The Maxwell girls love to bake!

[MamaJunebug]

On December 19, 2015 at 8:01 PM, Chelio93 said:

She crossed the state line.  She is in a whole other state by herself. Steve my need a case of cream for those hives.

She actually might have crossed over the river bridge!

[kpmom]

6 hours ago, accountingstar said:

.

 

I agree that they totally need to rebrand. Christopher and Anna Marie can take over. NR Anna can write one blog post a week about taking care of her children. They need to get mothers interested in their products. Also, Elissa and Melanie can get involved. 

 

 

 

Definitely.

They are still shipping the MOTH books with that ridiculous scheduling kit. What young mother wants to fool around with a paper and pencil schedule and move around different colored post-it notes?  This is supposed to be a family that's heavy into computers and IT and they're pushing a paper and pencil schedule system?

They have Schedule Breeze for sale but it's at an additional cost and only sold to those who already have MOTH.

The whole MOTH schedule system should be on computer, and the young Maxwell families should be the ones marketing it.

Teri and Steve think young mothers in their twenties and early thirties are impressed by them and their 30 years of homeschooling, blah, blah, blah.  But, I think young fundie moms would be more inclined to listen to parents of young children, more like themselves.

[molecule]

13 minutes ago, kpmom said:

Teri and Steve think young mothers in their twenties and early thirties are impressed by them and their 30 years of homeschooling, blah, blah, blah.  But, I think young fundie moms would be more inclined to listen to parents of young children, more like themselves.

Exactly! They aren't even bothering to do basic marketing research (or they are and they're either asking the wrong questions or ignoring what they find).

If I were homeschooling, I'd prefer ideas from people who are just a little bit ahead of me because I'd feel like they understood my reality a bit better. Steven and Teri would be seen as too old and out of touch.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

On 12/19/2015 at 8:15 PM, nausicaa25 said:

I would hardly say 30 means its time to put yourself out to pasture. If time is marching across your face, maybe you need a better moisturizer. 

I'm not trying to be all finger wag-gy up in here, and this isn't all directed at Screamapillar who I know was just trying to be silly, but I find Sarah Maxwell to be a Rorschach test for FJers. A lot of the comments-- about age, being unmarried in one's thirties, marriage and children being the height of accomplishment --reveal a lot more about FJers and their own limited beliefs than they do about Sarah. 

I think the finger wagging says more about you than it does about the FJers commenting about the Maxwells-- mainly that you are incapable of reading in context.

I doubt any of us believe that marriage and children are the height of accomplishment, I know I certainly don't.  What we are lamenting is that Sarah Maxwell is getting to be "too old" for marriage and childbirth in her fundie world and since marriage and childbirth are the only way Sarah is ever going to be considered an adult and be allowed to leave her parent's house and make her own choices there is a lot to be sad about.  Again, because you apparently need everything pointed out to you explicitly, this is what is true in Sarah's world, not my own.  In my world a woman in her 30's still has plenty of time to figure out what she wants to do and go after it.  I went back to school at 29, graduated at 32, and had my daughter at 36.  I think of my 30's as my youth really, especially as I am now 58.  I wish I had the energy, skin, hair, and enthusiasm of those years back.

And by the way, if my daughter never married and never had children I would be happy for her as long as that is what she wanted.  For poor Sarah never getting married means she will live a sexless life under her parents' thumb and subject to their schedule and activity choices until they die.  Then she can live under her brother's thumb.

[CyborgKin]

@Handmaiden of Dog yep that's a part of what I wanted to say but said much better than I ever could (because you have actual relevant life experience to draw upon).  Thanks!

[anjulibai]

Totally agree, Handmaiden. Sarah was raised that the only acceptable role for a woman was to eventually be a wife and mother. Her parents drilled that into her head from the time she was a shild. More than anything, it's what she seems to want and yet she will never be allowed that. That's just horribly sad and completely dispicable on her parents part for 1) telling her she had only one thing she could be in life and 2) not allowing her to be that one thing. 

[Marian the Librarian]

New post is up - "a sweet Christmas gathering with our elderly friends." Sarah is at the piano, looking grim...

[Jana814]

Joshua is only 3. He's already reciting scripture. Steve must be thrilled!!  That poor kid he can't just be a regular 3 year old who wants to be superhero. 

[MamaJunebug]

If Cell BlockM's business model continues to change along the lines all y'all are suggesting, you need to charge them for your consultancy services!!

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Quote

Recently we had a sweet Christmas gathering with our elderly friends. It was a small crowd due to traveling and illness, but we had a great time!

