cereality

I mean Josie can get over the miscarriage or not, that's her call. But it's soooo emotional for them that they must mark the day and in order to do so must bring a photographer/3rd person so you can have proof that it's soooo emotional for them!? Give me a break. The first shot is of Kelton's ass as he walked ahead carrying the balloons so I figured, J was filming. And then shots of the family of 4 releasing the balloons, privately praying, and lovingly staring at the sky presumably thinking about the baby. Give me a break -- you're sooooo sad that you have the presence of mind to be in coordinated outfits and bring a photographer?? These girls - esp Josie, Alyssa, and Carlin - have let their D list "fame" go to their heads. They are convinced their public loves them SOOOO much and just NEEDS to know what they're doing/how they're feeling at all times, when the reality is people will forget you 15 min after your show ends and they start watching some other showing and following those ppl on IG and YouTube. I mean Alyssa posted a video the other day explaining how she's stretched so think she's going to take one day a week - Sunday - just for her family so that's why she won't be on IG. I mean is anyone soooo desperately waiting for Alyssa to update that if she doesn't for an entire 24 hrs they'll freak out?? I mean it's Alyssa going on about how cute her kids are or feeding them crackers or cleaning the house or getting her 80th coffee of the week, it's not like we're waiting on a Pentagon press briefing here!?

IDK if they went all the way to IVF. Might just be that they used the various drugs which stimulate the body to release the egg and then had sex hourly during that process to make a baby and that was enough. In that case no guarantees of a boy of course. Though I imagine they're going with the law of large numbers - you have enough babies, one will be a boy though not necessarily, look at John. IDK if it's accurate but google says IVF nationwide costs about ~25k on average and there are clinics in Tenn. saying it costs 10k-12k per cycle. I could see them doing a cycle of that just to see if they could make a boy. Sure they aren't loaded but they've been married for ~7 years and Chad seems like a saver, so chances are he has saved 2-3k per YEAR in all their married years. Now of course that was for a house, but Princess Erin gets what she wants so if she'd rather spend that money on baby making rather than a house, that's likely what they did; and frankly in this instance I think Chad would rather spending on baby making too to get another boy. Once the kids are all here we'll figure out some kind of book shelf arrangement to house them all. Plus I feel like lots of medical places that don't take insurance are big on payment plans. They won't take out a loan on a house but for this, yeah they'd get on a payment plan and keep it on the DL. Though if they DID pay ~15k for IVF, I hope they gender selected too bc IDK if they can come up with that much money again next year to try for another boy should this one turn out to be a girl. As for Carson, I don't think he has a speech issue bc he sounds coached and speaks slow. I think he has a speech issue bc you can hardly understand him - the way you can't understand 2-3 year olds sometimes. I mean of course he was coached for the video and generally of course C&E have been putting it in his head that he NEEDS a brother and NEEDS to pray for one. No normal person puts it in their kids' heads that the NEED a brother or sister bc they know they aren't having an infinite # of kids so their kid may never get a same sex sibling. Normal people go with - you get what you get, you'll love your sister just the same. Normal religious people go with - God wanted us to have a daughter/sister. But that has nothing to do with "bwother" "pwegnant" "angwel" etc. I mean I've heard 2 yr olds proudly announce that they are a "big bwother" not 6 yr olds.

