Sparkling Adventures Pt 10 - David Pleads Guilty - Merge

[blessalessi]

How strange for a birthday greeting to be focused entirely on the grandpa's sexuality.  The children are clearly neither very bothered nor particularly informed as to what "being gay" means, which is entirely developmentally appropriate.  They probably wouldn't have a great deal more to articulate about "being straight" because they are not at a stage in life where sexuality is a big part of life.

It looks like it is definitely a holier-than-thou callout to Lauren's sisters for the same behaviour that Lauren practised until a year or so ago. And maybe an attempt on Lauren's part to "go viral" and get the worldwide fame she craves?  But it falls as flat as those Birthday Interviews where she also used to ask questions about experiences the girls could not articulate. "What do you like doing with David?" (He was involuntary detained in an institution and unavailable for play) Who is your friend? (What friends, they drive off to a new place every other day...).

The girls are lovely. What a shame that the younger two are still so noticeably unkempt. They look more uncared for than ever. I think Delaney has a birthmark on her cheek, but her eye definitely looks bruised. 

Edited to add: I'm not necessarily taking Lauren's word as truth wrt her sisters' alleged homophobia. That family has a complex history and there could be any number of reasons they have cut contact with the dad. We can't really know.

 

[ladyaudley]

Aisha definitely comes across as very grown up, poised, well-spoken, helpful (telling Lana how to make her game even more "magic"!) - a true sister mom! brioni reminds me of the one with the pink hat in Despicable me. Callista is adorable, but so quiet! The younger two definitely come across as less cared for, poor things. And Delaney's TEETH!

[apandaaries]

Oh, FFS.  A birthday greeting that is all about their "gay grandad"?!  Nice way to ensure your Pa is defined by his sexuality and little else, Lauren.  And how could Lauren have taken them everywhere Rainbow but the girls think they know maybe two or three gay people? Something seems off about those numbers.  That barbed ending, too -- how lovely that St. Lauren allows a relationship, yet seven other grandchildren are denied that due to his sexuality.  Somehow I suspect there's more to the story than all she's telling us... But HBD, Gay Grandpa!   

[thebestusername]

How credible is this woman?

[ladyaudley]

How credible is this woman?

What do you mean? She carefully manufactures an image of herself and has gone back and edited or deleted posts many a time.

[freejugar]

All their answers seem so coached

[blessalessi]

Aisha in particular sounds very well coached. Which is a compliment to Lauren's teaching, but probably would not be accepted as such because it might be seen to cast doubt on her authenticity.

[Cheetah]

Aisha is quite lovely (but the old-school in me is wondering if she's already plucking her eyebrows... they look quite shaped.  Not something the 10 and 11 year olds in my circles are doing yet).

Callista looks sad and lost.  The other 2 a bit eclectic but at least spunky.  

[closetcagebaby]

Aisha in particular sounds very well coached. Which is a compliment to Lauren's teaching, but probably would not be accepted as such because it might be seen to cast doubt on her authenticity.

Well I guess we know she can teach something...

Aisha is quite lovely (but the old-school in me is wondering if she's already plucking her eyebrows... they look quite shaped.  Not something the 10 and 11 year olds in my circles are doing yet).

Callista looks sad and lost.  The other 2 a bit eclectic but at least spunky.  

That so does not jive with her stated values, but hey, I honestly wouldn't be shocked. Image is everything, even when her projected image is wayyyy off the mark.

[blessalessi]

This old blog post about Calista's hair (and Lauren's thoughts about it) is heartbreaking.  The first commenter called Lauren out gently and gave good advice, imo.  I'm so sad for Calista.

http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1982

[ViolaSebastian]

Well I guess we know she can teach something...

That so does not jive with her stated values, but hey, I honestly wouldn't be shocked. Image is everything, even when her projected image is wayyyy off the mark.

 This discussion reminds me of her post on pubes...

http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1996

. 

[closetcagebaby]

 This discussion reminds me of her post on pubes...

http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1996

Hidden Content

 

I....don't know how to handle that. 

[princessmahina]

Well, at least we didn't actually have to see Lauren's pubes, right? Comments on that post are great.

