Baby shower for Elissa + What Some Might Call a Vacation!

[sparkles]

Birthday post for Teri is up.

The descriptors:

[tab=30]Mom’s personality: Spunky, determined, sacrificial, loving, compassionate, disciplined

Spunky? Teri? :think:

I couldn't resist

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[Trynn]

Maybe Terri is spunky....in those 5 or so minutes when depression is sleeping and she can feel somewhat normal again.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

When Sarah writes these sort of things (her Mom is noted for being spunky) I am dying to pull her off to the side and have a chat with her. How can she get to be a 33 year old woman and be so sheltered that she thinks Teri-- the woman who is incapable of conducting the start of another year of homeschooling without dissolving into tears-- epitomizes spunk? I know it is because they don't read, don't get exposed to news and outside culture. If she had ever read Pippa Longstocking or Matilda or Ramona then she would have something to judge by. How did she ever learn the word "spunky" anyway? It is not in the KJV.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Now that I think about it, by isolating them so completely Steve ensured that his children would have only himself and Teri as role models. Most of us learn how to interact with people from our parents but also our friends, our relatives, our school teachers, our neighbors, people in the movies and TV and books. My parents were terrible in showing affections but I learned a different way from my aunts and my friends' mothers and especially from books. The way that Teri and Steve interact with their children-- that is the way that Sarah and the others think is normal. It is normal for your mother to cry because her schedule is out of control. It is normal for your mother to be fearful of calling your father to remind him to pick up the pizza. As we can see from her Moody books Sarah thinks it is normal for a mother to hide in her bedroom away from the kids for long periods of time.

[MamaJunebug]

JMHO, Jesse's going to have an extra-long weekly time with Steve The Compassionate this week. Jesse looks like he's having a genuine reaction to a real e perience in that photo!

[church_of_dog]

Now that I think about it, by isolating them so completely Steve ensured that his children would have only himself and Teri as role models. Most of us learn how to interact with people from our parents but also our friends, our relatives, our school teachers, our neighbors, people in the movies and TV and books. My parents were terrible in showing affections but I learned a different way from my aunts and my friends' mothers and especially from books. The way that Teri and Steve interact with their children-- that is the way that Sarah and the others think is normal. It is normal for your mother to cry because her schedule is out of control. It is normal for your mother to be fearful of calling your father to remind him to pick up the pizza. As we can see from her Moody books Sarah thinks it is normal for a mother to hide in her bedroom away from the kids for long periods of time.

This was probably discussed a long time ago, but I keep wondering how and why the family name "Moody" was picked. It just seems TOO apt for a family with a parent suffering from depression, no?

I do believe in coincidence, but then again I'm also really gullible, lol :geek:

[Letgo]

Outlander fans-

This reminds me of when Claire got a microscope and showed Jamie what she was looking at. His "spunk". She explained how babies were actually made. (Non readers, Jamie was her 18th century husband. He thought men sort of planted a seed into a woman, similarly to how you plant a tree. It was quite funny.)

I loved that passage-and Jamie! It really was funny and sweet. However, now I am going to have to think of the Maxwells whenever I read the series. Thanks for that, Justme.

I would love some anecdotes about Teri's "spunkiness" in Sarah's next post. Perhaps she took an extra animal cracker without asking permission first? Walked an additional block during her morning walk without including it in her daily plan?

[mango_fandango]

This was probably discussed a long time ago, but I keep wondering how and why the family name "Moody" was picked. It just seems TOO apt for a family with a parent suffering from depression, no?

I do believe in coincidence, but then again I'm also really gullible, lol :geek:

I don't know why, either. Maybe Sarah wanted a double-M thing going on. It probably is something to do with the reason you mentioned. And she got Maxwell in there, as Max's full name- not Maximilian or something.

[Dandruff]

When Sarah writes these sort of things (her Mom is noted for being spunky) I am dying to pull her off to the side and have a chat with her. How can she get to be a 33 year old woman and be so sheltered that she thinks Teri-- the woman who is incapable of conducting the start of another year of homeschooling without dissolving into tears-- epitomizes spunk? I know it is because they don't read, don't get exposed to news and outside culture. If she had ever read Pippa Longstocking or Matilda or Ramona then she would have something to judge by. How did she ever learn the word "spunky" anyway? It is not in the KJV.

Bet they heard it from one of the old ladies in the nursing home.

[SolomonFundy]

I loved that passage-and Jamie! It really was funny and sweet. However, now I am going to have to think of the Maxwells whenever I read the series. Thanks for that, Justme.

I would love some anecdotes about Teri's "spunkiness" in Sarah's next post. Perhaps she took an extra animal cracker without asking permission first? Walked an additional block during her morning walk without including it in her daily plan?

Threw caution to the wind and layered 3 shirts instead of the regulation 2?

[bionicmlle]

Outlander fans-

This reminds me of when Claire got a microscope and showed Jamie what she was looking at. His "spunk". She explained how babies were actually made. (Non readers, Jamie was her 18th century husband. He thought men sort of planted a seed into a woman, similarly to how you plant a tree. It was quite funny.)

Yes! When I read the blog post the first thing I thought was that the only unique adjective that Teri got was a euphemism for semen. :angry-banghead:

[clese]

When I hear the word spunk it immediately takes me back to porn. Seem to use that word a lot instead of semen in porn... Oh Sarah... Just what have you been watching on the Internet?!!!

