Kristina of Keepsakes pregnant and due #4 in March

[Snarkle]

I always wonder if perhaps she'd gotten engaged at TGIFridays, or Olive Garden, or even Outback Steakhouse things might have been different...might have been something in those Arby's curly fries.

And for her to say it's awful for people to snark on her having more than the two kid average... I have friends with 3, 4, 5, 6 kids, but they're typically over a ten or more year span, and most got married in their mid-20s or later. My grandmother was one of 9, my grandfather one of 7, my mom one of 5 (I am one of 2, and have only 1 myself). The issue here is how FAST she has added to her brood and how overwhelmed she clearly is, despite her protestations to the contrary. There's nothing wrong with being over your head with kids, even if you really want a big family, but in her case I think she doth protest too much.

[uber frau]

She got some good advice. I wonder what happened to the crocheting? It sounds like she was good!

That was back before she had kids. She wouldn't have the time to do it now. Besides, it's a lousy way to make money if you sit down and work out what you end up with as an hourly rate of pay. Flipping burgers or even washing windscreens at the traffic lights would make at least 4 as much.

[Childless]

Oh and they did have WIC and Medicaid which qualifies as welfare in my book. Her and I got into it when her husband was being a bigot and fj called her out on it and then she called fj out on her fb and I pointed out her fucked up thinking.

The whole time saying I am glad they had government help because I think it is less expensive than not doing so, children shouldn't suffer because their parents suck, and I believe everyone has a right to eat and have healthcare. But she actually doesn't think those things and was a hypocrite.

Thank you! While WIC, Medicaid, and food stamps aren't technically called "welfare", they are still government assistance. I have no problem with people using government assistance when they need it. Especially if they have children. That's what it's there for. I only have issues when it's being used fraudulently or when the people using it continue to make dumb decisions that will keep them on it perpetually. Needing assistance is one thing. Continuing to have children when you cannot financially support the ones you already have is something entirely different. If they would have stopped after the first one or at the very least used birth control until they had their finances under control and could afford to care for the children without assistance, then they would not have gotten a comment from me and their lives would probably be a lot less stressful. The only thing I ask is that people use government assistance only when they really need it and that they make smart decisions after having to sign up for it. As a citizen that pays into the system that provides this assistance, I think I have the right to insist on those two small things.

Kristina and Josh are beyond selfish for thinking they have the right to continue to pump out babies and expect the rest of us to foot the bill. Having a large family is a lifestyle choice. Exactly the same as deciding to live a lifestyle that includes international travel or expensive cars or freelance business or any number of other things. It's fine to make that choice if you can afford to support it. It's not ok to make those choices if you expect everyone else to finance them. I love to travel, however I cannot afford to do so right now. I miss it terribly, but I'm not going to expect everyone else to financially support my love of international travel simply because that's the lifestyle I want to lead. If I don't have the money to do it, I simply don't do it. If Kristina and Josh don't have the money to care for a boat load of children, they shouldn't have a boat load of children. End of discussion.

[Childless]

Oh, and if Kristina expects me not to call her and her husband out on smacking their kids around, well, that's not going to happen. Hitting someone is a form of violence and I will not sit by and say nothing while someone does it to a small child who cannot defend themselves. If she doesn't want to hear my opinions on that subject, she'd be wise to either make her blog private or to refrain from talking about it. Otherwise, I'll make my opinions known. That is not libel, slander, or bullying. It's an opinion and an observation and I have every right to make it.

[nelliebelle1197]

Thank you! While WIC, Medicaid, and food stamps aren't technically called "welfare", they are still government assistance. I have no problem with people using government assistance when they need it. Especially if they have children. That's what it's there for. I only have issues when it's being used fraudulently or when the people using it continue to make dumb decisions that will keep them on it perpetually. Needing assistance is one thing. Continuing to have children when you cannot financially support the ones you already have is something entirely different. If they would have stopped after the first one or at the very least used birth control until they had their finances under control and could afford to care for the children without assistance, then they would not have gotten a comment from me and their lives would probably be a lot less stressful. The only thing I ask is that people use government assistance only when they really need it and that they make smart decisions after having to sign up for it. As a citizen that pays into the system that provides this assistance, I think I have the right to insist on those two small things.