You KNOW they're all over Carson to pray for a brother and the 1st girl to pray for mommy to be able to have more babies. I mean they're 5 and 6, C&E are likely constantly lecturing them about God and prayer. What should I pray for - well a baby brother - of course, what else could you possibly want on this earth?? You know that's what Z&W did as well - totally making their 5-6 yr old feel that it was HIS responsibility to pray hard enough to get a brother. These people have taken - God answers kids' prayers - to a new extreme of putting that burden on the kids for what THEY want. I mean Carson is SIX, he should not even know that mommy and daddy are trying to make a baby or what drs. are telling mommy about her prospects of another pregnancy!? Let him be a child and you know interact with other children who aren't cousins, go to school, etc. not worry about mommy and daddy's bedroom activities!? As for the girls feeling less valued bc of the constant "need a brother for Carson" talk, I don't think they care; nor do I think Z&W cared when they spoke the same way. The only fundie I've seen having some semblance of care on this issue is John who has said -- how do you think our girls would feel if we went around saying we need to have more babies to have boys, as if they don't matter?! But reality is that's bc J doesn't want anymore kids period, even if they are boys. Alyssa nodded along but reality is we HAVE seen Alyssa prompting the girls on - don't you want a brother etc. As for the speech impediment - this is what happens when you isolate your kids + keep them away from actual professionals. If it's just a matter of he baby talks bc Erin baby talks to him, it would have been sorted out ASAP in preschool at age 3-4 as teachers would have told him to ask for things like a big boy. Or he'd be running with a pack of boys, see they didn't sound like babies, and he'd speak like them. If it is an actual issue, a preschool teacher would have said - hey your kid needs to be evaluated, he would have gotten a few months/yr of speech therapy plus practice at home and been good to go!? But what adults does he see most? Kelly who like Erin wants to have babies perpetually so it's sooooo cute that the SIX yr old is still a baby, she prob sees no problem at all. And Whit bc I think he plays with Z&W's son. As much as these sisters/sisters in law act like besties, no way could Whit comment on Carson's development without it being a huge issue resulting in IG videos about how Erin is closest to sisters A, B, C, leaving out Whit . . . . Even in the real world, it IS hard to comment on someone else's kid without their mom taking offense, but in the real world kids also see all kinds of teachers, administrators etc. who can comment in a more objective way and say look I've taught 3000 6 yr olds in my career, about 15 have sounded like yours and they needed speech therapy. And yeah no way would Carson be begging for another sibling if they weren't putting the idea of "you need a brother" in his mind constantly. He's 6 with siblings that are 5, 3, and 1.5. Any 6 yr old can tell you that they hate it when they rush home to tell mom something that happened and then it's - wait the baby is fussy; wait the 3 yr old needs to go potty, I have to help her; ok go ahead; oh wait the baby is crying; ok now go . . . . Sure lots of kids want a sibling when they are only and maybe some want a same sex sibling, but MOST oldest kids will tell you it's annoying to share the attention with needier younger kids - which is what a baby is.

They’ll never thank science or drs if that’s what helped them conceive - after all God first and plus then they’d have to admit it wasn’t all natural. I mean aren’t these the people who were in the NICU raving about God, barely acknowledging the highly trained drs and nurses? Not E&C specifically but Z&W and J&K - all cut from the same cloth. When you lie you gotta stay consistent. Why is everyone saying they have a bad feeling? Curious having never been pregnant. Like I thought if you need help to conceive the riskiest parts are having/stimulating eggs + the pregnancy implanting. Once that’s done is there any greater risk than a regular pregnancy at age 30?

Yeah I did a double take on that too. You went to a fertility dr bc you were starting menopause?! Uh most fertility specialists would say sorry I don’t deal w menopause, let me give you the name of another practice. BS she went to do what she could to get pregnant ASAP with whatever eggs remain. Not that they would tell, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if during those surgeries she went thru some egg retrieval and freezing for the future so they can keep having miracle babies. I know they’re soooo Godly that they only believe in conception in the bedroom but reality it’s no more kids vs Chad jerking off in a cup and having drs implant an embryo, they would do it ASAP. Only thing is that’s pricey so IDK how they’d swing it financially but it may explain their living situation if this is how they’re spending what they save/are on payment plans for baby making. Reality is Erin has always been all about aggressively doing what she can do have babies and she leads Chad around by his dick on this issue. When she was miscarrying before Carson she was aggressively looking to figure it out and if Chad ever said - maybe it’s God’s will - he was likely told to STFU; I’m sure the same is true here. I don’t think it’s like Michael and Brandon where I have a feeling M would be open to trying some interventions that aren’t biblical and B likely says no this is God’s plan and she defers. And yeah stop filling your SIX year old’s head with mommy and daddy’s bedroom plans to where he’s praying about them and maybe enroll him in a school and/or speech therapy so he doesn’t talk like a toddler?!

