Maxwell 42: The Young and the Vestless

[ElizaB]

47 minutes ago, Black Aliss said:

I've been to a few dinner parties where the entree was Costco's big foil pans of lasagne. That stuff is good! I'm not a Costco member so I don't know how much it costs, but it can't be prohibitively expensive.

If everyone shows up they are feeding over 30 people each week. This could get expensive if they are not careful. I'll be honest I do love a good bean burrito...but mostly if it has some good fresh toppings. 

[nvmbr02]

29 minutes ago, ElizaB said:

If everyone shows up they are feeding over 30 people each week. This could get expensive if they are not careful. I'll be honest I do love a good bean burrito...but mostly if it has some good fresh toppings. 

I prefer bean burritos to burritos of any kind of meat, but I like well seasoned beans and like you said a lot of fresh toppings. 

I understand that there is a need to keep the food at a budget but I myself would at least want to switch it up once in awhile. A  baked potato bar, a big pot of chili or soup in the winter, taco salads, etc... There are a lot of meals you can feed a crowd with on a budget that are easy to throw together. 

[sparkles]

3 hours ago, zandria said:

Do we know if Elissa was homeschooled ?  Do we know whether she's planning to homeschool?

Because if I didn't know any better, I would guess they were moving to Olathe for the **PUBLIC** school system. Calia is getting to be about that age where her parents are going to have to make decisions about education.

Did some research on niche.com regarding school systems in Kansas. Leavenworth Unified district gets a B- and  an overall ranking of 145 out of the 286 Kansas school districts. Olathe Public Schools get an A and are ranked 4 overall.

If all they wanted was real estate, they could find that square footage for less money and still be near KC. The reason for Olathe's high prices, and why it's such a desirable destination for young families, is the excellent PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

No wonder the closing bible verse to the most recent blog post is so shady.

If they do send their kids to public school, we can be damned sure we’ll never hear about it from Steve and Teri. Same thing if Joe and Elissa took out a mortgage for this house. Both would be a complete repudiation of everything Steve’s been selling as the One True Way. 

[SassyPants]

16 minutes ago, sparkles said:

If they do send their kids to public school, we can be damned sure we’ll never hear about it from Steve and Teri. Same thing if Joe and Elissa took out a mortgage for this house. Both would be a complete repudiation of everything Steve’s been selling as the One True Way. 

There is something I just don’t  understand about these folks (Steve, JB Duggar, to name 2), as adults, they themselves did not follow in their parents’ exact belief systems, so why the hell do they think that their adult offspring, particularly married offspring, need to or will march to the beat of their drum? Are they that deranged, narcissistic and illogical that they can not connect the dots? Do these folks really think that 100% of their adult offspring are going to follow daddy’s rules forever and ever? How out of touch would you need to be to believe in such a way? God Complex, alive and well?

[Queen Of Hearts]

I am thinking all is not Rosey in Maxhell.  I honestly do not believe for one second that Joseph moved his family to KC for church.  Close knit families do not just suddenly change churches to one almost an hour away, much less move to be closer to the church rather than the family.  Jesse and Joseph BOTH doing it, and so close together, is huge.  

Oh, I also think the post about Joseph moving was not on the schedule, but was hastedly put together as damage control since we had spilled the beans here.  Hi Steve!

Edited September 19, 2020 by Queen Of Hearts

[MaryatHome]

3 hours ago, zandria said:

Do we know if Elissa was homeschooled ?  Do we know whether she's planning to homeschool?

Because if I didn't know any better, I would guess they were moving to Olathe for the **PUBLIC** school system. Calia is getting to be about that age where her parents are going to have to make decisions about education.

Did some research on niche.com regarding school systems in Kansas. Leavenworth Unified district gets a B- and  an overall ranking of 145 out of the 286 Kansas school districts. Olathe Public Schools get an A and are ranked 4 overall.

If all they wanted was real estate, they could find that square footage for less money and still be near KC. The reason for Olathe's high prices, and why it's such a desirable destination for young families, is the excellent PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

No wonder the closing bible verse to the most recent blog post is so shady.

They are in the city of Olathe, but in the Blue Valley school district, which is actually ranked by most such lists as #1.

