Layout of the Duggar house

[Jezebel Duggar]

I think I might spend a lot of time in the prayer room just to get away from everyone else. Hopefully, with some defrauding reading material that I somehow smuggled in.

[FaeT]

I have this itty bitty kitchen, have to use my table as prep area... it's glass so it's alright... but what I'd do with a big kitchen! *sigh* The baking I could do with a nice oven... That's pretty much my dream. To have a nice kitchen with new, nice appliances and a DISHWASHER that isn't spelled "M-A-M-A" ;)

You and me both! I would love more counter space. We have so little. And no dishwasher. If I had the space, I would happily make my own breads and pastas. My parents have that kind of space. I've thought about spending a few days there and making dozens and dozens of waffles and freezing them for later use since my kids love waffles. Same with bread and pastas. I don't even care if the appliances are new, just as long as they work and are clean and run on gas. I hate having an electric stove.

[SisiL78]

You and me both! I would love more counter space. We have so little. And no dishwasher. If I had the space, I would happily make my own breads and pastas. My parents have that kind of space. I've thought about spending a few days there and making dozens and dozens of waffles and freezing them for later use since my kids love waffles. Same with bread and pastas. I don't even care if the appliances are new, just as long as they work and are clean and run on gas. I hate having an electric stove.

I should add this this family did the same thing in a shoebox kitchen for about 15 years with no DW and folding tables for counters. They are fundies in their own right and don't own a TV but I'm reasonably sure if they saw the Duggars "cooking" in that Industrial kitchen they'd feel pangs of jealousy over the waste of perfectly good counters and appliances. The Duggars make it seem as if cooking for a crowd is sooo friggin' difficult without fatty convenience foods. Meanwhile if you're home all day what does it take to throw a turkey in the oven and just turn it on and not touch it for a few hours (the only prep necessary is to spatchcock the sucker). Or to soak some beans and then make a rich soup/stew? We are renovating our house to make the kitchen somewhat more useable and right now I'm operating with an induction burner and crockpot and still made 20 servings of stew the other day for us and some friends. I didn't even put any effort into it!

Can I recommend a portable DW to those yearning for one? I got an 18" wide kenmore on craigslist years ago for about 150. The 24" full size are easier to find but my kitchen was so miniscule that I had to wait for a smaller one to appear on craigslist. The kenmore I have works great as long as I use the expensive tablets. And it added 3 square feet of counter space to my kitchen, thereby doubling it! The countertop models suck though, FYI!

[lilah]

I know i shouldn't be suprised about their lack of educational priorities but youd think they would make a school room or something. I remember one webisode where jessa was trying to get a howler to do his schoolwork so she stuck him in a prayer closet so he bribed jenny to get him snacks. It was abundantly clear he needed someone other than his 18 year old, barely educated sister teaching him.

[pixydust]

I have this itty bitty kitchen, have to use my table as prep area... it's glass so it's alright... but what I'd do with a big kitchen! *sigh* The baking I could do with a nice oven... That's pretty much my dream. To have a nice kitchen with new, nice appliances and a DISHWASHER that isn't spelled "M-A-M-A" ;)

Um, :? do you live in my house? My biggest goal is to enlarge my kitchen for more counters and cabinets!

[Kitchen Princess]

A playroom is a great idea. When my oldest two were little, I had a 3 bedroom house. They slept together in one and played in the other. If you're going to put a bathroom there (kids wait to pee until they absolutely HAVE to when they're busy), might as well put in a tub, too.

And, who decides to take as shit next to the dining room during dinner when other bathrooms are available? And seriously, you don't want anyone to see you go in or out of the bathroom? You know everybody poops, right?

[FaeT]

I should add this this family did the same thing in a shoebox kitchen for about 15 years with no DW and folding tables for counters. They are fundies in their own right and don't own a TV but I'm reasonably sure if they saw the Duggars "cooking" in that Industrial kitchen they'd feel pangs of jealousy over the waste of perfectly good counters and appliances. The Duggars make it seem as if cooking for a crowd is sooo friggin' difficult without fatty convenience foods. Meanwhile if you're home all day what does it take to throw a turkey in the oven and just turn it on and not touch it for a few hours (the only prep necessary is to spatchcock the sucker). Or to soak some beans and then make a rich soup/stew? We are renovating our house to make the kitchen somewhat more useable and right now I'm operating with an induction burner and crockpot and still made 20 servings of stew the other day for us and some friends. I didn't even put any effort into it!