Kristina and Josh are beyond selfish for thinking they have the right to continue to pump out babies and expect the rest of us to foot the bill. Having a large family is a lifestyle choice. Exactly the same as deciding to live a lifestyle that includes international travel or expensive cars or freelance business or any number of other things. It's fine to make that choice if you can afford to support it. It's not ok to make those choices if you expect everyone else to finance them. I love to travel, however I cannot afford to do so right now. I miss it terribly, but I'm not going to expect everyone else to financially support my love of international travel simply because that's the lifestyle I want to lead. If I don't have the money to do it, I simply don't do it. If Kristina and Josh don't have the money to care for a boat load of children, they shouldn't have a boat load of children. End of discussion.

You have no right to "insist" on anything. That is not how a social services safety net works. And people "insisting" and throwing their opinions into who deserves what based on arbitrary emotional responses is exactly why the US is not taking care of its poor and said social safety nets have been shredded. What you are basically saying is that social services only should go to those you find worthy and this is basically the Republican argument that is killing our safety net rather than allowing it to expand to cover all Americans when they need it or pay for logical things like access to decent education, housing and healthcare for all.

You don't "pay" for them to make dumb choices. Your tax dollars are part of a pool designed to help make sure men, women and children don't fall through the cracks and that society works for all citizens. Poor people on the bottom living in shacks and unable to access basic services necessary to life is not a recipe for the common good or a thriving society. Just because you disagree with choices of lifestyle does not mean they do not have a right to services. These kind of statements drive me insane because they ignore the basic premise of what it takes to make a modern, first world society function. Some people are going to make poor choices, period, no matter their income bracket and it is the responsibility of collective society to make sure those choices have the least impact on the common good. Too many people think they are "paying" things and think they have a right to dictate larger societal mores. That is why our current social services system is a failure.

[treemom]

I don't think I have the right to demand anything. I think they are irresponsible hypocrites. But I just wanted to say Childless and I don't agree on that.

I see her point on an emotive, it isn't fair level. But I don't consider it my money once it has gone to pay taxes. In the same way I don't consider it my money when it has gone to pay my Internet bill.

[nelliebelle1197]

I don't think I have the right to demand anything. I think they are irresponsible hypocrites. But I just wanted to say Childless and I don't agree on that.

I see her point on an emotive, it isn't fair level. But I don't consider it my money once it has gone to pay taxes. In the same way I don't consider it my money when it has gone to pay my Internet bill.

This was not directed at you! And I judge them for being irresponsible hypocrites for sure and that's totally different than insisting people have to fit a proscribed moral code to access benefits!

[treemom]

This was not directed at you! And I judge them for being irresponsible hypocrites for sure and that's totally different than insisting people have to fit a proscribed moral code to access benefits!

I just wanted to make that clear.

[Childless]

I don't have the right to expect and insist that people don't commit fraud (i.e. rob the system of money that others might legitimately need) or that people don't try and make good decisions that will help both them and their families (and again, not waste money that others might legitimately need)? Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I think everyone paying into the system has the right to demand those two things. It is my money being used (as well as everyone else's). I earned that money by working my tail off. I have no problem paying taxes because I think they benefit society and that can only be a good thing. However, it is still my money that I earned through hard work. I believe that all citizens have the right to question if their tax money is being spent wisely and to call out situations where it is not. Otherwise, greed, fraud, and bad decisions will run rampant and things will quickly fall apart.

[nelliebelle1197]

I don't have the right to expect and insist that people don't commit fraud (i.e. rob the system of money that others might legitimately need) or that people don't try and make good decisions that will help both them and their families (and again, not waste money that others might legitimately need)? Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I think everyone paying into the system has the right to demand those two things. It is my money being used (as well as everyone else's). I earned that money by working my tail off. I have no problem paying taxes because I think they benefit society and that can only be a good thing. However, it is still my money that I earned through hard work. I believe that all citizens have the right to question if their tax money is being spent wisely and to call out situations where it is not. Otherwise, greed, fraud, and bad decisions will run rampant and things will quickly fall apart.

