Message from the ABC girls!

[mango_fandango]

New post: a video of Abby, Bethany and Tina talking about doing presentations on Friday evenings. They are so cute, especially Tina. I can't always tell what they're on about, though. I think it's some "Young Presenters" speech club/debate club thing, which I think the Shupe kids also do. When asked what else they like about Fridays, Tina (eventually) responds "Bible", which is expected. 

[lilith]

New post: a video of Abby, Bethany and Tina talking about doing presentations on Friday evenings. They are so cute, especially Tina. I can't always tell what they're on about, though. I think it's some "Young Presenters" speech club/debate club thing, which I think the Shupe kids also do. When asked what else they like about Fridays, Tina (eventually) responds "Bible", which is expected. 

But if they do outside activities Nathan and Melanie will lose their hearts and they'll end up godless whores who wear contrasting buttons and put meat in their burritos!

Very cute video. Bethany is incredibly cute.

[mango_fandango]

The ABC girls already wear knee-length skirts. Abby is wearing ankle-length skirts more often these days, but in the purse-making post she was wearing a knee-length dress. She also got her long hair cut into a bob. Melanie has a bob, right? I suppose in the Nathan/OfNathan household the hair rule is that it should be long enough to be obviously feminine, so a bob would be OK, and just use accessories like Alice bands/flowers/ribbons to make it even more obvious.

I think YP might be an online thing you can do at home. The Shupe kids do it and Erika forbids them to do outside activities for much the same reasons as the Maxwells. The Shupes have had "YP" on their schedules before and it's scheduled for half an hour each day.

[HermioneSparrow]

Tina is SO cute!!! They're beautiful little girls... I can't help to feel that the video is a big FU from Steve to us, last post we discussed the ABC girls being trained and now they have them on video talking about what they do and mentioning the bible

[treemom]

It sounds like A could benefit from being seen by a SLP.  My guess is that won't happen.

[nausicaa]

It sounds like A could benefit from being seen by a SLP.  My guess is that won't happen.

Definitely. My nephew is 6 and has the same speech issues and he goes to therapy twice a week. My aunt, who is a speech therapist, has told me that there's a small window for completely correcting "r" issues. 

The one thing I hold out hope for is that Maxwells don't seem totally against medical intervention. Mary had braces. So Abby might have a shot at getting some help in that area. I'm wondering if because the Maxwells are so isolated they don't realize her speech is slightly off. 

And in total agreement with everyone else that Tina is ridiculously cute. 

[terranova]

Cute video, but I have no idea what they are saying. They need to cut out the music.

[kpmom]

I liked how Christina had to be coached to say she liked  "Bible". 

[Jana814]

They would never get Abby speech. Agree with the above they r so isolated they probably don't realize she has a problem.  

[halcionne]

OF COURSE Maxwells' idea of a good time on Friday night is presentations. Of course.

"what do you like most about presentations"

B&C: "the end"

 

To be fair, it seems like something happens at the end that the girls enjoy--not just the fact the presentation is over, heehee--but I couldn't hear what is so fun about the end.

[usmcmom]

OF COURSE Maxwells' idea of a good time on Friday night is presentations. Of course.

"what do you like most about presentations"

B&C: "the end"

 

To be fair, it seems like something happens at the end that the girls enjoy--not just the fact the presentation is over, heehee--but I couldn't hear what is so fun about the end.

 

After watching it a couple times, I thought they said "when they cheer for me at the end," but I'm not positive. If so, it's kind of cute. I mean, who doesn't like a good round of applause aimed at them? 

My stars! All those girls are adorable! Is Christina three? Three-and-four-year olds are some of my favorite people in the world - still kind of baby-like, but talking and saying very funny things.  I thought it was funny when Bethany didn't cross her legs just right and her sisters gave her the side-eye and then looked at the adults in the room. Then Tina immediately crossed hers "lady like."  For the most part, they seem to be quite comfortable and natural in their interactions, which was a relief to see.  I agree that Abby would benefit from some speech assistance. My first thought was "oh dear, I hope the poor little girl isn't punished for failing to correct her own speech." 

I know a young woman (my daughter's age) who struggled with the "R" sound when she was little. Her parents never sought assistance for her and now, as a young adult interviewing for jobs, I have to wonder if it's interfering with her success. 

Anybody know to whom the girls were speaking? Their parents?  Grandparents? 

[withaj]

Oh, those girls. Adorable, but will they ever know fun?? I still can't get past Sarah Maxwell's version of "fun" as portrayed in her Moody books. Eesh.

Definitely. My nephew is 6 and has the same speech issues and he goes to therapy twice a week. My aunt, who is a speech therapist, has told me that there's a small window for completely correcting "r" issues. 

