Papa Arndt's cryptic post

[quincygal]

The latest general "Famteam" website post is this verse from Proverbs. Apparently there are no woman like this is the greater St Louis area....

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.â€

Proverbs 31:10-12

Lol! Maybe if they left Arndt Acres they'd find a gal or two like this!!:) I can think of a few in their area.

[MatthewDuggar]

I wish they still broadcast the "church" services on the Internet. I know they showed a bit of it on the TLC special and it seemed pretty prayer-heavy and boring. Rick likes to think of himself as a theologian or prophet of sorts.

Cathy certainly runs the household and Rick is Lord and Master.

You're spot-on regarding them never doing anything charitable. I never actually noticed this before. Event the softball event, they claim that all proceeds go back to pay for the event and that any left-overs go to their "ministry" (toys for the manboys). Why not do something for a local homeless shelter? They'd probably get a better turnout if the event actually was of benefit to something tangible. It's really dwindling out, this year it's being held at their mansion/estate. I'll bet the only attendees are extended family that tolerate them and a few "friends" that live nearby.

Also, what's up with that massive run of white picket fence around the empty backyard? I think Cathy has a white picket fence fetish. They had one at the smaller older home in the city, but it looked good there.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

I showed the headship one of the videos and now he's talking about how he'll build a pond on our fictional land.

He's in love with their property and house - does anyone know how many sq ft and bedrooms?

And when they say they built it themselves does anyone know the extent of that? I'm sure it was a tremendous amount of work, but it's not like they could have done all of it alone (foundation, electrical, design?). Mr. Buffy thinks it might be some kind of prefab?

For years he's never shown any interest whatsoever in fundies but the Ardnts have him scratching his head and kind of jealous. We even had a debate on whether they are actual fundies or not. They really are a whole 'mother ballgame.

And you all are right...I tried listening to the safe at home series because I was curious as to where they diverge from their Catholic roots but I honestly can't focus. the combo of him being so inarticulate and his drone I keep drifting.

I am going to see if they mention it in the archives, but I wonder when the home churching stuff started? I think it was the video where they were in the mountain cabin watching the old home movies where they show a clip of James and Philip as littles (Seth was an infant) upset because Cathy went to church with Gramma. Does that mean they were still Catholic up until at least kid #8? Or whatever they do is compatible with being Catholic.

I know it's none of my business but I find it fascinating because there doesn't seem to have been a break in the family over it (although this couldn't have gone over well with the grandparents) so it's got me wondering about baptisms.

If they were practicing Catholics when the older boys were small they were baptized as infants - no question. Catholic families tend to see a lot of drift so while parents may not like it, shunning isn't common for that but if they opted not to baptize the other kids? Her family was devout enough that her father was a deacon - culturally even lapsed and barely practicing Catholics tend to be pretty adamant on baptism...refusal to baptize has caused estrangement in a lot of families less hardcore than hers seems to have been.

Either way I have no doubt every one of those kids was baptized whether their parents know it or not...Grandparents would have seen to that and used the loophole.

I know none of this is any of my business what I don't know is why I'm so interested.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

I wish they still broadcast the "church" services on the Internet. I know they showed a bit of it on the TLC special and it seemed pretty prayer-heavy and boring. Rick likes to think of himself as a theologian or prophet of sorts.

Cathy certainly runs the household and Rick is Lord and Master.

You're spot-on regarding them never doing anything charitable. I never actually noticed this before. Event the softball event, they claim that all proceeds go back to pay for the event and that any left-overs go to their "ministry" (toys for the manboys). Why not do something for a local homeless shelter? They'd probably get a better turnout if the event actually was of benefit to something tangible. It's really dwindling out, this year it's being held at their mansion/estate. I'll bet the only attendees are extended family that tolerate them and a few "friends" that live nearby.

Also, what's up with that massive run of white picket fence around the empty backyard? I think Cathy has a white picket fence fetish. They had one at the smaller older home in the city, but it looked good there.

I love the fence - although one of the boys misspoke when they said the yard was 100 square feet. When they moved there a lot of the kids were pretty small so fencing a portion near the house with the swing set and stuff makes sense. I'd hate to chase after a mess of kids young enough to need constant supervision without a fence - especially with that pond so close. As weird as they are, they seem to do a good job with safety and supervision stuff.

[MatthewDuggar]

That makes sense re: the fence and the little kids. It appeared in a few of the videos that the younger children (at the time) where not allowed to go near the pond unless an older manboy was supervising.

The TLC special talked quite a bit about the house building and gave a pretty full tour. I can't remember exactly, but I am pretty sure they got lots of outside help in the construction. I don't think it was such a drawn out mess like the Duggar TTH.