I don't think in my entire life I have used the word "sweet" to describe a party or gathering.  What makes a gathering sweet? I'm going to guess that there is no drama, nothing very exciting happens, there are vague smiles and inconsequential conversation, and it all begins with a prayer...and probably ends with a prayer.  I was going to add that little children must perform but I believe Sarah has described other gatherings as sweet when no children were present.

I figured when she said it was a small crowd that it was like their normal Christmas party, perhaps 10 non-Maxwells or so, but the pictures posted lead me to think there might have been 3 "elderly friends."  I like to imagine that anyone with an ounce of self respect stayed away after learning they are referred to as elderly friends but maybe there was something really good on TV that night.

[CyborgKin]

Sweet Christmas!

 

... is the catchphrase of comicbook character Luke Cage.

Spoiler

I'm pretty sure Sarah didn't get it from watching Jessica Jones though.

[Foudeb]

It strikes me as how much the Maxwells (and select other fundies) are like a distorted modern version of upper class regency England. Chaperones everywhere! married off at any point between 16-21 for the girls! talk of being on the shelf at the wise old age of 25 (still for the girls)! holding hands when engaged! first kiss at the altar! entertainment consists of a young lady playing the piano and everyone pretending to like it!

Someone really ought to write the fanfic.

[nausicaa]

On 12/21/2015 at 7:13 PM, Handmaiden of Dog said:

I think the finger wagging says more about you than it does about the FJers commenting about the Maxwells-- mainly that you are incapable of reading in context.

I doubt any of us believe that marriage and children are the height of accomplishment, I know I certainly don't.  What we are lamenting is that Sarah Maxwell is getting to be "too old" for marriage and childbirth in her fundie world and since marriage and childbirth are the only way Sarah is ever going to be considered an adult and be allowed to leave her parent's house and make her own choices there is a lot to be sad about.  Again, because you apparently need everything pointed out to you explicitly, this is what is true in Sarah's world, not my own.  In my world a woman in her 30's still has plenty of time to figure out what she wants to do and go after it.  I went back to school at 29, graduated at 32, and had my daughter at 36.  I think of my 30's as my youth really, especially as I am now 58.  I wish I had the energy, skin, hair, and enthusiasm of those years back.

And by the way, if my daughter never married and never had children I would be happy for her as long as that is what she wanted.  For poor Sarah never getting married means she will live a sexless life under her parents' thumb and subject to their schedule and activity choices until they die.  Then she can live under her brother's thumb.

I get context. But thanks for the unnecessary dig.

I don't have any issues with people lamenting that Sarah isn't achieving what she needs to in her Fundie world. I completely agree, in her society, 33 is old to still be single and children and marriage are the height of accomplishment. And yeah, Sarah's life is gonna suck if she doesn't get married in the future. We're all in agreement on that. 

However, let's get real. Sometimes the comments here do leave the "within her Fundie world" context behind and just go into "Wow, single at 33, what a loser." Particularly when we play the "I did X,Y, and Z by Sarah's age." (X, Y, and Z normally including marriage and children). And your comment about Sarah looking older wasn't within the context of the Fundie world. I think it's odd that you assume a woman of 33 should look tired and have bags under her eyes. 

@MamaJunebug-- My earlier comment wasn't directed at you. Actually, I didn't really have a particular comment/commenter in mind, just a collection of comments I've read over the years that seem to be straining the "in Sarah's world" context. 

[MamaJunebug]

@nausicaa25, 

A sincere thank you -- I didn't really take the comment personally, just wanted to take every opportunity to point out how Steve and Teri are the real culprits in the "narrow minded" category. 

 

I've met the Maxwells at a conference and TTBOMK never met any other FJers, but I've been around long enough to perceive/believe that most of us have a real tenderness toward Poor Sarah, though we may not express it clearly. There's something still vulnerable about her despite all the edges she's had to develop as mother's big helper. When someone posted that people in their early 30s are starting to look less dewy (my word), I read it as a defense of PS, to wit, "Leave her be, of course she doesn't look Mary's age anymore" sort of thing. 

All will be well.  Thank you again  

 

[Season of life...]

On Monday, December 21, 2015 at 7:16 PM, Marian the Librarian said:

New post is up - "a sweet Christmas gathering with our elderly friends." Sarah is at the piano, looking grim...

I wonder why it wasn't delightful?

Recently every other activity the Maxwells wax rhapsodic on has been "delightful"...

[WonderingInWA]

On 12/21/2015 at 6:16 PM, Marian the Librarian said:

New post is up - "a sweet Christmas gathering with our elderly friends." Sarah is at the piano, looking grim...

