[Season 9 Discussion]

On 7/31/2020 at 6:34 PM, andromeda331 said:

So I guess Whitney's not working in real estate anymore? I love how we never actually see them doing any work for the business even while the three talked you could see someone working in the back. They annoyed me how they kept talking about how they wanted the business to be more then a business. Beauty but inner beauty. Sure that's why their selling dresses and always dressed up covered in makeup.  For inner beauty.

Whitney said on social media when asked a few months ago that she is "only doing real estate for friends and family."

[Bringing Up Bates In The Media]

18 minutes ago, cereality said:

I must not have read it closely because I didn't see the you'll be a good mom theme -- I saw G&K saying ME ME ME. It went on and on about how she makes OTHERS feel welcome, how she apologizes constantly for anything she may have done wrong (WTF??), how she goes on about how grateful she is for all of THEM. Uh -- it's an 11 year olds birthday message. Pretend she's 19 year old Callie and talk about her love of pizza and ice cream. Talk about what hobby or school subject she loves best. Talk about what she wants to be when she grows up or where she wants to live one day or where she wants to go on vacation. But no bc they're fundie + she's a girl it must all be about how she's soooo Godly and serves others so well. It's like a freaking marriage commercial for a fundie husband. Reality is this one is a lot like Alyssa and looks up to Alyssa, so you know G&K are hoping that she too will be courting by 16 and married by 18 -- that's 5 short years to rustle up the interest of some fundie boy. Hell by that point G&K will be ready to allow her to court at 14 and marry at 16 bc they'll want to lighten the number of blessings still relying on them as I assume the show will be gone and G will have to rustle up some income by making one of the boys run the tree business and taking some money from that to finish raising Callie, Jed, and Jeb.

It was the video from UP where one of the parents talks, not the actual one long paragraph tribute. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDYtwivFAma/

[Bringing Up Bates In The Media]

For the second year in a row, Gil has wished Callie a happy birthday (11th birthday this time) with the statement that she will be a great mother someday. 

While one would hope that if her future includes children, she would be a great mother, I would hope that a parent could and would have other things to say about a child of 11 years old. We have seen her playing the piano beautifully. She seems quite articulate and with some intelligence not exhibited by all of her other siblings. One could even mention that she is a big fan of many of her older siblings and tries hard to emulate them. We have seen that she has fears but works to overcome them. 

[Season 9 Discussion]

3 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Tori did some student teaching her last semester. But that was likely directed off the teacher's own lesson plans. Of course, she isn't credentialed.

Crown's version of student teaching (which can be hell to try to teach 25+ kids while being observed nonstop) is a two week observation in a church school classroom and teaching one lesson that is developed in conjunction with the teacher. It is so different to teach one lesson that you have worked on for weeks compared to teaching multiple lessons per day and having to adjust on the fly to such things as a fire drill, supplies not being available, illness, an assembly, children losing their minds, etc. Much of teaching is both providing educational information, but also listening to students to see if they are absorbing it or if they are struggling. It is making adjustments and not being married to a certain method. It's being flexible and able to juggle. Tori doesn't really display that ability to me, but maybe she has that in private. 

That said, Crown's program is acceptable in church run preschool programs where there is a curriculum that comes with lessons already created and more rigidity. However, I would bet that 95% of Crown's Bachelor of Biblical Education graduates simply want to get married and help their children with their homework or do homeschool teaching with them. They aren't looking to actually become licensed teachers. As my mother used to say, they are going for their MRS degree. 

 

[Season 9 Discussion]

15 hours ago, sATL said:

what happens when she goes on maternity leave? which could be every other year...

At least she has flash cards...  www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8vJVme6WkE

 

 

 

Logistics and common sense do not seem to be big features of these people. I am a working woman. I am happy to see and support women owned businesses and endeavors. I'm a firm believer that children need consistency and tend to thrive, learn and grow when they have that in their lives. Tori spoke about how she does "school" while Kade sleeps. So what is the plan now that she has two children and her list of students is surely growing? Do Whitney and Erin teach Bradley and Carson at home other days or do they just get an hour or so with Tori twice a week? 

The sneak video shows Kaci and Brooklyn painting sun catcher things as a craft and Carson reading with Tori out of a book. Bradley proceeds to "scare" the girls over and over. Kaci reacts but Brooklyn is clearly over it. Did Tori give something to Bradley to do? Was he supposed to look at a book? Build with blocks? Color letter pictures? If she assigned him nothing to do, why is she surprised that he interrupted the girls? 

I get that Kaci and Brooklyn are slightly younger and maybe in their homeschool curriculum aren't ready for reading or sight words. But the way Tori speaks about the "crafts" she has them doing, it sounds as though she is degrading their abilities. When speaking to them, she should say that the girls are going to work on colors, patterns, etc. Give them some sense of accomplishment rather than looking at it as busy work while the boys do the real learning. 

