Maxhell- Part 5

[hollyandivy]

New post! Melanie got a day "off" - but who are they kidding? Teri and Anna took over the kids (including schooling) and Melanie (supervised by Mary, cause she has an eye for fashion) used her "free" time to go clothes shopping for her kids.  And then she had a nap and didi paperwork;. 

 

How in the world is that a free day???? How about going to  the spa, shopping for herself, go to the movies??????????? Okay, I know, we are talking Maxwell here....

 

[molecule]

I thought it was nice for Teri to recognize that moms do need a day off, although I thought it was weird how they did it in shifts rather than just one or two of them giving a whole day. And I don't understand how someone else can just step in and do schooling for another mom (because I worked full-time and sent my kids to a wonderful public school).

Lots of moms I know would consider it a day off if they could go to a store without taking kids along, so while it would have been nice if Melanie had been able to do something that was really just for her, she probably appreciated this quite a bit.

Overall I thought they did a nice thing, but it wasn't worth blogging about. Then again, considering their yogurt parfait post, I guess this was pretty exciting.

[socalrules]

I hope Drew being on a blanket isn't part of blanket training. Isn't he too old for blanket training? 

[fundiefan]

Even the relatives who are married and currently cooking their 6th offspring must have an accountability partner.

God forbid Melanie go somewhere alone.

I would go fucking mad in that environment. Being alone is one of life's greatest rewards, in my opinion.

Sure, they gave her a 'day off' but every single person involved still did exactly what is expected of a Maxwell in exactly a Maxwell way.

Melanie did not have lunch with friends; she did not get her nails or hair cut - no personal pampering; she did not see a movie or take in a local event. She didn't even go for a walk on the nearest nature trail.

She took her youngest sister in law shopping with her for her while her other in laws took care of her kids. I don't honestly see that as an actual day off. It's more like a differently approved Maxwell day; all involved to the nth degree, no individuality, no outsiders, no opportunity to sin with that accountability partner next to you, no bad influences on your kids...just typical all Maxwell all the damn time.

 

[usmcmom]

5 hours ago, socalrules said:

I hope Drew being on a blanket isn't part of blanket training. Isn't he too old for blanket training? 

My thought is that Drew IS still being blanket trained. How old is he? Two?  I have never seen a child that old placed on a blanket for play time, unless it was the child's idea. My family only used blankets like that when the baby was not mobile. The blanket gave a soft and clean space for them to play and kept them off what might have been a dirty floor/carpet. Also if we were visiting someone's house and baby spit up or leaked through a diaper, the mess went on the blanket, not the hosts' floors....well, hopefully.  Was my family just weird???  

A two year old staying on a (rather small) blanket like that?  It just seems so suppressive. These kids aren't even allowed to move freely about their own homes as they play and explore?? Lazy parenting at its finest. 

[kpmom]

I like how Teri got out of staying all day with Melanie's kids by using the excuse that she visits her other grandkids on the very same day they decided to give Melanie a break.

I guess they couldn't have done it on any other day of the week, huh?

As we know from Teri's post on spending time with her grandkids, she only spends an hour once a week, and she has it down to the minute.

Teri really does not like little kids, does she?  That's fine, not everyone does.

[usmcmom]

8 minutes ago, kpmom said:

I like how Teri got out of staying all day with Melanie's kids by using the excuse that she visits her other grandkids on the very same day they decided to give Melanie a break.

I guess they couldn't have done it on any other day of the week, huh?

As we know from Teri's post on spending time with her grandkids, she only spends an hour once a week, and she has it down to the minute.

Teri really does not like little kids, does she?  That's fine, not everyone does.

That's what I find so interesting about most of these families.  None of them seem to actually LIKE children, let alone enjoy them. It's all about having  as many as they can and controlling them as tightly as they can. It's just all so sad to me. 

I mean, if someone doesn't enjoy children - no big deal; but don't have children and certainly don't shame others for not having them. 

[kpmom]

53 minutes ago, usmcmom said:

That's what I find so interesting about most of these families.  None of them seem to actually LIKE children, let alone enjoy them. It's all about having  as many as they can and controlling them as tightly as they can. It's just all so sad to me. 

