Maxwell 7: Still boring

[mango_fandango]

So have Teristeve actually ever seen/listened to a TED talk? I can't imagine there are many that would fit in with their narrow world view. Although that's probably the exact reason WHY they'd say that...

"Riveted our attention" is NOT A THING. Say you found it riveting (although I personally doubt it was). I'm not an expert on grammar, but even I can tell that Maxwell writing is just terrible. An Teri has a college education. It's only going to decrease down the line. Can't imagine how terribly the Maxwell great-grandkids will write.

[MissManners]

Having one's attention so riveted sounds painful :-)  I wonder what sort of TED talks they would be allowed to listen to. To me, most of them are pretty tame but I'd imagine that most of them would be taboo for a maxwell. THere's this list on youtube about the greatest ones https://www.ted.com/playlists/171/the_most_popular_talks_of_all  I'd imagine that the Maxwells would love the one about how schools kill creativity but then only the title and not the solutions. THe one with Mary Roach about orgasms would probably cause Stevehovah to have a heart attack.

Also... OMG, I haven't been on FJ for a while b/c of work and life based heck. I keep thinking I'll take a break, come back, and read that some REAL LIFE has happened in Maxhell. Or that Sarah has broken free. They are like a really boring soap opera. No matter how long in between viewings you haven't missed very much of the action and can easily get caught up in a few minutes!

[courtlylove]

23 hours ago, Bethella said:

Yep, she's 61, born in August 1955.

OMG - the exact year and month as me! And (forgive the lack of modesty) I don't think I look NEARLY as haggard as Teri!

[nomoxian]

Quote

If you are familiar with Ted Talks, it was equal to and greater than those

Now I only did Basic Math - and in a regular evil Public school - but I wasn't aware something could be both equal and greater than at the same time.

And the picture at the end pisses me off. Even though I often share a menu with my mate, I do so for different reasons than Mr. No F*n probably insists on.

[purjolok84]

1. Abby is a lovely girl who is dressed like she's 45. Modest is one thing but she's a child. Let her dress appropriately for her age. Give her more fun choices. LOSE THE SCARF.

2. This cannot be said enough. No matchy-matchy outfits with your granddaughter. And vice versa. Have a loving relationship, eat some (illicit) chocolate - clothes should be appropriate to the age of the person.

3. And Griselda, while you're at it, quit bragging about your exploits with teaching and testing. None of your children can write worth a damn, you do the WORST job at encouraging your children into the worst jobs (Sarah is the better photographer, but somehow Christopher gets to be one???) and because Steve had to get his way, your children (and now your grandchildren) were given a lacklustre education. Abby is capable of so much but is not allowed that possibility. You have nothing to be proud of.

[nausicaa]

23 hours ago, lauraloralara said:

What gets me the most about the Maxwells' writing is not the grammar/spelling stuff. IMO, they are leaps and bounds beyond people like Erika Schupe and Jill Rodrigues in that respect. What gets me about the Maxwells is the style. It's not just their weird affinity for the passive voice or their sometimes convoluted and circuitous way of getting to the point. It's that they just don't read, and that shows up in their writing. The writing on the Maxwell blog always reads like a passage from a textbook for young children learning English as a second language. It's all stilted and flavorless, and the writers (usually Teri and PSarah) always sound uncomfortable. 

Yes, it is so painfully obvious that they don't read. Not fiction, non-fiction, or even newspapers. 

I'll never understand how they defend that. The New Testament is pretty big on humility and understanding that we can learn from others. So it would seem that stating that one doesn't read, only writes, is the height of ego and self-worship. Is Steve really going to argue that Sarah writes just as well as C.S. Lewis?

I understand they wouldn't want to dig into Fifty Shades of Grey, but even the classics, Christian writers, and the Wall Street Journal?

[mango_fandango]

23 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

Yes, it is so painfully obvious that they don't read. Not fiction, non-fiction, or even newspapers. 

