The Maxwell girls love to bake!

[Justme]

54 minutes ago, Rosie said:

Liddy/Lydia looks "off" to me - in the photo with Mary, Liddy's face is devoid of expression.  And her features look similar to those of people with Down Syndrome.

I've seen other photo's of her which also make me think she has Down's. I'm not snarking here. I have friends with down's children. They fiercely love their kids and wouldn't change a thing. If Liddy does, she needs the right kind of teaching. I sincerely hope she would receive what she needs.

[ksuheather]

I in the Liddy looks "off" camp. That is Ruthie in the header not Liddy. 

[Honeysuckle]

I also thought she looked like an ordinary baby/toddler. Disclaimer: I haven't seen a ton of pictures of her, just looked at the more recent ones they have posted. Just like the camera loves some people, it can do mean things to others. One of my nieces was that way. If I showed you an assortment of pictures from her first year, you'd probably come away thinking she's a little off, too, but she just didn't photograph well until she was closer to 2 1/2.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

3 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

In the photos of the C. Maxwell family snow walk, she doesn't look like that- in the header she's grinning her head off. Maybe it's just a weird photo. After all, you can't tell an infant to pose and plaster a smile on their face. Well, you can, but they won't necessarily do so. 

Yep.  It's about as effective as telling my dogs to clean the bathroom.  I can, and do...but neither have picked up the scrubbing bubbles as of yet.

[DaffyDill]

In the header photo to the Snow Walk post, Liddy has a huge smile on her face. Typical baby joyful look. Joshua is sitting behind her, and Ruthie has her back to the camera.

She looks gorgeous in the photo; alert, healthy, happy and full of life. And those chubby cheeks!

Yes, in the photo in the next post with Anna she looks quite expressionless, but it looks as if she's looking at something, or maybe she's tired - who knows? Diagnosing a baby from a few photos, when there are other contradictory photos, is a tad extreme...or maybe that's just me.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

That pic of Lydia is a bit strange, but it's clearly a problem with that single pic, she even looks like a doll  with waxy white skin and the rigidity of plastic. It's a bad photo and it happens, nothing wrong with the child. Obviously Maxwells (Sarah?) can't always choose good looking pics for the blog, their aesthetic taste is often quite controversial. In fact I am positively surprised by the really fabulous pics of the "hello winter" post. I think it's due to the perfect light provided by the sun and the snow and the fact that those children are very good looking. 

[Eternalbluepearl]

12 hours ago, Justme said:

 If Liddy does, she needs the right kind of teaching. I sincerely hope she would receive what she needs.

I honestly think the Maxwells would continue with their schooling per usual. No changes. God designed parents as the teachers, the end.

Fundies be like: Too many doctors out there want your child's heart. I will buy medical textbooks and call myself a homedoctor. That way, when my child thinks of healthcare, they'll think of me and not some stranger. Same with the pizza guy, he was eyeing hearts, so we make pizza at home. 

[kpmom]

The blog is almost guest staring NR-Anna, Christopher and their kids lately.  After barely ever seeing the little girls, they're all over the place now.

I wonder why the change?

[Arete]

I have no patience for this "X kid looks like she/he has Down Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Whatever Syndrome" that happens around here.  A few months ago the medical experts were sure that Ruthie had Down's.  This month it's Lydia.  It boils down to hating the parents' lifestyle, which is legitimate, to hating it so much that you look for faults and defects everywhere including the kids's faces, which isn't.      If it sounds like I'm hand slapping, it's because I most certainly am, and I own it.    Ask yourselves how much you would appreciate strangers speculating on the health of your children based on a picture.   I'm off this soapbox and sorry about the italics, I couldn't fix it.

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

58 minutes ago, AreteJo said:

I have no patience for this "X kid looks like she/he has Down Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Whatever Syndrome that happens around here.  A few months ago the medical experts around here were sure that Ruthie had Down's.  This month it's Lydia.  It boils down to hating the parents' lifestyle, which is legitimate, to hating it so much that you look for faults and defects everywhere including the kids's faces, which isn't.      If it sounds like I'm hand slapping, it's because I most certainly am, and I own it.    Ask yourselves how much you would appreciate strangers speculating on the health of your children based on a picture.   I'm off this soapbox and sorry about the italics, I couldn't fix it.

 

I agree with every word.  Really well said.

[sparkles]

Quote

The blog is almost guest staring NR-Anna, Christopher and their kids lately.  After barely ever seeing the little girls, they're all over the place now.

I wonder why the change?

I think they're being groomed to take over the ministry. Christopher, much more than his brothers, including first-born Nathan, has always struck me as Steve 2.0. He seems incredibly priggish and uptight, he's been the most visible brother on the blog when it comes to writing about religious matters (he did a series once about a missionary), I think he's the one who comes up with the evangelizing ideas ("free" water at the fair and whatnot), plus he doesn't seem to have much of a career going, certainly not as a photographer and he's an also-ran at Swift Otter. With the others, not including Jesse at this point, I think there's more going on than meets the eye career-wise and they seem to be as successful as they need to be to care for their families. Christopher, not so much. He seems perfectly suited to take over Titus2, as does NR Anna. In fact, she'd most likely be much better at it than Teri, since she seems to love her role as wife and mother. She's churning out blessings non-stop, she's very creative and she's articulate and attractive. What could be a better testament to Steve's brand of Christianity that having the second generation step up. I definitely think we're looking at the heirs apparent here.

[Jana814]

I think Christopher is being groomed to take over also.  

[Dru]

Jumping back to the nickname thing, I know Melanie's sister Grace calls Nathan "Nate", so I'm sure at least Melanie does as well. 