My money is still on Heritage Christian Academy, though.  It's super close to the new house.  Working against that is the Presbyterian sponsorship; I don't know how well the Baptists would get along with the Presbyterian ethos.  Maranatha would be another option (that might align more closely with their theology, since it's technically 'nondenominational'). Prices at both are about equivalent to the Catholic schools in the area (my frame of reference), so there's cost, but not like the elite private schools around.

[Coconut Flan]

10 minutes ago, Queen Of Hearts said:

I am thinking all is not Rosey in Maxhell.  I honestly do not believe for one second that Joseph moved his family to KC for church.  Close knit families do not just suddenly change churches to one almost an hour away, much less move to be closer to the church rather than the family.  Jesse and Joseph BOTH doing it, and so close together, is huge.  

My view is that Joseph and Elissa determined that that they wanted to move and evaluated the possible scenarios.  Moving closer to church is one of the more defensible situations to Steve.  So first they left the retirement village church or if smart never attended there after the wedding.  Then decided where they wanted to live and began attending there.  

[VVV]

23 minutes ago, MaryatHome said:

They are in the city of Olathe, but in the Blue Valley school district, which is actually ranked by most such lists as #1.

My money is still on Heritage Christian Academy, though.  It's super close to the new house.  Working against that is the Presbyterian sponsorship; I don't know how well the Baptists would get along with the Presbyterian ethos.  Maranatha would be another option (that might align more closely with their theology, since it's technically 'nondenominational'). Prices at both are about equivalent to the Catholic schools in the area (my frame of reference), so there's cost, but not like the elite private schools around.

Moderate Baptists get along great with moderate Presbyterians, making an exception only for infant baptism. Fundamentalists of both varieties might have more problems.

[SPHASH]

I'm of the belief Joe moved to be closer to clients.  Perhaps he has a big account or several accounts based in Olathe.

I remember Joe was the most smug of the kids.  He once commented to someone at the dog and pony show he wasn't raised on filth like TV and sports.  He also wrote a naysayer post about living at home till married and it was dripping with condescension.  Now that he is working with more secular clients I wonder if his attitude has changed.

[sparkles]

23 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

I'm of the belief Joe moved to be closer to clients.  Perhaps he has a big account or several accounts based in Olathe.

Again, completely unnecessary. He’s a web-based business with web-based businesses as clients and they never, ever have to meet in person since everything can be done…over the web. A quick look at the case studies listed on Swiftotter’s website shows ONE client in MO. The rest range from Texas to NY and other states throughout the US, plus one located in the BeNeLux countries. So I can’t imagine why either he or Jesse would feel compelled to relocate to KC to be closer to clients that aren’t actually anywhere near there. There’s definitely something else at play here.

It’s interesting that Steve is trying to sell both of their moves as wanting to be closer to their church but my feeling is that this has been in works for a while and the church is just a save-face cover because who the hell picks a church that’s a 40-minute drive from where you live unless you happen to live out in the boonies, which they don’t. 

[PennySycamore]

@MaryatHome and @VVV, my nephew and his wife attend a Presbyterian church.  He was raised Southern Baptist while his wife was raised Methodist.  After their first baby was born, he was upset by the fact that his daughter was going to be baptized as an infant so he decided to talk with the pastor about why it was wrong to christen the little girl.  I personally thought that my nephew was just being a jackass about the whole thing.  You should not have joined a Presbyterian church of infant baptism is such an issue with you. 

[Howl]

I can't wait until someone inadvertently spills the beans about kids attending some kind of school, Christian or otherwise, a la Erika Shupe.

But yeah, 40 miles away is just far enough away to make it inconvenient for constant family visits. 

Anyway, Go Offspring! 

That said, these guys have been indoctrinated by Steve, so likely most of those beliefs are totally intact. 

If anyone needs a trip down the unpaved Shupe memory lane, here's a guest post by Erika on the Modest Mom's blog.  Erika does reference the Maxwell's Managers of Their Home.  And now, without further ado:  SCHEDULING & ROUTINES: YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO

(psst: nobody ate a lot or any cake at Erika's house)

Edited September 19, 2020 by Howl

[Lgirlrocks]

3 hours ago, nvmbr02 said:

I prefer bean burritos to burritos of any kind of meat, but I like well seasoned beans and like you said a lot of fresh toppings. 

I understand that there is a need to keep the food at a budget but I myself would at least want to switch it up once in awhile. A  baked potato bar, a big pot of chili or soup in the winter, taco salads, etc... There are a lot of meals you can feed a crowd with on a budget that are easy to throw together. 