One of my favorite activities I did when working with kindergarten and pre-k students was prediction pictures. The older students would take turns reading a story aloud. Then I would have those students and the pre-readers draw a picture of what they thought would happen next in the story. It helped with reading comprehension and allowed more interaction than simply reading or listening. The child who was closest to accurately predicting the actual end of the story got some sort of prize or privilege. I also used books that had splash pages of pictures. That way the readers could take turns reading and the pre-readers could have a turn on the splash pages explaining what they saw in the pictures related to the story.   

[Season 9 Discussion]

On 7/31/2020 at 6:34 PM, andromeda331 said:

So I guess Whitney's not working in real estate anymore? I love how we never actually see them doing any work for the business even while the three talked you could see someone working in the back. They annoyed me how they kept talking about how they wanted the business to be more then a business. Beauty but inner beauty. Sure that's why their selling dresses and always dressed up covered in makeup.  For inner beauty.

Carlin referred to the girl in the background as Katelyn. 

I found their discussion of it being more than a business and something akin to a mission to be very silly and fake. They are selling cheap dresses and using Instagram statements that don't relate to that idea at all. Just like they aren't doing the whole leave it up to God thing that is supposedly central to their belief system, they need to quit reconciling their decisions and actions and admit that they want a ton of kids and to run a clothing business. 

[Season 9 Discussion]

41 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

That's intentional? I saw photos on Instagram and just assumed it was unfinished.  I don't have UP anymore so I can't watch. Judging from her choice of furniture I think Josie likes blond wood, but those beams do not appear to be stain grade lumber.  They would look better either painted or stained dark, I do agree.

She seems to go for the more neutral tones within the boho theme (some exceptions), which I can get behind. I like chunky knits and beiges, tans, and off white. I like wood tones and natural elements. It just kills the vibe to see these big blocks of unfinished wood in between sheetrock. I'm assuming it is intentional because they did not paint it when they painted the rest and still have it that way in more recent photos. 

 

49 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I'm starting to think these people are more dysfunctional than the Duggars. I remember some of the Duggar girls doing a version of the dumb bimbo routine, but I can't recall any of them straight-up begging for a ring.The Bates girls are just embarrassing. And like cereality just noted, if you have to bully your boyfriend down the aisle, that doesn't bode well for the future of your relationship. Once hormones and the thrill of sex wears off, there's going to be many years of sullen resentment. 