[twin2]

1 hour ago, sparkles said:

I think they're being groomed to take over the ministry. Christopher, much more than his brothers, including first-born Nathan, has always struck me as Steve 2.0. He seems incredibly priggish and uptight, he's been the most visible brother on the blog when it comes to writing about religious matters (he did a series once about a missionary), I think he's the one who comes up with the evangelizing ideas ("free" water at the fair and whatnot), plus he doesn't seem to have much of a career going, certainly not as a photographer and he's an also-ran at Swift Otter. With the others, not including Jesse at this point, I think there's more going on than meets the eye career-wise and they seem to be as successful as they need to be to care for their families. Christopher, not so much. He seems perfectly suited to take over Titus2, as does NR Anna. In fact, she'd most likely be much better at it than Teri, since she seems to love her role as wife and mother. She's churning out blessings non-stop, she's very creative and she's articulate and attractive. What could be a better testament to Steve's brand of Christianity that having the second generation step up. I definitely think we're looking at the heirs apparent here.

I've kind of been thinking that Joseph will take over the dog and pony shows one day.  Both he and Elisa are musical, seem outgoing (I think they have been included in some conferences since being married), plus he grew up on the road.

I think Christopher seems to be outgoing enough to take over from Steve, just not sure if it would be something NR Anna would be up to doing.

[Coconut Flan]

Whoever takes over is going to need to do a major revitalization since the conferences have all but dried up for the Maxhells.  Almost all their books need to be redone and modernized and they need to do state of the art material that isn't already available.  I'm not sure they have a hook left.

[CyborgKin]

8 hours ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

Fundies be like: Too many doctors out there want your child's heart.

Well about 3,500 heart transplants are performed annually.

[Granwych]

6 hours ago, AreteJo said:

I have no patience for this "X kid looks like she/he has Down Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Whatever Syndrome" that happens around here.  A few months ago the medical experts were sure that Ruthie had Down's.  This month it's Lydia.  It boils down to hating the parents' lifestyle, which is legitimate, to hating it so much that you look for faults and defects everywhere including the kids's faces, which isn't.      If it sounds like I'm hand slapping, it's because I most certainly am, and I own it.    Ask yourselves how much you would appreciate strangers speculating on the health of your children based on a picture.   I'm off this soapbox and sorry about the italics, I couldn't fix it.

 

You can slap my hand till the cows come home.  I worked with people of all ages with developmental delays for over 20 years and don't just pull my opinions out of my keister.   I might never agree with the Maxwells' lifestyle, but I don't waste my time hating them.  They put their family pictures on the Internet for people to read, right?  I just feel incredibly sad and angry when innocent children are used and possibly(hell, probably) neglected and/or abused but held up as godly examples for the ego stroking of their parents.

[Sweet Fellowship]

8 hours ago, kpmom said:

The blog is almost guest staring NR-Anna, Christopher and their kids lately.  After barely ever seeing the little girls, they're all over the place now.

I wonder why the change?

Maybe Stevo has been lurking here and noting the discussion about the lack of Lydia on the blog.

Howdy, Steve!

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Sarah has posted a Year in Review:  pictures and activities month by month.  Ho hum.  It is meant to be an exciting round up of their very busy lives but it comes across as a detailed listing of rather insignificant moments mixed in with regular family stuff like birthday celebrations.

In January John's birthday was postponed.

In February they celebrated John's birthday.

In March spring temperatures felt delightful.

In April, "Ahhh. Spring!"

In May Mary decorated a wall in the living room. Spoiler alert.  It's a fake flower garland, framed photos and a pinterest-style multi-font statement, "In this house...we...blah, blah, blah.

 

You can read the rest yourself.  It's all very Maxwellian except that two pictures of the ABC girls are of their faces obscured by falling hair, NOT the robotic turn and smile at the camera.  Do be warned, however, that Lolly the clown makes an appearance.

[littlehouse]

Why are the photos sideways in May...is it because In This House we do messy?  Har har har

 

Ooop, I didn't notice that those were the stock photos in the frames.  Oh well

[johnhugh]

What the hell is all this about?

blog.titus2.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/DSC_6178.jpg

- Is she feeding him from the pan?

 

Note on the hike one of the girls is pictured not just with the normal box of Pringles, but this year a bar of chocolate to share between all eleventy of them. No wonder Stevie's waste line is expanding.

Mel and Nate, sorry Nate and Mel seem relaxed as a couple and a family especially compared to the rest of them except for John.

But Stevie, Mel's hair is getting shorter and shorter and I nearly mistook her for a man in the pictures. Maybe you could pray so that it's put on Nate's heart to insert his headship authority to grow it longer? Something to think about? 

The quilt, one would presume was from Aunt Tami, so even if she doesn't post (Stevie doesn't approve her posts) anymore she is still in touch.

That fucking Lolly the clown again

[MamaJunebug]

oooOoooOO -- report coming later on Mary's time "alone" in Colorado.  Can't imagine what will be revealed. Guessing it will involve the words sweet and blessing. 

[SolomonFundy]

The new post was the expected Maxdrivel, but it was nice to know that they literally did nothing beyond what was already reported on the blog. 

Sarah shifted from first- to third- person several times throughout the post. That add a nice serving of existentialist crisis to what was otherwise pretty bland fare.

[anjulibai]

Odd that they didn't mention that it was also Steve's birthday in August and Teri and Steve's anniversary.

Sarah looks very beautiful in the picture from her birthday from last year. 

[church_of_dog]

37 minutes ago, johnhugh said:

What the hell is all this about?

blog.titus2.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/DSC_6178.jpg

- Is she feeding him from the pan?

Notice what's in Stevie's hand?  Lighting a match is dangerous and therefore only the man can do it.  Even when it's his own birthday and he's supposed to be surprised...