What is cuddly, fluffy and starts with an E? Sarah Maxwell Gets a Dog

[picklepizzas]

5 hours ago, kpmom said:

What's interesting is neither Teri's sister, or Steve's siblings live near them in Kansas.  Afaik, the children did not grow up near aunts and uncles.

That might be why Sarah is so impressed by the situation. They were completely isolated from their aunts and uncles, so this is a completely novel experience to her. :/ but again, if she had any experience to go on but her own, from interacting with other people, it might not seem so novel. 

[SolomonFundy]

5 hours ago, kpmom said:

What's interesting is neither Teri's sister, or Steve's siblings live near them in Kansas.  Afaik, the children did not grow up near aunts and uncles.

Well, that's because they are the Wrong Kind of Christian. Who wants that kind of riff-raff around to poison the minds of the lil' Maxwells? Steve's superior genes can only do so much. 

[Handmaiden of Dog]

So when the Maxwell grandchildren grow up are they going to be able to buy houses next to each other so that their children will be able to grow up in the correct, Maxwellian way?  In 20 years that neighborhood is going to be dense with Maxwells;  Maxwells as far as the eye can see. And if Mary and Anna play their cards right then they will get be great-aunties and baby sitters until they drop dead of too much Maxwellness.

[FloraKitty35]

How smug & smarmy on Sarah's part to assume how all of the non-Maxhell world lives.

[Granwych]

22 hours ago, albanuadh_1 said:

Wonder why Sarah is not included with 'hosting' Aunties' play time?

Sarah probably had enough of caring for small children when the reversals were young.

[mango_fandango]

5 minutes ago, FloraKitty35 said:

How smug & smarmy on Sarah's part to assume how all of the non-Maxhell world lives.

She's done it before, like on the video intro to the Moody books. "Imagine that! Siblings getting along!" or whatever

[FloraKitty35]

Just now, mango_fandango said:

She's done it before, like on the video intro to the Moody books. "Imagine that! Siblings getting along!" or whatever

I am not shocked by it, but sometimes the smug & smarmy annoys me more than others.

[Dandruff]

Quote

Can you imagine how neat it would have been to live near aunts and uncles when you were young? Now, in this second generation of large families, it’s an actual reality.

Living nearby, thinking the same thoughts, at the same time, day after day, amen.

[socalrules]

I grew up with aunts, uncles and cousins living nearby. We also had birthday parties, weddings and hot dogs on the 4th of July. Some of the kids were born runners too. I didn't realize that my childhood was a rarity and that I had so much in common with the Maxwells. Oh wait, those same relatives cheered for us at graduations, recitals and athletic events. They picked us up and dropped us off at school. The older the relative, the more they wanted for the younger ones, because they didn't get to live out all of their dreams. Maybe we were not actually much like the Maxwells.

Sarah really believes that her family is unique, and they are, just not in the way she thinks. I would love to find out what stories Steve told his kids to convince them that it is rare for a family to be close, loving and enjoy each other's company.

[Granwych]

3 hours ago, socalrules said:

I grew up with aunts, uncles and cousins living nearby. We also had birthday parties, weddings and hot dogs on the 4th of July. Some of the kids were born runners too. I didn't realize that my childhood was a rarity and that I had so much in common with the Maxwells. Oh wait, those same relatives cheered for us at graduations, recitals and athletic events. They picked us up and dropped us off at school. The older the relative, the more they wanted for the younger ones, because they didn't get to live out all of their dreams. Maybe we were not actually much like the Maxwells.

Sarah really believes that her family is unique, and they are, just not in the way she thinks. I would love to find out what stories Steve told his kids to convince them that it is rare for a family to be close, loving and enjoy each other's company.

But are the Maxwells really close (in a good way, not just geographically,etc.) and are they really loving and enjoying each other's company?  My guess is that they're too afraid of putting any sort of distance between themselves, which is not enjoying each other's company, etc.  Safety in familiar numbers, misery loving company, that sort of thing.

