Counting On - Part 9: Even the Flashbacks Have Flashbacks

[Eternalbluepearl]

Ben and Jessa are clinging to a story line for dear life. Watch us! We want to talk about us thinking about babies that need adopting. It's a romantic idea to us. Please listen! We love babies! 

[Jana814]

Last nights episode was so boring. I barely made it though the whole thing. I really wonder if this is the end of the series. 

[MargaretElliott]

10 hours ago, nst said:

-snip-

and Jill's comment about that Israel is older I really don't get 

Jessa can get pregnant despite Israel being older 

-snip-

I thought that it was because in their continually-pregnant cult, Jill got a head start on the pregnancy race. I mean, Michelle got pregnant really quickly after each child. If Jill pops out babies as quickly as her mother, then she would probably get pregnant first. Of course, in the real world, Izzy being older wouldn't mean anything. But the Duggars don't live in the real world.

Hopefully her extended breastfeeding will do something to limit her family size.

[nst]

1 minute ago, MargaretElliott said:

I thought that it was because in their continually-pregnant cult, Jill got a head start on the pregnancy race. I mean, Michelle got pregnant really quickly after each child. If Jill pops out babies as quickly as her mother, then she would probably get pregnant first. Of course, in the real world, Izzy being older wouldn't mean anything. But the Duggars don't live in the real world.

Hopefully her extended breastfeeding will do something to limit her family size.

that makes brilliant sense

except they seem to forget that Anna has all the first four oldest kids

but it kept sounding last night and the previous week because Derick is married Jill - Anna's kids don't matter - when in reality they do?

11 minutes ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

Ben and Jessa are clinging to a story line for dear life. Watch us! We want to talk about us thinking about babies that need adopting. It's a romantic idea to us. Please listen! We love babies! 

I think it's telling that Jessa hasn't posted on instagram for what two weeks 

come Thursday - we will get another Spurgeon is six months photo and remind us that in three months they can adopt

[NewOrleansLady]

11 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

Your words to God's ears, assuming God has ears.

God made man in His own image, therefore God has ears.

[nst]

someone emailed IN TOUCH with you know's photo - because now it is on their website 

all according to pickles 

[Coconut Flan]

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/josh-duggar-jim-bob-duggar-photo-101001

 

[Four is Enough]

1 hour ago, slickcat79 said:

I actually kept thinking that their reaction to the Little Brown Orphans was like mine when I go to an animal shelter. Maybe someone else can offer a perspective, because I don't like kids or want any. Have other people been to an orphanage or school or event or any other place where large groups of potentially adoptable kids are gathered and thought "I want ALL OF THEM"? Because my instinct is to think this is a Duggar child-collector mentality, but maybe it's more typical than I think.

A little perspective... at one point, Mr. Four and I became interested in adopting from Romania, because Mr. Four is of Eastern European descent, and we were told more than once we were "too old" to adopt from an American agency. (We were fortunate to adopt One privately.)  So we looked into Russia and Romania. Each orphanage, at the time, had photos of children who were adoptable. There would be a short description and a photo.

Yes, I decided I wanted more than one. It's overwhelming to see these children.Very emotional.I never said I wanted "all" of them, but I looked into getting us approved for more than one. 

Russia and Romania closed, we got Two, and we stayed in the US. (Two was also adopted privately from a woman who knew us, knew we had a relationship with One's birth mother, and wanted to keep track of Two as he grew.)

Three and Four were adopted from foster care.  At no time were we ever presented with as much as a photograph from foster care unless they were asking if we were ready to accept a placement. Matter of fact, they would present the child to us, on paper, discuss all the known issues, and then ask if we were interested or available, before they'd even show a photo. I think it was so we wouldn't get distracted. I also think it was a great idea. With something as important and, yes, life changing as adoption, you need to pay attention to what's going on. 

Children are not commodities. They should never be on display for people to pick and choose.

(In our adoption travels, though, we met a couple who adopted through China. They arrived to pick up their daughter, and along with her, the caregivers brought out another girl, in case they didn't like the one they'd picked. WTH?)

[gustava]

7 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/josh-duggar-jim-bob-duggar-photo-101001

 

Was it just Josh and JB at the mini-golf?  A father/son bonding moment at mini-golf?  Weird.