Why can’t they do a potluck? All of the adults can bring something. Or each family can take turns making the food for the luncheon. It would save money and add variety. Oh wait...never mind I know why. They don’t like variety. 

[kpmom]

1 hour ago, Howl said:

If anyone needs a trip down the unpaved Shupe memory lane, here's a guest post by Erika on the Modest Mom's blog.  Erika does reference the Maxwell's Managers of Their Home.  And now, without further ado:  SCHEDULING & ROUTINES: YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO

(psst: nobody ate a lot or any cake at Erika's house)

Gee, I haven't thought about Erika for awhile.  I forgot about her *smile*, *laugh* way of writing. 

Looks like some commenters were wondering what happened to her a few years after she wrote this article, and learned she put the kids in public school and stopped blogging.

I'm still curious what exactly happened with her and the family, too.  Did some people here theorize maybe CPS got involved? 

Oh, looking at her picture in the article, I think she is the one who got flack from other good Christians for wearing her hair short.  Gosh, Christians are so darned nice to each other, aren't they?

[FunFunFundie]

19 minutes ago, kpmom said:

I'm still curious what exactly happened with her and the family, too.  Did some people here theorize maybe CPS got involved? 

People theorized CPS got involved, but people *always* theorize that. My guess was that it was just too much for her, some of her kids had special needs, and that was that. 

I watched Karen for awhile - as far as I could tell, she got married very quickly and then just as quickly maybe separated? She locked down her social media very quickly. Somebody claiming to be Karen showed up on one of the threads here and she seemed reasonable, but I don't think she was vetted.

Melanie is super conservative and I just checked her social media - spreading Covid denial stuff.

The rest of the family seems to just be going to school, wearing pants, no big deal.

[anniebgood]

2 hours ago, SPHASH said:

I'm of the belief Joe moved to be closer to clients.  Perhaps he has a big account or several accounts based in Olathe.

I remember Joe was the most smug of the kids.  He once commented to someone at the dog and pony show he wasn't raised on filth like TV and sports.  He also wrote a naysayer post about living at home till married and it was dripping with condescension.  Now that he is working with more secular clients I wonder if his attitude has changed.

Didn't he go to a convention in Las Vegas for his business. IIRC one of the other guys went with him. He's broken out of some of the sheltering. And Elissa was in 4H and won an award for a submission in a contest. 

[FloraKitty35]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

That said, these guys have been indoctrinated by Steve, so likely most of those beliefs are totally intact. 

Joseph & Elissa moving away from the borg is a big thing, but it would be an even bigger shock to Stevehovah would be for Calia to be allowed to participate in 4H or for Kyle & Caleb to be allowed to play in Little League.

[Hane]

2 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

@MaryatHome and @VVV, my nephew and his wife attend a Presbyterian church.  He was raised Southern Baptist while his wife was raised Methodist.  After their first baby was born, he was upset by the fact that his daughter was going to be baptized as an infant so he decided to talk with the pastor about why it was wrong to christen the little girl.  I personally thought that my nephew was just being a jackass about the whole thing.  You should not have joined a Presbyterian church of infant baptism is such an issue with you. 

There’s an old, historic church near here that is a combination of Baptist and Congregational. I asked one of the parishioners how they handle baptisms, and she said that the choice is up to the individual families, and that she’s never seen conflict over it.

[Queen Of Hearts]

1 hour ago, FunFunFundie said:

People theorized CPS got involved, but people *always* theorize that. My guess was that it was just too much for her, some of her kids had special needs, and that was that. 


 

In this case I believe the CPS rumor because around the same time Erika sold some of the kids existing bunk beds online and then redid the kids rooms with a much less visually appealing layout with nothing up against the windows (she had the windows blocked with the beds prior - huge fire risk). Someone also commented about the CPS visit in her blog.

[MamaJunebug]

11 hours ago, Lgirlrocks said:

thanks for the help Teri. I’m sure Jill be could see the Bible in the picture so she didn’t need you to point that out. She needed you to be helpful for once in your life. ?‍♀️

Well, but would identifying that Bible get them coin from an Amazon link? Hekknaw so why would Teri give info with no expectation of any return? You know, how Jesus was into quid pro quo all the time ... oh, wait... 