[fundiefan]

My aunts and uncles and cousins weren't necessarily nearby as I grew up. However, our parents were close enough siblings - yes, even though they were raised in anything but a Maxwell home, they actually liked each other - that we were together with them often. My 7 cousins are like my siblings; we shared all major parts of life together. Now, as adults, parents in our own right, as well as grandparents, we are still friends and we are still close. Emotionally, if not physically (none of us lives next door to each other).

It is a concept the Maxwells cannot ever understand because they believe everyone who lives differently than they do is evil. The thought that relatives, who weren't controlled every second of their lives, can have their own lives but - shock of all shocks - also love, respect and be close to each other. And, by choice, no less. No one tells us we have to be friends. No one tells us it's the right way to live. We do it because we are family and love each other and have shared history and experiences.

Just like most of your average families in the world. The Maxwells aren't special in how they choose to live. They're just crazy. At least Steve is crazy; the others may just be too far gone to know any better. 

[ladyamylynn]

What a fanciful t-shirt on John in the latest post. Bacon! How wacky!

[SPHASH]

I wonder how close Sarah and her siblings were/are to their cousins. I know 2 of them came to Nate's wedding as Teri wrote how they helped move Nate's fridge.

[16strong]

6 hours ago, ladyamylynn said:

What a fanciful t-shirt on John in the latest post. Bacon! How wacky!

It's almost as funny as a cheese paper sandwich.

[albanuadh_1]

I see in Sarah's reply to a post that NR Anna is having a terrible time with her varicose veins... yet again!

[CyborgKin]

I prefer my Barium Cobalt Nitrogen shirt.

[16strong]

1 hour ago, CyborgKin said:

I prefer my Barium Cobalt Nitrogen shirt.

But they're not science-type people.

[Myfanwy]

On 4/11/2016 at 5:19 AM, Handmaiden of Dog said:

So when the Maxwell grandchildren grow up are they going to be able to buy houses next to each other so that their children will be able to grow up in the correct, Maxwellian way?  In 20 years that neighborhood is going to be dense with Maxwells;  Maxwells as far as the eye can see. And if Mary and Anna play their cards right then they will get be great-aunties and baby sitters until they drop dead of too much Maxwellness.

I think the very idea of this will give Steve a little moment! A whole suburb of Maxwells doin' life right. He will be so proud. And by that I mean an insufferable smug arsehole. 

[mango_fandango]

5 hours ago, Myfanwy said:

I think the very idea of this will give Steve a little moment! A whole suburb of Maxwells doin' life right. He will be so proud. And by that I mean an insufferable smug arsehole. 

*sniff sniff* God, what's that awful smell?

I think it's a cult, mango_fandango. Spearheaded by a man who forces his wife to believe that drinking Pepsi is an idol. And said wife won't ring him up because that's not reverencing your husband. Stay well clear. I repeat, stay away from the Jesus freaks.

[Granwych]

On ‎4‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 0:41 PM, albanuadh_1 said:

I see in Sarah's reply to a post that NR Anna is having a terrible time with her varicose veins... yet again!

Good heavens, now I won't be able to sleep tonight...

[albanuadh_1]

The latest entry shows Anna Marie washing window screens... while Sarah seems to be just playing with the dog!

[anjulibai]

Mary's skirt is surprsingly short, and it looks like she's wearing leggings to compensate (like the little girls do). 

[Arete]

15 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

*sniff sniff* God, what's that awful smell?

I think it's a cult, mango_fandango. Spearheaded by a man who forces his wife to believe that drinking Pepsi is an idol. And said wife won't ring him up because that's not reverencing your husband. Stay well clear. I repeat, stay away from the Jesus freaks.

The Pepsi as idol has always been from start to finish Teri's creation, not Steve's.

[WonderingInWA]

3 hours ago, albanuadh_1 said:

The latest entry shows Anna Marie washing window screens... while Sarah seems to be just playing with the dog!

And Christopher is in his "work" khakis!

[MakeitSew]

Sarah's extreme fondness of the word 'amazing' is really amazing. Its like Where's Waldo. Whenever I see a new blog post I start looking for that amazing amazing.

Ellie is getting big! And she seems like a very happy, much loved member of the family. I'm not a dog person but darn it, she's a gorgeous girl.