I need someone to crop that photo and make it available for an avatar here at FJ.  I saved it to my computer, but I don't know how to deal with it from there.  It is the epitome of Poor Sarah, for sure.  She has often said she is not talented at music, but it looks like she's taking one for the team there and is none too happy about it.  

I'm having lots of trouble with the FJ site tonight (slow loading, having to sign in over and over) and hope that's just me.  Not sure what's going on, but it's frustrating!

[Foudeb]

Her parents are probably allowing her little bits of "freedom" - driving on her own, maybe there's 15 mins a day she's allowed to schedule on her own, etc. as a way to keep her from questioning Cell Block M too much. And she's so brainwashed she's probably grateful for their "trust" too.

I feel very, very sorry for her. Of all the Maxhell spawn I do believe she's suffering the most due to her age / sex.

[VodouDoll]

I really like Ruthanne's gray dress with back trim in the Elderly party post. That's a sharp little dress.

[kpmom]

48 minutes ago, VodouDoll said:

I really like Ruthanne's gray dress with back trim in the Elderly party post. That's a sharp little dress.

You're right, that's a beautiful dress.  I wonder if NR-Anna sewed it herself?

Re, Sarah at the piano, I really think she's just concentrating very hard on reading the music, and not grim.  I think we are so used to the fake smiles pictures that it's a little surprising to see them looking any other way.

[Screamapillar]

Oh dear, I didn't mean to stir anything up with my sassy quip commiserating with my fellow early thirty-something Sarah's subtle fine lines. She's an attractive woman who doesn't look tired or worn down to me, she just looks her age.

I am certainly one of those who, as Mama Junebug put it, has a real tenderness towards poor Sarah. I've been following the Maxwells for a decade, since way back when Sarah was telling girls at the fair how she'd never kissed a boy at age 23 and not too long after she was critiquing other young ladies at church for not dressing modestly enough. Back then, similarly aged me had an eye-rolling "Eh, maybe she'll grow out of her fear and brainwashing someday" reaction to Sarah. That she's still stuck in Maxhell to this day frustrates me to no end.

[sparkles]

I was a lot more sympathetic to Poor Sarah until someone who attended one of the conferences (sorry I can't remember who it was) reported that she was quite the drill sergeant and not exactly the shy, retiring shrinking violet we've got pictured in our minds. I guess, like Teri, the oppressed has become the oppressor.

[kpmom]

1 hour ago, sparkles said:

I was a lot more sympathetic to Poor Sarah until someone who attended one of the conferences (sorry I can't remember who it was) reported that she was quite the drill sergeant and not exactly the shy, retiring shrinking violet we've got pictured in our minds. I guess, like Teri, the oppressed has become the oppressor.

I remember an FJer reporting that.  I have an idea that Steve and Teri expected Sarah to keep her sisters in line when they were younger, and maybe even blamed her if they didn't behave.  That's probably carried over to adulthood.

I recall Teri's Mom's Corner about how anxious she was when they were packing to leave a hotel back in the days when they were staying in hotels while giving their dog and pony shows.  She said Steve wanted to get on the road early, and she became anxious if the children didn't get their packing done quickly.

I imagine Steve, and probably Teri too, put the same kind of pressure on Sarah as she and her sisters were growing up.

[JesusPony]

On 12/21/2015 at 9:16 PM, Marian the Librarian said:

New post is up - "a sweet Christmas gathering with our elderly friends." Sarah is at the piano, looking grim...

All is calm, Death is nigh...

I mean, "the elderly" always look like they're having a good time at these sweet gatherings, but it's good to have friends of various ages so they don't all die at once. That's probably why Steve likes them, though.

[Elegant Mess]

Wow, folks, I think I'm a really bad person (or extremely jaded, I'm not sure).

When I saw the Maxwell's December 21 blog post, I read the sign in the picture as "O Holy S**t".      

[MamaJunebug]

5 hours ago, sparkles said:

I was a lot more sympathetic to Poor Sarah until someone who attended one of the conferences (sorry I can't remember who it was) reported that she was quite the drill sergeant and not exactly the shy, retiring shrinking violet we've got pictured in our minds. I guess, like Teri, the oppressed has become the oppressor.

It was I who observed that, and absolutely "the oppressed becomes the oppressor" applies. Steve starts exactly on time, and since Teri was somewhere behind the scenes prepping, naturally it fell to PS to marshal Anna & Mary away from the sales table where they were enjoying the last few minutes with Abby & Bethany before stow time. 

Anna & Mary didn't loiter, but they also didn't seem particularly fazed by PS's terse instructions. I rather imagine this was all SOP.