Maxwell 40: Wearing Their Vests in an Apartment for Fun

[SassyPants]

In a nutshell, the Maxwells have waaaay too much time on their hands. We worked, raised kids, cleaned, cooked, packed lunches, maintained a yard, exercised ( not like a Maxwell), attended services, were involved with our community/family/friends, and we never needed to write it all down or plan it out daily, as if it were an intricate and delicate operation ala the separation of co-joined twins. They are so lacking in life affirming stimulation they are barely viable. It’s sad for S and T, but tragic for the younger generations, especially the 3 unmarried ladies.

i just realized what the Maxwells do. They rehearse life. The prep takes all the time, the living not so much-

Edited July 9, 2020 by SassyPants

[IReallyAmHopewell]

2 hours ago, SassyPants said:

s if it were an intricate and delicate operation ala the separation of co-joined twins.

Perfect!

[Hane]

New post up from Anna about her most recent chemo treatment. I’m pulling for her, because those babies need their mama, but I’m hoping that her optimism is justified. I don’t know much about breast cancer treatment, aside from the fact that half a dozen of my friends had different forms of breast cancer and differing treatments, but I wish Anna had real medical insurance and was undergoing the thermonuclear warhead of chemotherapy. 
One of my friends, after being diagnosed with breast cancer at 32, decided not to have any more children: “My daughter needs a mother more than she needs a baby brother.”

[CyborgKin]

I have to point out this awkward phrasing in the salad post:

Quote

Since Steve and my salads are different

I dunno Teri.  Steve and a salad aren't really that different.

[spork78]

9 minutes ago, CyborgKin said:

I dunno Teri.  Steve and a salad aren't really that different.

Salads can be fun and playful, though. Steve is an old wilted piece of lettuce at best.

Edited July 10, 2020 by spork78

[Tatar-tot]

24 minutes ago, CyborgKin said:

I have to point out this awkward phrasing in the salad post:

I dunno Teri.  Steve and a salad aren't really that different.

That made my evening:  SALAD ? STEVE!   

[HoneyBunny]

10 hours ago, Austrian Atheist said:

I'm a vegetarian and I like salads as a main dish but my portions are huge - I mean HUGE - and contain a lot of proteins (not only toppings). I would starve. I hope it's more than it looks, I hope they add a lot of those toppings but they really look fragile latley. I don't think they get enough calories. Greens don't have a lot of calories, just fiber.

And I don't get why they prepare it in advance when they don't travel (or go to work and take it as a lunch). They are five adults who don't really work. Vitamins get lost if vegetables are cut too early and stored too long. So why don't make the salads fresh? It's 10-15 minutes max for two people.

I agree. I am largely plant based (I do have salmon once a week or so) and my salads are massive. I start with an entire head of romaine chopped fairly finely and add more greens (spinach, kale and chard or a mix) and lots of veggies. Then I usually add beans (today it was vegan egg salad made with chickpeas...between lunch and dinner I ate an entire can of beans in addition to all the veggies).  There is no way my salad could fit in 1 or 2 mason jars. 
 

I’m retired; I don’t prep anything ahead of time. Chopping to me is very therapeutic, and I don’t mind doing it at least once a day. 

[lilith]

10 hours ago, Bethy said:

and many pictures of conferencegoers (who may or may not have given permission for their image to be used) 

I still remember Zsuzsanna Anderson getting snippy when they attended a Maxhell conference and Sarah posted a pic of Miriam without asking or informing her.

I love it when my fundie obsessions collide. I’ve been hoping the Rodriguii would show up at either the Strip Mall or Steve’s Holy  Church of the Elderly for years. 

[SPHASH]

10 minutes ago, lilith said:

I still remember Zsuzsanna Anderson getting snippy when they attended a Maxhell conference and Sarah posted a pic of Miriam without asking or informing her.