[DaffyDill]

Mom’s personality: Spunky, determined, sacrificial, loving, compassionate, disciplined

Time to do some editing for Sarah:

Mom’s personality: dead behind the eyes and Stockholm Syndrome.

Along with what everyone has said regarding Terri's supposed "spunky" personality, or lack thereof, I can't really see her as the compassionate type, either. If she had one ounce of compassion, how could she keep on stunting and smothering her children, particularly her daughters, the way she has (with Steve's help). Those girls don't have the spirit or the opportunity to be spunky at all, they're stuck in the Maxwell snow globe, where the only thing that really ever changes is the weather.

[Lillybee]

Teri is posed with holding up the ingredients for Smores. I am surprised that Steve would allow them.

[Coco]

Bet they heard it from one of the old ladies in the nursing home.

whew Steve-o. Watch out for those flappers and WWII Rosies.

[Coco]

Yes! When I read the blog post the first thing I thought was that the only unique adjective that Teri got was a euphemism for semen. :angry-banghead:

slay

[Coco]

Along with what everyone has said regarding Terri's supposed "spunky" personality, or lack thereof, I can't really see her as the compassionate type, either. If she had one ounce of compassion, how could she keep on stunting and smothering her children, particularly her daughters, the way she has (with Steve's help). Those girls don't have the spirit or the opportunity to be spunky at all, they're stuck in the Maxwell snow globe, where the only thing that really ever changes is the weather.

If Teri is not on medication for depression (and what sane person would not be depressed by that life) then the snowglobe may be her way to keep a fragile grip on reality. My own mom suffers from that kind of need for predictability. She can't handle change very well, and definitely not something new that she doesn't have complete ability to control her exposure.

[nausicaa]

This was probably discussed a long time ago, but I keep wondering how and why the family name "Moody" was picked. It just seems TOO apt for a family with a parent suffering from depression, no?

I do believe in coincidence, but then again I'm also really gullible, lol :geek:

I've always thought the last name choice of Moody was really odd. Especially because in little kid books, the names often reveal a lot about the characters. Even in adult books, I can't imagine what editor wouldn't point out that a multi-book series about a family with a name with such negative connotations is a problem. Even with the Maxwells' isolation, it's still odd to me this didn't occur to any of them. If she wanted alliteration she could have gone with McGuire or McDonald (but maybe that is too suggestive of one of those non-Christian Papist families?)

[sparkles]

I've always thought the last name choice of Moody was really odd. Especially because in little kid books, the names often reveal a lot about the characters. Even in adult books, I can't imagine what editor wouldn't point out that a multi-book series about a family with a name with such negative connotations is a problem. Even with the Maxwells' isolation, it's still odd to me this didn't occur to any of them. If she wanted alliteration she could have gone with McGuire or McDonald (but maybe that is too suggestive of one of those non-Christian Papist families?)

For some reason that I could be inventing, I thought she chose the name Moody after some religious guy. I googled and a couple seemed likely, mainly D.L. Moody. One things for sure, it didn't come from Sarah's imagination, since that's been trained out of her and the rest of the Maxwell kids. There's a passage in "Raising Annoying Proselytizers" that pretty much says this outright. Something about how the kids used to make up stories about "Grandpa and Benny" and record them but Steve decided this wasn't "edifying" so he put a stop to it. :(

[HermioneSparrow]

Compassionate Teri???? Ummm okay lol! She seems the exact same opposite to me :?

OT but i was lurking on last years vacay to Colorado and I think I share a bday with Mary... #why :lol:

[goldbu]

For some reason that I could be inventing, I thought she chose the name Moody after some religious guy. I googled and a couple seemed likely, mainly D.L. Moody. One things for sure, it didn't come from Sarah's imagination, since that's been trained out of her and the rest of the Maxwell kids. There's a passage in "Raising Annoying Proselytizers" that pretty much says this outright. Something about how the kids used to make up stories about "Grandpa and Benny" and record them but Steve decided this wasn't "edifying" so he put a stop to it. :(

I'm pretty sure it's named after him. I think it was even mentioned in the free Moody book. There is also Moody Bible Institute that was named for him. A couple kids from my high school went there.

[Odd1Out]

Teri is posed with holding up the ingredients for Smores. I am surprised that Steve would allow them.

It's probably allowed only after a long hike.

[jakesykora]

I'm pretty sure it's named after him. I think it was even mentioned in the free Moody book. There is also Moody Bible Institute that was named for him. A couple kids from my high school went there.

Yeah, I'd assumed it was Dwight Moody all along purely based on him being considered by many to have been one of (if not) the greatest evangelists in the 19th century.

He traveled across the country (and other parts of the world) holding evangelistic meetings, having his works published in papers, books, tracts, etc., which is what I think the Maxwell family sees themselves doing as well.

Given how frequently what they write comes down to them emphasizing the priority of evangelism, it's always seemed to me like that was the likely connection and where the Moody family name in the books came from.

I'm actually a little surprised there's not been a blatant "we're so blessed out family shares a name with DL Moody, the famous evangelist" type thing in every Moody book. (Which I guess I'm just assuming is not the case since I've only subject myself to part of the free one! :dance: )

[mango_fandango]

They just scaled Mount Democrat. OH THE IRONY :lol: :lol: :lol:

I wondered why some of the 14ers they'd scaled were named after American universities... turns out there's a whole range called Collegiate Peaks :D

[SPHASH]

So they scaled 3 14ers in one day? I call bullshit on that one.