Maxwell 32: Wearing Your Vest in 15 Minute Increments

[OhNoNike]

1 hour ago, SilverBeach said:

And not always in a good way. I worked in the private sector for ten years before becoming a fed, and had never had a 40 hour workweek before. I worked at the corporate headquarters of very large companies, and the workweeks were 37 1/2 hours, or 35 even. None of them had collective bargaining agreements. They all had short and long term disability insurance, none of this hoping you don't get sick for a couple of years until your leave builds up like in federal service. Thirty-two years into federal service now, and I still find certain aspect of it to be weird, lol.

Me either. My daughter is a CNA and often works through her thirty minute break, which she then gets paid for. 

I wish I could agree twice. My spouse is employed in civilian industry and there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense. 

[Black Aliss]

52 minutes ago, crunchycarrots said:

 I just noticed in the picture of Anna and Mary in front of the coffee shop that Mary appears to have a severe underbite.  I haven't noticed this before, has anyone else?  Do they not let their kids have orthodontic treatments?

You must be new here. There's a whole story behind Mary's orthodontia, and the dentist having the temerity to ask Mary's opinion on something.

I think that's just an odd facial expression on her part. She doesn't appear to have an underbite in other photos. Not much of a chin, to be sure, but the bite appears to be okay.

[SPHASH]

23 minutes ago, Black Aliss said:

You must be new here. There's a whole story behind Mary's orthodontia, and the dentist having the temerity to ask Mary's opinion on something.

I think that's just an odd facial expression on her part. She doesn't appear to have an underbite in other photos. Not much of a chin, to be sure, but the bite appears to be okay.

That is one of my all time favorite Maxhell stories!  Scary Mary was having trouble with her retainer so they went to the orthodontist and was given a couple of options.  The orthodontist asked Mary what she wanted to do and Mary said "whatever Mommy wants".  Dr says "Mary its your mouth".  Griselda Teri was pissed cause the Dr didn't ask her instead.

 

[sparkles]

2 hours ago, Black Aliss said:

You must be new here. There's a whole story behind Mary's orthodontia, and the dentist having the temerity to ask Mary's opinion on something.

I think that's just an odd facial expression on her part. She doesn't appear to have an underbite in other photos. Not much of a chin, to be sure, but the bite appears to be okay.

And… here you go.

https://articles.titus2.com/2005/05/

I've noticed Mary's underbite going way back (It kind of reminds me of Beavis ?) but it's not as obvious from the front as it is from the side (and it seems she's rarely photographed that way.)

Edited August 23, 2019 by sparkles

[kpmom]

2 hours ago, sparkles said:

And… here you go.

https://articles.titus2.com/2005/05/

I've noticed Mary's underbite going way back (It kind of reminds me of Beavis ?) but it's not as obvious from the front as it is from the side (and it seems she's rarely photographed that way.)

I remember the story, but it was once again very eye opening to read it again.

Steve really lays out exactly why they were/are so protective of their kids.  Someone might, gulp, ask them what their opinion is!!!

Sadly, Mary would probably still answer the same way today.

[MamaJunebug]

7 hours ago, crunchycarrots said:

 I just noticed in the picture of Anna and Mary in front of the coffee shop that Mary appears to have a severe underbite.  I haven't noticed this before, has anyone else?  Do they not let their kids have orthodontic treatments?

Quite the opposite!  IIRC all 8 have had orthodontia.  One of the  more telling of the stories has to do with Mary at the orthodontist when she was about eight, I believe  –?

The orthodontist explained to her that she was going to have to use some appliances that  would be painful. But that there were two options, and the orthodontist asked her which one she thought she’d prefer.

Mary innocently replied, whatever my mommy says.  The orthodontist repeated, no, it’s your mouth which one sounds better to you? Mary just looked at terri, who wanted to school the orthodontist and how she alone would make decisions for her children, but I don’t remember whether she wanted to say it or didn’t. In any case, if you find pictures of Mary in middle childhood, you’ll see that the orthodontia Improved her teeth a lot. I’ve always imagined that the underbite is just the end result that they were pleased with.