[ljohnson2006]

Jill and Jessa want to be pregnant at the same time. Are they going to coordinate their sexual moments via FaceTime? Also, none of them will adopt. No matter how much they research it. Please don't bore us with another season, TLC. Take these clowns off of TV completely.

 

I think the life changing moment is these idiots realizing how much this show sucked.

[Eternalbluepearl]

Eew, Josh Duggar. How does his own family stand him? I wouldn't want to play mini golf with him. 

[nst]

3 minutes ago, ljohnson2006 said:

Jill and Jessa want to be pregnant at the same time. Are they going to coordinate their sexual moments via FaceTime? Also, none of them will adopt. No matter how much they research it. Please don't bore us with another season, TLC. Take these clowns off of TV completely.

 

I think the life changing moment is these idiots realizing how much this show sucked.

i don't think they want to be 

I think it is how it works out in that family 

[lascuba]

12 hours ago, Purrl said:

One of my favorite parts was when Jessa was describing how Jill behaved when she got engaged. Mocking much?

Wish I could remember the correct words, but something like "I'm engaged! I can't believe I'm engaged! Have you seen this ring?" All in that high, cheesy, mocking voice.  

Ok, I am going to have to watch this episode.

[RabbitKM]

You guys... they never said there would be a life changing event or announcement, they just said that the episode itself was life-changing.  This is no different than the Bachelor announcing that "this is the most dramatic episode yet!!!11!"  They do that every week, so I never thought anything of it when TLC said this was going to be a "life-changing episode".  Nope.  Just a way to generate buzz.

[socalrules]

That was the much talked about photo? Other than maybe having lost a few pounds, Josh looks exactly the same. I don't even see the big arm everyone was talking about. If anything, it looks like the photo was taken while he was blinking so he looks a little drunk. The article itself was interesting and I can see that reaction of parents happening again and again.

[OyToTheVey]

Anyone else felt sorry for Sofia? That little girl? The impression I got wasn't good. That poor kid is a token. I want to use a few other words but it will offend. Yes she was adopted but she seems to be kept captive and used.

[IrishCarrie]

I'm a little baffled as to why Jessa would be remotely interested in adopting (other than as a staged plot line, obviously...). She never seemed to have a huge interest in her buddies and I suspect did the bare minimum required, with a not-very-good attitude. And I don't blame her for that - she was a child who was forced into servitude at the altar of JimBob and Michelle's need to reproduce.

But now I see Jessa be so completely in love with Spurgeon and it's adorable - I 100% think she's in love with her little man. And the difference is obvious; he's hers.

So with those two very differing experiences of bringing up babies to compare and contrast, why on earth would she choose to take on another baby that isn't hers? Been there, done that, didn't like it.

#confused 

[2manyKidzzz]

34 minutes ago, RabbitKM said:

You guys... they never said there would be a life changing event or announcement, they just said that the episode itself was life-changing.  This is no different than the Bachelor announcing that "this is the most dramatic episode yet!!!11!"  They do that every week, so I never thought anything of it when TLC said this was going to be a "life-changing episode".  Nope.  Just a way to generate buzz.

Death RabbitKM you need to filter future BS from TLC and keep us informed. Sadly, we let our hopes rise that there would indeed be a life changing announcement/event. 

Please help us. I really thought it would be about Jinger's courtship, which was a true case of leading us poor people on.

[HereticHick]

Do you think the Duggars deliberately led TLC on with promises of one or more "life changing announcements"-- courtships,  Jill pregnant with threat of Zika, Anna leaving Josh, Josh telling all...? And then it all evaporated--and TLC says "f*ck this, we are going to fill the remaining episodes with recycled fluff and call it a day?"

[socalrules]

It could be that prior to airing of the episode there was a broken courtship or miscarriage, so the life changing event didn't exist anymore. Although, a Duggar woman having another child is not that much of a life changing event as it is expected and assumed to occur. 

[Cleopatra7]

10 minutes ago, IrishCarrie said:

I'm a little baffled as to why Jessa would be remotely interested in adopting (other than as a staged plot line, obviously...). She never seemed to have a huge interest in her buddies and I suspect did the bare minimum required, with a not-very-good attitude. And I don't blame her for that - she was a child who was forced into servitude at the altar of JimBob and Michelle's need to reproduce.