I mean, if someone doesn't enjoy children - no big deal; but don't have children and certainly don't shame others for not having them. 

It makes it all the more awful that she was made to have 5 more kids after Steve decided to reverse his vasectomy.

We only heard the reversal story from Steve's point of view, never Teri's.  I can only imagine how bad that time was for her.

[Myfanwy]

11 minutes ago, kpmom said:

It makes it all the more awful that she was made to have 5 more kids after Steve decided to reverse his vasectomy.

We only heard the reversal story from Steve's point of view, never Teri's.  I can only imagine how bad that time was for her.

So very much yes.

Nothing Steve seems to 'believe' * shows much actual love for anyone. Certainly not his poor post-natal depression suffering wife nor his offspring.  I would stand in front of a fast moving train on one leg, naked but for  blindfold, covered in petrol to save any one of my kid. So would most parents. Caring for the next generation is built in. Survival of the species and all that. How do Steve and others of his ilk ignore those parental feelings and beat, cloister and generally subject their children to prison camp conditions all in the name of their imaginary friend?** 

* I am not convinced Steve believes this stuff. It is a wonderfully handy way to keep his little cult doing his will though. 

** If I had an imaginary friend he would be the sort who wanted the best for me always. Not bait me with everything will be awesome in the hereafter. 

Oh and Melanie went shopping without her kids. Which is nice. Although apparently she can't choose her own children's clothing without help. And she had half a day off. Half, cos office-type stuff is work. Unpaid, sure, possibly fun, but still work. 

[usmcmom]

9 minutes ago, kpmom said:

It makes it all the more awful that she was made to have 5 more kids after Steve decided to reverse his vasectomy.

We only heard the reversal story from Steve's point of view, never Teri's.  I can only imagine how bad that time was for her.

The creepiest thing about that story is that Steve discussed it with his father-in-law. Whether Teri had a say or not (I highly doubt she did); bringing one of her parents into such a private decision is just horrible. If our son- or daughter-in-law tried to discuss family planning with us, my husband and I would tell them to go home and speak privately to their spouse. 

This is just another instance where these families, who claim to be so discreet and modest, really have no boundaries at all.  

And I agree with you. Making Teri have five more children when she was already so fragile was just the height of cruelty.  Aren't husbands supposed to love their wives sacrifically?  I guess that stops when it comes to counting arrows in the womb, filling their quiver....how do they say it???  Whatever. These people are nuts. 

[princessmahina]

Maybe Melanie wanted to go shopping with a buddy? I hate shopping alone, personally. Taking one person that I like would be infinitely preferable to me than going by myself.

Not that Melanie has the choice to go by herself though, I'm sure. 

[SPHASH]

A real day off for Wonder Woman Melanie would be a day trip to the spa followed by an evening with Chippendales.

[Jana814]

Steve didn't care about Teri. All he cared about was himself and his need to have more children to be raised for The Lord. 

[Justmurrayed]

It was a nice gesture on their part. I'll give them that. I wonder if it happens more often but iit's not mentioned on the blog? We do get small snippets when they help Melanie when she's on bedrest but I mean Anna, Sarah, Mary and Teri can't have THAT much to do, that they can't honestly do that once a month for all of the sister-in-laws. 

[Myfanwy]

5 hours ago, princessmahina said:

Maybe Melanie wanted to go shopping with a buddy? I hate shopping alone, personally. Taking one person that I like would be infinitely preferable to me than going by myself.

Not that Melanie has the choice to go by herself though, I'm sure. 

Maybe she doesn't like to shop alone. Then I think she might have enjoyed taking her eldest daughter for some mum and big kid time. Or if Melanie was totally over kids maybe Sarah could have gone with her as she is closer to her age? Isn't she?  Mary is 20 ish (?) so still like taking a child. Also I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Mary is not the most mature or well informed 20 year old around. Although the bitch in me thinks she  (Mary) would be perfectly placed to be able to mention to dear ol' dictator exactly what Melanie bought for the kids and just how modest it was.  

