Happy Birthday, Mary Maxwell!

[Guest Anonymous]

Aah, Mary got a canoe trip for her Sweet 16th.

 

 

Bet she was wearing what some might call a denim skirt...

[Daenerys]

I've never worn a lifejacket for canoeing. I hope that it's just because the water is very deep and not an indication that she can't actually swim.

[pixydust]

Happy birthday Mary! I hope that she gets something special for her big day.

[Guest Anonymous]

I've never worn a lifejacket for canoeing. I hope that it's just because the water is very deep and not an indication that she can't actually swim.

It's probably because her denim frumper can't swim...

[luckystone]

I've never worn a lifejacket for canoeing. I hope that it's just because the water is very deep and not an indication that she can't actually swim.

I'm a very good swimmer and have done livesaving classes/swim teaching and have always been made to wear one when renting any type of canoe/kayak/paddleboat. They don't even give you a choice, tt's a liability thing. If they rented it that could be why. Otherwise I don't know, I hope she can swim.

I hope Mary has a good birthday. I really like her for some reason. I think it's because she always looks so cute and happy, and I feel sorry for her.

[kpmom]

I can swim and I always wear a life jacket when kayaking, even in very calm, not terribly deep, water. I don't like taking chances where water is concerned.

I hope Mary has a great birthday doing what most 16 year olds do. Getting her driver's license, meeting friends at the mall, spending time with her boyfriend, a party with all of her school friends.

Yeah, I know she won't be doing any of those things but it's nice to dream.

[LurkerOverThePond]

I hope Mary has a good birthday. I really like her for some reason. I think it's because she always looks so cute and happy, and I feel sorry for her.

I feel the same towards her. Maybe it's because she is a bit more stylish than the rest of the Maxwells (like that would be hard!), styles her hair every now and then and in general looks more relaxed than her siblings, I have hopes that if someone of the M kids is going to break free it will be Mary. But I really doubt it - this is the only life she has ever known. Being the youngest reversal blessing probably meant that she was born into a fully and totally crazy Maxwell family.

I wonder what much more "normal" Elizabeth would have done to her... I could totally see Mary living as the Munck sisters: fundy but having FUN, celebrating holidays and wearing some cute clothes and a tiny bit of make-up.

Free Mary :!:

[sparkles]

Happy birthday Mary! Wishing you the freedom to fly.

I wonder if any of the reversal kids can swim well or swim at all. There was quite a lengthy passage in Keeping Our Children's Hearts (shudder) about how part of sheltering meant no more public swimming. It doesn't look like they have a pool so I can't imagine when or how they could have learned more than the most basic of basic swimming skills.

I'm fairly experienced in and on the water and I'd never go out without a life vest.

[wallfly]

At least she gets to be in a kayak on her own. I wonder if Steve has a rule about being 16 or older to use the one-man kayak.

Here is your opportunity for escape Mary! Paddle Mary, Paddle!

[FundiesInMyFamily]

I worry about them canoeing or boating at all wearing skirts and frumpers, they are so confining. Canoe's tip over, shit happens - it's usually not a big deal, but even in shallow or waist deep water I can't imagine being in the water at all wearing a long skirt, especially in heavy denim like that. It's always gotta be god and modesty first for these people, whether it's the Maxwell's boating in skirts or the Duggar girls going on mission trips and hiking in flip flops. These people just have to be right, damn the consequences.

[Deleted07]

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance…†Proverbs 15:13

I totally skimmed over the quote and thought it said "A merry heathen makes a cheerful countenance" :mrgreen:

[marmalade]

My mother was going thru a rough phase of menopause when I turned 16. My present, a slammin' clock radio, was basically slammed into my face during a typical mother/daughter dust-up at the dinner table. She got up from the table, slung the thing in the general direction of my noggin and screamed "Happy fucking birthday!" as she slammed out the back door.

I hope she gets cake.

[TMS]

She really is a cutie. I hope she escapes someday and can learn to sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

[Someonetocall]

Happy birthday Mary! I hope you feel comfortable making your own opinions about the world as you get older and choose a life which makes you happy. It is never too late to throw on the brakes and change direction.

I've never worn a lifejacket for canoeing. I hope that it's just because the water is very deep and not an indication that she can't actually swim.

I am a strong swimmer, as are many people in my family and we always wore lifejackets in canoes because that is the culture of the area. I mean, I live in a place where it is de rigeur to wear bike helmets as adults and it is becoming more commonplace to helmet up for a snowboard.

My mother was going thru a rough phase of menopause when I turned 16. My present, a slammin' clock radio, was basically slammed into my face during a typical mother/daughter dust-up at the dinner table. She got up from the table, slung the thing in the general direction of my noggin and screamed "Happy fucking birthday!" as she slammed out the back door.

I hope she gets cake.

I'm sorry your 16th birthday was kinda crap and I'm sorry your mother's menopause was so traumatic for your family. If my puberty was anything to go by (I'm not sure how everyone in my family came out alive), menopause should be a barrel-of-fucking-monkeys and my husband should prepare to live separately from me until it's over.

[Creaky Mom]

Well Happy Birthday, Mary.

May you someday learn the joys of kayaking unencumbered by a skirt. When in water, always assume somebody is going to get wet.

Imagine finding yourself upside down, underwater, trapped in a kayak by a friggin' denim skirt. :doh:

[lilwriter85]

I can swim and I always wear a life jacket when kayaking, even in very calm, not terribly deep, water. I don't like taking chances where water is concerned.

I hope Mary has a great birthday doing what most 16 year olds do. Getting her driver's license, meeting friends at the mall, spending time with her boyfriend, a party with all of her school friends.

Yeah, I know she won't be doing any of those things but it's nice to dream.

I was almost going to post the same thing about Mary vs. most 16 year olds. I feel sad for Mary because she has been denied certain opportunities and experiences.

[uncreative]

She does look pretty happy and relaxed. Hopefully she's having a what-passes-for-Maxwell-fun birthday. Poor girl. And I'd be wearing a life jacket, too, but I'm kind of paranoid about drowning. No one ever says, 'Boy, I'm sure glad I didn't have that life jacket on. Imagine what could have happened if it I had hadn't floated to the surface of the water.'

[VintageJen1984]

My parents paid for me to get swimming lessons for eight years in a row, and at least 15 strong swimmer and lifeguard friends have decided they could be the one to teach me to swim.

I can't swim.

I'm not saying Mary has or has not had appropriate swimming lessons, but having lessons does not guarantee a person is going to be able to learn.

[Justme]

Many years ago, Stevie wrote that he taught the boys to swim and Teri taught the girls to swim. They "borrowed" a neighbors pool. Judging by their writing skills, I don't hold much hope that they can swim very well. Swimming is one of those things that you've got to actually do once in a while or you forget.

[Miggy]

Happy Birthday Mary. I wish you a life that includes more than raising your nieces and nephew and looking after your parents.

My father is a national Kayaking champion. My mother is a swimming coach who took up kayaking when she met my dad. My brothers and I were NEVER allowed in or even near the boats if we weren't wearing a life vest. My parents argument was "If you hit your head falling out of your boat and knock yourself unconcious, it won't matter how good a swimmer you are!" Of course, having parents that were fairly serious about the sport meant we had custom made vests that weren't bulky so we didn't mind wearing them.

We also had to wear helmets if we were in white water, such as for slalom racing, or if we were sharing the water with power boats. Sailors and rowers are very considerate water users but I couldn't count the number of times I was wiped out by boats towing water skiers. (Drivers too busy watching the skier to watch where they were going.)