...And wow! Several of us told the story at once! Love it. 

[Giraffe]

Wow. The orthodontia story has been eye-opening. 

 What a terrible way to raise kids. When your entire pre-married life revolves around “whatever mommy & daddy say,” how do you transition to making decisions after marriage? No wonder people don’t leave these families! No wonder Sarah is months younger than I am and still “joyfully at home” still!

How do the boys transition? If this had been one of the boys at 8, would he have been given an option?? 

I’m so appalled by this! No, your kid shouldn’t run the family, but if they aren’t permitted body autonomy as children, when do they learn it?!? Oh wait, nevermind, they don’t. This makes me furious and terribly sad. 

[Shannon]

I seem to remember some ridiculous story(or could it have been a Seppi?) where they said that the orthodontist suggested pulling all of a child's teeth, but the mother in her wisdom instead asked for headgear.  Does that ring any bells for anyone?

[tabitha2]

I know several years ago Mary needed Dental work and the Dentist had the Audacity To ask  Mary’s opinion. Steve was not very happy. Is this maybe what your thinking about?

[Granwych]

On 8/22/2019 at 12:11 AM, SilverBeach said:

Lunch periods are unpaid, in the case of a 9-5 eight hour day with an hour lunch, the paid work day is 7 hours, resulting in a 35 hour work week. That's considered full time for some organizations. Other organizations consider 37.5 hours full time, and my present employer, the federal government, still defines full time as 40 hours. I have had hour lunches, forty-five minute lunches, and thirty minute lunches, all unpaid, in my forty two years of full time employment. Never meant to imply that lunch times are paid.

I worked 8 hour shifts and a half-hour paid lunch was included; staff could not leave the building until their shifts were done.

[Shannon]

It was Melody Seppi

http://melodys-notes.blogspot.com/search/label/Orthodontics

[usedbicycle]

Quote

Imagine for a minute what it would be like in your home if instead of teaching your young children to listen to your direction and instruction, you encouraged them that they were their own person.

Fuck you, Steve.

This was my first time reading the orthodontics post, and it neatly sums up everything that is wrong with Maxhell. Once again, it makes me wonder what will happen to the girls after the mind-control guru and his enabler wife die.

The guys' lives are much different it seems. In the last post, Jesse ran down the mountain by himself to go work alone at the cabin for a few hours. There's no way a girl would be allowed that.

[Hane]

True Confessions Time: Back around 1990, my daughter needed orthodontia, and I must admit that I was taken aback when the orthodontist directed most of his questions directly to her. (My knee jerk impulse was to think, “Hey, I’m the mother, and I’m the one paying for all this!”) It took me a while to realize that cooperation with the process was going to be my daughter’s responsibility, and that she was in middle school, not a young child. 

Her teeth turned out pretty OK, though she didn’t wear her headgear as religiously as she should have.

[SilverBeach]

23 hours ago, Granwych said:

I worked 8 hour shifts and a half-hour paid lunch was included; staff could not leave the building until their shifts were done.

I never did shift work, and never had a paid lunch, 42 years of full-time employment now. 

[Markie]

The Maxwells are on what some would call a vacation to the same spot they always go to and at the same time, doing the same hikes they always do. That isn’t too unusual. Many people return to the same cottage or holiday spot year after year. I do wonder if any of them have ever yearned to go somewhere else? What are the next generation Maxwells doing to create memories for their children? Do they have any special traditions that aren’t shared on the TightAss page as they don’t revolve around the Steve Maxwell family? 

[WineGlass]

46 minutes ago, Markie said:

The Maxwells are on what some would call a vacation to the same spot they always go to and at the same time, doing the same hikes they always do. That isn’t too unusual. Many people return to the same cottage or holiday spot year after year. I do wonder if any of them have ever yearned to go somewhere else? What are the next generation Maxwells doing to create memories for their children? Do they have any special traditions that aren’t shared on the TightAss page as they don’t revolve around the Steve Maxwell family? 

