sATL

11 bags ??? Large bags?? Mostly filled with thrift-store finds home goods? I bet the airlines (Delta?) loved them with the overage baggage fees. I guess its too much to like right to ship items ahead. Or plan to stay an extra couple of days to bargain hunt in Laredo . Its not like most on this trip have a "J.O.B." to get back to and trying to watch vacation days. I find the shows of the "family" showing up and re-doing the guys apartments crossing a boundary line. Its like a takeover. Why do newlyweds need to have a 100% fully furnished and decorated apt on day 1 - can't they do that together, as a married couple ? I wish I had brothers who would buy me, or even take time to look for, a car as a present :) Didn't understand why they were looking at the largest SUV models.

Good point. During the earlier episodes when they featured John&Alyssa, they showed their life as a new couple in FL. They have a side cleaning business and John's family plays softball. Given this is the first episode showing M&B in Chicago,as a newlywed couple, what in the hell do they do, or where have they traveled, as a young married couple, when they are not "baby making"? How do they pass the time, outside of the apt? How was the winter (I didn't see any pictures or reference)? How's their new friends ? Brandon's job? Yes, private bedroom time, is great, fun and kills time, but there is a little more to life. Given the earlier posts, I think Micheala aged look is a result of stress and worry. I'm just used to seeing it on a older person. Stress and worry isn't good for someone who should be trying to get their body and mind in the best possible shape for pregnancy. re: sewing..I tried to leave it alone.. but can't... Who is supposed to be her customers ? She wants to sell dresses she's already made and not take orders. The whole point of a handmade dress is so that it can be custom. By the time she factors in materials, labor, shipping, she could be bumping heads with ebay-shoppers. And she is only going to do little girl frilly modest sun dresses? Now, if she would switch gears into making handmade quilts, which the Midwest is known for, that can be a little lucrative and will probably be closer to her own personality and production speed.

Um.. Isn't the B-ball court a little close to the house, given they have acres of land ? I'm guessing they made it that close so they could tap off of the electricity to have lights. Micheala seems to have "aged" not in a good way since she married. Nothing wrong with scrapbooking and starting a non-custom hand-sewed clothing business, but I would think a 20-something year old would be a little more energetic. "Babysitting" is an odd profession (past time) for a married 20+ yr old. I thought she studied to be an EMT/Medical Coding/etc. I'm sure she could find something in all of Chicago to do in one or all of those areas. I wonder if she is too afraid to venture out into the city, while Brandon is at work, and take in the sites & culture. What happened to the idea of young couples both working in the church/ministry together ? The one fried? egg she fixed for hubby, looked..well, not quite right, sorry. And it's only two of them and she's home all day - why the paper plates? Given the meal, she could have put it on a napkin, between two pieces of bread, for him to eat while driving to work.

RE: rent - The house B&J are in should be past paid for. It originally belonged to late-Daddy Duggar-Sr and Grandma Dugger. It wouldn't put it past JB to have taken out an big ins. policy so he could have cash do buy more "properties" and payoff the house, upon his death. And I doubt the house was purchased at market value - probably was another foreclosure JB picked up. Somewhere after Duggar-Sr's passing and Josh&Anna getting married, Grandma moved permanently into the compound, to assist with laundry. Josh& Anna stayed there at least for 3 babies. Looks like the house stood empty until it was time for B&J moved in, as they made comments during family the remodel episode.

I wonder did tlc hope the nbrs would get better on a Monday night. they might need to do like the Bates and drop back to a 1/2 hr show. unless its a birth, engagement or wedding.

ROFL !!! with tears.... East Coast, possible old world-cooking Italian, meets {not sure what cooking style to use } Duggar-Arkansas dishes. LOL !!!

Jeremy stated that one of his groomsman requested a cheese table. My idea of a cheese table for upwards 1200 people, some of whom have seen plenty of displays, looks like this (link). The cheese is in wheels or bricks (blocks) and there is more to pick and put on the table besides cheese. And the presentation is key. The "caterer" showed up in a 6pk lunch-cooler with cheese that looked like she picked up at the local grocery store, as opposed to a specialty aged variety. Seemed like the "caterer" was thinking cheese platter. Wonder what the actual cheese table looked like at the wedding. One of those pickle choices look like olives.. And mixing the pasta dish with your hands ? Yes, she had gloves but still.. Nasty !