I'll never understand how they defend that. The New Testament is pretty big on humility and understanding that we can learn from others. So it would seem that stating that one doesn't read, only writes, is the height of ego and self-worship. Is Steve really going to argue that Sarah writes just as well as C.S. Lewis?

I understand they wouldn't want to dig into Fifty Shades of Grey, but even the classics, Christian writers, and the Wall Street Journal?

Because according to Steve if it doesn't directly relate to the Bible or reference Jesus etc they ain't gonna touch it with a ten foot barge pole. Remember this is the asshat who whited out the lyrics to Row Row Row your Boat. 

If you cull reading material as harshly as that you're left with very little. All they read is the Bible and stuff like missionary biographies, as well as maybe self-help books with titles like How To Improve Your Relationship With Jesus or Pray Longer Pray Harder or My Name Is God Fear Me. (Might've made these up). 

[MamaJunebug]

14 hours ago, courtlylove said:

OMG - the exact year and month as me! And (forgive the lack of modesty) I don't think I look NEARLY as haggard as Teri!

Haggard! That's the word I've been looking for!

6 hours ago, purjolok84 said:

1. Abby is a lovely girl who is dressed like she's 45. ..... LOSE THE SCARF.

2. This cannot be said enough. No matchy-matchy outfits with your granddaughter. ....

3. And Griselda, while you're at it, quit bragging about your exploits with teaching and testing. ....

ALL the likes ever liked. *bowing low*

47 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

Yes, it is so painfully obvious that they don't read. 

....

I understand they wouldn't want to dig into Fifty Shades of Grey, but even the classics, Christian writers, and the Wall Street Journal?

Well, "Pride and Prejudice" has a foolish set of parents and a clownish buffoon of a clergyman. Horrors, woman, that Jane Austen is practically p*rn*graffick! 

They read here. At least, Steve or Teri do. Oh, fuggedaboudit.  The Maxkids are well and totally skrooed until the fourth and fifth generations.  I'm angry!

[Jana814]

My mother just tuned 70 on the 16th of this month. She looks at least 10 to 15 years younger then Teri. 

[FloraDoraDolly]

Abby looks so much older than eight. It isn't just the clothes, or that she appears to be tall for her age. She has this burdened expression, even when she's smiling.

[FundieFascinated]

Teri's entries seem to always cite a "lack of time" for anything, hence, buy MOTH.  

Examples:

"Now my first grandchild has reached an age for standardized testing, and I am in a season of life where I have the time available to do that for her."

"There were a couple of years when I expressed my inability to find cabinet-polishing time to Steve. He took a Saturday morning, and we all polished cabinets together,  finishing the project in short order."

 

Inability to find cabinet-polishing time??  WTH else is she doing?  And she's in the season of life where she has time available for her granddaughter???  Seriously???  Even if I was crazy busy, I would find the time!  Not express my inability to my husband.  They always sound so crunched for time....why is that???  Doesn't she allot an hour of reading time with Melanie's kids once/week or something crazy stupid like that?? What keeps her sooooooo busy?

I am so Type A and their seemingly endless under-their-breath complaining about not having time to do menial tasks or spending time with grandkids kills me.

These people make my blood pressure go up.

[socalrules]

 They probably have 2 hours morning prayer, 2 hours afternoon prayer time and 3 hours family evening prayer time. Throw in hours for exercise, everyday cleaning and cooking/meal times, there isn't enough time for special cleaning or anything else. Every moment of the day is likely scheduled so as to keep them busy all day. I would guess they have no free time. 

[PennySycamore]

@FundieFascinated,  if you're a grandparent, you are always in the "season of life" to spend time with your grandkids.  I was lucky enough to get to spend all day Saturday with my oldest grandchild.  We went to the Hello Kitty Cafe, Beauty and the Beast, the Disney Store, and then we went out to dinner.  Spending time with your grandkids is one of the best things ever!