I am curious too about the whole Catholicism/Home Church. I would not be surprised if Cathy had them all baptized in the Catholic Church even though Rick probably disapproved. Based on something I read they were using their old house for the Church services while the new one was being finished which leads one to believe they started it way way back.

Have you watched the Shopping/Pizza Making espisode yet? I swear Seth says "big fucking pizza" at one point. I know they have unique speech but I cannot for the life of me think of what he might be saying other than an F-bomb!

[JenniferJuniper]

I am curious too about the whole Catholicism/Home Church. I would not be surprised if Cathy had them all baptized in the Catholic Church even though Rick probably disapproved. Based on something I read they were using their old house for the Church services while the new one was being finished which leads one to believe they started it way way back.

Cathy's parents were devoutly Roman Catholic. One of the manboys noted a couple of years ago that they were photographing a wedding in same Catholic church his parents had been married in and where Cathy's father had served as deacon for many years. I read somewhere - probably out here long ago - that Cathy's father is the one who paid for the older boys to attend Catholic schools for a year or two when Cathy was overwhelmed with work and/or little ones. Luke noted he was in the 5th grade at the time, so the oldest would have been in high school.

Cathy's parents died a few years back within a few months of each other and from his diary entries, Rick seemed a little resentful of the time Cathy spent helping out her ailing parents.

I've heard Rick was raised Catholic as well, but I don't have details about when he started drifting from the Church. I don't think it takes a great leap to imagine that Cathy's parents weren't exactly pleased with him pulling her away.

Fittingly, Rick baptized the younger kids himself at home. Which kid was the last one baptized in the Church is not clear.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

That makes sense re: the fence and the little kids. It appeared in a few of the videos that the younger children (at the time) where not allowed to go near the pond unless an older manboy was supervising.

The TLC special talked quite a bit about the house building and gave a pretty full tour. I can't remember exactly, but I am pretty sure they got lots of outside help in the construction. I don't think it was such a drawn out mess like the Duggar TTH.

I am curious too about the whole Catholicism/Home Church. I would not be surprised if Cathy had them all baptized in the Catholic Church even though Rick probably disapproved. Based on something I read they were using their old house for the Church services while the new one was being finished which leads one to believe they started it way way back.

Have you watched the Shopping/Pizza Making espisode yet? I swear Seth says "big fucking pizza" at one point. I know they have unique speech but I cannot for the life of me think of what he might be saying other than an F-bomb!

I will re watch that and give it a shot if you can tell me why the heck THIS made the cut of all the vine valley footage...@19:17 Cathy the nurse practitioner asks if he's hurt his upper thigh and he says "no, just north of there."

I feel for the guy holding the camera...being forced to film Dad's weird foreplay.

//youtu.be/gQ7fXFDqwDU

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Have you watched the Shopping/Pizza Making espisode yet? I swear Seth says "big fucking pizza" at one point. I know they have unique speech but I cannot for the life of me think of what he might be saying other than an F-bomb!

Big floppy pizza. It does sound like the f bomb but it's definitely floppy.

I marathoned the entire fastest series yesterday (and who says I don't have a life?) and I have some detailed thoughts about their manner of speaking.

this isn't Internet diagnosising, it's just having ears and a lot of real life experience with speech therapy...Seth, Nathan, and one of the two youngest, I think it's David, have mild speech impediments going on. Jude, John, Phillip, and Jacob have very pronounced accents but they still speak clearly. It's the combo of having the super strong accent on top of the speech issues that can make those guys unintelligible at times.

Paul, Mark, Luke, James, Wizzie, and Caleb have a hint of it when talking to the others but if they were on their own it would probably fade really quickly. Caleb is kind of mush mouthed but thats because he mumbles. And for the other little one, Peter, he doesnt talk enough for me to get a reading.

That accent did grow on me, it's very pleasant. Like when Jude talks I just found myself nodding along and finding the sing song cadence made me more cheerful. Is it possible they know this? It's some kind of aural Jedi mind control to regulate the moods of others? They aren't weird, they are freaking geniuses. Wonder if that would work on my end users?

And that's more than anyone wanted to know about my thoughts on the vocal mannerisms of strangers based on conversations they had years ago.

Trying to figure them out has become my weird hobby.

[MatthewDuggar]

Big floppy pizza. It does sound like the f bomb but it's definitely floppy.

Thank you!! I could NOT figure this out for the life of me.... :angry-banghead:

Not related to speech, but I found it really hard to believe that Seth's seemed to wait until his pizza was room temperature before he took his first taste...

