Those "perfect" Alexanders...

[Koala]

Lori doesn't always write a blog post telling us that her family isn't "perfect", but when she does it's to tell us that her family is indeed "perfect"

 

Lori Alexander:

 

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I have NEVER heard anyone say or believe that they were perfect. Have you?

 

 

As a matter of fact...

 

Ken Alexander (from his time here at FJ)

 

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If you think the Alexanders or me, we sound too perfect... you are correct

 

 

Dear Lori,

Do you find it at all odd that you feel the need to reassure the world that your family isn't perfect? Trust me, there was never any doubt

[salex]

Lori doesn't always write a blog post telling us that her family isn't "perfect", but when she does it's to tell us that her family is indeed "perfect" :P

Lori Alexander:

Ken Alexander (from his time here at FJ)

:lol: :lol:

Dear Lori,

Do you find it at all odd that you feel the need to reassure the world that your family isn't perfect? Trust me, there was never any doubt :roll:

Once we established Ken and Lori were members of the family, we knew they were not a perfect family.

Now, I have not read the blog post, so I can't comment on specifics, but if it is like previous ones, it tells us how wonderful her children and their spouses are--which may be one of the few things good about Lori, she publicly praises her children. But how godly they will really turn out, Lori may never know. Doesn't mean they aren't great people, just means that they may not share everything with Lori.

[Koala]

Now, I have not read the blog post, so I can't comment on specifics, but if it is like previous ones, it tells us how wonderful her children and their spouses are--

:D

Lori Alexander:

Ken and I stand amazed at how amazing our children have all turned out. They have all married godly spouses and are all happily married. We know it ALL has to do with God's grace and our willingness to raise our children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord.

[Curious]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry about the fact that we can actually write Lori's posts for her at this point.

[NachosFlandersStyle]

What is it with bloggers and evangelicals always reminding us that they're not perfect? Like the only reason someone could possibly criticize you is because you seem too perfect or too confident. It's very "don't hate me because I'm beautiful!"

[feministxtian]

They're perfect all right...perfect assholes....

[chapstick]

Though I do sometimes suspect certain posts are aimed at certain kids (ahem - the keepers at home posts) I do respect the way that Lori will publicly praise her kids.

But my word this post reads so strangely to me. It's like her kids aren't actually people. Or something. They're like the product of her household and nothing more. She never references loving...or even liking her kids in an entire post dedicated to their awesomeness.

Is Lori so cold that the only affection that registers with her is sexual? I mean, now that I think about it, she has talked about how obvious it is that her kids love their spouses, but then she'll say it's because they'll sit on each others laps and stuff like that.

[Koala]

Well we know that at least one of Lori's children is just as bad as she is (if her writings can be trusted). The way her son has treated little Emma is enough to absolutely turn my stomach. Forcing her to sit on a blanket and cry for food while watching her parents eat, and then force feeding her when she's not hungry? Just no.

Then we have the daughter who tossed out all of the clothes her husband didn't like (that's normal :evil-eye: ).

The daughter who can't work full time and be a wife at the same time because....????

And the son that dumped some girl he really liked when he found out that she wasn't interested in becoming his personal chef.

[Firiel]

Well we know that at least one of Lori's children is just as bad as she is (if her writings can be trusted). The way her son has treated little Emma is enough to absolutely turn my stomach. Forcing her to sit on a blanket and cry for food while watching her parents eat, and then force feeding her when she's not hungry? Just no.

Then we have the daughter who tossed out all of the clothes her husband didn't like (that's normal :evil-eye: ).

The daughter who can't work full time and be a wife at the same time because....????

And the son that dumped some girl he really liked when he found out that she wasn't interested in becoming his personal chef.

And the sad thing is, those are all things that make Lori proud of her kids. :roll:

[usmcmom]

This is the part that irked me.