Btw, welcome to FreeJinger!  I hope you'll post more often.

[purjolok84]

Teri's entries seem to always cite a "lack of time" for anything, hence, buy MOTH.  
Examples:
"Now my first grandchild has reached an age for standardized testing, and I am in a season of life where I have the time available to do that for her."
"There were a couple of years when I expressed my inability to find cabinet-polishing time to Steve. He took a Saturday morning, and we all polished cabinets together,  finishing the project in short order."
 
Inability to find cabinet-polishing time??  WTH else is she doing?  And she's in the season of life where she has time available for her granddaughter???  Seriously???  Even if I was crazy busy, I would find the time!  Not express my inability to my husband.  They always sound so crunched for time....why is that???  Doesn't she allot an hour of reading time with Melanie's kids once/week or something crazy stupid like that?? What keeps her sooooooo busy?
I am so Type A and their seemingly endless under-their-breath complaining about not having time to do menial tasks or spending time with grandkids kills me.
These people make my blood pressure go up.

How many times can a student take the Iowa Basic Test? (I'm not American and the information is quite extensive) I remember seeing that Simpsons episode where Bart and Lisa do a standardised test that determines their future career but this is probably different.

From what I found, if Abby were in a public school (or in a private/charter school?) she would be tested from kindergarten to grade 2 (which is considered test levels 5-8 and cover a range of topics to allow for teachers to see how the student is going). So essentially age 5-7.

Abby is 8 years old. If generous I could consider her at the tail end of grade 2, but even with this in mind, there's been a lot of missed opportunities. At worst we can consider Abby to be in grade 3. So then we have test levels 9-14, which are given from grades 3-12. And the testings seems to be much more extensive.

So what 'Iowa Basic Test' did Teri give Abby? She just mentions the entire 'battery' and boasts that it was over in 'half the allotted time' which apparently included 'double testing'. Having worked as a substitute teacher for a while and having seen some amazing teachers at work, I have a real issue with this. That testing time is not for marking. That is for the student. The only reason Abby finished so early is that she is one. Not an entire class. No classroom teacher is marking twice, or even once, during a testing period. Also there seems to be a air of smugness about her, as there always is ... because it's been done at home. Who knows (based on the info above) if it's been done correctly? If the information will be used to benefit Abby or whether it will just be stored neatly away in a file because living under a godly mandate is more important to her extended family? Plus classroom teachers work hard for their students. It is not a credit to rush through testing.

In my time teaching I did so much for so many kids, and assessment was hard, hard work. I still think about some of my students - some in schools which prescribed to beliefs similar to the Maxwells - yet they still got access to school, peers and proper assessment, even if some of them were destined to marry and bear children first and then study further. This just seems horribly unfair for Abby and all the grandchildren.

(Sorry, my mission was never to write an essay - this is something I believe strongly in and reading this blog post and about the Iowa tests has made me a bit angry. No child deserves this.)

[SuchABlessing]

Ugh I remember standardized tests. We had them through grade 8 (about age 14) every year for a few solid days in March. My teachers would try and break the monotony of it all by bringing in treats and letting us wear play clothes (as opposed to Catholic school uniforms). So actually, I looked forward to them as a kid. It meant dressing comfy,  a half day of school, and some assemblance of baked goods for a snack. 

That being said, I did horribly on these tests every year. They were in no way, shape, or form a measure of my intelligence. I am a horrible test taker - my nerves get the best of me. To this day you could give me a basic addition test, but if it's multiple choice answers, I'll probably fail or not even complete it. I get so wound up and stressed I can't test well like that. 

i did manage to score well on my SATs because I was saved by the essay questions and I'm a good writer lol 

[MamaJunebug]

13 minutes ago, SuchABlessing said:

That being said, I did horribly on these tests every year. They were in no way, shape, or form a measure of my intelligence. I am a horrible test taker - my nerves get the best of me. To

Number one, yes, you are a good writer! And number two, IIRC the tests are to see how effectively schools are pouring facts and abilities into children's brains, not to judge a child's intelligence. But it's been a long while, could be remembering incorrectly. 

