Hope for the Shupes?

[TurtleBelly]

'Large Families on Purpose' is one of my favorite fundy blogs. While Erika is batshit crazy and super controlling, I do think she is gifted when it comes to organizing and love to read her posts on the subject.

Today I noticed she posted new pictures of the kids. What struck me is that most of the girls were in sleeveless tops and the oldest daughter's was especially noticeable. These tops were all quite appropriate but hardly something you see on most fundy kids! This aught my attention because Erika has written time and time again about how important modesty is (while hypocritically posting pictures of her boys naked on the toilet while potty training). She even posted pictures of the girl's burka-style bathing suits in the past! So why the sudden change to non-modest tops? Is she letting the kids pick their own style? Could there be hope for the Shupes in moving a little less strict fundy and more moderate in some of their dress and actions?

The commenters were noticing that too. "The Reynolds" said:

"I too am shocked at the skin. Collar bone or no collar bone in our home it is what can be seen in different positions that matters. Unless you stand stock still and stiff as a soldier, that material will pucker, gap and allow men to see down where they shouldn't. Also just the cut of the neckline draws eyes to the bust, the sleeveless-ness allows the imagination to travel to the bust also. I have enjoyed your blog for a while, but I feel your daughter just lost her innocence and I am a little concerned. It just doesn't seem consistent with what you have been teaching all this time. This is not meant to criticize, I just care for your family. I too am a mother of 9 children.....5 boys and 4 daughters. Please reconsider and do not whet their appetite for less."

Other comments, as well as Erika's defense of her daughters' outfits, were interesting too but quite long to post here. *passive aggressive tight-lipped smile*

Link: largefamiliesonpurpose.com/2013/12/continuing-vision-still-where-did-you-go.html

[TurtleBelly]

One other thing...when I saw the title, "Continuing the Vision," I was sure she'd be weighing in with her family's take on the Vision Forum implosion (isn't her blog affiliated with them?), but no, it was about how great yet busy this season of life has been, so that's why not as many blog updates lately. I was disappointed. *sob* *throw up in my mouth a little*

[Queen Of Hearts]

Oh, thanks for pointing out the comments. I never saw those but they have me laughing out loud. Erika has always spoken so highly of the Maxwells, especially their scheduling techniques. Hence, many of her followers have the same type of mindset as the maxwells. That means no buttons that don't coordinate or other defrauding distractions on the clothing. Now that she has gotten some push back, I wonder how long before Erika makes her husband take new pictures of the kids so she can switch them out on the blog?

[Closed Womb]

There's no hope for Erica *frown*. This is just like with her hair; she needs some persecution.

I feel bad for whatever damaged part of her makes her work her daughters like that. I hope, when they're 18, the kids leave the nest and don't visit with grandchildren.

[AnywhereButHere]

Oh, thanks for pointing out the comments. I never saw those but they have me laughing out loud. Erika has always spoken so highly of the Maxwells, especially their scheduling techniques. Hence, many of her followers have the same type of mindset as the maxwells. That means no buttons that don't coordinate or other defrauding distractions on the clothing. Now that she has gotten some push back, I wonder how long before Erika makes her husband take new pictures of the kids so she can switch them out on the blog?

I think she'll leave these current pictures up on the blog for a bit. She won't want it to seem like she's caving to pressure to change them. She seems to me to be someone who is so very sure that she is right and can't handle criticism.

[Queen Of Hearts]

Oh Good God, I just read on Facebook that now Erika wants to get a cat! I absolutely LOVE cats and would not wish that fate on any poor animal. Could you imagine what would happen to it the first time it gets sick and stops using its litter box (as cats can sometimes do)? Cats are great pets, but they can be messy and smelly and we all k now how sensitive Erika is to strange smells.

[ILoveJellybeans]

She probably wants to put the cat on a schedule too. Which wont work.