[DaffyDill]

If Callista doesn't like taking care of her hair, and wasn't fazed when Brioni cut it short, why wouldn't Lauren just keep Callista's hair in a short pixie cut similar to the way Brioni did it??? Short hair really doesn't tangle much, if at all, and C doesn't have the hassle of trying to reach and brush it all.

Re the video: Aisha is just gorgeous! And so grownup and composed. I agree with you all the younger two just look unkempt and lost, but despite her confidant voice, I think Brioni does as well. That hat was grubby, and what you could see of her hair was kind of straggly. 

My god those girls need some clean clothes. And I wasn't the kind of mother that changed my kids clothes 14 times a day every time they got a little grubby. I always thought my boys looked as if they had had a great time if they got a little grubby over the course of a day because it meant they'd been playing, and exploring and just being kids. But Lauren's girls are ALWAYS slightly grubby, if not very, and add to that the greasy, unkempt hair, and poor little Del's teeth....

[thebestusername]

What do you mean? She carefully manufactures an image of herself and has gone back and edited or deleted posts many a time.

Ok thanks I had never heard of this lady and i had the good old free jinger skepticism kicking in

[sparkles]

That video was all kinds of WTF.

"Happy birthday Gay Grandad! My grandad is nice. He's gay, He's my gay grandad. Gay means you like people of the same gender. My grandad is gay. He's my gay Grandad. We like him and he's gay! Happy Birthday Grandad! Did you know he's gay?" 

I don't think Lauren cares about him as a person; to her (and now to her girls as well, it seems) he exists only to show how authentic she is. Prior to adopting her whole Red Gypsy Lauren persona she pretty much reviled him for his gayness, much like she accuses her sisters of doing (and we have no way of knowing how much truth there is in that). I wonder how she introduces him to people. "I want to to meet my Gay Dad. He's gay, you know. And how cool am I for loving him anyway?"

 

[Cheetah]

That video was all kinds of WTF.

"Happy birthday Gay Grandad! My grandad is nice. He's gay, He's my gay grandad. Gay means you like people of the same gender. My grandad is gay. He's my gay Grandad. We like him and he's gay! Happy Birthday Grandad! Did you know he's gay?" 

I don't think Lauren cares about him as a person; to her (and now to her girls as well, it seems) he exists only to show how authentic she is. Prior to adopting her whole Red Gypsy Lauren persona she pretty much reviled him for his gayness, much like she accuses her sisters of doing (and we have no way of knowing how much truth there is in that). I wonder how she introduces him to people. "I want to to meet my Gay Dad. He's gay, you know. And how cool am I for loving him anyway?"

 

I totally agree... by making such a big deal of Grandpa being gay, it made it sound like she's actually less cool with it than she thinks she is.  I mean, it would be a big deal if my dad who I thought was straight suddenly came out, no doubt, but if my grandpa who was always gay as long as I've known him (speaking as one of her kids, not as me)... it wouldn't be a big deal at all.  It would be like "grandpa is kind of bald, doesn't like chocolate, and loves a guy rather than a woman".  

I'm curious about more of their back history.  This might have come out early in the blog (which I've read, but I skimmed the early stuff)...  just how fundamentalist/ right wing were her parents when they were missionaries?  How did their marriage unravel and at what point did her father come out?  Does her dad now regret his role in foisting conservative religion on Africans?  

[PeterRabbit]

Calista looks so deeply sad. Her eyes say it all.

[QuittersTry]

[Snip] I'm curious about more of their back history.  This might have come out early in the blog (which I've read, but I skimmed the early stuff)...  just how fundamentalist/ right wing were her parents when they were missionaries?  How did their marriage unravel and at what point did her father come out?  Does her dad now regret his role in foisting conservative religion on Africans?  

I don't think Lauren's ever really gone into it. It's fairly obvious that she has serious abandonment issues. I think she felt her parents valued missionary work more than raising their own children...Lauren and her sisters got shipped off to boarding school where they had to fend for themselves. I think that is why she is so adamant about homeschooling/unschooling the girls.

I bet her father was in serious denial of his sexual orientation during the early years of marriage/raising Lauren and her sisters. I can see many opportunities for sneaking around with the unregimented schedule of a missionary.

