Can someone give me a Maxwell summary?

[thoughtful]

Eh, I'll cut her some slack on that one. I'm the biggest procrastinator/time-waster I know and not the best housekeeper in the world, but I'd rather clear some dishes from the dishwasher or wipe off the counters than stand around drumming my fingers idly for the 60 seconds it takes to nuke a frozen burrito (with beef). Three minutes would be enough time to go fire off an email or make a short call or something.

To me, it's not so much that she does something while waiting, as that she wrote about it -- I assume Lillybee got that from one of their books or a Mom's Corner.

I do something while waiting for the microwave, whether it's heating food or the thing I use for neck pain, and, since they're nearby, little kitchen chores are usually what gets done.

If the microwave is heating up something Teri is using for back pain, doing anything that involves moderate moving around, rather than standing still staring at the microwave, or sitting down and needing to get up again in 3 minutes, is probably pretty smart, and (dare I say it? will Stevie forbid?) being kind to herself.

I think it's the fact that she went out of her way to write about it, suggesting it to others, with the implication that it is Godly to never waste even that time, that is sad and oh-so-Maxwellian.

In fact, I'm surprised that there is anything to do while waiting for the microwave in Maxhell -- wouldn't all of the housework have been done, perfectly, completely and on schedule?

Maybe that's why it has to be something arbitrary, like rearranging the flatware drawer.

But won't Stevie freak out when the spoons and forks are reversed?

[Palimpsest]

Agree with Thoughtful and Escaped Cardinal. This is a classic example of the Maxwells acting superior to the rest of us. I'm surprised Teri doesn't go the whole hog and pray as she rearranges the silverware drawer.

When you think about it, do any of you really stand staring slack-jawed and empty-headed at the microwave for 3 minutes? It's basic multi-tasking, better to keep moving if you have back ache, and plenty of time to wipe down a counter, de-fingerprint the fridge handle or even polish your glass stovetop.

That last is a reference to Anna's 18th Birthday celebrations. Look how busy she was all day (not!) This wasn't her actual birthday, she was sick that day, but was stupendously exciting for the Maxwells because a leg-humper gave them the money to go out to dinner. It's a good example of how freaking boring their days must be.

blog.titus2.com/2010/11/13/an-unusual-birthday-a-day-in-the-life-of-anna/

(I think the server at Olive Garden looked at the tables teeming with Maxwells, realized there would be no tip, and said, "God give me strength!" The Maxwells took it as a prayer request!)

ETA. Also agree with Escaped Cardinal!

[nomoxian]

Eh, I'll cut her some slack on that one. I'm the biggest procrastinator/time-waster I know and not the best housekeeper in the world, but I'd rather clear some dishes from the dishwasher or wipe off the counters than stand around drumming my fingers idly for the 60 seconds it takes to nuke a frozen burrito (with beef). Three minutes would be enough time to go fire off an email or make a short call or something.

I do stuff like that too, but it's because I choose to and not because He tells me I should

The He here is not God but Steve, of course... :worship: :roll:

[thoughtful]

Agree with Thoughtful and Escaped Cardinal. This is a classic example of the Maxwells acting superior to the rest of us. I'm surprised Teri doesn't go the whole hog and pray as she rearranges the silverware drawer.

She probably does -- she just thinks it goes without saying. :lol:

I wonder if the Maxwells walk around all day praying, or at least thinking of God and Jesus, as they do everything.

blog.titus2.com/2010/11/13/an-unusual-birthday-a-day-in-the-life-of-anna/

(I think the server at Olive Garden looked at the tables teeming with Maxwells, realized there would be no tip, and said, "God give me strength!" The Maxwells took it as a prayer request!)

:lol: :bow-yellow:

[nomoxian]

"We even had enough [muffins] to send to all THREE sets of relatives"

So what; they had 1 muffin extra for each of their relatives, after eating exactly 1 each themselves?

"After breakfast, Anna had to start on a mission. It was decided at the last-minute to make matching outfits for Anna Marie, Melanie, Abby, and Bethany, to match us girls for our family picture"

So basically, even though it's her birthday (or, the day they are celebrating it on) she needs to do work? I'm not surprised at that, but it does surprise me that they would do something last minute. Changing plans? Now that is unusual!