Chad needs to take on some jobs for people that aren't relatives. Looks like he's super involved in Z&W's new home - he was in the videos this weekend walking around doing stuff and Warden was as well; looks like they've "hired" Chad's company. I'm not suggesting Chad does these jobs for free, but reality is on a family job you are NOT charging the same amount you'd charge a stranger. I'm guessing it's closer to at cost + a modest profit bc if he quotes a price for too much more than that, he'll get Z being like oh I'm going to be here doing 1/2 the work myself + if we need more guys sure bring in Law/Nathan/Evan/anyone else not on Chad's payroll, aren't you going to give me a discount for that!? The contractor market has been on fire for the last year and yet we see Chad wasting hours upon hours doing jobs for Z&W, Josie & Kelton, probably something for Bobby & Tori since they just bought etc. I mean at some point he needs to get out of that house . . . 7 people in a 2 bed, 1 bath "cottage" and oh yeah they homeschool too so everyone is home ALL.THE.TIME. Last Friday Erin posted a video of Carson doing "school" while she ran the laundry - the laundry machine being 3 ft away from the kitchen table where he worked. Add to that a screaming baby and yep super conducive to learning . . . . No wonder the kids just run around barefoot outside all the time, at least it gives them some space. How old is Carson - 5-6? From that video - he doesn't speak super clearly and sounds more baby-ish than I'd expect in 1st grade. Though IDK I haven't been around 1st graders lately but he sounds younger than that . . . . Also interesting how weak the Bates genes are - 3/4 of those kids look just like Chad - and Kelton's kids look just like him, Evan's looks just like him etc. The Bates features don't come thru huh?

The fundie women have turned birthing into a competitive sport + the men use it as a dick measuring contest of how they made more babies than their brothers in law, and they've ALL lost sight of the fact that every pregnancy and delivery comes with risk, moreso if you have any health risk factors - which she does between all the cysts/surgeries; having had covid more than once (I think - or maybe just once but with lasting effects); and the blood thinners she has to take with pregnancy!? I mean bad things can happen - they don't believe it - well look at Kelton's dad!? As much as I snark on them, I'd never wish bad health on anyone and I really really hope she is going to UTenn or some other respectable practice here, not Dr. Vick. Though IIRC C&E have only ever used Vick, right? I feel like it's only Josie in that family who sees objective, non-fundie drs. -- maybe due to her husband's insistence, seeing as what his family went through. I mean she had covid + long covid + cysts rupturing + multiple surgeries to clean up those cysts and remove ovaries and then got pregnant -- all in the span of 1 yr!? I think that qualifies as high risk. Like has she even been to a cardiologist and pulmonologist to have her heart and lung checked - given how long she suffered after covid??

So she had 1 ovary removed + part of the other. So I guess the remaining part has eggs left, which means that if this pregnancy goes ok the race is REALLY on. Like I'd expect TWO babies in 2022 - one in Jan and then she gets pregnant again by late Feb/early March and has another by Dec. Chad must be on his knees PRAYING for a boy because the factory could close at any time - 1 boy and 3 girls is bad enough, if it ends with 1 boy and 4 girls?? No way - he NEEDS at least 1 more son and ideally like 2-3 more sons. If this baby is due in Jan, aren't they announcing a bit early?? Like I know they're probably around 4 mos but given how much you want this and how scared to death you've been that this wouldn't happen, does the world need to know RIGHT NOW? Like why not wait until mo. 6 or 7?? And no IG announcement, weird?? I mean don't we need to hear how #blessed they are? As for where to put the kid - couple months in mom and dads room. Then 2 kids on the floor in trundles, 2 in regular beds, and 1 above that in a bunk or some kind of shelf that Chad can build but not one that's a regular bunk. Bc if they keep having more kids after this AND don't buy a house -- which let's be real just got harder if they're sticking to their cash only principles bc these medical bills won't be cheap -- they need the ceiling room, so I'm thinking stack them up like bookshelves.

Carlin and Whit now have a VERY exclusive cliquey bestie vibe. I do wonder if covid caused Erin to sit out for a while and they kept running the business; then she didn't come back in 2 wks as she was sicker longer and I could see besties Carlin and Whit eye rolling a bit bc they had covid too and bounced right back; then she has her surgery/baby issues and needed time to recover from that and possibly also had some depression issues with that when she learned they were done with the babies so she stayed out further. And Carlin and Whit are now so cliquey that they're giving her the vibe of -- what do we need YOU for -- while passively aggressively saying "oh no you take whatever time you need, we got this" and Erin kind of feels like how do I re-enter this?? And possibly Erin is offended if she notices how cliquey they are, so she's like fine I'll just take my toys and go and make scripture cards, you guys can call me when some part of this store needs decorating - which it really won't now as it's all set though I suppose at some point they could re-paint or change up the look. And while that video of Evan throwing an uncrustable to Layla and filling her bottle with root beer was totally staged, I think I have seen (only once) a bottle of soda + I def know I've seen a bottle of chocolate milk. I seriously don't understand why they keep introducing her to crap food. Like all kids discover it and that's all they want, don't HELP THEM discover it and don't make it available to them?? If she gets a taste of soda or chocolate milk from her grandparents or millions of aunts/uncles, ok but don't hand her bottles of it when you're in charge - not even one time!?

They're all posting about their Sunday and gushing about Gil's church doing some revival. Packed. Shoulder to shoulder. Carlin posts a video of course focused on her kid and bestie Whit and in the background you can hear the preacher say "some people say masks don't work" and Whit is grinning from ear to ear I guess as she gets the "testimony" why masks are stupid . . . . Yep covid is soooo funny. Esp in a family where so many have had it?! Hey maybe they took that horse medicine that is so popular in their circles these days. I couldn't tell if the preacher was Gil but then in a follow up Carlin said something about how the preacher that was brought in for the revival was one of their favorites etc so maybe not Gil who is the usual preacher? Not that Gil would give a different message on masking.

Yeah none of them are thinking that far ahead. I realize they were just raised to be "dumb girls" who don't understand all those "big numbers" but where are their headships in this?? They should be living in whatever lifestyle can be provided for them by an electrician school apprentice, an ex cop who presently does nothing but reno his own homes, an HVAC guy, a contractor, a plumber, a manager of a plumbing co., or an IBPL videographer and SAVING whatever extra they get from the show and/or the Youtube channels, clothing lines or barrette companies that have spun off from their "fame" on the show. Because you're right that "fame" won't last forever. Reality TV IG businesses pop up overnight but they also go away overnight bc the shows go away, people forget about you and jump on the businesses of whoever is on TV next. To be fair I think Chad, Bobby, and Brandon and their wives are living within their means. You don't see them posting all the time about constant trips or dinner out 3-4 nights/wk or carrying a Sbux coffee with them at all times. I assume Chad/Erin and Brandon/Michael take whatever little extra comes in from the show and Michael from her baby blanket business and plow it into saving for a house. C/E seem to take maybe 1 trip every 1-2 years and it's usually a beach trip to a small Fla town where I suspect they drive and rent an AirBnb for a few nights and even then prob buy some groceries rather than getting coffee at Sbux every day. Brandon/Michael appear to travel just a little bit more but not much and often it'll be weekend getaways in the midwest when they've driven to Michigan to visit Brandon's family; I mean they COULD travel like crazy bc it's not like they have 4 mouths to feed but they just don't. Bobby/Tori - less clear due to less social media but even still I think they saved up bc they recently bought a house and honestly Tori seems so whiny and overwhelmed that I'm pretty sure Bobby doesn't WANT to take her on vacations or to restaurants bc the whole time it'll just be like omg the kids didn't sleep, I'm so tired etc.; like home turf might just be easier with her. J&A and C&E OTOH are using the money from the show, YouTube channels, and Carlin's $$ from the store to live the life they always wanted - the nice clothes, meals out all the time, constant splurging. John has said that he and Alyssa are bad at sticking to a budget - I think she spends a lot on clothes for her and the girls and random junk for their house and I assume he's into electronics etc. Carlin & Evan - we've all seen her daily life and he buys every tech gadget known to man. They have completely wired their home w/ all the Google Home devices, he "needs" fancy computer, phone, and camera equipment that he apparently upgrades often bc he's SUCH a YouTube star and the editing needs to be professional, and he was going on one time about how a Roomba wasn't good enough so he needed a higher end one. Good thing they don't come from a background where kids need to go to college . . . . Josie and Kelton I think are in the middle - I do think they splurge on coffees, a small amount of takeout but the don't seem to go crazy like eating out 4 days/wk or constantly flying places like C&E. I have a feeling they're not necessarily saving their money but reinvesting it in their businesses so the businesses will generate more. For Kelton's business that probably works - he seems to employ 5+ plumbers now, if he can bump that up to 10, that's 10 guys out on jobs and he's making the profit; for Josie's - eh - who is gonna remember her once she has 4 kids so she's never available to book a wedding and the show is long gone? But maybe the plan is sell as many barrettes until then.

