cases, and might not be about Lydia, either.

[albanuadh_1]

Maybe I'm being picky but it bothers me that Sarah wrote 'across the world' rather than ' around the world.' Just me? :?

[BullyJBG]

The two littlies in the fetching denim ensembles are Ruthanne and Lydia, I think. And Christina is the older one.

So the top photo is Ruthanne and (Chris)Tina, and the bottom one is Lydia.

Steve looks like he's going to hand Lydia off the very second after the photo is taken. He doesn't look comfortable holding her at all.

Okay, my mistake. I guess those girls all look alike enough, lol; Christina looks so much like Abby. Good job, Steve. Baby steps. Keep going and maybe one day you WILL be able to let Sarah go.

[nelliebelle1197]

I don't know if anything is "wrong" with Lydia. I just stick to the theory that Nathan and Melanie make beautiful children but the DNA combo of NR Anna and Christopher is unfortunate.

[FloraKitty35]

Dad’s personality: gentle, compassionate, giving, transparent, thoughtful

I am going to take the liberty of editing this for Sarah.

Dad’s personality: controlling, domineering, inflexible, stingy, paranoid.

Hi Steve!

[twin2]

Dad’s personality: gentle, compassionate, giving, transparent, thoughtful

I am going to take the liberty of editing this for Sarah.

Dad’s personality: controlling, domineering, inflexible, stingy, paranoid.

Hi Steve!

I think I'll edit it even further

Dad's personality: Asshat

[Maggie Mae]

I think Lydia is the kid in the bottom picture. She looks quite big already for a five-month-old. It might be because of the hair though, and the fact she's constantly in dresses as opposed to a romper suit. (I know most babies have some kind of hair, but I had NONE for my first 15 months. Only a little bit of fuzz. Then, at around the 15 month mark, POOF! Hair!)

There are two baby/toddler girls on my Facebook constantly. Both from friends in high school. Both have been bald for about 20+ months now. I actually wondered for a hot second if there was shaving.

[thoughtful]

Maybe I'm being picky but it bothers me that Sarah wrote 'across the world' rather than ' around the world.' Just me? :?

It doesn't bother me, other than to make me think "On top of everything else, could they be Flat Earthers?!"

:shock: :lol: