Maxwell 48: The Maxwellhood of the Traveling Vest

[Melissa1977]

I think Jesse and Anna3 buying a house means they are ready to have children. I won't be surprise if they announce soon. 

23 hours ago, fundiewatch said:

Chelsy is John’s little firecracker and it’s totally possibly that Anna is a firecracker too. 

Chelsy wrote that she wants to have big family and that she admires how her mom raised her and her siblings. She trained and overscheduled Axton since day one and was proud of it. She may wear tight jeans but is deeply fundamentalist and very Maxwellian.

[fundiefan]

9 minutes ago, Melissa1977 said:

I think Jesse and Anna3 buying a house means they are ready to have children. I won't be surprise if they announce soon. 

Chelsy wrote that she wants to have big family and that she admires how her mom raised her and her siblings. She trained and overscheduled Axton since day one and was proud of it. She may wear tight jeans but is deeply fundamentalist and very Maxwellian.

This. Firecracker, my arse.

That chick lost any consideration from me once she expressed how proud she was that the "training" of her child was paying off - you know, the kid who was scared to touch his smash cake because for his entire life his hands have been held down; he's been prevented from using his hands to touch, which is how babies learn and grow and experience. That was his "training". 

God, just typing that one paragraph makes me all pissed off. I am so freaking disgusted at these people and how they abuse and stifle their children, all in the name of their god. 

Looking at pictures of that poor baby, his hands had been held down pretty much since birth. 

What she wears does not in any way make her less dangerous or less fundie. It means she has chosen to mix up the rules a little bit, nothing more. 

[fundiewatch]

Wait wait wait: *I* don’t think Chelsy is a firecracker— those were John’s words, and I should have clarified. The Bonts and Chelsy are horrible. And actually I think she gets a ton of credit here for her fresh and tasty food and I haven’t seen many home making skills out of her at all. 

[usmcmom]

New post up. Chelsy organized a girls night. Everyone in the photo looks really good.  I wonder if Elissa is pregnant. I base my speculation on the fact that her blouse has elastic under the bust line. So, you know, very scientific stuff.
 

Also…dammit…now I have to find an ice pick and poke my own eyeball. Sarah mentioned their schedules again. I don’t even think I HAVE an ice pick. *sigh* 

[browngrl]

On 6/22/2021 at 8:48 PM, ElizaB said:

I hold out hope that some of the Maxwell children are taking small steps away. 

Me too.  

Years ago I had a fundie woman who was a patient of mine. She was unmarried, in her early 40's and lived with her parents. She was so fundie-ized that even at her age her mother would come to her appointments and try to do the talking for her. When her (elderly) parents died in quick succession,  I was concerned about how she'd cope.

I should not have been concerned. Turns out she'd taken courses in accounting at home and had been doing the accounting for her parents/church friends and she was able to take that experience and turn it into a regular job. Her parents home was paid up and had appreciated substantially in value which gave her a sweet nest egg when she sold it.  She talked to me a lot about how scared she was but each step she took gave her more and more confidence and the last time I saw her (I got a new job) she'd cut her hair, bought a new wardrobe, got her own little condo and was planning a vacation. 

I think of this woman often when I think of Sarah. I still hold out hope that one day Sarah can have the same opportunity to become fully herself.

[Austrian Atheist]

1 hour ago, ElizaB said:

They could probably hire of people that they find through church. I also remember Nathan hiring homeschool graduates that were family friends through conferences and graduates of Itonramp (or whatever that was called). I imagine most of their hires are not random strangers from the internet- which truth be told is probably the case with most small businesses. 

Are there enough IT experts in their circles? I admit I don't know anything about the US labor market. I know that various tech businesses of different sizes struggle to find enough skilled staff in my country. Media constantly covers the topic of shortages in staff in different industries all the time. Can they afford to be picky about their staff?