Yeah Chad and Erin have said before they won't buy a house with a mortgage, which I'm sure is Chad's decision. There was one episode where they went out looking at houses they could buy and Chad could fix up -- I mean these houses were mostly abandoned properties in total disrepair to where you wondered how they withstand even a rain storm!? But I honestly think that's all that was even feasible on the money they had saved up for a cash purchase. I mean it would take 6 mos to make these houses even liveable - we're not talking making it open concept and putting in barn doors and granite like all of Erin's siblings are doing; we're talking homes that may have no electrical because it's been stolen over the years by people who broke in once the homes were abandoned, foundations that are probably badly cracked, major roofing problems from storms over the years etc. I def think Chad is more pragmatic in how they spend money + on the $$$ issue what he says goes. You just don't see Erin carrying the coffee, shopping for her kids or herself all the time, doing salon/spa days etc. I imagine some part of him is financially relieved to not have more kids bc I bet he honestly was like - what am I going to do - I can't afford a house, where will I put kids 5, 6, 7?? BUT I do think he's very fundie so some part of him prob regrets it too -- bc he did want another son to have a brother for Carson -- and if Erin was able to continue to get pregnant, he would have just convinced himself to pray harder and God will provide. If Carlin doesn't like coffee WTH don't go to Sbux all the time?? Before the world shut down I'd often grab a tea at Sbux at work and you can get that for ~$2-3 even in a major northeastern city and I think drip coffee is probably similar. All those whipped cream concoctions though are never less than $5 with a $2 cake pop for Layla every time. If she goes 3-4 times/wk, she's wasting like $20-30/wk on this -- which would be fine if her husband wasn't constantly complaining about finances?? I think Alyssa just survives her life and her kids by staying caffeinated and drinking her calories. But yeah having coffee delivered seems kind of ridiculous to me. I know she posts it as a -- aw Katie loves me she sent me coffee and a cookie -- but really?? Can you not make coffee at your "coffee station" ever? Or get each other coffee and pizza (for Katie) gift cards? But I also think these girls - and their brothers too - got so little when they were younger and had to share EVERYTHING, that even a coffee or pizza sent just to them is a big deal.

I also have a feeling that while Chad is/was whipped in other ways - living where she wanted to live; figuring out the baby situation asap when she was miscarrying; being her family's handyman; their marriage is still more traditional in certain ways. Like right from the start I think he might have been like fine paint the cotton candy pink and I'll repaint the furniture for you monthly to redecorate, but there WILL be dinner on the table when I walk in the door at 5 pm. She is the ONLY Bates girl who learned to cook ASAP after marriage and cooked consistently even when it was just the two of them so they could have afforded to go out more (except Michael though for her I don't think learning was an issue - she's always cooked so she just does). And I have a feeling Chad also handles the money, so he's not handing her cash weekly to get daily Sbux like her sisters and pick up takeout 3 times/wk (or has told her in no uncertain terms what her credit card limit is). I don't think it's to be controlling, I really just think he can't swing it financially for her to spend $20/wk on coffee like Carlin and Alyssa + to get fast food 3 times/wk for SIX people; the cheapest you could do that even with coupons/no drinks etc. would be $5/person, adding up to $25-30 each time (IDK if the baby eats yet) or $75-90/wk. As social media whorish and competitive as Erin is, she would LOVE to post on IG all the time with Sbux in hand, picking up takeout and coming home to yet another Amazon package at her door. I don't think it's HER financial conservatism - it's likely her husband being unable to afford it and putting a stop to it and her abiding by that. As opposed to the other husbands who whine about money A LOT (ahem Evan and John) and yet their wives are picking up coffee daily, fast food many times a wk, and dropping $100 at the salon or $20 on a mani/pedi ALL THE TIME and CONSTANTLY opening Amazon packages; in one video the other day Evan legit looked nervous as he was like - ANOTHER package, prob wondering what she spent on now. Like seriously as tight as money appears to be, can Carlin NEVER make coffee at home? I know she's a working mom blah blah but she rolling into the store like 10 am - 12 pm at the earliest more days. Pretty sure that's enough time to make coffee, have some eggs or a bagel or whatever and then you're not stopping for coffee or fast food!?