We recently listened to a father tell us about catching his child eating candy after he told him he couldn't eat it. His young child had it stuffed in his shirt and it was clearly visible. He kept denying that he had taken any candy, lying out rightly to his father. His father kept giggling and finally walked away. NO! Deal with any and all sin you see in your children's lives immediately. NEVER laugh or be entertained by their sin.

She just can't complete a post without insulting somebody and pointing out how others do it all wrong. She just can't comprehend a person choosing his battles. I'm sure Klorien jumped on every little thing with their kids and dealt with their "sins" immediately; their kids probably had not one moment's peace while growing up. I also suspect Lori did not relay the whole story about this father.

[kpmom]

Though I do sometimes suspect certain posts are aimed at certain kids (ahem - the keepers at home posts) I do respect the way that Lori will publicly praise her kids.

But my word this post reads so strangely to me. It's like her kids aren't actually people. Or something. They're like the product of her household and nothing more. She never references loving...or even liking her kids in an entire post dedicated to their awesomeness.

Is Lori so cold that the only affection that registers with her is sexual? I mean, now that I think about it, she has talked about how obvious it is that her kids love their spouses, but then she'll say it's because they'll sit on each others laps and stuff like that.

She does come across as very cold. Remember when she posted she would rather her children not have been born at all then turn their backs on Christianity? That is a nasty thing to say, imo, akin to saying she only loves them because they are Christians.

[Koala]

Christ almighty...look at some of the "humble" responses Lori has had to the the comments she's gotten:

From FB:

Lori, you are amazing Mom!!! Hope my boys will be like yours when they grow up!

Lori:

Thank you, sweet Sonia. I am sure they will if you are diligent to teach them the ways of the Lord.

From her blog:

This is wonderful! I hope I make my parents as proud as your children make you!

**Immediate handslap coming your way**

Lori:

Instead of "pride" Katie, I prefer to think of "no greater joy" as in "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth!" Walk in Truth, Katie, for this is the best path to walk on.

:roll: She even manages to insult her supporters

[Burris]

They're not perfect? Well, that surprises the hell out of me. Watching the two of them verbally gut one another in public wasn't enough of a clue.

[latraviata]

This is the part that irked me.

She just can't complete a post without insulting somebody and pointing out how others do it all wrong. She just can't comprehend a person choosing his battles. I'm sure Klorien jumped on every little thing with their kids and dealt with their "sins" immediately; their kids probably had not one moment's peace while growing up. I also suspect Lori did not relay the whole story about this father.

Why can't they have a good laugh about it?? Enjoy your children instead of label them as sinners. Horrible!!!

I think this is adorable

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[polecat]

Though I do sometimes suspect certain posts are aimed at certain kids (ahem - the keepers at home posts) I do respect the way that Lori will publicly praise her kids.

But my word this post reads so strangely to me. It's like her kids aren't actually people. Or something. They're like the product of her household and nothing more. She never references loving...or even liking her kids in an entire post dedicated to their awesomeness.

Is Lori so cold that the only affection that registers with her is sexual? I mean, now that I think about it, she has talked about how obvious it is that her kids love their spouses, but then she'll say it's because they'll sit on each others laps and stuff like that.

I don't even think that she personally comprehends sexual affection, either. She is of the "grin and bear it with some lube and a timer" persuasion and cannot even when asked directly state whether she loves her husband or not. I think there's one person Lori loves: Lori.

[thoughtful]

What is it with bloggers and evangelicals always reminding us that they're not perfect? Like the only reason someone could possibly criticize you is because you seem too perfect or too confident. It's very "don't hate me because I'm beautiful!"

:lol:

Between that and the "they told two people" approach to evangelism, I'm beginning to think that all fundamentalism is based on shampoo ads.

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[lilwriter85]

One of the main reasons, Lori's children have turned out "perfect" is because they all married people from similar backgrounds. I kind of suspect that Steven's wife Emily might come from a less conservative background than the Alexanders. The oldest daughter Alyssa is married to the son of a pastor and Lori described Alyssa's in laws as being like her and Ken. She described her daughter in law Erin's parents in a similar manner. I don't think Lori has talked much about Cassi's in-laws or the background of Cassi's husband Ryan.