Can I recommend a portable DW to those yearning for one? I got an 18" wide kenmore on craigslist years ago for about 150. The 24" full size are easier to find but my kitchen was so miniscule that I had to wait for a smaller one to appear on craigslist. The kenmore I have works great as long as I use the expensive tablets. And it added 3 square feet of counter space to my kitchen, thereby doubling it! The countertop models suck though, FYI!

Those people sound absolutely amazing!! And I would love to get a portable dishwasher. I should look into getting one. It would definitely make my life easier.

And, who decides to take as shit next to the dining room during dinner when other bathrooms are available? And seriously, you don't want anyone to see you go in or out of the bathroom? You know everybody poops, right?

I know that, but I'm extremely self-conscience. I, personally, wouldn't use it with everyone sitting there. I know some people don't care and that's cool. To each their own. But if I were designing a house, I wouldn't put one right there.

[SisiL78]

I dated a guy for a short while who had a brand new townhouse that cost a fortune. And there was a bathroom that seem to literally be in the living room. You could hear everything that went on in there. If i can find a floor plan I'll post it. I really didn't understand why he had paid extra for that silly powder room because it never got used.

I really don't think that the Duggars have much sense. I can only think that maybe they meant the toilet room as a place for the littest kids to use but I can see several ways that the house could have been arranged to accomodate a bathroom near there. Its obvious they wanted to consolidate the piping near the kitchen, that makes perfect sense. But they could have oriented it away from the dining room.

I also think Grandma needs to get her own house on the property. Can't they build her a small bungalow from a kit? Or heck a really nice trailer house? (some of them are quite luxurious). Having to walk through the laundry room to get to your teency tiny room is not a respectable place for your mother to live... especially when she does so much for you for free. Heck, my mom who has very little money recently added a room to what was my old bedroom and a private bath for my grandma. From the looks of it my grandma's little "suite" is bigger than Grandma Duggar's room and the Duggars are far better off than most people thanks to TLC. If they are training some of their songs to be in construction then why not have them build Grandma a decent place to live and prove that they have skills (then again I doubt they could build a birdhouse....)

[Maggie Mae]

I agree. My grandparents do have a garage, we don't. Our cars are just in the driveway. *shrug* We don't get much of a winter. (I live in MS)

We have a garage but we don't park in it. The garage is where we keep the lawnmower, the snowblower (not needed in AR, obviously), our outside toys (kayaks, bikes, tents, etc), and my garden stuff. Also random boy things that I can't identify by site but are Very Important, apparently.

With their huge lawn, where do they keep their lawnmower? Or do they contract someone else to do that?

[Deleted07]

They have sheds and garage=like buildings outside, I do remember seeing in a few episodes when the boys were doing work... (didn't one of the neighbour dogs poo in one?)

Oh and flashing to when the girls were taught about the oil and things under the bonnet of the car, they were in a outside shed/garage structure!

[FaeT]

I dated a guy for a short while who had a brand new townhouse that cost a fortune. And there was a bathroom that seem to literally be in the living room. You could hear everything that went on in there. If i can find a floor plan I'll post it. I really didn't understand why he had paid extra for that silly powder room because it never got used.

I really don't think that the Duggars have much sense. I can only think that maybe they meant the toilet room as a place for the littest kids to use but I can see several ways that the house could have been arranged to accomodate a bathroom near there. Its obvious they wanted to consolidate the piping near the kitchen, that makes perfect sense. But they could have oriented it away from the dining room.

I also think Grandma needs to get her own house on the property. Can't they build her a small bungalow from a kit? Or heck a really nice trailer house? (some of them are quite luxurious). Having to walk through the laundry room to get to your teency tiny room is not a respectable place for your mother to live... especially when she does so much for you for free. Heck, my mom who has very little money recently added a room to what was my old bedroom and a private bath for my grandma. From the looks of it my grandma's little "suite" is bigger than Grandma Duggar's room and the Duggars are far better off than most people thanks to TLC. If they are training some of their songs to be in construction then why not have them build Grandma a decent place to live and prove that they have skills (then again I doubt they could build a birdhouse....)

JB said they bought 20 acres with the intention of the children building their houses there and everyone living together. So this only makes your suggestion of giving her her own house even more plausible, and more absurd that it hasn't been done. I suspect she doesn't leave for A) they need her live in help. Not her live next door help but live in help. And B) now that her husband is gone and her children are grown, she defers to her eldest son. (I'm still trying to find the passage where I read that. I'm working on it) She probably can't be trusted to live in her own house and private time bc she's a woman and she may do things like go online and meet some friends or maybe even a boyfriend. And then where would the Duggars be??