This menagerie has to be costing them money and they aren't exactly rolling in money - given 4 kids living in 1 bedroom + a house where the washer/dryer is in the dining room bc there's no other room for it. I mean I think money being tight is the #1 reason that unlike her younger sisters, they eat every meal at home and often Erin is baking up treats too; I don't say the food thing in a bad way - much better to have fresh real food and homemade muffins than be rolling thru Chick Fila 3 times/wk like Carlin or Little Caesars like Josie; she pictured tonight's dinner and it looked like lasagna/casserole and salad - simple and healthy. But I'm unclear why they're wasting $$ they don't have on animals. Sure kids, #simplelife, blah blah but you don't seem like you can afford it AT ALL. Maybe work on earning more money, saving more, buying or renting someplace more suitable for 6 people, and THEN you can have animals, once you own the land and can afford to feed them.

Man no pandemic as far as J&A are concerned. Kids off to co-op for a day this week and then the whole family goes to Petco - maskless of course - to pick out goldfish. FOUR kids under age 12 including an infant + a mom with previous heart surgeries, but hey carry on. Meanwhile Orlando is telling people to sharply cut back water usage probably for WEEKS bc liquid oxgyen is used in water treatment but there's a shortage developing bc so much liquid oxygen is being used at the hospitals to treat patients -- and obv they want to be able to divert it to the hospitals as much as necessary. Yet to see these people carry on, it's like 2019. I don't understand it. I truly wonder if they are clueless enough that they just don't know -- like how would if you don't watch news + don't read (they don't seem like readers to me) news bc in your fundie crowd/at church all your hearing is - oh Covid is fake/politics/just a cold etc.

That cottage is small enough to they really need to be bringing pigs and goats INSIDE the house?? She's got kids cuddling pigs on her couch and putting them in her laundry baskets, the goat walking around the living room. It seems . . . filthy . . . as she prattles on about #blessed to have such happy kids enjoying the #simplelife.

These businesses do fine when they're at 1 kid, they just bring the kid everywhere -- i.e. Layla. Once they get to kid #2 onward, that's when they fold or have to find some kind of childcare. I was wondering what Whit was doing with her 4 kids bc you don't see them at the store unlike Layla who is there DAILY. Wouldn't be surprised if Addie/Ellie/Callie babysit at Z&W's home. When Carlin has #2, if Whit and Carlin want to keep the business going (which right now it looks like it), I could see them hiring an employee/sweet friend from church to watch the kids, not do actual store work. I don't have the impression Michael babysits. It seems like she'd more help out in a pinch - like Josie recently - not like she is watching these kids 5 days/wk regularly. I have to imagine she's drawn that boundary - or maybe it was naturally drawn by school and hasn't shifted back yet. Josie OTOH bc she wants to have a business separate from her sisters will have to figure something out. Personally I think her business folds/becomes an at home business again once Katie moves to NJ or certainly by the time she has #3, which should be by next June-July; she had Hazel in June, recovers for 3 mos, they start trying this fall and summer baby 2022. Plus she's given birth like every summer since marriage (or miscarried). I don't think selling hair clips is her dream but as with all these girls, they have no idea what a dream even is. Dreams take time for 90% of people. For every 1 kid who as a 4 year old says I'm gonna be a dr. and then ends up a dr., there are 9 others who figure out what they want by taking that 1 class in college or having that one internship or boss that gives them a glimpse into the future. These people - if you're a girl you're TOLD your dream is wife and mommy. You can't think of anything else - having had no exposure to regular people or an education - so you go with it bc the time comes when you're 19 or 22, there's nothing else you're dying to do that you could actually do given your dining room education, so you say hey jump on the wife/mom thing at least that's SOMETHING I can accomplish - don't let that slip away. It's no surprise that Erin, Whit, Carlin, and Josie all gravitated towards businesses in hair and clothing bc what else do they know? So it's not that I think Josie's DREAM is barrettes, but it's something that is hers that she clearly likes and wants to put work into, yet producing a child yearly will likely put an end to that. Speaking of which Alyssa did a Insta Q&A with her kids and someone asked what they wanted to be. IDK what Allie said either didn't respond or said something imaginary - but the 2nd kid goes - dentist, to which Alyssa is like OMG that's so cool. Yeah I'm kinda sad for that child. Ditzy mom is homeschooling -- i.e. throwing headphones on and handing them an ipad. 12 yrs of that is unlikely to prep you to study biology at U Florida and do well enough to get into dental schools, which nationwide have a 5% acceptance rate. Not that J&A will encourage that anyway. I mean 26 and STILL in school are you kidding, gotta rush her down the aisle at 18 and babies at 19, so Alyssa can be a 39 yr old grandma.

