Mary Maxwell is working to graduate early for...what?

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I'm just going to assume so she will be free to change diapers, warm bottles, and practice until Steve brings her home a husband. I guess this is her post-graduation internship :roll:

Postdoc in HelpMeet? :D

[Eclipse]

The BuckHale family "solved" this problem while on their cross-country trip, by requiring the kids to swim (fully clothed, of course, because even for teh mens, nothing beats swimming in chinos and a polo shirt) in the middle of the night when all the sluttily dressed people at the campground would be safely sleeping. 1:30 AM. Just the thing.

Later they stayed at a hotel where the pool had just been opened for the season (they were permitted to be the first to use it, sounded like) so no other guests would possibly be in it, and it was also at night. So there they are, business casual in the pool. :shock:

Don't pools generally require you to wear proper swim attire? Which usually means no street clothes?

It is not comfortable to swim in clothes and it can be a serious safety hazard for people who are not strong swimmers. Clothes weigh you down in water and make it harder to move, its why we have swimsuits! And why in more advanced swim classes there is usually a lesson on how to survive swimming in clothes (i.e. if boat capsizes).

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Don't pools generally require you to wear proper swim attire? Which usually means no street clothes?

Every pool I've ever been to, yeah - but I go to big municipal pools, and this was some tiny private motel. The family did mention that usually they never have any opportunities to swim in a "real pool," it's quite possible that the clothing rules are part of the reason (though any public pool is likely to have other swimmers in normal swimwear, which they can't deal with, so they maybe don't get that far).

Unfortunately they've taken their blog private, but they had a picture of the boys lounging in the pool, hanging onto the side, wearing full on regular street clothing. It was very strange. Normally the only time you see fully street-clothed people in a pool is if they fall in!

[Witsec7]

My public pool is only two blocks from me. Sometimes I venture over when the heat is up. There are signs that say 'No street clothes allowed in pool'. I do see some of that 'modest' swimwear like Jchelles. But not alot. The frumpers around here tend to stick close to home in the heat, it keeps them from being defrauded by the heathens.

[ElphabaGalinda]

Also the Hale half of the Buck/Hales were raised to take a bath with (at least) their underwear on - they bragged that they've never seen a naked human body, even their OWN. Just... wut? (I suppose they must put on a dry shirt before they take off their wet tighty-whities.)

And yeah, they spend a lot of time handling wet laundry as a result, apparently.

That is seriously weird. Don't they wash the parts that would be covered by underwear? Wouldn't it be unhygenic if they didn't? I guess they could just close their eyes or something. Which is needlessly compilicated. Can one be defrauded by one's self? If they have some problems down there they're in for some serious trouble if they've really never seen their own bodies.

[terranova]

How early does this modesty start? Can I still wipe my baby's bottom? Can I still shower with her? I assume her showering with her Father is totally out of the question.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

That is seriously weird. Don't they wash the parts that would be covered by underwear? Wouldn't it be unhygenic if they didn't? I guess they could just close their eyes or something. Which is needlessly compilicated. Can one be defrauded by one's self? If they have some problems down there they're in for some serious trouble if they've really never seen their own bodies.

Dunno, I've only seen references to it in various news articles and quotes from the father.

I suppose they could lather up over their clothes (underwear anyway), and essentially use the clothes as washcloths. I can imagine that working, but still... why?

Interesting thing is that Dad is dead and the kids all moved out (in with the Buckingham family, hence Buck/Hale) and while I don't know how they bathe now, the swimming in full clothing thing seems to be a rule for the whole big group.

As someone who went to public bathhouses as a kid (where I saw my NEIGHBORS naked even, and it was 100% normal and nothing at all sexual) I'm usually not the one to talk about what should be proper bathing rules. I see nothing wrong with parents bathing with kids, sharing the home tub, but on mainstream US sites I've gotten flack for that opinion.

[TMS]

How in the world do they wash properly "down there" if they bathe in their underwear? That's just gross.

[bananacat]

Wow, it is very dangerous to go swimming with all the weight of regular clothes. It's even more dangerous to do so in the middle of the freaking night, and especially with no other people around. I hope there was at least a lifeguard on duty when they were at that motel.

[Justme]

Also the Hale half of the Buck/Hales were raised to take a bath with (at least) their underwear on - they bragged that they've never seen a naked human body, even their OWN. Just... wut? (I suppose they must put on a dry shirt before they take off their wet tighty-whities.)

And yeah, they spend a lot of time handling wet laundry as a result, apparently.

I can't imagine their sex life after they marry. They would have so much "guilt". :roll:

[HoneyBunny]

Amelia M. has provided the answer we sought. Mary Maxwell s getting school over with quickly so she can witness and minister to others.

Postdoc in Helpmeet. Hilarious.

The Maxwells do swim. One can only assume the opportunities are quite limited because they, too, don't swim with the opposite sex, even from their own family. It boggles the mind.

These people could never survive in the "real world". They're just lucky that others, like the medical professionals who will deliver those two babies, don't feel the same way they do about seeing, touching, talking to the opposite sex.

[twin2]

Postdoc in HelpMeet? :D

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I think you have just come up with the best term to describe Sarah.

A new elderly at the church of the nursing home--Good morning sir. Your eldest daughter is simply lovely. What does she do for a living.

Stevie-O--She is completing her first post-doc in being a helpmeet.

[FloraDoraDolly]

Two Buckingham girls have already married Hale boys, after no touch engagements, so I would think they would be pretty strict about gender segredation.