Seriously, I would not be surprised if Katie answered the door for Travis's next visit wearing one of her sisters' wedding dresses and throwing bird seed at herself. 

~~~~

Looking at the Bates Family Blog website I am seeing that we are getting more of Tori "teaching" soon via an UP sneak peek video. Apparently she tries to teach one on one and is surprised and annoyed that the other kids don't do things like she wants while she is not paying attention to them. Her narration is that she teaches Carson and Bradley while letting Kaci and Brooklyn do crafts/play. So many things wrong with this from an education standpoint.

[S11.E04: The Duggar Dash]

5 hours ago, floridamom said:

It's obvious to me that this show is getting quite sloppy. I noticed right away that Austin & Joy's TH was patched together at different times. 

I'm not surprised that the buddies take on their leader's traits....because this is more evidence that their buddy-leaders really raise their assigned siblings and have that day to day interaction like a MOTHER SHOULD have with their children. They don't know Michelle and that's the way Mommy Dearest wanted it. IMO, none of these people are close to one another. There simply are too many of them to form any real relationship with.

I am an only child, but come from a large extended family. I agree that it is hard to develop any sort of real relationship with a bunch of people whose only bond with you is some DNA. I can't see that the Duggars have all that much in common other than shared experiences and a mutual weird relationship with their parents. They sound like Michelle when they attempt to describe each other, stumbling over frequently used phrases like servant's heart, diligent, and dedicated to the Lord. The buddies might know each other a little better, but still it is awkward and strained. 

[Season 9 Discussion]

Thoughts from last night's show:

1. Tori's lipstick was seriously dark and not really needed for an ultrasound. She reminded me of Michelle Duggar and how she used to wear that bright red lipstick for her ultrasounds in the early specials. That said, it was nice to see her smiling and not so sullen and actually asking questions unlike Carlin. She is not the sharpest cheddar on the cracker (something a friend said the other day), but she didn't come off as a complete idiot or willfully ignorant.

2. Katie's voice may get to the dog whistle level if he doesn't put a ring on her finger soon. She gets higher and higher pitched as she talks about him or to him. Note Travis saying, "Katie's bugged me the most about being official..."

3. I am a fan of little brick ranch houses. They are my go to housing style. But when I see Josie and Kelton's with the exposed wood supports between the living room and kitchen, I immediately think unfinished. They either need to stain them darker or paint them. It looks like they just quit remodeling part way through. I would have replaced the metal railing on the front porch with wood though. 

4. Gotta love that Katie and Travis had to have a chaperone to get to double date night with Josie and Kelton. So now there were 5 on a double date (six if you count Willow).

5. The way Erin's dress fit during the talking head interviews was distracting. And, Erin, you are not a clothing designer. You and your sisters buy cheap dresses from China and sell them on a website. It's like a redneck, fundy version of the Kardashians. That was a wonderful idea for all of you to schedule your pregnancies together. Way to leave it up to God and run a business.

6. I have no comments on Lawson other than I still don't quite believe him. There is just something fishy about his whole trip. I did laugh at the last photo they showed. It is the one that was clearly photoshopped, as her legs are missing from the pic that he and Kelly Jo posted. The producers cropped the photo so as to avoid showing that flaw.

 

[Season 9 Discussion]

Just saw last week's episode for a moment as I was flipping channels. Why was Kelly Jo answering for Carlin about the baby's movements. I know she's all up in everyone's business, but Dr. Vick needed to hear from Carlin not Kelly Jo. 

[S11.E04: The Duggar Dash]

The most interesting part was watching that SOTDRT math show its ugly head with a lack of memory about their family. If they are going to bore us with competition shows, can we get an academic bowl? The smoke coming out of their ears as they try to think would be worth it. 

[Season 9 Discussion]

8 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I was surprised that Zach brought up his previous courtship. I agree Kelly and Gil had to be pissed about. They didn't mention Trace's previous attempt/crush or whatever with Campbell Roberts who was in that one episode of the show. Trace really doesn't see how he's the reason Chaney bailed. His crappy reaction every time Chaney beat him. Bring her to the I Love You Day a couple weeks after they met to meet his entire pushy annoying family and putting her on the spot to be a judge and later to be a model for their shop. I really don't think he was interest in Chaney at all. I'm not sure if he was really interested in having a girlfriend given his remark about having to come up with ideas of things what to do and how different it was from just going off with his friends. 

No evidence, but I have a feeling Trace didn't even bother to ask Chaney why she wanted to break up or dump him. Given that he is the same distance from her as when they started their relationship, I'm doubting it was truly the distance. 

I think he is only interested in having a girlfriend to appease his parents desire to marry off some of the boys quickly. But like a middle school kid at his first dance, he had no idea what to do with her. That was clear from the episode where he left her with his mother and sisters to model for the boutique. Sorry, but if my boyfriend did that to me and left me to fend for myself against his peer pressure family, I would dump him before he came back to pick me up. I'd be in the Uber and on the way to the airport. Every on camera date seemed to consist of them doing something competitive and him being embarrassed at being beaten by her. Throw in a few thinly veiled sexist comments about how she was good at something despite being a woman and this was bound to fail for any woman who has an ounce of respect. 

She is a typical fundy/fundy-lite kind of girl who is looking for a man with the potential to provide and maturity to be a man. Trace, though less distasteful than some of his brothers, still doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up and has yet to stand up to his mother and sisters.  

[Season 9 Discussion]

On 7/24/2020 at 7:48 PM, zenme said:

Watching Carlin and Evan in this episode was almost like watching an episode of Teen Mom. They both look and act so immature, I feel so sorry for the baby. 

Good comparison. They are simply unprepared for life in general. She claimed to have read things, but somehow I doubt it was more than a comment or two on social media. There is no way she actually took the time to learn anything.

She, Tori, and Erin drive me insane (still) with putting baby in front of the name. Was anyone else confused that Layla was the baby? Was Carlin expecting a baby or a country singer to pop out?

 