[itsme]

New post up about thanksgiving. 

Apparently Sarah has a hard time coming up with individual qualities for each family member.  I can imagine since they are all so very godly. I especially like that Anna Maries quality is "doesn’t complain about her varicose veins."

I also think her encouraging of parents in the trenches by listing herself and her sisters as examples backfired. Anyone reading this, must realize that having your daughters, ranging in 20-40 in age, living at home and doing nothing, is not very encouraging.

I don`t know, i mainly feel so very sad for the "girls". They are obviously unhappy.

[alba]

New post up about thanksgiving. 
Apparently Sarah has a hard time coming up with individual qualities for each family member.  I can imagine since they are all so very godly. I especially like that Anna Maries quality is "doesn’t complain about her varicose veins."
I also think her encouraging of parents in the trenches by listing herself and her sisters as examples backfired. Anyone reading this, must realize that having your daughters, ranging in 20-40 in age, living at home and doing nothing, is not very encouraging.
I don`t know, i mainly feel so very sad for the "girls". They are obviously unhappy.

The varicose veins thing was weird. She's grateful that her sister-in-law isn't bothering her with complaints about a side-effect of their patriarchal culture? While I get the impression that Anna-Marie loves this lifestyle and would probably have had a large family without being fundie, I also think she's well within her rights to complain about varicose veins when she never had a choice in preventing them by not being perpetually pregnant.

Oh, and Sarah, it's "sisters-in-law", not "sister-in-laws".

[JermajestyDuggar]

The varicose veins comment is absurd and embarrassing. Anna Marie wears long skirts all the time. Do you really think she wants everyone to know she has them? Just because she doesn't complain about them doesn't mean you can tell the world! 

[SPHASH]

Just read the post.  I knew there would be a reference to abortion. (Forgotten Jesse's concern for the unborn).  Where was he during that abortion protest?

[Justmurrayed]

Wowsers, Sarah is getting worse at writing by the minute. What the heck did I just read? Varicose veins, repeating basically the same things twice. Sigh. There lives are seriously so mundane. 

[usmcmom]

I find it sad that nobody thought to pop on the blog and an addendum to this post - "And we are all thankful for Sarah, because...." She is always just left in the shadows; rarely photographed, written about or acknowledged. I think Steve wants us to forget that The Keeper of the Blog is an unmarried daughter in her thirties whom he failed miserably. 

I also always feel sad for Anna of Christopher on special occasions. I really wonder when she last saw her mother. Sure, they could see her family and not mention it but something makes me doubt that. I just picture Anna's mother reading this darn Maxwell blog every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of the grandchildren she's never met. 

[Marian the Librarian]

15 hours ago, usmcmom said:

That's what I find so interesting about most of these families.  None of them seem to actually LIKE children, let alone enjoy them. It's all about having  as many as they can and controlling them as tightly as they can. It's just all so sad to me. 

Bingo. Here's the part of Teri's post that stood out to me: "the usual daily routine so that Mommy didn’t have to come home to a messy house, a day of school to catch up on, and cranky children." Because God forbid a child should express a negative emotion, never mind if they're tired, or frightened, or just having a bad day. "Wrong thinking will be punished!"

[JermajestyDuggar]

I often forget Sarah is my age. I have two college degrees, have had many jobs, a home of my own, a husband, children, and friends. 

What does Sarah have? A dog and a blog.

[mango_fandango]

Anna's wearing that purple plaid shirt again in the header photo.

Something I find odd is that they use nicknames for every grandchild except Joshua, who is always Joshua and never Josh. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I don't want my last post to sound Braggy about my life. I lead a fairly boring life really. But compared to Sarah, it's an absolute party.

Also I'm tired of hearing them call child rearing "in the trenches." It's their choice to have that many children so close in age! It's their choice to homeschool them and direct heir every move! They are choosing one be "in the trenches." Maybe if you didn't have so many kids, eased up a bit, and let them go to school then it wouldn't feel like you are in a war (that's what I'm the trenches means).