However, Nathan doesn't list his team on the website. Joseph does. It's strange that he doesn't list Anna even though her Linkedin says that she works for the company and even has two IT related certifications herself (don't know what kind of certifications those are). I would be pissed at my brothers if they concealed my contribution. 

This reminds me of something else: what would come first? The long anticipated pizza cutter post or the second installment of Sarah's "HOW I STARTED IN BOOKKEEPING"?

Actually it's sad because she maybe really could give stay at home moms and daughters some advise how to work form their home. There were a lot of interested comments on part 1. I have no idea why she waits over 3 month for the next part. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Austrian Atheist

[Bethy]

10 minutes ago, usmcmom said:

I wonder if Elissa is pregnant. I base my speculation on the fact that her blouse has elastic under the bust line. So, you know, very scientific stuff.

If she is, I feel like that would be a smaller gap than before. But I don't have all her kids' birth dates memorized, I just know Calia is almost 6 because she's close in age to my daughter.

57 minutes ago, Melissa1977 said:

Chelsy wrote that she wants to have big family and that she admires how her mom raised her and her siblings. She trained and overscheduled Axton since day one and was proud of it. She may wear tight jeans but is deeply fundamentalist and very Maxwellian.

The scary baby scheduling seems to be a necessity in these huge families. There was a new member of the pastoral team at our former church who had a bunch of kids. The husband talked very admiringly of his wife and how she "puts that baby on a schedule" every time they have a new one and how she makes him let the kid cry it out until they learn that schedule. I totally lost respect for them both - but particularly her - that day. She and I were similar in age and interests and I felt like we could have been friends but I couldn't let that slide. Lost even more respect when they joked about how they "oopsed" and got pregnant again after the doctor told them she'd had too many cesareans and needed to stop. "God had other ideas..." Well, I mean, if he got snipped and she still got pregnant that's one thing - that would be a pretty mammoth "other idea" but I have a feeling it was more like "oops we 'forgot' to chart my cycle" or "oops we went away for our anniversary and 'forgot' to take any form of prevention." These people talk about being pro-life but are willing to risk the mom's life time and time again. 

[Austrian Atheist]

15 minutes ago, usmcmom said:

New post up. Chelsy organized a girls night. Everyone in the photo looks really good.  I wonder if Elissa is pregnant. I base my speculation on the fact that her blouse has elastic under the bust line. So, you know, very scientific stuff.

Is it just me or do they all have shorter hair (except Mary)? It's a good picture. They look happy (without their headships...). Also this means: all the husbands had to take care of their crews on their own for several hours! 

[Bethy]

4 minutes ago, Austrian Atheist said:

Is it just me or do they all have shorter hair (except Mary)? It's a good picture. They look happy (without their headships...). Also this means: all the husbands had to take care of their crews on their own for several hours! 

I think even Mary's hair looks a little shorter than it was. Although Anna's is hard to tell when it's curly.

Yes, maybe the husbands had to take care of the kids, but with the exception of John, they all have a firstborn or secondborn daughter who's old enough to be the sister mom, so probably those dads just had to be in the house so there was an adult there.

[SPHASH]

3 minutes ago, Austrian Atheist said:

Also this means: all the husbands had to take care of their crews on their own for several hours! 

Nate has Abby, Bethy, and Tina to do the work for him.  Chris has Ruthie although she's barely old enough to be a sister mom, likewise with Joe.  John has no one.

 

[Austrian Atheist]

What a depressing thought that fathers cannot survive without the sistermoms for a couple of hours.

Do you think one of the sons invited Steve over? Or did he sulk alone in his empty house? Would he find his prepared vegan salad in a Mason jar in the fridge on his own or would he need to phone Terri or the SAHD for that?

[fundiefan]

Sarah is not capable of setting context or transitioning. 

Without any context, she discussed the schedule, Olive Garden, and all the "life changes" in Maxhell lately from marriages to cancer. 