14 hours ago, FloraDoraDolly said:

Abby looks so much older than eight. It isn't just the clothes, or that she appears to be tall for her age. She has this burdened expression, even when she's smiling.

I watched with increasing sadness as the Maxworld trained the joy out of Abby's face and the wonderful childishness out of her smile. It became most apparent as Bethany began to awake to the world around her: Bethy would have a nose-scrunching, eye-squinting look of delight and Abby, less and less so as time went by. 

Christina still shows vestiges of it in her smile, I'll have to look again at images of Beth to see if she's become restrained -- I suppose Gristeve-o are too distracted with the other rugrats to abjure all of them to "smile like a lady/gentleman."  Or that Griselda loses interest after her 3rd 10-minute weekly session with each kid. 

At least I hope it wasn't Nate & Mel who trained the glee out of Abby.  

Rough, rough duty, to be the firstborn grandchild in Maxhell. "YOU set the example! YOU must be a little lady! Look PERFECT for the camera, dear!"

(Ironic that Goofy and Scary can mug all *they* like...oh, dread: maybe it *has* been N&M training the joy offa Abby's pretty little face....)

[HermioneSparrow]

12 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

@FundieFascinated,  if you're a grandparent, you are always in the "season of life" to spend time with your grandkids.  I was lucky enough to get to spend all day Saturday with my oldest grandchild.  We went to the Hello Kitty Cafe, Beauty and the Beast, the Disney Store, and then we went out to dinner.  Spending time with your grandkids is one of the best things ever!

Btw, welcome to FreeJinger!  I hope you'll post more often.

Can you be my grandma? LOL I would be so happy doing all of that.

[VodouDoll]

23 hours ago, nausicaa said:

Yes, it is so painfully obvious that they don't read. Not fiction, non-fiction, or even newspapers. 

I'll never understand how they defend that. The New Testament is pretty big on humility and understanding that we can learn from others. So it would seem that stating that one doesn't read, only writes, is the height of ego and self-worship. Is Steve really going to argue that Sarah writes just as well as C.S. Lewis?

I understand they wouldn't want to dig into Fifty Shades of Grey, but even the classics, Christian writers, and the Wall Street Journal?

Definitely not Christian writers. All the Maxwells need is the Bible. Steve said reading theology is equivalent to eating food someone else has already chewed. The finest Christian thinkers and writers the world has ever produced are nothing but diseased backwash to him.

[Foudeb]

I'd be interested to see Abby's results on those tests if they were administered by someone outside the cult.

It's not even (just) doubting her academic progress when she's being homeschooled by a mother who's on bed rest every few years and busy with an army of littles the rest of the time. It's the non-academic part - taking instruction from someone you don't know that well, being shy but still asking for clarification, seeing other pupils take those test, conquer your nerves at being tested etc. In other words soft skills that prepare you for the real world at least as well as the actual academic content.

I do believe that is Sarah's problem - painful shyness that made her grateful for the isolation rather than resentful of it.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

On 3/19/2017 at 5:44 AM, usmcmom said:

You guys!  I have ruined my iPad screen. Teri's post put me over the edge and I grabbed a red pen and made corrections to her writing. It's like I woke up from a trance and found this road map of red marks all over the screen. 

I thought it was very rude of Teri to start her post with an insult of the book that inspired them to attend the seminar, writing that it was "repetitive." The Maxwells are certainly incapable of describing anything with passion or excitement; aren't they? I felt like she was describing the seminar like the inner workings of a clock or something - very mechanical and dry. 

Now I will have to google this marriage seminar to see some actual reviews. 

Thanks for adding to my workload, Maxwell family. 