"as is hoped, someday the Lord will bring the right guy for Sarah, and she’ll no longer be available to do what she does."

I see Steve has been reading here ;p The 3rd person usage is weird, but even though Sarah is credited as being the author of this post, we all know who really writes the blog.

OMG I'm scrolling down and we're only to 11AM

And OMG again - I had that exact same Fisher Price parking lot when I was a kid. I totally forgot about it until just now!

[long description about cleaning]

So again; it's her birthday but she needs to clean the glass on the stove while smiling?

"Dad asked the waitress how we could pray for her"

Foisting your religion on someone who is trapped at work and relies on your happiness for tips. How kind, considerate, thoughtful and *nice* Steve is!

"It was a rainy, autumn evening, very reminiscent of what October 31st weather is normally like"

Can't say the dreaded H word, now can we!?

"Nathan had to go back to work for part of the evening, thus he was missing in the picture above."

I think they left out a word there - *escaped* back to work.

"Anna opened presents, with help from Abby, who was extremely delighted to be apart."

I'm sure the 'apart' was a typo, but it's still funny.

:angry-banghead: :cray-cray: :pull-hair: :wtf:

[Naga Viper]

Ah, gotcha, Thoughtful—that makes more sense. Lord knows I've blogged about some boring shit in my time, but certainly not the random filler minutiæ nobody cares about, let alone tried to make it look like that kind of multitasking made me better than anyone else.

Lord, the head games Steve has pulled on his own family. It's not going to be fun watching Elissa get sucked into that vortex.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

On Anna’s actual birthday, in Spokane, when, bless her heart, she was totally down and out, a family gifted her in an incredible way. They handed a card to one of the Maxwells at the conference, and it was for the birthday girl.

:( Anna was down and out? I am surprised they even admitted someone had feelings.

[albanuadh_1]

Random thought - Are the Maxwells vegetarian? Granted, I haven't read every post but I've only seen reference to smoothies and bean burritos.

[Jana814]

Random thought - Are the Maxwells vegetarian? Granted, I haven't read every post but I've only seen reference to smoothies and bean burritos.

They do eat meat ( at least on Thanksgiving) but I seem to remember a while back Teri saying she was allergic to chicken & I think another meat.

[Justme]

Meat is expensive and Steve is cheap. They have had bacon, hot dogs and burgers.

[SquirrelySquirrel]

Did anyone here watch Dexter? Remember that Thanksgiving dinner scene with John Lithgow playing a serial killer, sitting at the head of the table surrounded by his terrified family?

That's how I imagine Steve Maxwell; jovially announcing that, 'y'know I'll bet these burritos would taste just the same without the hamburger' while his family look on, dismayed and yet unable to do anything but agree.

We binge watched it on Netflix last year and I definitely made some Steve connections in my mind while watching that season! I don't think it would shock me much to find out Steve is a creepy serial killer... I also am reminded of him when I watch season 1 of Boardwalk Empire, via Nelson Van Alden. Wonder if he lashes his own back when he's been sinful.

[keepercjr]

The video of Nathan on the 1ton ramp "about us" page was painful to listen to.

itonramp.com/about/

[Jana814]

The video of Nathan on the 1ton ramp "about us" page was painful to listen to.

itonramp.com/about/

I just listened to it and I agree!!

[Coco]

I just listened to it and I agree!!

:lol: For all Steve's past business world experience you'd think he'd have trained his sons to speak in a more decisive manner.

[laura oz]

I went to see my grandfather who lives on the Alzheimer's wing of a nursing home the other day. As you walk in the lobby you have to pass the top floor common room, and that day they had a family ministry there. Let me preface what I'm about to say: these are elderly people who can not get away for the most part. As I was walking by, I heard "Bringing in the Sheeves" and "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder" being performed badly. The fact that they were singing songs entirely about death and judgement to elderly people who are definitely on the last part of their earthly journey, and who *can not* get away, made me think about Steve. I tried to fight the giggles. Giggles won.