[AnywhereButHere]

I'd like to see her try! Our cat has put us on a schedule. Whether weekday or weekend, we know that one of us WILL be getting out of bed at 6:30 to feed the animal (it's just not safe to ignore the "request"), he has us trained to sit on request so that he can jump on us, we just know when the litter box needs to be changed out just from the imperious and disgusted look on his face as he sits by the basement steps - the little things that let us know we are guests in his kingdom, and he only keeps us around for our opposable thumbs. :)

[slickcat79]

Oh Good God, I just read on Facebook that now Erika wants to get a cat! I absolutely LOVE cats and would not wish that fate on any poor animal. Could you imagine what would happen to it the first time it gets sick and stops using its litter box (as cats can sometimes do)? Cats are great pets, but they can be messy and smelly and we all k now how sensitive Erika is to strange smells.

Um, whatever happened to their parakeets? I'm positive they got the 2 birds back in May. I remember seeing the FB entry and we even talked about it here. Now I can't find that entry on their blog or on FB (although I may have missed it on my phone). Perhaps they got rid of the birds and did a little scrubbing? I think that should make it blindingly obvious that this bitch should not have pets.

[RosyDaisy]

She probably wants to put the cat on a schedule too. Which wont work.

Somebody needs to tell her cats do as they damn well please. She has 2 headships to submit to.

[flojo]

Those hot chocolate ingredients... She seems to be really, really into frankenfood.

And her *smile*s cannot get any more annoying. Does she literally have no comprehension as to how much they stilt her writing. Gah.

[Daisy]

Erika is one of the more annoying fundie bloggers for me. The *smile* and *chuckle* would be annoying even if she were a decent person with interesting things to say. The fact that she is a mean, cold person who only really seems to care about her schedule and picture perfect uncluttered house makes her unbearable for me to read.

The cats-this is a person who believes in "parent led feeding" for newborns. She will definitely try to put the cats on a schedule and it will blow up in her face.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I wonder how long the cat will last in their house before they give it away.

The cat will try and put her on a schedule, and Erika wont like that. You cant "parent led feed" a cat. When they want breakfast, you are getting up to feed it. Also mine meows as if she has never seen food in her life whenever I go to the kitchen, and I am sure she can hear a can being opened on the other side of the house.

[flojo]

I wonder how long the cat will last in their house before they give it away.

The cat will try and put her on a schedule, and Erika wont like that. You cant "parent led feed" a cat. When they want breakfast, you are getting up to feed it. Also mine meows as if she has never seen food in her life whenever I go to the kitchen, and I am sure she can hear a can being opened on the other side of the house.

I agree. It also won't be Erika who feeds it. It will be more that is piled on the older girls' plates.

[NellieBell]

I might have been hallucinating, but weren't one set of bunk beds blocking the window? Isn't that a fire hazard..along with a crib encased in a net in a closet? Are they zoo animals, prisoners or children? On another note, she appears to be a nasty, controlling shrew - short, feminine haircut withstanding. I bet she's the only one who visits a salon as well. It's probably the Flowbee stylist for everyone else. Wink..wink..smile..nudge. That sounds like the writing of a kiddie fiddler or a lunatic in my opinion. :wink-kitty:

[Vex]

Oh wow, I would LOVE to see her try and put my gorgeous, sweet but dumb as a box of rocks kitty on a schedule. I might pay to see that. My third cat is very smart and could probably adapt to any schedule, but my girl is too old and the younger boy is just too dumb.

Sadly birds are often rehomed several times during their lives. One of my birds had been rehomed 3 times in his 6 years before he found a home with me. I wouldn't be surprised if she had found them too noisy and messy and washed her hands of them.

Am I the only person who found that comment from The Reynolds (who are ostensibly strangers ) who were concerned about her daughters' 'lost innocence' incredibly creepy?

[nelliebelle1197]

Oh wow, I would LOVE to see her try and put my gorgeous, sweet but dumb as a box of rocks kitty on a schedule. I might pay to see that. My third cat is very smart and could probably adapt to any schedule, but my girl is too old and the younger boy is just too dumb.