But now I see Jessa be so completely in love with Spurgeon and it's adorable - I 100% think she's in love with her little man. And the difference is obvious; he's hers.

So with those two very differing experiences of bringing up babies to compare and contrast, why on earth would she choose to take on another baby that isn't hers? Been there, done that, didn't like it.

#confused 

I think a lot of fundies see adoption as another form of missionary work, "saving the souls" of poor black and brown children, even though most, perhaps all, of these children come from Christian cultures (Kirk Cameron said this is why he  adopted). The more fundie lite and mainstream conservatives seem to be into adoption as a way of proving that they care about "widows and orphans" like the Bible says. The problem is that the demand for orphans far outstrips the number, which has lead to fundegelicals inadvertently supporting child trafficking and illegal adoptions. This is especially true in Africa, as many cultures there do not understand adoption in the Western sense and think their children are simply going to school in the West, not leaving them forever to join a new family on another continent. These sorts of abuses are why some Global South countries have ended foreign adoptions. However, I don't think the Duggars seriously plan to adopt, because I think they are very Gothard, even if they have tried to make it seem otherwise. They bring up adoption to increase interest in their show, but I think they privilege having bio children over adoption.

[patsymae]

3 hours ago, slickcat79 said:

 

Granted, this is passed through the Duggar Truth Filter, so who knows, but Michelle always said her babies started self-weaning because she was already pregnant again and her milk changed. Lactational amenorrhea doesn't work for everyone, but hopefully it works for Jill. Families with the size and spacing of the Duggars and Bateses are rare, even among QFers.

Plus there's the part where the youngest existing child must be at least 9 months old. I'm sure they went to the shadiest christian agency they could find, and even that agency gave them a child-spacing guideline. If Jessa has anything approaching her mother's fertility and they continue to not use BC, they're not likely to ever go 9-12 months without a new pregnancy.

El Salvador us Hague compliant plus adopters have to be at least 25 or married 5 years. My bet is that if they adopt at all they do some sleazy "Christian" human trafficking from the Marianas or a failed state like the DRC.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

9 minutes ago, socalrules said:

It could be that prior to airing of the episode there was a broken courtship or miscarriage, so the life changing event didn't exist anymore. Although, a Duggar woman having another child is not that much of a life changing event as it is expected and assumed to occur. 

Yes, I'm thinking someone got cold feet or maybe miscarriage. I was hoping Josh would say HE was leaving, but...

Since I'm pretty sure they'll find a way to come back for another, likely re-packaged (again) show. Here are my ideas:

The Good:

1. Grandma enters a courtship with a guy who IS normal.

2. The Duggars host an ATI/IBLP style speed dating event. Girls & parents sit at tables, guy has 5 minutes to sell his theology. Sarah Maxwell gets to be the winner and get married.

3.  Amy  moves and is never heard from again.

4. We watch Deanna's divorce mediation.

5. Josh and Anna invite Dr. Phil to do live counseling for them.

6. JB/M invited Dr. Phil to do live counseling for them.

7. Jim-Bob allows Jer/Jed to go to college near home.

8. Jinger and Justin work at Tacos for Jesus place

9. Michelle burns the green shirt and cuts her hair short.

 

 

What we don't want, other than more like this year:

1. Pregnancy Amy's way--just NO

2. Any more use of the phrase "Season of Life"

3. No more flashbacks or clip shows.

4. No more phony stunts like Jinger flipping a car.

5. No more b.s. about forgiveness of you-know-who.

6, No more b.s. about ANYONE adopting.

 

 

[albanuadh_1]

Yes, the episode was dull but I didn't mind this one as badly as last week. I think it is Ben's silence that helped. And.. Derrick and Jill come across as a couple.

[LittleSpouseOnThePrairie]

They should have called this series Jill & Jessa: Nothing Going On.

What a joke. So let's see... The take away from this season is that little has changed since they were first cancelled. Josh gave them a lot to walk through. There may be new courtships or maybe not. Adoption is a hobby. Ben listens to hip hop. Spurgeon poops a lot. Central America is dangerous. They still don't know how to correctly use the word "whenever."

We sacrificed hours of our lives giving thought to this stupid family. I feel a bit ashamed. At least TLC wasted their own money on this show, which is a silver lining here, I guess.