 

Hey when was that?  I don't remember.   As for comparing Steve to a salad that's an insult to salads everywhere.  Salads can be tasty and delicious, Steve not so much.

[lilith]

2 hours ago, SPHASH said:

Hey when was that?  I don't remember.   As for comparing Steve to a salad that's an insult to salads everywhere.  Salads can be tasty and delicious, Steve not so much.

Years and years ago when the Maxwells still toured. I want to say Miriam was 6 or 7, which would make it 6 or 7 years ago. I’m sure it’s still on Titus2 - the Maxwells only delete and edit other people’s content.

I think Zsuzsanna was annoyed that she got caught out seeking Christian home making/homeschooling advice from someone else. She likes to be seen as the one who gives advice, not the one who takes it. It’s not like she doesn’t like her kids images being online - she let them be interviewed for a documentary entitled “America’s Hate Preachers” and puts up tons of pics and videos herself.

[mango_fandango]

What was telling was how Teri mentioned salad prep as time-consuming. I’ve not made many salads in my life, but I can’t imagine it’s that labour-intensive, especially if you’re prepping the same salad every time. I know, batch-preparing meals can take a few hours, but that usually involves cooking, not just chopping up raw vegetables and sticking them in a jar. 
She also mentioned that she and Steve use different dressings (!) in a comment. She uses store-bought Italian dressing and Steve uses vinegars from an oil and vinegar store. They put beans and nuts on top of their salads.

They sound nicer than Lori Alexander’s big salads with four-day-old raw egg salmonella dressing though. 

[Maggie Mae]

I don't like mason jar salads very much, they are kind of annoying to make and annoying to eat. I much prefer to put my salad in a bag and then pour it into an actual dish meant for eating out of, like a grown-up, and not a poor college student who can't afford proper dishes. 

Anna's update seems very optimistic, I hope that she comes out of this with a new look on life. 

[JordynDarby5]

All your descriptions of salads is making me wish my stomach could still process vegetables. I love salads. Piling it high with lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cheese, bacon bites, croutons and dressing. Sometimes with eggs, ham and turkey. Sometimes without. And Caesar salads. 

[fundiefan]

I hope there is nothing ominous behind Anna's words, but she sounds as though she is trying to convince herself not to be scared. Having god quiet her soul sounds to me like suppressing fear and not processing it. 

And today's post is the ver specific schedule of helping out at Christopher's house. Sweet Jesus, give these people a life. I understand the need for consistency - especially at this time with their mother gone - but their time blocks make my brain itch. All the back & forth & interruptions - school for an hour, lunch for an hour with someone else, then school again. It makes no sense to me. Why not do school for two hours then lunch, or do school whene the little ones are napping for two very specific hours? 

And, Anna was at Christopher's for the 4:00 time block, but Mary had to come relieve her so she could go babysit at Nathan's. Why didn't Mary just come at 4 in the first place? 

Why do they make everything they do so ridiiculously convoluted & hard? 

And, thanks Sarah, for a very current look into their lives. Something tells me had she taken these pictures a month ago, they would have been the same? Even if they weren't very current. 

Also, apparently Anna is Christopher's support. Not his wife, not the mother of his children, not his wife who cleans and cooks and takes care of the kids and educates them. Not his partner. Not his love. His support. They gross me out. Even if it was merely very poor word choice (which is not unheard of in Maxhell) they make me cringe in so many ways. 

Edited July 10, 2020 by fundiefan

[danvillebelle]

Reading this thread made me crave salad so badly I just ate one for breakfast. (I usually eat dinner leftovers or other non-traditional foods in the morning). Spinach, spring mix, grape tomatoes, feta, fajita chicken strips, sunflower kernels and Brianna's buttermilk ranch.  Delectable!  I'm sure Stevhovah and Terified would be horrified. 

