Maxwell 45: Steve Flaunting His Vest Deferens

[ElizaB]

Did anyone else notice Bethany's shirt? I think it says, "strong girl, strong woman," but I'm not entirely sure. Very interesting that she is allowed that. 

Although I will say that Nathan and Melanie do seem to want to give their girls voices. I remember a few years ago the city was trying to limit the number of chickens people were able to have. Nathan brought Abby to the meeting and had her give a speech about how the cycle works with new chicks and that the number was too small to sustain any type of flock. I was impressed that he had her do this. And while I don't agree with their politics, they have taught their girls to campaign and get their points out their. This all makes me wonder if they have secret aspirations for their girls other than to be SAHD and SAHM. 

[RachelDM]

49 minutes ago, ElizaB said:

Did anyone else notice Bethany's shirt? I think it says, "strong girl, strong woman," but I'm not entirely sure. Very interesting that she is allowed that. 

I did! That was my first thought, as well, but then I wondered if it might be "strong god, strong world." I desperately want it to be the first, though.

[ElizaB]

1 hour ago, RachelDM said:

I did! That was my first thought, as well, but then I wondered if it might be "strong god, strong world." I desperately want it to be the first, though.

I don't think it can be....there is no way a shirt that said that wouldn't have a capitol "g" in God. 

[Casserole]

Schnauzer mom checking into the dog barking conversation. Not only do most schnauzers generally never shut up, my special schnauzer is on prozac for severe anxiety... and the main side effect in dogs? "Increased vocalizations." So not only is he a barker, he's a howler, a talker, a crier, a shouter, and a singer. I swear he narrates his whole day. He talks back. He's always yelling. The ONLY time he doesn't vocalize? When he's outside and wants to come back in. He just sadly stares at the door in fear that he's been abandoned. 

[Charlie Brown]

Fellow schnauzer mum here, oh my gosh, the talking back and the arguing, she always has to get the last word in, drives me crazy!!!! She's worse than the teenagers.

[PennySycamore]

My late, beloved Lucy may have been a Schnauchshund.  She definitely had lots of terrier in her makeup, but she was also long and low like a dachsie.  She did look a lot like a Schnauzer pup. She also looked a lot like a Glen of Imaal terrier, but they are rare and so she probably wasn't a Glen.  However, she wasn't very quiet nor was she very vocal which you'd expect from a Dachshund-Schnauzer mix.

[Black Aliss]

On 2/4/2021 at 5:42 AM, FiveAcres said:

Our second Collie (an adult rehome) was very quiet. This surprised us because our first Collie, raised from a puppy, never lost an opportunity to tell us that Timmy was down the well. 

My niece was at a dog show years ago and when she saw a guy taking out his frustration (literally) on this beautiful little Sheltie over the dog not having done well in the obedience trial she went up to him and asked how much to buy the dog. He named his price and the dog came home with my niece. My sister's Sheltie had died several months earlier and this was love at first sight. 

Because every Sheltie she'd ever known was a barker, there was obviously something wrong with this one--he'd open his mouth but no sound ever came out. Turns out the previous owner had had the dog's vocal cords removed. Apparently that's fairly common in Sheltie circles.

[NoseyNellie]

https://www.shopmyexchange.com/beautees-girls-strong-girls-hoodie/1434148

[Wolf in Sheeples’ Clothing]

1 hour ago, Black Aliss said:

Because every Sheltie she'd ever known was a barker, there was obviously something wrong with this one--he'd open his mouth but no sound ever came out. Turns out the previous owner had had the dog's vocal cords removed. Apparently that's fairly common in Sheltie circles.

It’s called debarking. It’s used as a way to avoid noise complaints.  

Edited February 6, 2021 by Wolf in Sheeples’ Clothing

[ClareDeLune]

4 hours ago, ElizaB said:

Did anyone else notice Bethany's shirt? I think it says, "strong girl, strong woman," but I'm not entirely sure. Very interesting that she is allowed that. 

Although I will say that Nathan and Melanie do seem to want to give their girls voices. I remember a few years ago the city was trying to limit the number of chickens people were able to have. Nathan brought Abby to the meeting and had her give a speech about how the cycle works with new chicks and that the number was too small to sustain any type of flock. I was impressed that he had her do this. And while I don't agree with their politics, they have taught their girls to campaign and get their points out their. This all makes me wonder if they have secret aspirations for their girls other than to be SAHD and SAHM. 

"Strong Girls, Strong World" is a slogan I've seen (edit: similar one below). Maybe a relative outside the maxwell family gave it to her? But it also could have been re-purposed by the church into something more 'godly' than this one, I guess.  