I mean she knew she knew exactly what was going to happen - marrying a fundie guy who also doesn't believe in birth control. You're a young healthy 19 year old using no protection, of course you'll have a honeymoon baby. The way to prevent that - don't marry at 19. But then there are Lord Kelton's feelings to consider on the matter. He'd been pursuing her since she was 14. She already made him wait 5 whole years to the ripe old age of 23. If she had indicated at 16 when he came back around or at 18 that she wasn't going to be ready to marry at 19 and instead was going to go to "college" like he did/her siblings did without a spouse and/or was going to go to work/start a business for a few years, well Kelton could have just prayed on it and moved on. And then where would she be?? All of these middle girls lived in fear of being Michael who didn't marry until the ripe old age of 25 with lots of angst for the years leading up because what if she couldn't get Brandon interested, she wasn't getting any younger, who'd marry her blah blah. So all these girls decided - with Kelly loudly in their ears I'm sure - to lock it down ASAP. Dreams -- oh please what are those? You can fulfill those later with your husband or maybe you won't fulfill your dream of having a barrette co. but it's fine because every woman's REAL dream = wife and mother and by locking it down when the guy wants to, at least that one happens. She could have not married at 19 and worked in cosmetology a few years AND started her business. Meaning G&K aren't that strict with their kids - even the girls; it's not a Duggar situation where they practically aren't allowed to leave the house even at 30 if they're unmarried. But ultimately she and her sisters don't have the confidence to do that because the fear of being left without a husband or babies is just too great.

Yep they may think - she's cured, she doesn't have a heart condition. Covid is scary though as it's causing heart issues and heart rate issues in people who never had any before. So you think someone predisposed to those issues at any time in their lives would be even more vigilant. Yet Alyssa is out and about with wild abandon. Orlando is one of the current hotspots - probably in large part due to the number of people who move in and out of that city from all over the country + its own residents seem not to mask or act any differently. I mean just in the last 1-2 weeks, we've seen Alyssa take all 4 kids and sit indoors in a coffee shop and sit indoors eating lunch AND she went out for a pedi with some friend of hers (or some sister in law? no idea). No masks on anyone of course. No sense of - let's hurry this up and get out. Nope it was hanging out 2019 style. Even if she IS vaccinated (and that's a big IF - I highly doubt it), she has FOUR kids ineligible for a vaccine including one that is not even 6 months old (not that she'd get it for them even then but right now it's not even an option). I mean I know views on this pandemic vary a lot and it's fine if you don't want to stay home 24-7 now, but do these people even own a TV or ever check the news? Because it's kind of hard to miss in Fla right now that something is up?! Re Chad/Erin - it's actually possible. She wasn't really going anywhere (maybe the shop though IDK if they had the shop last fall when she was ill or if it was just Whit's garage at that point) and has 4 kids all at home, so it's not like they brought it home from school. Chad was the one who was doing jobs in people's homes. It's quite possible Chad had it very mildly or even asymptomatically and then Erin caught it from there. Though who knows she got it in the summer of 2020 and by then I assume they were socializing as a family - all the brothers in law work in people's homes, anything is possible.

They all go into strangers' homes. Chad/Trace/whatever crew of younger bros he's using most of their jobs are small - reno a kitchen or bathroom - with people living in said house. John - of course. Evan - he's still in electrician school but I think he's in the apprentice phase - even then though I don't imagine apprentices go into houses as much as commercial buildings are that are being constructed/gutted like warehouses. And Kelton - uh yeah he goes in and deals with some gross things. I mean the only brothers in law maybe not going into anyone's home are Bobby (bc I don't think he's doing the plumbing at all now just back office), Brandon, and possibly Evan. But for John yeah living with a wife that has had 2 heart surgeries!? Though with these people who knows - they're the type who accept medical care and then say eh God protects what do drs. know, so the cardiologist's rec re the vaccine would/could fall on deaf ears. Looking at his Twitter OMG why is Tiffany with him?? I know she's religious/evangelical but I don't think she's fundie. There's plenty of evangelical in SD and she's a C list celebrity, could she legit find no one better than a wannabe cop/cowboy/musician in rural Tennessee?