You are right on the fraud. And there is much, much less fraud than the Republican PR machine claims - it very hard to get and keep benefits. There are yearly income and eligibility checks and there would be fewer people falling through the cracks for both getting deserved services and getting kicked off services if we actually were allowed to staff government offices to appropriate level with competent people. The biggest benefits fraudters and shysters out there are privately own hospitals, nursing facilities and doctors. See Florida Gov. Rick Scott. A friend of mine prosecutes benefit fraud for the feds all over the country and her defendants are not people like Kristina. It happens of course, but not to the degree that people think.

But who gets to decide what is a "bad decision"? That is completely subjective and subject to a personal belief, not a federal or state reg. If we start regulating decisions people are making, then we are on a slippery slope to the kind of government no one wants.

[lawfulevil]

Kristina's a hypocrite and I sincerely hope that for the rest of her life the FSM gives her a mild shock every time she says something judgmental to others about shit she or her family has done. That list is now pretty long but includes, at least: divorce, re-partnering, WIC, Medicaid, risky pregnancies, questionable parenting, annoying trendy baby names, and BIRTH CONTROL.

What? Birth control? Yes, birth control! Norethindrone, aka "the pill", was synthesized from diosgenin, the 'active' ingredient in... drumroll please... WILD YAMS. :roll:

I'm really tired of this science-averse anti-intellectual fearmongering about prescription medication and "chemicals" in general. Everything is chemicals. EVERYTHING IS CHEMICALS. The main problems surrounding prescription medication are cost/access and the fact that we don't know all of the side effects or drug interactions for a given chemical. So what would make that OBVIOUSLY way better? Why, even MORE chemicals for which we don't know the side effects/interactions, in unregulated doses, with unregulated and possibly toxic other ingredients! Manufactured in China, the most trustworthy source of things you plan to ingest.

Oh, and Kristina, fuck you. Dr. Seuss was pro-choice.

[lawfulevil]

Postscript-

So Kristina, if the Pill is baby murder, then wild yams are baby murder too. I guess fortunately for your smug, they didn't work. But you TRIED.

[Mama Mia]

Thank you! While WIC, Medicaid, and food stamps aren't technically called "welfare", they are still government assistance. I have no problem with people using government assistance when they need it. Especially if they have children. That's what it's there for. I only have issues when it's being used fraudulently or when the people using it continue to make dumb decisions that will keep them on it perpetually. Needing assistance is one thing. Continuing to have children when you cannot financially support the ones you already have is something entirely different. If they would have stopped after the first one or at the very least used birth control until they had their finances under control and could afford to care for the children without assistance, then they would not have gotten a comment from me and their lives would probably be a lot less stressful. The only thing I ask is that people use government assistance only when they really need it and that they make smart decisions after having to sign up for it. As a citizen that pays into the system that provides this assistance, I think I have the right to insist on those two small things.

Kristina and Josh are beyond selfish for thinking they have the right to continue to pump out babies and expect the rest of us to foot the bill. Having a large family is a lifestyle choice. Exactly the same as deciding to live a lifestyle that includes international travel or expensive cars or freelance business or any number of other things. It's fine to make that choice if you can afford to support it. It's not ok to make those choices if you expect everyone else to finance them. I love to travel, however I cannot afford to do so right now. I miss it terribly, but I'm not going to expect everyone else to financially support my love of international travel simply because that's the lifestyle I want to lead. If I don't have the money to do it, I simply don't do it. If Kristina and Josh don't have the money to care for a boat load of children, they shouldn't have a boat load of children. End of discussion.

This line of thinking drives me up the fucking wall. I will try to keep my rant brief, and please be aware I am not at all condoning having more children than you can emotionally handle ( although I think people tend to only find that out when they are one child over that limit - whether it's child #1, 3 or 10) .

Many, many, many decent, capable, hard-working people live nice, normal lives where they are responsible for their children and contribute to their communities and provide goods and services through their employment that are an integral component of keeping society running and businesses growing.

They might have jobs as sales clerks, carpenters, waitresses, admin assistants, data entry operator, farm worker, nurses aid, pre-school teacher, toll booth operator, custodian, lifeguard, assembly line worker, landscaper, line cook, medical assistant, home care aid, fast food worker, pharmacy tech or a thousand other jobs.