I'm sure she meant to express that they all talked of those changes/experiences and got caught up on each others' lives or something - although they only ever see each other, so how they don't all already know everything (given the Internet does) is beyond me....but anyway, I think she was trying to say they all talked about their lives. 

But, in typical Maxhell fashion, she is incapable of stating something in a clear or concise manner. 

And, Chelsy worked weeks to find a night for everyone and guess what, y'all - you're never going to guess because it's so much a miracle from god that none of you could ever expect it to happen....that night came! Miracle of miracles, they had a single night in all their busy schedules far enough in advance they could plan dinner at Olive Garden, and then oh my god, the miracle of that night coming! 

OfChris looks wonderful. I hope that means she is healthy. I also know she won't do it because fundie women & long hair is like some kind of banner of specialness, but I would love it if she kept her hair short. It's got gorgeous curl and brings out her face so well. 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by fundiefan

[ElizaB]

Unpopular opinion and I expect to get some flack for this; however, I have a "snark rule" for myself and that is that I also stand up for/post good about the families I snark on when I feel that it needs to be said. 

Anyway here it is: I think the Maxwell men are probably fairly hands on fathers especially in comparison to other families we post about here. In a family that idolizes "business" I don't imagine they are the types to come home from work and put their feet up with a cold drink. 

I have seen a lot of examples on the blog of the Max men being fairly hands on. In the Gigi's birthday post for example Nate and Chris both are sitting with their children while their wives are in the back not by any kids. John is holding a small child as well. There have been posts of Chris mowing the lawn small kids on his back (wearing ear protectors). 

Remember- these kids grew up in a household with a mother who was so depressed she couldn't do basic tasks yet needed the house to be completely in order. They all cooked, cleaned, and raised babies (regardless of gender) because someone had to do it. I just don't see them growing up and stopping all the things that were ingrained in them to do. 

Now I am not saying that their wives don't do more than their fair share of the work. However, I just know they are very capable of doing it and idolize being busy- so they can and probably do their fair share of the "womanly" tasks. 

 

[HereticHick]

Shoutout to all the Rodriguii fans--I hope Chelsy's ladies night out was at the NICE Olive Garden.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

9 hours ago, Austrian Atheist said:

Just realized that not only Jesse and John are hiring people but also Nathan. They seem to do well in the IT business. I wonder how they are able to find staff outside the family. Are they allowed to ask for religious beliefs and political views in an interview? It's forbidden in my country. If you are asked certain prohibited questions you even are allowed to lie.

 

 

If they are successful then they are either adept at interviewing people or they are quiet about their beliefs and earn the respect of their employees. They are in a fairly conservative area anyway, but I would sincerely doubt they force their staff to do Bible Study at work. They may advertise job openings for a variety of reasons. Now, are any of their employees women?

[Bluebirdbluebell]

4 hours ago, usmcmom said:

New post up. Chelsy organized a girls night. Everyone in the photo looks really good.  I wonder if Elissa is pregnant. I base my speculation on the fact that her blouse has elastic under the bust line. So, you know, very scientific stuff.

Her youngest is over a year old, so she might be pregnant. 

[sparkles]

9 hours ago, catlady said:

No and No.  legally, an employer cannot ask anything personal or that doesn’t relate to the job.  So questions about the above, or marital status, number of children/dependents, address (if it’s not on the resume, and more frequently it’s not), pets, hobbies, etc.  They can’t ask about a car unless it’s required for the job duties; otherwise they are limited to “do you have reliable transportation?” because transportation can be public transit or rides from other people.  Now, the candidate can volunteer any of this info, and once they do the employer can do with it what they choose; but any good career counselor will encourage job hunters not to do that.

Whatever the fundie equivalent of gaydar is, I'm sure the Maxwells have it in abundance and have honed that skill to a fine edge. And even so, there's nothing stopping them from not choosing a candidate who didn't seem like a good fit for political, religious, appearance or other forbidden reasons—and they don't have to say why. Also, there are ways of sending out signals on their end, just in casual get-to-know-you conversation, that would make it clear to a non-fundie candidate that they wouldn't be a good fit. 