[lilith]

This may have been posted here before, but this is a thread on a message board for conservative Christian homeschool mums, discussing the Maxwells. It's interesting to see the reaction from their target audience, and that even that demographic seems to agree that they are getting more and more extreme as the years go by.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic ... ast-night/

[Coco]

This may have been posted here before, but this is a thread on a message board for conservative Christian homeschool mums, discussing the Maxwells. It's interesting to see the reaction from their target audience, and that even that demographic seems to agree that they are getting more and more extreme as the years go by.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic ... ast-night/

That is very interesting. Thank you for posting the link!

[ViolaSebastian]

This may have been posted here before, but this is a thread on a message board for conservative Christian homeschool mums, discussing the Maxwells. It's interesting to see the reaction from their target audience, and that even that demographic seems to agree that they are getting more and more extreme as the years go by.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic ... ast-night/

Raise your hand if you think 'Narrow4Life' on that thread is actually Steve.

[thoughtful]

Raise your hand if you think 'Narrow4Life' on that thread is actually Steve.

Sure seems like it. Looks like it might be this guy, though:

https://www.facebook.com/narrow4life

www.home-school.com/forums//search.php? ... arrow4life

I think that thread has been posted here before, but that post and the ones after it were not on there yet -- they were posted 4 years after the thread started.

[Coco]

Sure seems like it. Looks like it might be this guy, though:

https://www.facebook.com/narrow4life

http://www.home-school.com/forums//sear ... arrow4life

I think that thread has been posted here before, but that post and the ones after it were not on there yet -- they were posted 4 years after the thread started.

wow that guy on his FB page, thrilled that his daughter knew a latin origin, that's great but it reminded me of a fundie friend whose daughter knew that butterflies change inside a chrysalis and kept saying it over and over, and the mom, who, honestly, does a really terrible job homeschooling, hollered, "and that's science!" um, yes, one science lesson. :roll:

[Coco]

This may have been posted here before, but this is a thread on a message board for conservative Christian homeschool mums, discussing the Maxwells. It's interesting to see the reaction from their target audience, and that even that demographic seems to agree that they are getting more and more extreme as the years go by.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic ... ast-night/

An interesting quote considering they edit comments on their Titus2 blog:

The text, in case it's too tiny to read:

angela in ohio said

That is not necessarily a contradicton to me. It depends on why you are opposed to mothers working, I suppose. In the work that Terri does, she is still accountable to her husband instead of someone else, the Maxwell's can determine her schedule and how much time it takes away from their family, and she is spending time with Steve and (at least when I have seen her speak) her dc doing it. I think it is very, very different from a job outside the home.

cathmom said (in reply)

Yes, I see how it could be seen that way. What you don't know is that on their message board (where they moderated every single post and towards the end edited them at will), they refused to allow any mom to mention working even if it met those conditions. A mom could not mention sewing in her home, for instance.

[kpmom]

I see why they shut that forum down. What exactly did they allow the participants to talk about for heaven's sake?

A woman couldn't even discuss a sewing business in her home??

And yet, they've discussed Teri writing and speaking many times on the blog.

Weirdest people ever, I swear.

[nausicaa]

I see why they shut that forum down. What exactly did they allow the participants to talk about for heaven's sake?

I've been wondering about this as well. They didn't even let people talk about hope chests! (since it could make some girls sad who hadn't been called to get married yet.) How on earth did they think a discussion would work if they directed what people were allowed to say down to the last detail? Isn't conflict on some level the foundation for any discussion?

I totally understand a conservative Christian forum banning foul language or sacreligious images. But if all posters are already supposed to agree on the implementation of the world's largest religion, down to whether a woman can work alongside her husband or a daughter can have a hope chest, where does the "discussion" come in? I know I shouldn't be surprised at the Maxwells anymore, but the assumption that they just get to censor anyone around them for saying anything they disagree with just boggles my mind.

[mastercleaner]

And don't forget, these people are supposed to be "great conversationalists"

:roll:

[Justme]

Posters where also forbidden to post any kind of personal info. They did not want members contacting each other. I first found out about them about 16 years ago through a parenting board. The members were talking pretty freely about them. (The brd ownership has changed several times since, so I can't find it in the way back machine.)