They also might want to have a family, just like anyone else. They may want more than one child, just like anyone else. They can be working full time+ and not be able to have children without Medicaid or WIC or subsidized housing. Even if they work full-time. Even if their spouse works full-time. The nurses aid has just as much right to a happy family life with children as the doctor.

In many countries I don't think this comes up as much because everyone has universal health care, and many countries have child benefits given routinely. But in the U.S. We have this backasswards attitude of expecting everyone to do everything 100% " on their own" which is flat out ridiculous. Not everyone is going to have a job, ever, that pays for decent housing, health insurance AND good food for their kids without some sort of subsidy. Those people still " deserve" children.

I HATE terms like " check your privilege" , but hey, sometimes it applies.

[treemom]

Childless,

I think you have every right to your opinion and you can vote it. Although I think voting for those sort of policies will bring about social changes you won't like as well. But what you don't have a right to do (nor does it even work) is insist someone else live to your code. Insisting all you want doesn't change things.

I think kristina is lazy as fuck. And I think she should have gotten her ass a job instead of breeding the twins and then another and then another. But it is what it is and my opinion of her (Which after reading all the kristina threads yesterday has gotten increasingly less sympathetic and patient) is that she is a raging hypocrite who suffers from generational poverty and lack of education. And sadly probably won't do better for her kids.

[treemom]

Oh and Kristina,

slander is spoken and it's civil not criminal. You don't call the police for slander or what you actually meant which is libel (and nothing has been said that would be libelous). You hire a lawyer and sue people in civil court. When you make idle Internet threats at least get them right or else you continue to look stupid and uneducated. Which of course, the uneducated is yet another way your parents handicapped their children. I almost feel pity for you. But then I remember what a completely disgusting abortion blog you did and your sanctimony about everything.

[treemom]

And the Arby's last supper.

http://freejinger.yuku.com/topic/629/Th ... --5qxuCOSM

I never really snarked on the Arby's or her wedding because I don't really care where people get engaged and certainly have poor aesthetic taste myself. But I always found the Arby's last supper amusing.

[fundiefan]

Never mind. Whatever. Edited because I thought twice about what I said. Not that I don't mean it but because I didn't say it well.

[JMarie]

I'm really tired of this science-averse anti-intellectual fearmongering about prescription medication and "chemicals" in general. Everything is chemicals. EVERYTHING IS CHEMICALS. The main problems surrounding prescription medication are cost/access and the fact that we don't know all of the side effects or drug interactions for a given chemical. So what would make that OBVIOUSLY way better? Why, even MORE chemicals for which we don't know the side effects/interactions, in unregulated doses, with unregulated and possibly toxic other ingredients! Manufactured in China, the most trustworthy source of things you plan to ingest.

Oh, and Kristina, fuck you. Dr. Seuss was pro-choice.

Personally, I think dihydrogen oxide should be more carefully regulated. Get too much of it and you can die. Get too little of it and you can die. Get some of it in your lungs and you can die. Plus, it's a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Just bad news all around.

[lawfulevil]

I KNOW. A woman died of dihydrogen monoxide poisoning right in my hometown! RIGHT IN MY HOMETOWN.

"Consider the chemical DiHydrogen MonOxide... It's found in many different cancers, but there's no proven causal link between its presence and the cancers in which it lurks - so far. The figures are astonishing - DHMO has been found in over 95% of all fatal cervical cancers, and in over 85% of all cancers collected from terminal cancer patients. Despite this, it is still used as an industrial solvent and coolant, as a fire retardant and suppressant, in the manufacture of biological and chemical weapons, in nuclear power plants - and surprisingly, by elite athletes in some endurance sports. However, the athletes later find that withdrawal from DHMO can be difficult, and sometimes, fatal. Medically, it is almost always involved in diseases that have sweating, vomiting and diarrhoea as their symptoms.

While it has many industrial uses, it is cheap enough to be casually dumped into the environment, where it has many unwanted side-effects. DHMO is a major contributor to acid rain, and is heavily involved in the Greenhouse Effect. In industry, it can short out electrical circuits, and can reduce the efficiency of your car's brakes. It is used to help distribute pesticides and herbicides - and long after the pesticides and herbicides may have have degraded away, the DHMO will remain, because it is so stable."

Terrifying. Truly terrifying.