I also hope those tiles weren't previously chemically treated.

[JenniferJuniper]

this isn't Internet diagnosising, it's just having ears and a lot of real life experience with speech therapy...Seth, Nathan, and one of the two youngest, I think it's David, have mild speech impediments going on. Jude, John, Phillip, and Jacob have very pronounced accents but they still speak clearly. It's the combo of having the super strong accent on top of the speech issues that can make those guys unintelligible at times.

Paul, Mark, Luke, James, Wizzie, and Caleb have a hint of it when talking to the others but if they were on their own it would probably fade really quickly. Caleb is kind of mush mouthed but thats because he mumbles. And for the other little one, Peter, he doesnt talk enough for me to get a reading.

You can hear a lot from Peter in his 10th birthday episode. It's one of my favorites.

I'm pretty sure Nate has some disabilities beyond a severe speech impediment.

I think the younger ones - aside from Nate - have some speech issues because they've been so isolated. For the most part, they only need to communicate well with each other. But it's odd with the older ones. Regional accent aside, some sound almost normal while others use an exaggerated version Rick's odd singsong speech pattern. As it's not according to birth order (some of the middle manboys speak more clearly than their older brothers), I really don't get it why this would be. Another Arndt mystery.

[MatthewDuggar]

It makes me wonder if any of them will attempt to speak with an accent in the great Vine Valley production. Rick seems to focus heavily on getting the scenery right as an obsession, but I have yet to hear him worry about the acting and/or dialog of the film...

[JenniferJuniper]

It makes me wonder if any of them will attempt to speak with an accent in the great Vine Valley production. Rick seems to focus heavily on getting the scenery right as an obsession, but I have yet to hear him worry about the acting and/or dialog of the film...

I guess I've always assumed it was a silent film. With excellent and ever-improving production values.

[MatthewDuggar]

I guess I've always assumed it was a silent film. With excellent and ever-improving production values.

Who knows? The manboys enjoy making silent films so it makes sense! LOL

[HerNameIsBuffy]

You can hear a lot from Peter in his 10th birthday episode. It's one of my favorites.

I'm pretty sure Nate has some disabilities beyond a severe speech impediment.

I think the younger ones - aside from Nate - have some speech issues because they've been so isolated. For the most part, they only need to communicate well with each other. But it's odd with the older ones. Regional accent aside, some sound almost normal while others use an exaggerated version Rick's odd singsong speech pattern. As it's not according to birth order (some of the middle manboys speak more clearly than their older brothers), I really don't get it why this would be. Another Arndt mystery.

I thought I'd seen them all, but coincidentally I did watch that one for the first time last night. That requirement to make up an original 'day before your birthday' song and dance routine was horrifying to me. Made me wonder if they actually had 19 kids and the 5 introverts bolted and are living in the woods as feral people.

I'm hoping Paul's critique of Peter's performance was some of that dry humor they like to break out because otherwise...yikes.

The regional part of their accent is amusing to me since I spent the better part of my childhood being corrected on the way I pronounced 'melk' and 'warsh.' It started before kindergarten and to this day I have the weird over correction of milk (went from my natural melk to me-ilk.). This sparked a conversation in my family about this and I was informed that while I do say wash, we absolutely have a dishwarsher and warshing machine. Still feels wrong to say wash, my mouth doesn't want to do it so my a is too long.

Some words just don't fit some mouths right. My mom never could say orange correctly - I can't even explain it but not like an accent, just her own made up pronunciation.

As I was watching I wondered what would happen if Rick was called on his delusions. If Cathy and the kids stopped humoring him about Vine Valley.I wonder if it would bring him back to reality or if he'd have a real psychological break. I honestly do think there is something very diagnosable about his mental state (although I couldn't tell you what) because he doesn't appear to be functional.

I also just saw the one where Jude goes around the house with the camera - a day at home or something - and it looks like the eldest boys have the attic...are they all in one room? Because two of those beds were really close together and if I was single and lvi g at home I'd sure as heck not be sleeping close enough to another person to hear them breath/snore at night. Like the worst parts of marriage with none of the upside.

[MatthewDuggar]

Does Wizzy have her own room?

[JenniferJuniper]

Does Wizzy have her own room?

She does.

I think the oldest four sons share a large third floor room, where they also have space to do their transcription work.

It's the fifth son I feel sorriest for, as he likely still sleeps in a bunk bed in a room with happy little stars and smiling moons on his bedspread. Not sure which one he is, but he'll be turning 30 in a year or two.