Edited February 6, 2021 by ClareDeLune
found a similar teeshirt

[fundiefan]

I didn't notice the sweatshirt but that is so not what I would have expected to see in Maxhell, to any degree of separation/not being directly within the fathership. I can only think they have a Mawellian definition of strong girls that is nothing like what we in the real world would define the words or concept. 

[PennySycamore]

@Black Aliss, fuck that Sheltie owner that had his dog de-barked!  I'm so glad that your niece saw what was going on and bought this dog from his/her abusive owner.  You may thank her for me.  

[Bethy]

4 hours ago, ElizaB said:

Did anyone else notice Bethany's shirt? I think it says, "strong girl, strong woman," but I'm not entirely sure. Very interesting that she is allowed that. 

I didn't notice Bethany's shirt but I did notice Abby's outfit - a cute top, fitted just-below-knee skirt, and cute ankle boots. Definitely has a more youthful look than her aunts, and less Little House than C&A's kids.

[Black Aliss]

5 hours ago, ElizaB said:

Did anyone else notice Bethany's shirt? I think it says, "strong girl, strong woman," but I'm not entirely sure. Very interesting that she is allowed that. 

My money is on one of Melanie's sisters giving her that shirt. Probably Grace.

[moreorlessnu]

Interesting how Sarah had to specify "a light meal". The girls brought McDonald's home while Steve had his heart healthy meal.

Is "light meal" a euphemism for "inexpensive meal"?

Or, does "light meal" mean the girls are told they amount they can order, and a Big Mac, large fries, and a shake would not be allowed?

[MamaJunebug]

1 hour ago, Black Aliss said:

My money is on one of Melanie's sisters giving her that shirt. Probably Grace.

It make have been back in FJ's Yuku years that either Abby or Bethy got a Fisher-Price doctor's kit. IIRC she was actually wearing the toy stethoscope in a Fathership Christmas Celebration photo. Recall that Melanie's dad (and maybe a brother?) is a chiropractor in a town not too far from Leavenworth.

Anyway, we here on FJ were startled and pleased that (a) someone gave her that and that (b) she took it to the grandparents' house (or received it there. Long shot, but you never know). 

I know Mel's sibling group is fairly numerous and all these years I've continued to hope that her side of the family are at least as involved in the Nathan M children's lives as are Steve, Teri & their choiceless minions.

[fundiewatch]

21 minutes ago, moreorlessnu said:

Interesting how Sarah had to specify "a light meal". The girls brought McDonald's home while Steve had his heart healthy meal.

Is "light meal" a euphemism for "inexpensive meal"?

Or, does "light meal" mean the girls are told they amount they can order, and a Big Mac, large fries, and a shake would not be allowed?

Last year they were at Taco Bell and it appeared had one item each. Free water cups. 

[Bethy]

2 hours ago, fundiefan said:

I can only think they have a Mawellian definition of strong girls that is nothing like what we in the real world would define the words or concept. 

Yeah, like "strong" means "able to repeatedly deliver offspring via completely unmedicated home births."

[Coconut Flan]

58 minutes ago, fundiewatch said:

Last year they were at Taco Bell and it appeared had one item each. Free water cups. 

Poor kids.  I always hope that they get a real meal when they get home.  My grandkids other grandma takes them to McDonalds.  I've taken them to Den Tai Fung for dim sum, several Thai and Chinese places, for sushi, and Soup Plantation.  Everywhere they go, they are fed what they want yes even the $100 plus for sushi the grandson wanted and the $60 of dumplings he consumed at age two.  They get to eat until they are full. 

The dumplings are one of our favorite stories.  The waiter came by and I asked for an order of dumpling as soon as could be arranged.  He gave me a funny look and I said the two year old is hungry.  The waiter smiled, pivoted, and headed straight to the kitchen.  He returned and asked what the rest of the order would be.  Then he was back in less than five minutes with dumplings.  He did try to discourage me from ordering three more orders of dumplings.  When he came back and saw the empty containers he just laughed and asked if the kid ate anything else.  I think we took two or three dumplings home after I had what I wanted.   So yes, the two year old ate three full orders of pork dumplings.  I would have been afraid he'd get sick, but I'd seen him eat to bursting before when he was hungry.

Edited February 7, 2021 by Coconut Flan

[Bluebirdbluebell]

6 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

It make have been back in FJ's Yuku years that either Abby or Bethy got a Fisher-Price doctor's kit. IIRC she was actually wearing the toy stethoscope in a Fathership Christmas Celebration photo. Recall that Melanie's dad (and maybe a brother?) is a chiropractor in a town not too far from Leavenworth.