I was thinking the same , until I looked at his bio. Is wiki bending the truth on this guy ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_(rapper) Stellar and Dove awards/nominations do come highly respected in the Gospel genre. " 2008: Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album." Flame and Ben make such an odd pair, to be "hanging out " together. Every time I see the two, sad to say unpleasant thoughts run though my head - like tlc is desperate to show diversity on this show, and Flame is "it" for this season. Last time it was the former football star/personal trainer, that supposedly helped JimB & Josh lose weight and Ben with his "football day camp".

tlc is now re-running the rummage/garage/estate sale episode. mimi stated she has been in the house 26 years. so if she only has the 1st original mortgage, the payments are going to be much cheaper than any rental anywhere. Daneille stated that Mimi's house is too small for the 8 , therefore we not talking about a large mortgage monthly payment. To keep Mimi out everyone's hair, I wonder did the 3 sisters/families consider, splitting Mini's payment 3 ways. If Adam/Danielle can take $100k out of their house for a spin cycle business, they could have taken out a couple more and paid off her house. And I guess Mini didn't think about paying any extra on principle in the 26 years. I know the early years, while the girls were small, probably was finacially hard, but again her daughters as past grown and independent. All of that booze could have been hundreds of $$ towards paying off her house.

After attending too many funerals of those gone-too-soon, I was always motivated to come back home and make heath changes and/or improvements. Lets hope ole Whit will monitor her cardiovascular and another other system/organ that contributed to her mom's stroke and make changes. And doesn't her father also have (or had) a diabetes scare ?

Not sure why reality shows are not held to the same standard as scripted shows, regarding the treatment of all animals. I didn't see the preview regarding the horseback riding, but what does a horse ,or even an horse related event, have to do with an woman who claims to be a dancer, who has health and other personal issues? I caught an part episode last season where a horny pig was the new family pet and was causing mayhem in the house/apt/home office. I felt sorry for the pig. It may take viewers to voice their concerns to producers/networks for a "shift in direction and policy" for episodes that involve animals. And something more than the standard "no animals were harmed in the filming.." Even Ringling BB Circus realize that the public tastes towards animals has changed. (link) "Ringling has been phasing out elephants as a result of shifting public tastes and criticism from animal rights groups over the well-being of the animals.."

Another excellent point. I need to pay attention to who the commercial sponsors are during the show. Especially since the premier is in January, when you are constantly seeing commercials for all of the major weight loss programs, activity watches, exercise equipment, pre-selected meals with healthy local ingredients and fitness clubs membership specials, if this show cares about health, lets see whose paying the bills. Even a PSA commercial on eating a proper diet or getting exercise, see your Dr, stop smoking, products contain less sugar, etc, would make some sense. The question is how much are those advertisements willing to back ole Whit. That PSA where the sedentary little boy calls his grandmother, who uses a walker, for a grape soda, is a classic !

I.m new to this forum. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one, questioning "professional dancer" job-title. Just because she took dance when she was little, high-school and/or in college, doesn't make her a "professional". BUT if she did have training, I would think we would see technical dance or classical/lyrical dance skills a little more refined. I'm not a dancer, but I can count the times I heard other dance vocabulary (i.e. ballet terms) come out of her mouth, while she teaches. Granted now, I missed a couple of shows each season. IMO, a professional dancer would be someone who is actively getting paid, has gotten paid, and/or actively seeking audition opportunities to dance, perhaps in different genres/settings. There are too many dance shows on TV that showcases dancers in various states of age (most of whom is younger than whitney), training, competition levels and abilities. Also, given the nature of the job of "professional dancer", a true professional would do what is necessary to keep their body in shape for a role. A true professional would be actively seeking training/classes to improve their talent. Many gifted dancers are already turned down for roles, voted off, or lose a competition, because the are too tall/short/can't do a certain dance move/broke formation/etc, so they wouldn't add being significantly overweight to the mix. Their "job" is to work on and keep their bodies in the best physical shape possible. Teaching choreography isn't dancing. What she does to me is (or used to be) called low impact floor aerobics. But unless she adds a portion of weight/strength training to her sessions, I guess one couldn't call it an aerobics class. Is she really raising heart rates enough ? here's a link to her "dance class". http://www.nobodyshame.com/new-page-2/