[fundiefan]

Kristina,

Stop trolling the Internet looking for the opinions of others and accusing them (hahaha) of slander (hahaha). You make shit public, people have every right to comment.

You do not have to read here. How long have you been reading, just waiting for your name to come up? When it finally did, you did the typical fundie BS of claiming slander (hahahahaha) and bullying.

You do not have to read here. You can choose which web sites you read. You can live your whole life without knowing - or caring - what a bunch of people on the Internet have to say about you and what you make public,

You and your family make your choices. You make them while claiming some Christian perfection,. Your dad left your mom, again. Your mom lived in your garage, for years. Your brother and his wife got married too young and realized it later.

Just. Like. Everyone. Else.

You are not special, Your god isn't protecting or dictating you.

THAT is exactly why you are 'talked about'.

I don't think anyone gets their jollies over the end of your brother's marriage. What they DO see is that courtship and religion do not prevent reality. Having kids you cannot support doesn't mean you are following your god. In fact, it mosyly means you are blinded by your theology and refusing the reality your god gave you.

Your god, bible, church and beliefs do not insulate you from reality of human beings.

Never has, never will.

Have as many kids as you like; just don't cone here and expect people to praise you.

Live your life as you choose; don't make it public or ask for reassurance. No one will care if they don't see it/read it.

I hope beyond reason that Jessica and her four children can find a way to make a good life for themselves. I hope your brother's girlfriend can find peace after losing her son. I hope your sister Michelle and her husband get their god's blessings even though they've stated they won't have more kids. I hope you and Josh stop feeling so influenced by others and just live your lives. I hope your parents either make their peace or split up and get on with it.

Remember, if you have to lie/pretend/ignore/avoid the reality of your life, there is probably something about it that doesn't fit with those you are trying to impress.

Your father left your mother. She got a job and lived in your garage. Jessica & Ronnie got married too young - and despite their god, they are now apart, even with FOUR children. Michelle left the fold and had an illegitimate son. You all chose to love him, which is good, but she eventually married a man of your choosing who 'kept her in church'. You and Josh have financial issues because his job(s) are not all supporting, No different than anyone else on the planet. Yet, you have more kids.

Good for you. Have at it. Go for it. I don't live in Georgia so I will not have to compensate for your undaunted children.

Your entire family is just like every other family on the planet - good, bad, ugly. Mistakes, consequences, ramifications, Your parents and brother and sister are living with them - as you continue to pretend it's all 'godly' even though it is the opposite of your proclaimed god and reason.

Give it up. Use more than yams to prevent more babies, Raise the ones you have. Send them to school.

Get over yourself and your theology. Live life as it is rather than as you think your god says it should be.

Clearly, your god has not made any life in your family perfect. If that doesn't finally tell you something, you're hopeless.

There is nothing whatsoever 'wrong' with the lives of your family. They just happen to be counter to what you all preach and proclaim.

[fundiefan]

Sorry to everyone here for rambling, but I am, for some unexplained reason, so over the edge with this chick.

[thoughtful]

I KNOW. A woman died of dihydrogen monoxide poisoning right in my hometown! RIGHT IN MY HOMETOWN.

Terrifying. Truly terrifying.

I have the solid form of it, slowly leaching the liquid form, in the tea by my side right now. I'm a wild woman who likes to live dangerously.

[formergothardite]

Kristina and her family have spent years being arrogant and sanctimonious about how they are doing thing God's way and how that will result in them not ending up like the rest of us. Ends up that "God's Way" creates a more fucked up family than average. I simple "We were wrong" would be nice. I don't see that happening, though.

[lawfulevil]

I have the solid form of it, slowly leaching the liquid form, in the tea by my side right now. I'm a wild woman who likes to live dangerously.

Well, WATCH OUT. A lot of tea has 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid in it as well, which often comes packaged with (5R)-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-3,4-dihydroxyfuran-2(5H)-one! It comes in an extremely suspicious bright yellow container, so be on the lookout.

[fundiefan]

So, I got a message from Kristina about my language. Apparently, in Perfect Christian World, words are more relevant than actions. Not surprising, but funny none the less. I really hope, for the sake of their offspring, that they can keep their life and reality going. It would be so sad for a person to say shit or fuck in their presence. If it's a kid of theirs, they'd get disowned.