[NoseyNellie]

The Helper schedule just seems to make thing so much harder than in needs to be.  When is dad actually working?  If he works out between 10-11 am?   Unless he is working a partial schedule during this current situation...
Why must someone come wake kids up, do breakfast and hair?  If dad is there why cannot he handle this task.. then help shows up so he can workout, shower, go to work...

Do schooling during naptime seems to make more sense... it is the hottest time of the day so a great time to stay inside and cooler.. play and work in the morning and later afternoon...

The whole sister switch off cause of another babysitting gig... they are so odd.. did it matter who watched which set of kids?  

Teri is older and likely not physically/emotionally capable to handle this active crowd on a day to day basis.. but what an awesome opportunity to take 1 kid (especially the older ones) every other day for special one on one time... they can be a helper to her at her house while giving them special attention... Sure we balk at Steve and his work activities.. but I bet the little one LOVES this time.. maybe if he could get a cone or a treat out of it it would even be more fun!  FUN!  

[Botkinetti]

It would be dreadful to finally realize you have spent your life drawing up schedules, avoiding fun and denying you have any individuality - all in service to your fathers idea of what god wants and your mothers depression. Maybe they are all so brainwashed it never occurs to them they could choose a different life or it has and the very idea of disappointing their parents sends them scurrying back to how they have lived before.

What an awful life of fear and judgment and drudgery they live.

[freejugar]

Maybe Teri can't handle 2 hours straight of homeschooling, they break it up so it's more manageable.

Do the kids only get 2 hours of schooliing per day? That is very little.

Does Chris only watch his kids for 1 hour during his workout? seriously?

I'm amazed at how Sarah doesn't pitch in at all.

Edited July 10, 2020 by freejugar

[HerNameIsBuffy]

10 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

I don't like mason jar salads very much, they are kind of annoying to make and annoying to eat. I much prefer to put my salad in a bag and then pour it into an actual dish meant for eating out of, like a grown-up, and not a poor college student who can't afford proper dishes. 

Anna's update seems very optimistic, I hope that she comes out of this with a new look on life. 

I'm with you, but I confess I have mason jars in my cabinet used for hauling food.  One of my sons likes the way they fit nicely in his cooler so he packs his food for the day in there when he leaves.  

I will confess something else, too...for lunch I brought a salad:  spring mix, tomato, cucumber, left over steamed cod, and Trader Joe's organic cucumber kefir dressing and I'm not looking forward to it.  I really need to up my salad game and mix it up a little bit.

And I really need more options for clean salad dressings, yet Teri left that part out thus leaving me without guidance.  How do I know what to put on my salad if she won't tell me what Steve prefers?

14 hours ago, lilith said:

I love it when my fundie obsessions collide. I’ve been hoping the Rodriguii would show up at either the Strip Mall or Steve’s Holy  Church of the Elderly for years. 

PP and JRod in close proximity?  I am not biblical scholar, but I'm pretty sure that is addressed in Revelations and it doesn't end well for humanity.

[usedbicycle]

I'm kind of appalled that Chris doesn't cook or serve a single meal. Not even breakfast. 

I'm appalled that he needs help from 7:30am to 9pm. I often babysat a family of 5 kids as a teenager and could manage dinner/bath/bedtime by myself. The kids were well behaved but so are his. 

As a parent who works from home, I would imagine he needs a helper from 9-4, and he could still have lunch with the kids. The helper would do homeschooling, play and exercise, and serve lunch. Maybe some light housework or dinner prep while the littles are napping. 

Instead he is proving how absolutely useless he is around the house. God forbid, but what if his wife doesn't make it? Will he never be able to cope as a single Dad? Will he need a woman during his children's every waking moment?

[Queen Of Hearts]

8 minutes ago, usedbicycle said:

I'm kind of appalled that Chris doesn't cook or serve a single meal. Not even breakfast. 

I'm appalled that he needs help from 7:30am to 9pm. I often babysat a family of 5 kids as a teenager and could manage dinner/bath/bedtime by myself. The kids were well behaved but so are his. 