[MatthewDuggar]

Thanks, that also reminded of how the TLC special made mention of how they refuse to wear pajamas and sleep in their clothes. Cathy was interviewed and said she would always buy them but they refused to wear them. Seems very odd for a child (all of them) to rebel like that. I don't find it too terribly strange for an adult as long as the clothes are clean and comfortable...

[JenniferJuniper]

Thanks, that also reminded of how the TLC special made mention of how they refuse to wear pajamas and sleep in their clothes. Cathy was interviewed and said she would always buy them but they refused to wear them. Seems very odd for a child (all of them) to rebel like that. I don't find it too terribly strange for an adult as long as the clothes are clean and comfortable...

Especially considering that Arndt boys don't rebel.

I'm sure it was Mommy and Daddy's idea. I'd prefer not to speculate about their reasons.

Personally, I think pajamas are one of mankind's greatest inventions.

[nausicaa]

That requirement to make up an original 'day before your birthday' song and dance routine was horrifying to me. Made me wonder if they actually had 19 kids and the 5 introverts bolted and are living in the woods as feral people.

:lol:

[MarblesMom]

Oh my gosh! I just discovered these people! What an odd lifestyle... I can see I will be wrapped up in their videos for a while... whoa. Pure gold.

[MatthewDuggar]

I've been reading a year or so of Dad's Diary everyday and came across this back on May 14th 2001:

As of late I have noticed an increase in God’s

peace within my life, and within the family in general. It seems as if He is

deepening our trust in Him, causing everyone to experience increasing amounts of

peace. The older boys, for example, seem to be relaxed about situations such as

discovering who their future spouses might be. They seem to possess a genuine

belief that the Father, in His good time, will reveal such things, and in the

meantime are not dating merely for the sake of dating. They all have many girls

who are friends, but seem to be spending the bulk of their energies upon the

family, the business, the ministry, sports, their extended family, et cetera,

until "Miss Right" comes along. Of course, they are not isolated

behind the walls of the family; they are heavily involved in sports teams,

Internet e-mailing to acquaintances, ministry outreaches, production of our TV

shows, et cetera. We have always taught them that God is the matchmaker; that we

must trust Him in such serious matters as locating a lifetime partner. Only He

knows the hearts of people, the future, and so forth.

Typical fundie babble.

It was also mentioned that Paul's car went out around this time and needed almost $4000 in repairs and they were heavily praying on what to do. Considering Paul is over 20 years old and also works at the YMCA cleaning equipment, (he only proofreads for the court reporting business at this point) you'd think he'd use his own money for this car issue. Nope, sounds as if it's a Bates-style set-up where all money goes into the family pot.

[MatthewDuggar]

Dad's Diary as of late seems like a broken record....

We did some filming

The older boys worked out at the Y Center

I edited some scenes

Cathy is painting

I did an hour of filming

2 of the boys are learning to use a new camera

I was able to do some filming today?  (Really?)

Cathy is in the kitchen

I did some filming

The boys love to edit the flim scenes

Mark is upbeat and joyous as always

I did some filming

 

I know nothing about filming a movie but with all these scenes they are doing over the course of years I can't imagine what the end result is going to be like.  I sure hope he backs up everything in case of some sort of massive data loss situation.  Imagine if he had to start over...

[HerNameIsBuffy]

On December 15, 2015 at 9:25 PM, MatthewDuggar said:

Dad's Diary as of late seems like a broken record....

We did some filming

The older boys worked out at the Y Center

I edited some scenes

Cathy is painting

I did an hour of filming

2 of the boys are learning to use a new camera

I was able to do some filming today?  (Really?)

Cathy is in the kitchen

I did some filming

The boys love to edit the flim scenes

Mark is upbeat and joyous as always

I did some filming

 

I know nothing about filming a movie but with all these scenes they are doing over the course of years I can't imagine what the end result is going to be like.  I sure hope he backs up everything in case of some sort of massive data loss situation.  Imagine if he had to start over...

The thought of having to start over is hilarious.

maybe the characters age in the series and Rick doesn't know that all tv shows/movies don't actually take decades to film while the characters age in real time.

been thinking about them lately since everywhere I look I see a penguin these days - my favorite Christmas theme.  

[Imissvelcro]

On 12/2/2014 at 2:17 AM, DaffyDill said:

 

Well, seeing god had to make Adam a partner, maybe Papa Arndt is going to get the toolkit out and make a few womenfolk for the boys for Christmas.

 

Kinda like Frank'n'furter in that song from Rocky Horror "I'm gonna make me a man!"....except this would be a girl...or girls.....I think....

I sincerely love the Rocky Horror Picture.