Josie & Kelton 9

[JDuggs]

54 minutes ago, gobucks said:

Willow and Hazel are starting gymnastics today. I hope they meet some kind, fun friends that aren't fundamentalists there! 

Willow and Hazel in gymnastics; Layla in ballet; Brad, Kaci and Khloe in soccer. The new era of Gen 3 being allowed to participate in secular activities.

[Vivi_music]

3 hours ago, JDuggs said:

Willow and Hazel in gymnastics; Layla in ballet; Brad, Kaci and Khloe in soccer. The new era of Gen 3 being allowed to participate in secular activities.

It's baby steps, but a step nonetheless I guess. 🤷‍♀️

[GreenBeans]

5 hours ago, JDuggs said:

Brad, Kaci and Khloe in soccer

They already got to the number of children where it’s just easier to have all the kids do the same activity. Because it would be a huge hassle if Brad wanted to do soccer, Kaci wanted to do gymnastics and Khloe ballet, all with different times for practice during the week, and possibly tournaments/recitals at the weekend.

Yes, they may all truly enjoy soccer, but I bet part of it is simply that it’s more convenient for Zach and Whit if they all do the same activity.

[JDuggs]

Josie and Kelton are in Barcelona on the first stop of their anniversary trip. I’m guessing Michael and Brandon are watching the girls.

[lumpentheologie]

11 hours ago, JDuggs said:

Josie and Kelton are in Barcelona on the first stop of their anniversary trip. I’m guessing Michael and Brandon are watching the girls.

Wow, that’s a very fancy anniversary trip. And they’re going other places too?

I mean I’m currently in Italy on a 5 year anniversary trip, but it’s pretty cheap and easy to get here from Germany. We had no money for a honeymoon when we got married and the only anniversary “trip” we took before this was a weekend in a little cabin an hour from where we live. 

I know a lot of the Bates kids have money at this point, but going on so many expensive trips and having super expensive things makes their content a lot less relatable. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

57 minutes ago, lumpentheologie said:

Wow, that’s a very fancy anniversary trip. And they’re going other places too?

I mean I’m currently in Italy on a 5 year anniversary trip, but it’s pretty cheap and easy to get here from Germany. We had no money for a honeymoon when we got married and the only anniversary “trip” we took before this was a weekend in a little cabin an hour from where we live. 

I know a lot of the Bates kids have money at this point, but going on so many expensive trips and having super expensive things makes their content a lot less relatable. 

Unfortunately relatable isn’t a big deal for influencers. People still watch even if people live lives no one can relate to. I personally have no interest in consuming their extravagant content but I’m sure there are plenty of others who do. 

[Giraffe]

1 hour ago, lumpentheologie said:

Wow, that’s a very fancy anniversary trip. And they’re going other places too?

I mean I’m currently in Italy on a 5 year anniversary trip, but it’s pretty cheap and easy to get here from Germany. We had no money for a honeymoon when we got married and the only anniversary “trip” we took before this was a weekend in a little cabin an hour from where we live. 

I know a lot of the Bates kids have money at this point, but going on so many expensive trips and having super expensive things makes their content a lot less relatable. 

I first read this as you’re in Italy for a really cheap 5 year stay and I was so impressed!

[Cupcake79]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Unfortunately relatable isn’t a big deal for influencers. People still watch even if people live lives no one can relate to. I personally have no interest in consuming their extravagant content but I’m sure there are plenty of others who do. 

Exactly. My daughter watch this couple, Kara and Nate, I think, on youtube. What they do is basically travelling around the world, staying in expensive hotels and do all sorts of fancy activities, often outdorsy stuff. She likes watching that, while I can't stand it because it's just so out of reach for ordinary people like us. But they have a lot of followers.

[Nothing if not critical]

I guess if I did follow any influencers at all, I’d prefer they do interesting stuff as well, tbh. And I do love living vicariously through other people’s travelling experiences, to look out for places I would want to visit myself, dishes I would like to try, and so on. I wouldn’t be interested in watching someone else’s everyday life. Just goes to show people are different.

[SassyPants]

6 hours ago, lumpentheologie said:

Wow, that’s a very fancy anniversary trip. And they’re going other places too?

I mean I’m currently in Italy on a 5 year anniversary trip, but it’s pretty cheap and easy to get here from Germany. We had no money for a honeymoon when we got married and the only anniversary “trip” we took before this was a weekend in a little cabin an hour from where we live. 

I know a lot of the Bates kids have money at this point, but going on so many expensive trips and having super expensive things makes their content a lot less relatable. 