Uh, yeah. I can understand why they'd have to be extra careful in that family. Those kids didn't grow up together.

[moreorlessnu]

How early does this modesty start? Can I still wipe my baby's bottom? Can I still shower with her? I assume her showering with her Father is totally out of the question.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I think you have just come up with the best term to describe Sarah.

Heh. You might be right :)

I have a friend (WOMAN friend! Take that Steve-O!!) moving to France on Monday to do a postdoc, so I have postdoc on my mind!

[Mela99]

I feel like showering with Jim Boob would be toxic to babies... All the fumes and leftover AquaNet residue...

[lilith]

The first comment over there is a lady named Lori wondering if she can homeschool her kids. But she works full time, and is wondering if weekends and evenings would be enough time to do it.

What is wrong with these people? She thinks she's going to work a full day then fit in a full days schooling as soon as she gets home? Who is caring for these kids while she works? If they are in care, why not send them to school? Or get them a carer who can homeschool them? Jasmine Bauchman is job-hunting......

It's like the kids education can be an afterthought.

Maybe I'm just a bad lazy mum, but I used to find it hard to just get through homework, baths and dinner after a full day when I was working. A whole days schooling for multiple kids was never going to happen.

[uber frau]

Yes, but you're presuming that SODRT actually takes much effort on the parent/'teacher's' part. In the Maxwell's case, it's a matter of taking a thick, permanent marker to censor out the objectionable parts of the Abeka curriculum (yes, really), making a schedule of neat 1/2 hour blocks, collecting some sort of timing device and handing the whole package over to the student. (Although, there's always the issue of, what the hell are you going to do with your kids when you're at work all day?)

Maybe Mary's graduating early because she finds Abeka so unchallenging (she wouldn't be the first) that she's able to fit more than one chapter into an allocated timeslot, and she's just going to run out of school related stuff to do. Whatever the reason, her world is going to get even smaller, and even more boring when she is finished school. That's really sad, and the opposite of the way it's supposed to be (especially when you consider that the learning resources she's exposed to are even more limited and small-minded than what most kids get).

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

I'm betting she is graduating early to be available for 24/7 help for the two new babies.

[Markie]

I'm betting she is graduating early to be available for 24/7 help for the two new babies.

I agree with you on that, and personally, if I were Mary, I would milk it so I could spend a lot of time from under Steve-o's roof.

So Sarah does writing and cleans (probably Chore Pack shit, too), Anna does 1TON Ramp and cleans grandparents' house and babysits lil' girls, Terri cleans, shops and does Chore Pack stuff, so hopefully Mary can help out a lot at Anna & Chris' place. Chris and Anna don't seem to go to the Home for the Elderly as regularly as the other Maxwells so perhaps they have interactions and go to a "real" church and meet people who are younger than 75. Maybe Mary or Anna could meet and interact with age-appropriate friends there. Probably not, but no harm wishing.

[Guest Anonymous]

Mary and Anna are both talented seamstresses so they would have a lot in common. They may even read some evil secular sewing books together and learn about the joys of well-fitting clothes, so that they could sell their makes to people of different shapes and sizes.

[Elle]

What could they do for work? They could be maids either at a hotel or a place like Merry Maids. They could be waitresses or greeters at restaurants. Aside from that I really can't think of anything they could do for work if they were to escape.

Oh hell no. When you're a hotel maid or work for something like Merry Maids, the girls might end up alone in the presence of a man! (As someone who's worked in a hotel and defied my boss when I wasn't comfortable delivering to a certain guest's room - she got pissed, delivered it herself, and learned the hard way why I was saying we shouldn't be sending people to his room alone - I wouldn't want my daughter working in a hotel where she may be alone with strangers, or in a job where she may be one of only two young women going to a stranger's home alone.)

And working in a restaurant? Where they'd be working under another man or, worse, have a woman boss?! Yeah, that's not going to happen for the Maxwell girls.

[Witsec7]

I'm betting she is graduating early to be available for 24/7 help for the two new babies.

This^

[Elle]

Enjoyed this comment on their blog;

Jennifer D says:

May 31, 2012 at 2:09 pm

What joy to be homeschooling Mary. She truly is a beautiful young woman in many ways! I love the purity of all the children!!! Homeschooling one and waiting on grand babies…. the abundant life with Christ is so sweet.

Last night, I was laying in bed about to fall asleep when all of a sudden a reality hit me and I woke my husband to share my discovery. When our oldest graduates from high school, the following year our gift in the womb will be starting Kindergarten. My husband was up for the next hour his mind going :) Personally, my mind was drifting into pleasant thoughts of teaching a little one again when my other children will be just about all grown. Again, the abundant life with Christ that takes the sweetest of turns we never would have imagined on our own.

May this time with Mary be precious!

How can Jennifer D. see the "purity of all the children!!!"? And if she and hubby are just now figuring out their oldest will be finishing up high school as their "gift in the womb" will be starting kindergarten, they might want to get somebody else to teach math to their kids.

If their OLDEST is still a good 5 or 6 years away from graduating, then what the hell are they doing already waiting on grand babies?! My husband and I would love to be grandparents one day, but we're not sitting here WAITING on our CHILD to start popping them out, and we sure as hell aren't going to just expect her to want to be a mother or even marry a man or marry at all!

[lilwriter85]

This^

I also agree. I think she will be spending more time with Nathan and Melanie's family though. She will probably over a few times a week to clean the house and babysit.