Lauren likes that she and her father are the black sheep in the family. She's smart enough to know that if she doesn't give her father any grief about his lifestyle, he won't give her grief about hers. I think she gets a tremendous amount of judgment from her mom and sisters...

[Gobsmacked]

I think that the older girls hair is newly washed rather than oily?

The girls all need to visit a dentist. The girls will grow up and resent Lauren if their teeth are not properly looked after.

Lauren has nice teeth. If they are naturally good then she is very lucky, if not then she has had access to dental care and should provide the same for her girls.

I speak from experience. My sister and I have both had life long dental problems due to having a mother who didn't care about these things.

Lauren can look after her daughters teeth and still be sparkling.

 

 

[IreneIssh]

I don't think Lauren's ever really gone into it. It's fairly obvious that she has serious abandonment issues. I think she felt her parents valued missionary work more than raising their own children...Lauren and her sisters got shipped off to boarding school where they had to fend for themselves. I think that is why she is so adamant about homeschooling/unschooling the girls.

I bet her father was in serious denial of his sexual orientation during the early years of marriage/raising Lauren and her sisters. I can see many opportunities for sneaking around with the unregimented schedule of a missionary.

Lauren likes that she and her father are the black sheep in the family. She's smart enough to know that if she doesn't give her father any grief about his lifestyle, he won't give her grief about hers. I think she gets a tremendous amount of judgment from her mom and sisters...

Has she ever talked about her mom and sisters on her blog? I haven't read most of her older entries.

[August]

WTF? Is there nothing noteworthy about their grandfather other than his sexual orientation? I get that we're in a heteronormative society, but in a prompted and edited video where are all the things about how he's fun to play with and how he's got a cat and a red rug (you know, the sort of stuff that's noteworthy about your grandparents at that age.

Also meant to mention the bitchy comment at the end of the vid - how wonderful Lauren is because her children have a relationship with Grandad, but the other grandchildren do not.

And there is another clip on her channel that Del shot.  She is mucking around with the phone filming the others.  You get to see a bit of where they are staying now - there is a house, and the bus is outside.  It isn't clear if they have the run of the house or just the property.  There is a man there too - it could be Grandad, but I am not sure.  At the end there is a quick snippet of Aisha talking to Lauren while she is busy being "creative". Lauren completely ignores her, and doesn't even look up from what she is doing.

No, she replies to Aisha "probly bout an hour and a half, love"

[LovelyLuna]

Aisha has blossomed. the girls hygiene looks dismal. Happy Gay Gran Gay Pa, did we mention he’s gay? his gay birthday. and its all cool. Gay. he likes men. 

[QuittersTry]

Has she ever talked about her mom and sisters on her blog? I haven't read most of her older entries.

She writes about visits/drop ins during the earlier days traveling...the entries are always snarky and butt hurt at first, then heavily edited. She learned quickly not to count on family for a free parking spot. Family members have commented on her blog (for a while after elijah's death comments were turned off and you couldn't see the old ones, but now they are back on). There was a weird period of time when I think the only way to get in contact with her was through her blog.

[DaffyDill]

Her mother used to comment quite often as Manou, but doesn't anymore. One of her sisters commented occasionally when she had a blog too chronicling her young family's life in Singapore or China, but I think it went defunct on their return to Australia. Lauren and David and girls dropped in on the older sister who is a doctor a few times earlier in the blog, and it looked as if the girls got on well with their older cousins. 

Sadly, there seems to be radio silence from both Lauren's sisters and mother now, leaving Lauren to latch on to the only other outcast in the family, her dad. That's assuming he is actually an outcast, as we wouldn't know if he saw his other daughters or not because that wouldn't fit Lauren's narrative of "happy outcasts together" very well at all.

My friend from high school came out to me as gay in a year or two after Year 12. And I pretty much shrugged and said "Yeah, but you're still you, A****** " and went on ripping up his floor (we were trying to reno his first flat). I could tell anyone hundreds of small and bigger details about him as a person that have nothing to do with his being gay. Seems Lauren can't even do that for her dad. He's just good old gay Grandpa.