I love to travel and we recently celebrated our 40 year anniversary and are thinking of going to Greece next Fall. We couldn’t really plan to be away now because I am managing major health care issues with both of my elderly parents. When we had been married 5 years, we had busy jobs and a newborn baby, so there was no way we could travel to Europe. We have been to many different countries and feel blessed to have done so. Truthfully, I am in awe of how easily these young families can easily maneuver and plan for major trips. For us, the money would have only been the first hurdle, but the time off from work and childcare would have been harder to cover. It’s like they live in a different world. I’m not sure how any young family relates to how these folks live.

[Melissa1977]

Josie is in my city and eating a typical yogurt Catalan brand haha. Barcelona is zero fundie and she can meet a lot of "ungodly people" on the streets... be careful Josie!

I hope she enjoys her trip. The hotel looks nice. A long long way since the prairie dresses and ketchup sandwiches.

[Keys]

My husband and I will celebrate 5 years of marriage next year. We have a toddler and might try for another pregnancy next year. We thankfully have very stable and well-paying jobs, but I still can’t imagine a dream European anniversary vacation next year because 1) coordinating both our schedules to take the time off, and 2) being away from our toddler for that long feels not super fun for me. And I feel like it’s a big ask to have her stay with family for an extended period like that. I also wouldn’t be super comfy travelling to foreign countries while pregnant, but I’m biased because I work in obstetrics. Truthfully I feel like we won’t be able to do a trip like that till our kids are teenagers, lol. But good for anyone who can swing it. 

[lumpentheologie]

6 hours ago, Giraffe said:

I first read this as you’re in Italy for a really cheap 5 year stay and I was so impressed!

Haha sorry, that was confusingly written. I’d be impressed with myself too! 😂   2 weeks already feels amazingly extravagant to my American sensibilities. 

Edited October 2, 2023 by lumpentheologie

[GuineaPigCourtship]

I loved Barcelona.  It's a shame they don't drink, because I remember the breakfast vermouth all the restaurants served (proud of their own version) very fondly.

[Marly]

My SO and I got married right before Covid lockdowns + we didn't have a lot of money, so no honeymoon for us. We wanted to go to Hawaii or New York. We are currently in New York, and we are treating it as kind of a belated honeymoon. The only reason we are able to do and afford this now is because we don't have kids.

I always wonder if the married Bates couples realize how incredibly privileged they are in being able to travel while family watches their kids. My parents don't mind watching my niece overnight for 1 night, but absolutely no longer unless it's an emergency. So no far away expensive vacations for them, because it's financially not doable with a 2 year old.

Edited to add to the gender disappointment discussion: 
I hate it when people are disappointed with a certain gender because they think that because of the gender they can't buy certain clothes for or do certain activities with the child. Which is absolutely bullshit. It's 2023, not 1923. Get with the time. If you think you can't play certain sports with your daughter because she's a girl, you are the problem. 
Same with clothes. I love the color pink, I love baby clothes that are generally targeted to baby girls. If I ever have a child and it's a boy, I will buy the clothes that I like and those clothes will likely be very colorful. It's a baby, they don't have their own taste yet. Fuck outdated gender norms.
And what bothers me even more, is when people are disapointed they're having a girl because "now the name won't be carried on". GET WITH THE TIME. If you think like this, please just don't reproduce.

However, I do feel that in our current society, it's much easier and much, much more safe to be male. So from a safety perspective, I can understand it a tiny little bit. But I still think that if you wouldn't be happy with one of the two sexes (or intersex, or a child that might not be the gender they are assigned at birth), you should stronlgy reconsider reproducing.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Marly

[Hazelbunny]

I think pink was originally the "boy-color" before it became the "girl-color"... 

[Giraffe]

There’s a tiktok video going around where they were doing a sex reveal. Mom was super upset at having a 4th girl. I get being disappointed, I really do, but why TF would you post it?!!!

eta: there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging sex disappointment. My shock at it being posted is that one day those kids could come across that video. 
https://people.com/mom-finds-out-expecting-fourth-daughter-bursts-into-tears-gender-disappointment-exclusive-8286188

Edited October 3, 2023 by Giraffe
Added video

[front hugs > duggs]

We recently bought some baby clothes at Target that were more color neutral - not because we like beige/brown, but all the cute animal stuff we liked happened to be in those colors.  The cashier joked upon checkout "I'm guessing you are having a boy", but said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. We laughed it off and corrected her that we are actually having a girl, and that we really liked these items (which were marketed as boy items officially, I later realized). We got gifted lots of colorful and frilly stuff that she'll wear as well, but couldn't resist the cute animal clothes!