4 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

@MaryatHome and @VVV, my nephew and his wife attend a Presbyterian church.  He was raised Southern Baptist while his wife was raised Methodist.  After their first baby was born, he was upset by the fact that his daughter was going to be baptized as an infant so he decided to talk with the pastor about why it was wrong to christen the little girl.  I personally thought that my nephew was just being a jackass about the whole thing.  You should not have joined a Presbyterian church of infant baptism is such an issue with you. 

I’m intrigued: did the child receive baptism as an infant or at the time of her profession of faith? TIA! 

[MamaJunebug]

One more thing: Teri refers to Joe’s move to Kansas City.  Kansas City is not Olathe. For those who don’t want to worry with a map, Leavenworth is northwest of KC. Olathe is SW of KC, and about twice as far from KC as Leavenworth is from KC. 

And at no extra charge, I give you the pronunciation:  oh-LAY-thuh with a soft “th.”

Ok, one more thing. Joe having been a smartarse defender of the true Stevehovic faith doesn’t mean he couldn’t change his attitude.  Not necessarily to a Penn Gillette-level atheist, but having seen a lot of the world outside the Bubble O’Steve, he may well have decided:

— that a roomful of men did not combust and die at the presence of a woman whose blouse (with contrasting buttons) was left open enough to glimpse not just cleavage, but the pretty round shape of a breast;

— that young men his age identified as Christians and loved their sons and found joy and camaraderie in Little League participation, and that the sons did not abandon their dads to follow the dads who happened to be coaching;

— and that some TV is beautiful, inspirational, laugh-out-loud funny, constructively instructive, and thatbit is watched and enjoyed by families like his who love Jesus and each other and have not turned into foul-mouthed, rebellious anarchists. Or even into anarchists who don’t cuss.

People can change. I’m remaining optimistic for ALL of the Maxkids.  

Edited September 20, 2020 by MamaJunebug

[FloraDoraDolly]

On 9/18/2020 at 11:23 AM, fundiewatch said:

Two Maxwell sons selling their debt free homes are two of the events of 2020 that excite me. It’s hard to explain that to others. 

I wonder if the two brothers made some kind of pact where they decided to get out of Dodge at roughly the same time? I wonder if someone from this church they are attending recognized that these two guys came from a very controlling family and started steering them toward normal?

[MaryatHome]

4 minutes ago, MamaJunebug said:

One more thing: Teri refers to Joe’s move to Kansas City.  Kansas City is not Olathe. Fir those who don’t want to worry with a map, Leavenworth is northwest of KC. Olathe is SW of KC, and about twice as far from KC as Leavenworth is from KC. 

And at no extra charge, I give you the pronunciation:  oh-LAY-thuh with a soft “th.”

 

Ha. As a former resident and employee of said city, I'll ask you if you know what "Olathe" means.  (The official response is "City Beautiful.")

But for the old-timers, it really means.....duplex. (Back in the day, it was just the County seat, not a fancy suburb, and was chock full of duplexes.  The stories I could tell...)

[Howl]

Might one say the boys are diVESTing from the First Church of Stevehovah Reversalist? 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

10 hours ago, anjulibai said:

There are still plenty of little kids around for the girls to watch on a regular basis, and the older kids will need chaperones no matter what. Chris and Anna won't be quarantined forever. And they can certainly drive just once and spend a few days helping out when Elissa, Anna and Chelsy birth the next blessings - there's likely enough room for the girls to stay for a bit. 

Plus, there's the fact that they provide cheap labor to their brothers' businesses. No matter what, that's always going to be needed. 

Steve is also allowing the girls to teach that Bible club and travel for "missions" which will be a great reason for them to be soooo busy. 

There will always be reasons to keep the girls at home. Hell, Steve doesn't need to give a reason. All he has to say is that God is not telling him such and such GYM is the one for the girls. They can spend their days idle so long as Steve claims he has a direct line to God. No excuses needed. 

Yes the oven racks will require regular polishing and all. The free labor is a biggie. One--Sarah--will have to care for Mom and Dad as they age. I just think he has to "give" and marry one of them off or he looks like a fool and a failure. After all, why have daughters if not to marry them off to birth grandchildren? Sarah can be the "useful spinster" [thank you, Lady Edith] but one of the other two, if not both, must be married off to save Steve's parenting guru reputation.