I do think she isn't too happy with Steven's wife being a law student. Around the time after Steven and Emily's wedding, Lori posted a few entries that were pretty much anti-working women crap. If any of her kids change, my money is on Steven.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Well we know that at least one of Lori's children is just as bad as she is (if her writings can be trusted). The way her son has treated little Emma is enough to absolutely turn my stomach. Forcing her to sit on a blanket and cry for food while watching her parents eat, and then force feeding her when she's not hungry? Just no.

Then we have the daughter who tossed out all of the clothes her husband didn't like (that's normal :evil-eye: ).

The daughter who can't work full time and be a wife at the same time because....????

And the son that dumped some girl he really liked when he found out that she wasn't interested in becoming his personal chef.

To be perfectly fair, I once tossed out about 20 gross t-shirts and sweaters that my husband had accumulated. In my defense, they were really bad and the crap was taking over our room.

Cassi sounds like she may have some health issues, since she mentioned passing out and stomach issues even before she got married.

Lori and Ken are not reliable reporters in general, so I don't automatically trust that the things they say about their kids reflect reality. They contradict each other at times, and some of the girls' blog posts give a different picture as well.

Praising your kids can be good - but not always. Lori, in general, is very focused on externals. If people look gorgeous and have perfect smiles, that must mean that they are wonderful. There's a really superficial quality to her writing about her kids, almost Stepford-like. It's like the kids exist just so Lori can brag, and make it all about how wonderful her parenting must have been. There's nothing about emotional connection or her relationship with them - it's as if they exist just as a reflection of her accomplishments. IMHO, that's not entirely healthy. There's no unconditional love - in fact, Lori made it perfectly clear that she would prefer that any child who didn't share her religious beliefs would never have been born. I know my husband sometimes rolls his eyes when his dad introduces his 3 sons as "doctor, doctor and doctor". Ken and Lori are just like that. If Steven is a dentist, well, that must prove that they are the bestest parents ever.

Also, the Jewish mother in me worries about what we call "the evil eye". Very occasionally, I'll brag here about my kids, but I don't post our identities or pictures, and I always feel slightly weird about doing it. It feels slightly immodest to toot your own horn. Being over-the-top with praise and public attention also seems to invite potential negative attention and comments. [No, I don't literally believe that demons are alerted, but I do believe that it's human nature to feel resentment or look for flaws if someone is presented as being too perfect.]

[GolightlyGrrl]

They're perfect all right...perfect assholes....

But unlike Lori and Ken, assholes are actually useful for things like pooping and anal sex.

Lori and Ken are useless.

And if the Alexander spawn have some semblence of human decency it's not because of Lori and Ken. I bet the housekeepers and nannies had more of a positive influence over those kids than the parents.

[usmcmom]

But unlike Lori and Ken, assholes are actually useful for things like pooping and anal sex.

Lori and Ken are useless.

And if the Alexander spawn have some semblence of human decency it's not because of Lori and Ken. I bet the housekeepers and nannies had more of a positive influence over those kids than the parents.

Exactly. I believe that sometimes kids turn out quite well DESPITE their parents. My siblings and I say this about ourselves a lot.

[alba]

What is it with bloggers and evangelicals always reminding us that they're not perfect? Like the only reason someone could possibly criticize you is because you seem too perfect or too confident. It's very "don't hate me because I'm beautiful!"

I think with a lot of bloggers it's because they *do* present an overly-perfect version of their lives. They don't post about arguments with their partners or burnt cookies, but they share pictures from fun trips and more successful baking ventures. From what I've seen, it's a way of acknowledging they're not the perfect image they present and humbling themselves.

If Lori thinks she's presenting an image of a perfect version of her life, then how sad must her real life be?