Anyway, we here on FJ were startled and pleased that (a) someone gave her that and that (b) she took it to the grandparents' house (or received it there. Long shot, but you never know). 

I know Mel's sibling group is fairly numerous and all these years I've continued to hope that her side of the family are at least as involved in the Nathan M children's lives as are Steve, Teri & their choiceless minions.

What is about chiropractors and fundies?  The fundiest people I know IRL are a family of chiropractors. The patriarch is a chiropractor and 2 of his kids are chiropractors along with a son-in-law. 

They ever turn up hanging with fundies we follow; I'll let you know. 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Bluebirdbluebell

[allyisyourpally5]

We’ll never know what Melanie is really thinking, but, let’s say between her and AM, I would put my money on Melanie thinking to herself “I don’t want my daughters to end up like Anna Sarah and Mary - I want them to have a life”. I could also imagine some of Nelanies siblings looking in and being very proactive in the future to prevent those girls from being stuck at home forever. I don’t know. That could be totally untrue. But the girls aren’t hidden from Melanie's family - whereas it’s obvious that A, M and S are still very much sheltered from unbelievers (as in non- Maxwells)

AM on the other hand likely looks at S M and A in adoration of following Gods will (and very grateful for the last year of course, I don’t doubt that)

 

[Bethy]

1 hour ago, allyisyourpally5 said:

We’ll never know what Melanie is really thinking, but, let’s say between her and AM, I would put my money on Melanie thinking to herself “I don’t want my daughters to end up like Anna Sarah and Mary - I want them to have a life”. I could also imagine some of Nelanies siblings looking in and being very proactive in the future to prevent those girls from being stuck at home forever. I don’t know. That could be totally untrue. But the girls aren’t hidden from Melanie's family - whereas it’s obvious that A, M and S are still very much sheltered from unbelievers (as in non- Maxwells)

AM on the other hand likely looks at S M and A in adoration of following Gods will (and very grateful for the last year of course, I don’t doubt that)

 

Do we know anything about what Melanie did before she and Nathan married? Like, did she take college courses? Have a job outside the home? I'm pretty sure Anna Marie was sitting around, sewing dresses and helping her parents with the goats and making soap to sell at the farmer's market until Christopher came along, as she had a website comparing the cleanliness offered by soap to salvation and seemed to hang around the farmer's market, but I think Melanie would've been 26 when she and Nate got married - what did she do between high school and their wedding? There were a lot of younger siblings in the home so she could've stayed legitimately busy helping with them but...is that all?

[fundiefan]

14 hours ago, Bethy said:

I didn't notice Bethany's shirt but I did notice Abby's outfit - a cute top, fitted just-below-knee skirt, and cute ankle boots. Definitely has a more youthful look than her aunts, and less Little House than C&A's kids.

I clearly don't pay attention because I didn't notice much about Abbie's attire. Now that you mentioned it, I went back & looked. Non descript, nothing to see here kind of clothes. Which, considering this is Maxhell, is odd in and of itself. Here's what gets me now that I look - she has on one shirt. The neckline is below her neck - there is actually a neckline to it - and the sleeves are 3/4. There is no "hide the fact I am female" long sleeved t-shirt under that single shirt. 

Note, Teri is, of course, wearing two. 

Also noticed their "light meal". A cheeseburger & small fries - and it honestly looks like they're sharing the small fries. That's their "treat". WTF? I personally can't stand McDonald's & wouldn't take kids there of my own free will, but if that's where kids in my care chose to eat, we'd go & they'd get whatever the hell they wanted. Abbie is a freaking tween - I can't imagine a single cheeseburger is filling enough for her growing (and entering puberty) body. Fortunately, the girls look to have healthy lives away from their grandparents & actually eat food to support their growth & development (unlike their aunt's who are all rail thin & have to wear vests inside the house because they have zero body fat). 

[anachronistic]

It’s always amazing and amusing to see a tiny kid just put away food like there’s no tomorrow. You expect it of teenagers but toddlers do it just as much, and often seem to operate on a ‘feast or famine’ scheme. Either they’re eating nothing for weeks and living off of glitter, a few handfuls of cereal and air, or they’re downing huge bowls of chowder, multiple bananas, not only their meal but most of yours, etc. The only difficult part is when they fall in love with a food, like yogurt, and so you give in and buy a ton of it or something, and the next day, of course, yogurt is evil. They hate yogurt. Why are you offering them yogurt? And there are 3 cartons of it in the fridge that nobody else will eat. 

[Lgirlrocks]

To me a light meal is a snack or an appetizer. Something you would have in between meals if you are hungry.