The one thing I hold out hope for is that Maxwells don't seem totally against medical intervention. Mary had braces. So Abby might have a shot at getting some help in that area. I'm wondering if because the Maxwells are so isolated they don't realize her speech is slightly off. 

And in total agreement with everyone else that Tina is ridiculously cute. 

Are braces really considered a "medical intervention" though? I thought that fit in with the whole countenance thing. You know, look good for God. Even the Rodrigues family seems to pony up (or most likely grift) for braces.

[SPHASH]

Oh, those girls. Adorable, but will they ever know fun?? I still can't get past Sarah Maxwell's version of "fun" as portrayed in her Moody books. Eesh.

Are braces really considered a "medical intervention" though? I thought that fit in with the whole countenance thing. You know, look good for God. Even the Rodrigues family seems to pony up (or most likely grift) for braces.

Funny how the Maxwells sneer at higher education and people who pursue it but go to medical professionals, especially Melanie who has had several problem pregnancies.

[lilith]

Funny how the Maxwells sneer at higher education and people who pursue it but go to medical professionals, especially Melanie who has had several problem pregnancies.

To be fair we've never heard Melanie sneer at higher education and she and Nathan both publicly thanked the doctors who helped them with her pregnancies and Susannah's care. And I'm pretty sure some of Melanie's siblings and their spouses pursued tertiary education.

[withaj]

Funny how the Maxwells sneer at higher education and people who pursue it but go to medical professionals, especially Melanie who has had several problem pregnancies.

Yep, but of course that was all God, too. In the blog entry when Melanie was pregnant with Abigail and in the hospital on permanent bedrest until 34 weeks but got the go-ahead to go home for a while, Nathan said that they had decided to "follow medical advice" but pray to God and trust in Him that He would lead the doctors to make the right decision without their questioning any advice.

[johnhugh]

After you all stop cooing about how cute the abc girls are, this is the Maxwells version of eleventy kids and counting, complete with the music, camera  and sound (non reversal dad) etc 

how many eleventy leg humpers have joined fj?

[lilith]

After you all stop cooing about how cute the abc girls are, this is the Maxwells version of eleventy kids and counting, complete with the music, camera  and sound (non reversal dad) etc 

how many eleventy leg humpers have joined fj?

Youch. The ABC girls are gorgeous though - it's such a tragedy they were born into Maxhell, even though they are in the most "liberal" (and that's a very subjective term in this case) of the households.

[MamaJunebug]

After you all stop cooing about how cute the abc girls are, this is the Maxwells version of eleventy kids and counting, complete with the music, camera  and sound (non reversal dad) etc 

how many eleventy leg humpers have joined fj?

I'm with ya, johnhugh. Instead of cooing, I was making sounds of boo-hooing in great dismay at how robotic A is looking. And flame away, but I'm so disappointed that she's letting her hair grow out into that lank, lifeless 'do all the Maxwomen and Ofnathan have. (Last I recall, Ofjoseph had a little pouf at the crown and of course Ofchristopher always does something nice with her long hair.)  And long dresses, at age 7.  Phew.  Tie a babushka under her chin and be done, already, with the fleeting experience of childish freedom that marked A's first 6 years.

All the comments about A's speech are appreciated--figured it was just my elderly hearing, not comprehending her. C(T) has spark, A doesn't, and B appears to me to be the very model of the overlooked middle child.

Remember when A (IIRC) received a toy doctor's bag for Christmas one year? Almost certainly a gift from Ofnate's family.   But it was there. Gives me a slim shred of hope for the chicky mamas. 

[blessalessi]

So, Nathan's One Ton Ramp has been consigned to the knackers yard, and he has been reduced to pimping out his girl children as a desperate attempt to bring more cash into the family firm.

He'll have Mel working outside the home next, just like his dad who forced Teri  and his daughters out to work on the conference circuit, after he failed in his job in "corporate America".

Shame on you, Nate.  Get a proper manly man's job and leave those girls to their homeschooling. 

[mango_fandango]

I'm with ya, johnhugh. Instead of cooing, I was making sounds of boo-hooing in great dismay at how robotic A is looking. And flame away, but I'm so disappointed that she's letting her hair grow out into that lank, lifeless 'do all the Maxwomen and Ofnathan have. (Last I recall, Ofjoseph had a little pouf at the crown and of course Ofchristopher always does something nice with her long hair.)  And long dresses, at age 7.  Phew.  Tie a babushka under her chin and be done, already, with the fleeting experience of childish freedom that marked A's first 6 years.