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by front hugs > duggs

[SassyPants]

1 hour ago, front hugs > duggs said:

We recently bought some baby clothes at Target that were more color neutral - not because we like beige/brown, but all the cute animal stuff we liked happened to be in those colors.  The cashier joked upon checkout "I'm guessing you are having a boy", but said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. We laughed it off and corrected her that we are actually having a girl, and that we really liked these items (which were marketed as boy items officially, I later realized). We got gifted lots of colorful and frilly stuff that she'll wear as well, but couldn't resist the cute animal clothes!

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When our daughter (mid 30s) was born I dressed her in a blue onesie with a sailboat for a grocery store errand. The cashier mentioned what a beautiful baby I had and too bad it was a boy. WTF- “Yes, I replied she is a beautiful baby girl.”

[Hazelbunny]

My younger sister was born in 92 and EVERYBODY kept congratulating my mum on her beautiful little boy - whatever clothes she was wearing... after loads of time of correcting people she just smiled at them. 

My sister had a lovely little light blue sailor suit onesie she often wore. (I think I remember a dark blue one aswell - my Mum must have liked them....) 

[CanadianMamam]

3 hours ago, Marly said:
I always wonder if the married Bates couples realize how incredibly privileged they are in being able to travel while family watches their kids. My parents don't mind watching my niece overnight for 1 night, but absolutely no longer unless it's an emergency. So no far away expensive vacations for them, because it's financially not doable with a 2 year old.

 

I am really lucky in this too. My mom is retired and she will watch my kids whenever I want, for however long. My husband and I haven’t actually taken a big vacation without the kids yet though because we prioritize family travel but it has let me do things like book girl’s trips for when my husband is working because my mom will watch the kids. 
 

I had mild gender disappointment with my second. I wanted a girl, partially for the girly stuff but also because I am very close to my mom and I wanted that same relationship from the other side. I was delighted when my third was a girl. My second son and I are very close though!he is such a sweet, serious soul and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. 

[lumpentheologie]

13 hours ago, Marly said:

Edited to add to the gender disappointment discussion: 
I hate it when people are disappointed with a certain gender because they think that because of the gender they can't buy certain clothes for or do certain activities with the child. Which is absolutely bullshit. It's 2023, not 1923. Get with the time. If you think you can't play certain sports with your daughter because she's a girl, you are the problem. 
Same with clothes. I love the color pink, I love baby clothes that are generally targeted to baby girls. If I ever have a child and it's a boy, I will buy the clothes that I like and those clothes will likely be very colorful. It's a baby, they don't have their own taste yet. Fuck outdated gender norms.
And what bothers me even more, is when people are disapointed they're having a girl because "now the name won't be carried on". GET WITH THE TIME. If you think like this, please just don't reproduce.

Yes. Let’s just call it what it is, sex disappointment, not gender disappointment. People are finding out their baby’s sex, not their gender. IMO, babies don’t even really have gender yet. And once children do have gender, their gender may not correspond to their sex.

But yeah, if parents limit what their children are allowed to do based on sex and then get upset that their child isn’t the “right” sex to do the things they want, well, that’s a trap of their own making. I just feel bad for the kid in that situation — no child deserves to feel like they’re not what their parents wanted, or to have their options limited because of sex. 

[Smoochie]

Not there is anything wrong with it, but, so much for the Bates modesty rules, they long gone. Just waiting for the bathing picture from Josie now ... on her cruise wearing a backless halter dress for dinner and a one shoulder bodycon (her words) dress to tour Italy. The times they are a changing!

[SassyPants]

13 minutes ago, Smoochie said:

Not there is anything wrong with it, but, so much for the Bates modesty rules, they long gone. Just waiting for the bathing picture from Josie now ... on her cruise wearing a backless halter dress for dinner and a one shoulder bodycon (her words) dress to tour Italy. The times they are a changing!

In this latest IG video, both of their faces are so red. I know Kelton always looks ruddy, and Josie is PG, but if not for these 2 facts, I’d have assumed they tied one on while on that cruise! 

[JDuggs]

I believe I saw it discussed here that Josie talked about having her IUD removed before she got pregnant. I find that to be way beyond the modesty stuff.

What is interesting to me is the KJ (and Gil I guess) have always maintained that their children can make their own rules when they are on their own. They seem to be on very good terms with all of their kids no matter what choices they’ve made. Why was that concept so hard for JB Duggar to live with?