Yes. that is the one. I think the most I've seen him was out on the golf course during the "vacation" episode. With his work ethic (giving the other brothers-in-laws jobs) and Ashley working full-time, 2 school-age kiddies, I wonder how long will he tolerate houseguest Mimi. I'm surprised he didn't agree to her coming without seeing a plan, with a timeline, in writing. Leaving Mini home all day to drown in her sorrows of losing her job, house not sold, out of money, etc, might not be good therapy . I'm from a small family so I am amazed how the in-laws seem to get along. I'm used to extended family drawing the line sooner, rather than later, stating when a person has "over stayed their welcome". The old saying - "you don't have to go home BUT you can't stay here", "little birdies need to leave the nest", etc. :)

Hmmm. I'm waiting for the next season to see how Danielle is with the quints when they really hit the terrible 2s/troublesome 3s. Now the quints kinda stay in her little gated area, and only a couple (or maybe its the same baby) are climbers and adventures. I would like to see them just as a 8 person family in a restaurant or at a attraction when the crying/fighting/biting/etc starts. tabloidlover (or anyone)- which sister ? meaning who is her hubby?

since others have watched the episode and maybe have it on DVR/On-Demand/etc..did someone discover the answer to my question ?

maybe I said the wrong driving license type. I thought drivers of school & city busses had CDLs. Didn't know the course run into the thousands, given the number of individuals who have such jobs and their pay scale. https://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_04/catalog/event.aspx?event_id=5038

Goodness.. where to begin..with this season finale.. Now what to watch on Tuesday night... Danielle and all of her counting and repeating "six kids", drove me batty. Glad they saw the light and invited childless adults to help with the babies. And had the good sense to ship stuff ahead. That outrageous shopping trip turned my stomach. And she packed every outfit in a labeled Ziploc bag ? I get the sisters and their husbands confused... is Mimi moving in with the Dale (the man who tells it like it is and appears to be VERY short of patience) or Nick (the boss of all the hubbies ) ? I know it can come to a point where the children need (should) take in the parent(s), but I don't think moving in to the next sister will solve Mimi's problem. If all the quints are now in school , what is stopping her from job searching those times? I really wish someone would clarify why in all of the school/educational systems in and b/w Lake Charles and Houston Mimi can't find a position - doing anything ? Is there someone we can call or write ? Can we post on the TLC blog(s) or their facebook? I'm surprised GMA didn't slide in a job-seeking plea, during the segment. I wonder that the church that helped them get the van, has a school . Maybe the company that the husbands work for has an opening. Yes, Mimi might have to start at the beginning of the pay scale, but didn't think she had to jump down to $10/per hour. If so, she should get a CDL and drive the school bus, then she could post for other jobs, while at least in the school system.

During the "first look", the 3 middle boys were sitting on the couch and one was explaining what he can cook. One of his items was "cereal". the middle-sitting brother called him a "dingbat".. Now that was NORMAL. The Bobby Flay reference caught me by surprise too. I am guessing either (1) Erin received a Flay item (cookbook, dvd, etc) as a wedding present. I remember in one show Kelly said she has become a better cook since marriage. Mentioning how one can "plate/present/make it look good", Erin is a follower of some celebrity chef. Or (2) the producers gave her a name during the prep of the filming, so she could finish her point about chefs and have an example for her brother. Her brother said he cooked chicken and a roast. A lot of meat for 3 people. I guess he was cooking ahead. Hopefully the Duggars take notice and develop the boys' cooking skills. The Duggars now have a long run of boys (i.e. grown men w/hearty appetites) in the house, so they need to be doing some of the cooking - real cooking. I'm thinking that how the Bates kinda got started too. Zach is the oldest and probably had to start by feeding a little one something, along the line, just to keep the peace. I think the Bates too now have a long run of boys in the house.