On that note: I find it extremely disrespectful that for all her help, and everything she does for them, she isn't even mentioned in their opening credits. They could at least say "That's 19 and yes, I delivered that all. And if our house wasn't full enough, Grandma lives with us, too!" Or something like that. But she isn't even mentioned. And in the family photo opts, she's rarely there. She has done a lot for them, a lot more than most parents would be able to do. And they don't have the decently to mention her in the credits? Really?

[Deleted07]

True story Faet! You make an excellent point about G-Ma not getting put in the credits!

I remember Josh made a big fuss when some photographers didn't want to photograph Anna as part of the whole family soon after they were married! (I think in the end they had to compromise with him and say they would do a photo of her with and without, (or possibly just with Josh) and then a sideblurb about her and him being married or something? can't properly remember!) but definitely remember Josh being PISSED that they dare make Anna sit on the sidelines and not be part of the photo op! SO Its curious he or any of the siblings or even Boob or even just the film crew/production company people haven't thought of that! :think:

[Witsec7]

I would think there would be restrictions on the number and size of the septics and leach fields if the house isn't tied into a sanitary sewer. Also if they are on a well without city water even out in county there can be limits to occupants.

We now require permits to build homes out in the county, stringent well inspections and flow monitoring as well as septic permits.

When I first moved here well and septic inspections were done upon transfer of title/sale. And permits were not needed for new home construction but for siting septics and leach fields.

I'm clueless on these other aspects of the TTH.

[Cherokee2000]

.... I find it extremely disrespectful that for all her help, and everything she does for them, she isn't even mentioned in their opening credits. They could at least say "That's 19 and yes, I delivered that all. And if our house wasn't full enough, Grandma lives with us, too!" Or something like that. But she isn't even mentioned. And in the family photo opts, she's rarely there. She has done a lot for them, a lot more than most parents would be able to do. And they don't have the decently to mention her in the credits? Really?

SisiL, so true about Grandma's bedroom. Nothing says "Cinderella" or "scullery maid" as clearly as living in a tiny cell just off the laundry room!

FaeT, good point about the lack of highlighting Grandma in the credits. But after I thought about it a bit, I'm actually glad she's not in the "official" lineup of family members. That would make it seem so permanent, so "you're here for the long haul, Washer Woman, so don't even think of escaping!"

Grandma Mary has actually been appearing in more photo opps, and it makes me sad. I liked it better when she had a more typical involvement in her son's life: i.e., as a frequent visitor who nonetheless had her own life, her own opinions, and was free to wear the ebil pants in his presence. I long for the days when she and Grandpa Jimmy Lee were free to politely voice their disapproval of how many kids their son had produced, and the limits being placed on the grandchildren's lives.

But Grandpa with his voice of sanity is gone. For better or worse, Grandma Mary seems to be not only under Jim Bob's roof, but also under his headship. She wears dresses and appears as one of the cast members of the dog and pony show. :(

[Dinger]

The layout of the house is crap. No thought or practical reasoning has gone ito the planning of it at all but it's the Duggars so no surprise there then.

Random thought #452. I struggle to poo if there is anyone within earshot and keep flushing the loo to mask the noise and yes, I have many wee/poo issues :lol:

[Cherokee2000]

A playroom is a great idea. When my oldest two were little, I had a 3 bedroom house. They slept together in one and played in the other. If you're going to put a bathroom there (kids wait to pee until they absolutely HAVE to when they're busy), might as well put in a tub, too.

And, who decides to take as shit next to the dining room during dinner when other bathrooms are available? And seriously, you don't want anyone to see you go in or out of the bathroom? You know everybody poops, right?

Speaking of the awkwardness of nipping into the bathroom during dinner time, you must imagine what it was like in my sister's house. They renovated and added a tiny bathroom in the back entrance, which led directly to the dining room. So effectively the bathroom was right off the dining room, especially handy for the 2 young kids.

Interesting thing was, though, that the renovations stretched over a year. The toilet and sink were installed well before the bathroom walls were. They thought nothing of using the toilet when they had to and they really got used to using it without giving a thought to privacy. After all, it's all in the family, right?

They got so used to it that they almost went ahead and used it even while they had company! Oops! :oops:

Once the walls were completed, they felt so much more private.

So, don't worry about the Duggars. At least their bathroom has walls!

[FaeT]

True story Faet! You make an excellent point about G-Ma not getting put in the credits!