As a parent who works from home, I would imagine he needs a helper from 9-4, and he could still have lunch with the kids. The helper would do homeschooling, play and exercise, and serve lunch. Maybe some light housework or dinner prep while the littles are napping. 

Instead he is proving how absolutely useless he is around the house. God forbid, but what if his wife doesn't make it? Will he never be able to cope as a single Dad? Will he need a woman during his children's every waking moment?

It would not shock me if Christopher was going through some depression right now. What their family is going through is traumatising. Plus, remember his mother was unable to cope with basic life with a smaller group of kids, and he has the same genes, so depression may run in the family.  A terrible shock like this might just be too much for him right now. I am speculating, but his doing things like shaving his head (a very kind show of support for Anna Marie I will add) and the trip to visit her just strikes me as someone who may be terrified and doing whatever he can to be close (physically, mentally, etc.) to his wife. 

[LilMissMetaphor]

43 minutes ago, freejugar said:

Do the kids only get 2 hours of schooliing per day? That is very little.

If it's done properly, that's a totally adequate daily amount for schooling.  That being said, these are the Maxes.  But it's surprising how many think that a full school day is required--it really isn't.

Just saying.  My mom was kind of a terrible homeschooler (fortunately, my dad helped).  We only had a few hours of bums in seats per week.  I entered high school at 12 and was rather flummoxed to discover that my 14-year-old peers were only just being introduced to science and literary concepts that we'd mastered by age 10 or earlier.

But again...the older Max kids haven't shown evidence of stellar or even, really, adequate levels of education, so I doubt the younger ones will either. 

 

[usedbicycle]

17 minutes ago, Queen Of Hearts said:

It would not shock me if Christopher was going through some depression right now. What their family is going through is traumatising. Plus, remember his mother was unable to cope with basic life with a smaller group of kids, and he has the same genes, so depression may run in the family.  A terrible shock like this might just be too much for him right now. I am speculating, but his doing things like shaving his head (a very kind show of support for Anna Marie I will add) and the trip to visit her just strikes me as someone who may be terrified and doing whatever he can to be close (physically, mentally, etc.) to his wife. 

Yeah I get where you're coming from, I didn't mean to sound so harsh on a man who is terrified he may lose his wife.

I still think there's lots of gender norm stuff going on. I wonder how Anna Marie would schedule her days if the roles were reversed and Chris was in hospital. If something happened to me, I can't imagine my husband not doing our daughters' hair in the morning or preparing their breakfast or snuggling with them when they go to bed. Caretakers can do everything else, but those times at the beginning and end of each day are special moments of bonding with your children. But he hands them off to his sisters as if it's not his job. (What I get from that post is that he works out with the children in the gym and does manly tasks with the boys like going to the dump).

[Giraffe]

4 hours ago, fundiefan said:

I hope there is nothing ominous behind Anna's words, but she sounds as though she is trying to convince herself not to be scared. Having god quiet her soul sounds to me like suppressing fear and not processing it. 

...

Why do they make everything they do so ridiiculously convoluted & hard? 

She sounded scared to me, too. Being scared is completely understandable but it’s unfortunate that prayer seems like the only coping mechanism she has rather than prayer being among many options she has for dealing with her fear. She has the added weight of fear being seen as a bad, potentially sinful thing! 
 

Convoluted & hard are the Maxwell’s coat of arms. 

[Maggie Mae]

48 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

And I really need more options for clean salad dressings, yet Teri left that part out thus leaving me without guidance.  How do I know what to put on my salad if she won't tell me what Steve prefers?

I can't help you there, I pretty much hate all salad dressings and just put olive oil+either red wine vinegar or (more often) balsamic on my salad with salt, pepper, and sometimes a spice blend called "Parisian." My salads are also boring, usually just lettuce, spinach, romaine, cucumber, sometimes a hard cheese or a boiled egg. Carrots if I have them, maybe a stuffed olive or two.