All six need to repeat kindergarten ? I know it could cause dysfunction to have same age siblings in two grades, but still. I don't buy the teacher reasoning in that they were preemies and if they were born at term, they would have started school a year later. I guess you can't go to summer school for K5 to pass the standards test for 1st grade.

Since the end of the show, preview for next week mentioned NYC & GMA... http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/americas-female-quintuplets-visit-gma-43515437

ok.. Just started watching on DVR... (1) I haven't rented in a very long time either, but are rents now odd dollar figures - ie $1159...$879 ? (2) how can a grown (senior) person not know how much to budget to pay for a roof over their own head? If one job doesn't bring in enough, get two jobs. If she's so short of cash, why not take some out of a house you've lived in for 25 years and are selling by owner ( I saw the sign a couple of episodes ago)? I still don't get why is she soooo broke in the first place. Let her move back home, take a community seminar how to budget/manage money, and get her coins together. I still don't what is the issue - other than Danielle will lose her baby-sitter. Many seniors do not want to leave what is familiar to them. Danielle might need to realize her mom has issues that can't be fixed living in Houston and by her. (3) call me a little old fashioned - seems to me they carried Hazel a little too much. Yes, it will take time to walk into stores , preschool center & out of the park , etc. at Hazel's pace, but they all need to realize that being carried is not an option. I still think she's not a strong enough walker for the center - I think it boiled down to they needed to send her to keep the spot. The center most likely groups by age, so she will be with kids who have been walking, climbing, running for almost a year. I wonder if Hazel was the last to start crawling. (4) being the "host" of a big dinner doesn't have to mean you have to cook (from scratch) all of the food. Yes, Adams parents are travelling in by car, and will be limited, but still. Either wait for the cooks of the crowd to appear, pre-order, assign side-dishes, or do what large families did generations ago - cook items days ahead and/or when others are away/sleep. this crew likes drama and chaos too much.

1st time to this thread, but a long time viewer of the series. It is blessing for Erin, who had miscarriages, to now be a mom of 2 adorable children. I glad she sought out a medical professional, to get help with the problem. After watching the last episode, it does seem like the Bates have come a long way from their very sheltered years. I think Gil said it best - now that the kids are older they have to re-evaluate subjects/activities , like dancing. And it could be , some truth in that he and Kelly are now older & wiser and becoming more lenient. Allowing/Encouraging Trace to tryout for the Dixie Stampede - wow. I'm thinking Erin- the early wife, wouldn't have ventured out on her own to buy a puppy w/o hubby's explicit consent/direction, or being present. Every time they show Zach - the Sherriff - makes me wonder, if sheriffs have to pass a physical fitness test ; hard to imagine him passing push-ups, sit-ups and a timed x-mile run for his age group, every so often. I'm glad to see Lawson pursue his music, as opposed to the family tree business. I did feel sad for Lawson when he finally was able to sing the anthem at the Univ of TN (sidebar-is this the same univ. that Payton Manning graduated from?) b-ball game, but wasn't given the choice to attend there. Recording studio time, must be cheap in their area. Nice to see the 3 middle boys attend an overnight camp w/o the rest of the Bates. 21st century progress is in action if Tori and Bobby is going to wait until college graduation before marrying. Now the accreditation-level of the college & employable-prospective major(s), I will reserve comment on, this week. I almost fainted when Alyssa supposedly told Michaela, she was going to wait a few years before child-#2. Purposely waiting to conceive and telling others, without condemnation ? BIG WOW. The oldest 8-9 Bates, actually have lives, real lives, of their own - most of the time.

moved comment to season 5 thead.

I wonder if there is an underlying hearing/ear/balance issue going on with little Hazel. In the penguin exhibit, when the 1st penguin starts "squawking" loudly/constantly , the rest of the quints had an issue - as if the noise and decibel level was too much. Hazel sat there very content. hmmm