I remember Josh made a big fuss when some photographers didn't want to photograph Anna as part of the whole family soon after they were married! (I think in the end they had to compromise with him and say they would do a photo of her with and without, (or possibly just with Josh) and then a sideblurb about her and him being married or something? can't properly remember!) but definitely remember Josh being PISSED that they dare make Anna sit on the sidelines and not be part of the photo op! SO Its curious he or any of the siblings or even Boob or even just the film crew/production company people haven't thought of that! :think:

I remember this, too. And I can understand why the photographers wanted just the children. The idea was to show just how many children she birthed. But since it is about one big family, they should also have included Anna in other photos, which I believe they did. They all got those new blue outfits just for the occasion. IIRC, it was a photo shoot with People. The whole family (minus Anna) were on the cover but they did do a whole group shot for the article, as well as a couple picture with just them. That was the photo shoot for Jordyn's birth, I think. (She was born a few months after they were married)

Unfortunately, now that Grandpa is gone, I think Grandma *is* stuck. I do think she's under JB's headship (and control) and that's why she lives there. Plus she may not be able to afford to live on her own. She would only have SS and we all know how little that pays out. Since she didn't raise her children Gothard, part of me wonders if she stays as a means of protecting those children. I'm sure JB and J'chelle still beat the shit out them - no doubt about that - but I wonder if her presence help curb it. At least somewhat. Or maybe the older girls have asked her stay just so they aren't stuck with all the work. I really want to believe that part of the reason she stays is for the children. The older ones need help and the younger ones need protecting. Maybe she's afraid the abuse will get really bad if she leave. Poor woman. That must be such a heavy burden to bear.

[Deleted07]

I seem to remember Jessa or Jinger or both quite often being alone with J-ma doing the laundry/packing etc away from the rest of the family. I think they like even just helping her do something like washing, because of the one on one special attention she seems to give, compared to their superficial baby driven 'Moma'.

I think we need a topic just on J-ma Mary Duggar, lots of points to talk about, her and Michelle (can never tell if they get along).

[luckystone]

I long for the days when she and Grandpa Jimmy Lee were free to politely voice their disapproval of how many kids their son had produced, and the limits being placed on the grandchildren's lives.

They did that? Cool!

[FaeT]

They did that? Cool!

[bananacat]

They did that? Cool!

Jim Bob expects instant joyful obedience from all his kids, even Josh. And yet he completely disrespects his own father. What a tool.

[Jezebel Duggar]

I remember that well. It was a Jimmy Lee classic! He also said she shouldn't have any more kids, because a woman's body wears out.

[DarkAnts]

I remember this, too. And I can understand why the photographers wanted just the children. The idea was to show just how many children she birthed. But since it is about one big family, they should also have included Anna in other photos, which I believe they did. They all got those new blue outfits just for the occasion. IIRC, it was a photo shoot with People. The whole family (minus Anna) were on the cover but they did do a whole group shot for the article, as well as a couple picture with just them. That was the photo shoot for Jordyn's birth, I think. (She was born a few months after they were married)

Unfortunately, now that Grandpa is gone, I think Grandma *is* stuck. I do think she's under JB's headship (and control) and that's why she lives there. Plus she may not be able to afford to live on her own. She would only have SS and we all know how little that pays out. Since she didn't raise her children Gothard, part of me wonders if she stays as a means of protecting those children. I'm sure JB and J'chelle still beat the shit out them - no doubt about that - but I wonder if her presence help curb it. At least somewhat. Or maybe the older girls have asked her stay just so they aren't stuck with all the work. I really want to believe that part of the reason she stays is for the children. The older ones need help and the younger ones need protecting. Maybe she's afraid the abuse will get really bad if she leave. Poor woman. That must be such a heavy burden to bear.

We have talked about this before. Grandma could afford to live on her own if she wanted to. She did for a while after her husband died. She has property that she rents out and I think she has other sources of income as well. She stays there in part because she got lonely living on her own. I also think she stays there to help the older children out. I have a feeling that she hates the fact that the girls dont get to be teens. Doing laundry is something she can do to help lighten their burden. I also think she is afraid that that JB could cut her off from seeing her grand children if she stops playing by his rules.

[lilith]

I think Mary also lived with Amy and her parents for a while. She is the co owner of the home they live in.

[FaeT]

Mary and JL lived there while he was still alive. He died in that house. I don't remember her leaving and then coming back. How did I miss that??

I didn't think about that aspect though, of JB cutting her off. That's probably a big part of it. I can totally see him doing that, too. "She broke from the Lord and decided to leave the family. That's her choice and we are sorry to see her leave." Making it out to look like she was the bad guy and abandoned them. That's exactly what he would do.

I know this has been expressed before, but I've been thinking about this, and I really don't believe Amy was around before they started filming. I don't know that anyone was really around much before the filming. No one supported their "lets have as many babies as possible and worry about how to pay for it later" attitude.

They treat Mary like crap. I can only image how much they'll trash her when she dies :(