This is asked every year, same time, same questions! Same no answers. Does this make FJ as boring and predictable as the Maxwells??!

Edited August 25, 2019 by WineGlass

[johnhugh]

New post up.

Jess photographed God’s handiwork whilst going up Handies Peak.

[Odd1Out]

1 hour ago, Markie said:

The Maxwells are on what some would call a vacation to the same spot they always go to and at the same time, doing the same hikes they always do. That isn’t too unusual. Many people return to the same cottage or holiday spot year after year. I do wonder if any of them have ever yearned to go somewhere else? What are the next generation Maxwells doing to create memories for their children? Do they have any special traditions that aren’t shared on the TightAss page as they don’t revolve around the Steve Maxwell family? 

They are in Colorado hiking but actually in a different area than usual this time. 

[Hane]

Yes, my daughter’s family, some close friends, and I have been going to the same vacation spot for a week every summer for the past nine years: we rent a house together on Block Island. She told me it was important to her to have a new family tradition just for us. It’s nothing exciting: we cook together instead of hitting the restaurants most of the time, go to the beach, and some of us ride bikes, go kayaking, hike, or do yoga. There are fun educational activities for the kids. If it rains, we chill in the house playing board games, coloring, doing art, coloring, playing music, singing, reading, knitting, or crocheting. This year, in the evenings when everyone was tired from the beach, we binged “Parks and Recreation” on Netflix (a minor miracle—the WiFi bites there).

Wow—our sleepy little week already sounds like non-stop excitement compared with what some would call a Maxhell vacation.

Edited August 25, 2019 by Hane

[raspberrymint]

I refused dental work as a child and my teeth are still crooked.  I don't want to deal with adult braces, either.  

I'm not trying to be snarky, but do you honestly think children's decisions (and everyone's decisions) about their bodies go both ways?

[PennySycamore]

@Hane, your week on Block Island sounds glorious!

I don't see anything wrong with going to the same spot every year particularly if you're free to go elsewhere as well.  My daughter and her family go to the Adirondacks every year and I could totally do that as well although I'd like to spend every day sailing.  

There are so many places in the world I'd like to see and things I'd like to do.  

[MamaJunebug]

8 hours ago, raspberrymint said:

I refused dental work as a child and my teeth are still crooked.  I don't want to deal with adult braces, either.  

I'm not trying to be snarky, but do you honestly think children's decisions (and everyone's decisions) about their bodies go both ways?

I absolutely agree w you! For myself, the snark is that Mary didn’t have any opinion of her own, or was incapable of expressing it, but even moreso, that Teri was so indignant about the orthodontist asking the child-patient’s preference or opinion. 

I don’t remember any direct parallel in my parenting history, but I’d like to think that if the ortho had asked a Junior JB about their preference, I’d have listened to the child’s response and then asked questions of my own, so that I would’ve been satisfied that the treatment going forward was indeed the best, and least painful, option. 

Edited August 26, 2019 by MamaJunebug

[Coconut Flan]

I went through a similar scenario where orthodontist explained treatment options to teen and me jointly.  Then asked if needed time to discuss it together.  He explained that there was no sense even beginning if the teen wasn't on board because without compliance, there's no progress.  Worked for me.

[Ex 2x2]

We are in the midst of braces hell right now. (Or hopefully towards the end of it). I never had them myself so I had no idea they required so much compliance from the teen in question. Of course the Maxwell kids would never dream of not complying. My teens, well, they have opinions. ? We have to make some decisions and honestly it’s mostly up to them at this point. It really is their mouth, as Mary’s dentist dared to say. 

[Coconut Flan]

Yeah, it can be tough.  Our one daughter had appliances that had to be adjusted, rubber bands of course, and the dreaded headgear that the cat liked to butt.  Our other kids were easy with just rubber bands and those for not very long.