I did see a video they did with Kelly's mother - I think they stopped by over July 4 after visiting Papa Bill/Mama Jane. She did seem ill and/or recovering from an illness and somewhat bed ridden, but I didn't realize she had had covid (I know she's had other health problems previously). Does Law say anything about vaccination? Insta? Or elsewhere? I haven't seen any of the Bates discussing it; only person I've seen is Evan's brother on social media - making fun of people getting vaccinated. So I kind of attribute that thinking to all the Bates even though Evan's brother obviously isn't a Bates. You'd think/hope that at least Alyssa and John are vaccinated - if only because I assume she still has to follow up with a cardiologist being only 1-2 yrs out from her surgeries and cardiologists have been pushing the vaccine hard since cardiac is one of the higher risk groups. BUT a dr. can only do so much - they can discuss it and if you shrug and say God's will, they can't force you either. EDIT: just realized Law has a Twitter. And one of the first things I see is a retweet re what laws require re informed consent for pharmaceutical marketing and how Fauci/Biden etc. are violating those 🙄 OMG STFU Lawson. In order for you to have any credibility on this issue I'm gonna need you to show some kind of degree that wasn't printed up by your mama on your home computer. You know like medical school - if you know so much about vaccines. Or law school if you want to talk informed consent or marketing laws. Damn his head is even bigger than I realized. Good luck with that Tiff.

Wait someone in their family died of Covid?? Not sure I knew that? We don't know what they think of Covid overall. The way they are carrying on with life like almost the whole time makes me think they see it as - it's the flu NBD + we're young and healthy we'll be fine + God will project esp. the elders. IDK how they explain away Erin's long covid though unless they view it as God's will or something??

Between these people having a pool and Nathan and Law flying around their jalopy planes and doing the pre flight checks by pulling up on google what the pre flight check should be and following that and just taking off, to say nothing of how much the whole family has traveled, eaten indoors and wandered around unmasked during a pandemic (including Alyssa today taking the kids out to lunch indoors) - yeah I wonder WTH is wrong with their risk assessment!? This is also happens when you give kids zero education plus keep them separated from the world, they develop zero deductive reasoning.

Agreed plus she's putting it in their kids' heads that all they have to do is beg God and they will receive - Grandma got better from covid; Grandma Bates' surgery went well; they got a boy; Jadon got out of NICU; and now a new house. Well if it's that easy then why doesn't everyone just ask for mansions and millions of dollars and great health and an easy life? Ask and you shall receive, right? I'm sure Chad and Erin's kids prayed for a brother too and look what it got them - a mom who can't have any more kids. Did they just not pray correctly or hard enough while you did? And yeah the kids' prayers are gibberish - all the kids whether Z&W's or A&J's or C&E's. They don't really get it but this is about indoctrination -- you start at about this age to put them in the habit of "praying on" everything whether it's marrying this person or buying a car . . . . I have a sense this is Whit's thing - this is what she sees in Z's family and so desperately wants to be one of them that of course this is how she is raising her kids. Z OTOH has made fun of the "praying on" every single decision before. When Kelton was talking to him about asking G&K's permission to marry Josie, Z straight up goes - just tell my dad you prayed on it and this is what God is telling you is right, how he is going to argue with that?! LOL. True believer right there.

I think Chad and Erin are still sticking to the - buy in cash, no debt - way of living. Looking at listings in this area, this property was 180-190k probably; I doubt Chad has that sitting around in cash. Z&W OTOH take mortgages; they posted a video of doing the signing by drive thru because the inside of the bank branch was closed due to covid, joking about how they never thought they'd buy a house at a drive thru. Because they took a mortgage they were able to buy their first home, I think likely build some equity in that because they gut renovated it and now use that to buy a big property. Way harder to do these things in cash even in rural Tenn. esp when you work for yourself in an unsteady business - you can't plan on saving $x/yr because Chad's business fluctuates.