All the comments about A's speech are appreciated--figured it was just my elderly hearing, not comprehending her. C(T) has spark, A doesn't, and B appears to me to be the very model of the overlooked middle child.

Remember when A (IIRC) received a toy doctor's bag for Christmas one year? Almost certainly a gift from Ofnate's family.   But it was there. Gives me a slim shred of hope for the chicky mamas. 

By cute I meant mostly Bethany and Christina. OK, mostly Tina. And I agree that it's sad that Abby's wearing ankle-length skirts more and more often these days, but when they did the Operation Crappy-Ass Purses she was wearing a knee-length skirt. Also, Bethany's 5 now and, as I recall, has never had long hair. Abby definitely had long hair at Bethany's age. Melanie has a bob too. We'll probably just have to see how things pan out.

[MamaJunebug]

"Operation Crappy-Ass Purses," heh-heh, heh-heh! [\Beavis & Butthead]

I don't argue that they're not cute. They're pretty little children, well behaved for the camera and obviously much loved.  When I was 7-ish, I adored my mom and wished we dressed alike (she was 30, Eminently sensible and so grateful to be able to share 3 squares a day with us. It hadn't always been thus in her life. Anyway, when I suggested lookalike dresses she scoffed gently and said,"Those are for women who are YOUNG mothers!"  Like I said, she was 30. 

 

But it I digress. My point: Abby may be choosing long skirts to be like her mommy and beloved aunties.  Same with the hair.  After all, Auntie Grace (of Grace K. Mayer and the Wayward Sons rockabilly group) probably has long hair. Let's remember that Melanie Maher Maxwell is one of a big big family. ABC have aunties all over eastern Kansas and now one in Nashville, too. Enough boohooing from here! I must hold out hope!

[Paperplate]

So are they making a series of ABC girl talking heads? (This is what I would figure from the caption under the video. Otherwise I don't get the video, mostly because I can't hear what they're saying.)

[blessalessi]

The way I understand it, the ofNate family have scheduled time on Fridays for practicing their public presentation and performance skills, which probably means that the aunties go round to listen to them sing and recite the bible verses they have been learning that week, and the whole family cheer at the end.

 Which is something that probably goes on in most families in one form or another, without the rigid schedule or the bible verses.  When I was little, we loved to perform little skits for family, but we didn't call it anything more than it was.

Presumably, this is the start of a new weekly series of blog posts, to tie in with Sarah's new books, and to entrench the Ofnates in joining back in the family conference circuit.

[sparkles]

Abby, Bethany and Christina (I'd rather refer to them by name instead of the ABC girls since they're already having their separate identities stripped from them) are indeed ridiculously cute but my eyes went immediately to Abby. Maybe she's just nervous in front of the camera, but I couldn't help noticing how subdued she seems, like Grandma Teri is whispering in her ear "behave like a godly little lady" or something. I've said it before but once they lose that spontaneous crinkly smile—or have it trained out of them, they also lose a sense of joyful childhood and become Stepford children.

As to the Maxwells not noticing Abby's speech impediment because of their isolation, I mean, come on. Yes, they've circled the family wagons but it's not like they live on a compound in the wilderness, completely free of contact with the outside world. Insular, yes. Isolated, no. They're probably well aware of Abby's issues. The question is whether they've done anything about it. It's possible that they've consulted a professional and she's receiving speech therapy. It's also possible that they've seen a professional and been told she'll grow out of it (as my daughter did with her issues). Unfortunately, it's also possible that they've decided to deal with it themselves. You know, in the same way Anna is now a "nutritionist," maybe Melanie went online to the appropriate Maxwell-approved sites and is now a "speech therapist." In any case, we'll never know.

It bothers me a lot that they're now pimping out the younger generation and pimping out is exactly what it is. Steve does nothing without an agenda so these videos aren't just meant to be cute slices of family life. They're a sales pitch and at this point they're just leading up to the payoff—buy what we're selling.

Fuck you, Steve. And fuck you, Nathan and Melanie for going along with it.

And drop the Tinker Toy music soundtrack, k? Kids can be difficult enough to understand without background interference. You don't want anything to muddle the payoff, do you? Buy more stuff!

[kpmom]

Featuring cute children on their blog (and maybe in future conferences) reminds me a little of comedy shows that have been on tv so long the cute kids in the cast have grown up and are not so cute any more.  They figure out a way to introduce a cute little kid into the show to keep it going for a season or two more.

Also, I got the impression they are doing these "presentations" at the Elderly Home (Or, as one FJer put it, The Home for the Elderly and Trapped), not just for family.  Leading me to think, yes, they are definitely "training" them for conferences.