RebeccatheWriter

The cravings are performative just like the cradling of the baby bump. She will do that all 40ish weeks to remind the world that she is pregnant. It validates her just as her claims that she is "super busy." I can guarantee we will see more footage of Carlin at the BSB and doing all sorts of things that she wasn't doing previously. She lives for that attention and validation as someone who is doing it all. Cue in comments from Kelly Jo, Katie, and a few others about how nobody else does as much. She's super woman. The baby stuff in gift bags for Zade and Layla to open was a bit anticlimatic because they aren't at a developmental age where it will make sense to them. Without prodding Layla probably associated the outfit with something for her dolls. Zade could identify them but wasn't going to make the leap to understand that Carlin was pregnant. I've seen it done better with the children receiving a gift from the new addition to the family to announce. A game for each of them with a note saying the baby can't wait to play with you would be an option. Carlin's trip to Target seemed like a cry for another sponsorship.

New Insta-stories show the kids getting fitted for their ski boots. Carlin is right there with them calling Layla sissy and sis rather than her name. Layla needs speech therapy too. She is 5 and cannot carry out a full sentence. She's now narrating videos and even with the closed captioning makes zero sense. There was gibberish about skiing in the snow and watching a video when she got home with a phrase about landing the plane. I don't think Carlin and Evan actually talk with their children as much as they are speaking at them on camera. I don't like exploiting children on camera and social media, but I will say others do the narration thing better. Josie Balka had a few reels and such where Willow spoke as the narrator, including announcing Josie's pregnancy with Miles. Willow does speak more clearly and it was probably recorded a few times. But even without closed captioning, I could understand her five short sentences. (I went back and found it to confirm it wasn't an urban legend. Willow says, "I have a surprise. Mommy has a baby in her belly. There's a picture of it (video of them holding the ultrasound pics). Hazel's a big sister now. Love you, bye." Not a fan of the exploitation, but at least that was not all in baby talk.

I don't know that Allie actually saw any comments or if Alyssa is just projecting. However, yes there have been comments that are derogatory toward the kids. People on social media tend to diagnose everything from learning disabilities to physical and mental issues without context or actual knowledge. These are people who view depression (as an example) as a personal failure and the result of a lack of faith or bad relationship with God. Even a comment meant with good intentions such as, "Alyssa should treat Allie better because the girl looks depressed," might trigger an internal struggle for someone being raised in that sort of household. Allie could in turn view that as people think she is to blame. While on the outside we know that is not true, a person in isolation such as that and with parents who are toxically religious is going to look internally rather than externally for the blame. It comes down to Alyssa and John needed to have put down rules and expectations for their social media interactions and content from the start. If you accept the comments people make that question your child's intelligence, looks, demeanor, health, etc., then you have to be ready to protect your child. For example, Alyssa posted video Q&A's with the girls that included the infamous comment from Allie that she didn't like homeschooling. Alyssa follows that up a year or so later with a video about curriculum and reveals that Allie is struggling academically so they changed curriculum. People tend to be ignorant and insensitive so there was a string of messages that questioned and doubted Allie's ability to learn and said that she was not doing well because of her inability rather than Alyssa's lacking. Alyssa could have nipped that in the bud by changing her own language. Rather than call out Allie's failures, Alyssa could have said they like Abeka for the fundamentals but wanted to give the girls more options as they grew. She could have said with the co-op that they saw children thriving with this other curriculum so they wanted to try it with Allie and Lexie. Instead she put all the blame on Allie's struggles on Allie. Unfortunately for Allie she is growing up in a family and culture where abuse victims are blamed for tempting their abuser and independence is equated with obedience when not being watched. Her grandfather (Webster) is a key figure shaping the priorities of the family and beliefs. He's big on homeschooling and unless John and Alyssa were to both go rogue, Allie's not going to get away from homeschooling. The majority of the negative comments are directed at Alyssa and John. However, these two aren't smart people. Telling them that they treat Allie badly is essentially telling them that Allie is bad at keeping it sweet and other such things that these people value. Expecting them to understand the nuances of cognitive development and perception of a 10 year old girl is asking a bit much from a woman who thought her family had a "mid-evil" Valentine's Day party. I feel bad for the kids. They deserve better.

I keep thinking about the old joke that if you live in a house where doors and windows are shutting and opening on their own that much, you are living in a haunted house.

My ex boss who had more money than common sense or work ethic. He used to get them from this service that catered to people with hangovers and such.