Sadly birds are often rehomed several times during their lives. One of my birds had been rehomed 3 times in his 6 years before he found a home with me. I wouldn't be surprised if she had found them too noisy and messy and washed her hands of them.

Am I the only person who found that comment from The Reynolds (who are ostensibly strangers ) who were concerned about her daughters' 'lost innocence' incredibly creepy?

Nope. Not just creepy but really rude and obnoxious.

[NellieBell]

Did you guys check out The Reynolds blog? They appear to be somewhere inbetween Baptists and wanna be Amish. I thought the comment regarding the Shupes' oldest daughter not only inappropriate but creepy as well. Also it was none of Mama Reynolds business. Leave the girl for gods sakes, she's got it tough enough living in that prison camp as it is.

Erika will never get a cat or if she does, it will be gone the first week. The first time it jumps on the kitchen counter it's days will be numbered. She's not only not a kid person but not a pet person either.

[flojo]

Nope. Not just creepy but really rude and obnoxious.

Exactly. Creepy and obnoxious. I really pity the children in the Reynolds family. Ick.

[ladyamylynn]

Exactly. Creepy and obnoxious. I really pity the children in the Reynolds family. Ick.

The older SAHDs might be good matches for the Maxwell boys.

[lilah]

Erika annoyed me a few months ago when she wrote this involved anti Halloween rant about how it's based off pagan (and therefore satanic) rituals but when posters pointed out that Christmas also has pagan roots she claimed that couldn't possibly be true because of Jesus.

[scoutsadie]

The commenters were noticing that too. "The Reynolds" said:

"I too am shocked at the skin. Collar bone or no collar bone in our home it is what can be seen in different positions that matters. Unless you stand stock still and stiff as a soldier, that material will pucker, gap and allow men to see down where they shouldn't. Also just the cut of the neckline draws eyes to the bust, the sleeveless-ness allows the imagination to travel to the bust also. I have enjoyed your blog for a while, but I feel your daughter just lost her innocence and I am a little concerned. It just doesn't seem consistent with what you have been teaching all this time. This is not meant to criticize, I just care for your family. I too am a mother of 9 children.....5 boys and 4 daughters. Please reconsider and do not whet their appetite for less."

Other comments, as well as Erika's defense of her daughters' outfits, were interesting too but quite long to post here. *passive aggressive tight-lipped smile*

Link: largefamiliesonpurpose.com/2013/12/continuing-vision-still-where-did-you-go.html

Thanks for the link! It appears she changed the pics in the post, because the only ones there now are from the woods in spring/summer, not a holiday party like she mentioned in her reply to The Reynolds. (And note - nary a "thanks for your concern" nor *smile* to be found in her response to them.)

[galateasca]

At some point, bet your bottom dollar, some of those kids will rebel. You can't live in a totally controlled fishbowl and not resent it at some level. The older Duggars and Maxwells that are out of the house I am sure have loosened their lives up a bit since getting away from Smuggar and Creepy Steve. We don't know about it, of course, because they won't post it because anything they did would upset their daddies. I mean, one of the Maxwell boys wore shorts whilst he cut the grass....and JBob would have a cow if his boys did that.

Still, Erika is the most controlling person I've seen blog wise and far, far from modest. Everything is all about HER...no mention on the blog of what her children enjoy because she has no idea. Also, her poor husband looks miserable and constipated in every photo and in the most recent looks like he's gained a zillion pounds....eating his frustration away from home I'm sure.

[LiveNLetLive]

This might sound unrelated, but did you guys know that Erika is expecting again? Look at her May 11 entry on her blog. So much for hope... (-_-)

[wotdancer]

This might sound unrelated, but did you guys know that Erika is expecting again? Look at her May 11 entry on her blog. So much for hope... (-_-)

She miscarried (there's a note partway down the May 11 post about it). As a female, I am a little sad for her...as a human, I am relieved for the kids she already has.