Happy 33rd birthday, Paul Arndt!

[JenniferJuniper]

I'm seriously digging the penguin wrapping paper.

 

[anjulibai]

Hmm, no possessive clawing....interesting.....

[Dark Matters]

And she's still in her white shorts. I wonder if she has whole dresser drawers full of white shorts?

[paganhomeschooler]

You know what is pathetic? I have been married for over 12 years. I have 4 kids, including a middle schooler. My husband and I own our own home.....and I just turned 33 recently. I cannot imagine still living at home sharing bunk beds with siblings (not that I had any since I'm an only child, but you get the idea) at my age.

[anjulibai]

John: Happy birthday, Paul, and thanks for inviting the rest of the six oldest for the birthday meal.

Uh, why wouldn't the whole family go to his birthday meal? Why just for 6 eldest?

Seems odd.

[Rescinded and Mended]

You know what is pathetic? I have been married for over 12 years. I have 4 kids, including a middle schooler. My husband and I own our own home.....and I just turned 33 recently. I cannot imagine still living at home sharing bunk beds with siblings (not that I had any since I'm an only child, but you get the idea) at my age.

I am one year older, I have a teen son, and my husband and I also own our own home. I can honestly say if I was in Paul's position right now, I'd give seriously thought to suicide. Talk about your case of arrested development...

[Coconut Flan]

She has to buy those things in bulk. I wonder where.

[gezykah]

I'm his age and I've been supporting myself since I was 18, paid my own way through college, have zero debt, excellent credit, and a decent amount already set aside for retirement. I'm not married and don't have kids but that is by choice. My parents didn't hype me up to believe in a rigid image of what an ideal relationship and family should be then shelter me and help destroy any chances I may have of obtaining them.

[niagarahauls]

I'm only 3 years older than this Arndt man child and I have a 22 yo step-daughter and have been married 11 years!

Is he the eldest?

[anjulibai]

Yup, he's the eldest.

[theologygeek]

You know what is pathetic? I have been married for over 12 years. I have 4 kids, including a middle schooler. My husband and I own our own home.....and I just turned 33 recently. I cannot imagine still living at home sharing bunk beds with siblings (not that I had any since I'm an only child, but you get the idea) at my age.

I had my last kid at 32. I had my first one at 25.

[flyawaystray]

I'm 4 years younger than him. No kids (am childfree), not married, blah blah. That said, I think he's actually really cute.

[Peas n carrots]

Shit he's older than I am? :pink-shock:

This family truly boggles my mind. They are the speshul snowflakes of the fundie world.

And NIKE...if those shorts were a couple centimeters shorter you wouldn't be able to tell Ma Arndt was wearing pants!

[Black Aliss]

Sigh. And it's back to the bedroom for the birthday parties. Mark is officially my favorite Arndt, for not having his birthday photo taken in the bedroom.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Wow 33 and still acting like a 10 year old

[Miggy]

Sigh. And it's back to the bedroom for the birthday parties. Mark is officially my favorite Arndt, for not having his birthday photo taken in the bedroom.

I agree. Mark also seems to be an adult in their videos, rather than a man-boy. Obviously an adult still trapped at home with mummy but at least with some awareness of the rest of the world and with some independent thoughts.

[gypsygirl22]

What a weird family.

[formergothardite]

I envy her legs. I wonder if she works out a lot or if she just naturally has skinny legs.

In 10 years they are still going to be posing in the bedroom with a cake. Except for maybe Mark who might escape, but the rest just don't seem to have any desire to leave their mama.

[IceTwinkie]

She has to buy those things in bulk. I wonder where.

Costco

[nelliebelle1197]

I am so glad I am not an Arndt.

Does TLC know about them? I can't believe this weirdness is only a local broadcast

[Peas n carrots]

I am so glad I am not an Arndt.

Does TLC know about them? I can't believe this weirdness is only a local broadcast

They sure do. They were one of the families profiled in the Kids By The Dozen tv series several years ago...the same family that introduced us to the likes of the Duggars and Bates.

[nokidsmom]

I am one year older, I have a teen son, and my husband and I also own our own home. I can honestly say if I was in Paul's position right now, I'd give seriously thought to suicide. Talk about your case of arrested development...

I was married nine years at his age. College grad, worked since 18, about to purchase our first home. I can't imagine Paul happy being stuck at home, but apparently he is, unaware of the serious mindfuck that keeps him there. Because that is what it is when someone who has been an adult for 15 years already is still being keep a child by mommy and daddy and is making no moves to get out of it.

My sister was still at home at the age of 33 and was seriously depressed about it. And she had a full-time job plus friends.

[MamaJunebug]

Uh, why wouldn't the whole family go to his birthday meal? Why just for 6 eldest?

Seems odd.

For an Arndt, yes. For everybody else, why wouldn't a man celebrating his 33rd want to be free of adolescents and preteens at his bday table? Especially if they aren't his kids?

Perhaps Paul is showing some independence of thought.

~~~~~~~

Has anybody started a list of documents that demonstrate the intentionality of people like the Arndt parents?

I recently referred to an Arndt page in which Pa says or writes that he and Cathy designed their farmhouse to be "a place none of our children would ever want to leave."

They are getting their way!

To how many of their offspring it occurs to live life in another way, and when, remains to be seen.

To be able to link back to The Grand Plans of oddballs like the Arndt parents would be instructive and intriguing on posts like these, IMHO.

[JenniferJuniper]

For an Arndt, yes. For everybody else, why wouldn't a man celebrating his 33rd want to be free of adolescents and preteens at his bday table? Especially if they aren't his kids?

Perhaps Paul is showing some independence of thought.

~~~~~~~

Has anybody started a list of documents that demonstrate the intentionality of people like the Arndt parents?

I recently referred to an Arndt page in which Pa says or writes that he and Cathy designed their farmhouse to be "a place none of our children would ever want to leave."

They are getting their way!

Daddy said in one of their broadcasts that he envisioned the sons building their own houses on the property when they married and living on a sort of Arndt Compound. God just hasn't seen fit to bring any wives into their lives. Why 30 something year old men are still accepting their parents' authority over them is the big mystery, especially considering they haven't been nearly as sheltered as most of the fundies we know. Of course, finding women who would want to court these oddballs is probably a contributing factor, and likewise, the Arndt boys would probably find typical fundie women too un-worldly for their liking. Catch-22.

The birthday boy (I'm not sure about Wizzie. She probably gets one-on-one girl time with Mommy on her birthday) gets to select if he wants to eat out alone with his parents or take along a few siblings. Paul probably didn't relish the thought of spending his 33rd alone with his parents or with younger kids.

You get the sense the older ones know something is wrong with this set up, but they seem paralyzed to do anything about it. Stockholm Syndrome is as good a guess as any.

[anjulibai]

OK, makes sense now why he'd only want the oldest.

I feel so bad for these guys. This is just not how life is supposed to be.