Of course, they could always pull a Lou Grant and ask those forbidden questions anyway. ?

Spoiler

 

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by sparkles

[SPHASH]

7 hours ago, Melissa1977 said:

Chelsy wrote that she wants to have big family and that she admires how her mom raised her and her siblings. She trained and overscheduled Axton since day one and was proud of it. She may wear tight jeans but is deeply fundamentalist and very Maxwellian.

This is why I gave a Disgust reputation.  I think Chelsy will be just like her mother, a cold-hearted judgemental bitch. Remember Becky and her "two year olds are selfish" if they are shy?  Chelsy acted like that with the mechanic who unlocked her car door because she didn't think he was dressed appropriately.

[kpmom]

Yes, everybody does look nice in the Olive Garden picture.  Sarah especially looks sporty with her sunglasses on top of her head.  And her smile looks real and not the posed smiles we always see from the Maxwells.

And yes, please, save us from how long Chelsy had to plan to get everyone together.  I get together with a group of friends sometimes and no one has to spend weeks (weeks!) figuring out a day and time to get together.

I don't believe anyone is that busy.

[freejugar]

When I read the post title, I thought of something completely different LOL.

Apparently Anna Marie is on a special diet

Quote

Chelsy worked very hard – first pursuing dates until there was one that everyone was available. Then finding a place where all ten of us could sit at one table, and also a place that would let Anna Marie bring in her own food.

This is riveting!

Quote

I like the photo, too, and we really did like our time together. Even our driving time was good talking time since Olive Garden is about 35 minutes from us. Anna Patrice had been at Melanie’s that day so they drove in together. Sarah and Chelsy went in early to get the table and then went shopping during the wait. I took my mom, Anna, Mary, and Anna Marie in. Elissa came from another direction. Then going home, Melanie joined my car while Anna and Mary moved over to Sarah’s with Chelsy.

 

[fundiewatch]

Terri, stop trying to make “Anna Patrice” happen. And that is a ton of info on their transportation, especially from the one word answer Maxwells. Bizarre. 

[HereticHick]

1 hour ago, kpmom said:

yes, please, save us from how long Chelsy had to plan to get everyone together.  I get together with a group of friends sometimes and no one has to spend weeks (weeks!) figuring out a day and time to get together.

 

Apparently Teri thinks that  no one in the heathen world has ever organized a small  luncheon at a restaurant before.

[Jasmar]

Questions, I haz: What made Chelsy think any restaurant anywhere would let a diner bring in their own food? And what the heck, Olive Garden actually agreed? 

I mean, it’s nice because that meant Anna was able to participate, but it just seems very strange to me.

[CyborgKin]

Teri seems uncharacteristically chatty in replying to all the comments on the girls' night post.   Some of her replies are longer than the comments she's replying to!

[Bethy]

Some interesting comments, particularly the poster who commented that they hoped the Maxes left a good tip considering they tied up the table for such a long time. (That's valid, BTW. That server had multiple tables occupied, probably for hours, while people who only spend time with each other allegedly chatted about the stuff all of the rest of us already know from reading the blog.) IDK if Olive Garden does the "parties over X size have an automatic 18% gratuity added to their bill" or not...I have a friend who used to work at some upscale-ish restaurant (Ruby Tuesday's or Uno's or something like that) and they had that in place, and she benefitted GREATLY from the occasional huge party (with the corresponding huge bill, and sometimes a nice load of alcohol served as well) who didn't read the fine print about the automatic 18% gratuity and added on their own tip besides. I would just smirk a little if that happened with the Maxes. Particularly if they were trying to leave a carefully-calculated exactly-15%-and-no-more tip. And even more so if they made a big show of praying before the meal or asking the server how they could pray for them, and then tried to leave a stingy tip, but it got more than doubled by the automatic gratuity. That would amuse me.