I think one pair of Carlin's earrings came from Christian Temu/BSB

I like your description better than what I was thinking. My mind kept going to a new player on Sims 4 learning the cheats.

They seem to be trying to catch up on some trends and movies they would not have been allowed to see. Carlin has referenced shows like the Office, but there was speculation and some confirmation that they used censors/filters to make things more appropriate to their beliefs. We've seen them now taking the kids to movies and thre have been toys such as Spiderman.

Erin's participation was completely for the show. She wandered around saying "designer" things. She's not a designer. She decorates. Throwing a throw pillow into a room or putting some books on a shelf (backwards) isn't design. I remember that episode. She wandered around an empty house and said what she would paint or what she would leave the way it was in the first place. The other story was Zach and Whitney (who was trying to show she was still in real estate) renovating their first house purchase. Whitney threw our real estate phrases like checking the comps and resale value.

Yes, sorry I was in a meeting and pretending to be engaged.

Erin's unaccredited degree is in music ministry. She is not qualified to earn or receive a teaching license for public or private schools - even in Florida that has relaxed the rules. But on a practical level she has six kids. What she made from teaching would just be enough to cover childcare. Private schools are relying on federal funds to survive. As it stands now (Project 2025 could change that), a school has to have a ratio of accredited teachers to students that makes it nearly impossible to hire non-licensed teachers. While she might play the piano for a church or work with the choir, the churches she and Chad tend to attend are big on women in leadership roles.

House flipping only really works when the economy allows for it. At the time they tried to make it something of a storyline on the show, houses were underpriced and could be sold for profit for little or lots of renovation. In the current housing market you can't make money on it. That $100,000 junk house you are going to fix up for $50,000 and sell for $200,000 now costs $300,000 as is. The supplies are easier than a few years ago to obtain but still not always available. So that repair is costing $150,000 instead. Now you have $450,000 in a house that will sell for $425,000. It's not sustainable these days except for those who have the cash to buy at auction and the liquidity to float it while they get supplies in for it. Most who are involved in flipping successfully now are limited to those who have multiple licenses (construction, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.). Chad was never going to go that route. It was more of a storyline. If the brothers-in-law came together on a business they could kill it. You could have John with HVAC, Evan doing electical, Kelton doing the plumbing, and even Zach doing the real estate. Chad would have to pull his weight but it could work. But they would have to get along and I doubt most would be interested now.

I can't speak to Evan's abilities, but Carlin was shown swimming in lakes with her siblings. However, on the show (not the most reliable narrator), Erin and Whitney signed their oldest children up for swim lessons. I think Jeb and Jud went too. Erin mentioned her mother was scared about them swimming and they weren't signed up for classes and basically taught each other.

Their talk of the hot tub is legit cracking me up. "Our pastor got one..." Yes, that's who I want to follow for luxury items - the freaking pastor of the church. "Warden showed up so we got him to get in too." "Katie can't wait to be able to get in it when she is not pregnant. We're going to party." Yes, because my idea of a party for Evan is him, his wife, his sister-in-law, and two brothers-in-law. All in a bowl of human soup - I mean hot tub.

Alyssa gave a tour of Bill and Jane's earlier this year. She showed there were two bedrooms on the main floor and another bedroom that was called Bill's office. There were two bathrooms and she referred to Jane as using one and Bill as using another. After their kids were grown they converted the attic to guest rooms. It's a bit cluttered with furniture but could be adjusted to make way for a walker (a wheelchair would be harder). Someone needs to put in a ramp for them. Zach said he was going to do it but I've not seen it done yet. For financial and sentimental reasons I get why they want to stay. Depending on the type of dementia Bill has and his symptoms, a move could make things worse. It could also make things safer. So it is always a balancing act. I've had relatives who were sweet and kind as always - even in the later stages. I've been around other relatives who became paranoid and combative. He doesn't need six kids underfoot and those kids don't need to be seeing the day in and day out trials of dementia and failing health. Carson and Brooklyn always look so miserable. I can't imagine them having to deal with seeing the melt downs and moments Bill has when it is a bad day. I say this as someone who was Brooklyn's age when my grandfather had a brain tumor. It was traumatizing to see and witness some of those things. My parents encouraged me to be a child, unlike Erin who expects her children to be mini-adults, especially an emotional support child like Carson/Charles. If Jane wants additional help, Michaela and Brandon might be the better choice for them.