Edited to add Teri's comment about the book. Steve might decide to clean things up, ya know : "We enjoyed the Love and Respect Marriage Conference. Before we went, we weren’t quite sure what to expect, because the book seemed fairly repetitive. So we weren’t sure if the conference would be the same way. Wow! It wasn’t at all. We found the live experience to be concise and amazing!"

We've watched the conference dvds with friends. There were some good points, but they were very stereotypical and extremely repetitive. 

2 hours ago, SuchABlessing said:

Ugh I remember standardized tests. We had them through grade 8 (about age 14) every year for a few solid days in March. My teachers would try and break the monotony of it all by bringing in treats and letting us wear play clothes (as opposed to Catholic school uniforms). So actually, I looked forward to them as a kid. It meant dressing comfy,  a half day of school, and some assemblance of baked goods for a snack. 

That being said, I did horribly on these tests every year. They were in no way, shape, or form a measure of my intelligence. I am a horrible test taker - my nerves get the best of me. To this day you could give me a basic addition test, but if it's multiple choice answers, I'll probably fail or not even complete it. I get so wound up and stressed I can't test well like that. 

i did manage to score well on my SATs because I was saved by the essay questions and I'm a good writer lol 

This is my poor mother. She works with my dad in the business he did before they married, one that requires licensing. Over the years she has come to have nearly as much knowledge as he does, but she cannot pass the tests. She's tried four times. And each failed attempt only served to make her feel dumber. She won't try again. Breaks my heart for her. 

[mango_fandango]

It would've been Susannah's 10th birthday today. Obligatory memorial post. It's the one time of year that the Maxwell blog demonstrates any kind of compassion.

 For those who have lost little ones in any stage of pregnancy, stillborn, SIDS, or some other situation, know that we care and we hurt with you.

[freejugar]

Quote

 I think one of the hardest things in life is waiting

Wow, that says a lot about Sarah. Still waiting...

[Granwych]

57 minutes ago, JemimaPuddle-Duck said:

We've watched the conference dvds with friends. There were some good points, but they were very stereotypical and extremely repetitive. 

This is my poor mother. She works with my dad in the business he did before they married, one that requires licensing. Over the years she has come to have nearly as much knowledge as he does, but she cannot pass the tests. She's tried four times. And each failed attempt only served to make her feel dumber. She won't try again. Breaks my heart for her. 

I understand that.  My father never did well with anything requiring intensive reading, but he was smart enough to be a construction foreman.  He also did scuba and deep-sea diving plus flying his own plane.  He could never pass the pilot tests that would allow him to carry passengers, and that really knocked the wind out of his sails.  I suspect he was dyslexic, but back in the late 40's, early 50's, nobody knew anything about that.

[socalrules]

I think standardize testing is helpful in evaluating students but the results have to be taken with a grain of salt. When I was in Catholic elementary school we had standardized testing for 1-2 weeks every year. I usually did fine but one year I did horribly in reading comprehension. So badly that I had to leave class during art time and get extra help in reading comprehension. My mother was livid, convinced the tests were wrong and her baby was being railroaded. I was mad about missing art time and the fact that I had more points than anyone else in class for books read and tests passed so I couldn't figure out why i had to go. (You got points/tickets based on passing tests on books you read and then used the tickets to buy stuff at the convent.) I only went 3 or 4 times before they realized my reading comprehension was fine and I likely was just tired or distracted when I took the test. I say this because sometimes people know the material but do not test well. Some may be horrible at multiple choice, like me, or just having a bad day, are distracted or just lazy that day. If every test in school was multiple choice, I would have likely been kicked out for bad grades. Yet, I do great on written exams. 

[littlehouse]

I have to say I do not like the use of "tear jerker" in reference to the memorial slideshow.  It comes off...cold?

 Could just be me, but I use "tear jerker" when I am joking around.  Like "I was watching the movie UP and I was bawling like a baby.  I didn't know it would be such a tear jerker"