[Season 9 Discussion]

I honestly fell asleep during the episode so I had to go back and watch the "I Love You Day" party. Some observations:

1. Erin and her decorating need a few more notes. It's always the same look. 

2. Carlin should have been an ice dancer. She has the perfect orgasm expression (most ice dancers make that same expression and it is a running joke among followers that we wonder where the partner's hand is to have her making that face). I felt like she spent most of her labor time looking for camera angles. Her willful ignorance about things was driving me crazy. Your mother has given birth 19 times. You have been present for more than half of your 12 nieces and nephews (at that time) and even taken video or pics for most of them. Your best friend has had one baby. You are seeing an OB/GYN in for months prior to the birth and were in labor for hours with nurses coming in and out of the room. It never occurred to her to ask about how to push prior to being told it was time to push? Stupid isn't cute, Carlin.

3. Alyssa seriously has RBF in most of the scenes of the party. She looked sullen and put out. I've seen the same thing at the vow renewal, weddings, etc. 

4. I'm proud of Josie and Michaela for not joining in on the Ya-Ya Birth Cheerleaders brigade. 

5. I feel bad that Trace had to play out his break up on television, but dang...it was clear from his social media posts, etc. that it was completely Chaney's idea to break up. At least Nathan spun his failed courtship as a mutual decision that they didn't feel could be worked out. I hope he doesn't become bitter about women like Nathan can be in his talking heads. 

6. Did you know this was the first time Katie had a guy at Valentine's Day and his name is Travis? 

7. They have moved so far away from their original intent of Valentine's Day it isn't even funny. No more buying a less than $10 gift for a family member. Instead it is an orgy of greed. No more of the parents serving food they cooked. Now it is a catered affair.  

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

13 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

Now they have an Instagram story up that makes it look like he just got tested today.  I guess they aren't getting enough clicks.  

I watched the video Joy put up about the weekend.  Carlin and Evan did not bring Layla.  They were going to buy a car in Arkansas so I guess they drove back.  I assume they flew out of Nashville and left Layla with his parents.  They drove back to Nashville to pick up the baby, which explains the Top Golf pictures.  

They are so ignorant and irresponsible.

Yes, I saw those Insta Stories from her with him walking to the car to go get tested again. It is so reckless the way they treat this whole thing. If I remember, one of the pics they took showed Nathan. So I am guessing Nathan flew them out to Arkansas. 

I am disappointed in his parents who don't seem quite as over the top as Gil and Kelly Jo. I'm also disappointed in Top Golf, which seemed via the video to have plenty of customers. I work for a city that is debating making masks mandatory. Businesses here are begging us to do that. The businesses here are being so careful and more strict than the state law requires. 

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

12 hours ago, sadtvjunkie said:

Dan Webster is one of the few Congress people to actually give back any money left over from his year serving to the general fund. If his office has any overage after they have settled their bills he gives it back. He's done this every year since he started in office, I believe.

On another note, I live in Central Fl and had need of a new complete HVAC unit. I called 4 companies to give me quotes and Webster Air was one of them. They had never done business on my side of the county but were open to it. They gave me a very competitive bid which we went with. They were on time, very clean, very respectful and I never heard their phones going off or them taking calls while they were in my house.  The job took 2 full days to finish. The office is staffed by the wives and sisters who are extremely cheerful and polite. We ended up selling that house not long after and I needed to call for some paperwork for closing and they remembered me and were very helpful when I needed it. I would and have highly recommended their company to everyone who has a need for them. I know my best friend used them and had the same experience.

HVAC companies are very profitable and pay their employees well for the most part. I have a business contact who inherited her father's HVAC business. She has no skills in HVAC at all, but she said it is one of the easiest businesses she has ever owned, as there is an unending supply of customers and the overall model isn't complicated. I'm glad that they are doing well and have good customer service.

Daniel Webster is not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it if he does follow the letter of the law when it comes to campaign finance.  

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

On 7/4/2020 at 4:34 PM, 3 is enough said:

I'm a bit hazy on this, and please correct me if I am wrong, but I have heard that any money raised for a campaign that isn't used belongs to the candidate. There is nothing stopping them from dipping into the funds for personal use (except honesty, decency, and transparency).  The fact that he has had multiple terms leads me to believe he has a pretty healthy network of donors, and a lot of cash.

No, that's not quite right. A candidate who won or lost must first settle all campaign debts and then may contribute remaining funds to charity, to another candidate still running for office, save for another election, or contribute to the state or national party of his or her choice. Donors can even ask for a refund in many cases. 

Some get around this by paying their business as a vendor, but that is illegal and can result in huge issues and even jail time. Many are never investigated by the FEC. One candidate I know of paid his daughter-in-law $80,000 for social media services and yet paid a digital marketing $50,000 for the same thing. Candidates, whether elected or not, have to report how much money and from whom. They also have to provide their spending reports. This includes everyone running for city council to president. If a candidate is done with politics, he or she probably feels more free to spend lavishly at the end. But someone running for office again has to be careful, as his or her opponents can use that information against them in a future campaign.

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

A colleague who works in a similar industry as I do was exposed to a co-worker with COVID-19 four days before the person tested positive. She was told to stay home for two weeks and be tested in that time. She tested negative and then a week later tested positive. During that time she had no symptoms. She's had a horrible time of it with her breathing and pain in her limbs. Even now (months later) she is still having issues. 

I get that they want to see their friends and family. I've struggled with the loneliness of not being able to hug my mother who was going through chemo this spring. When she had a medical emergency I was going nuts trying to keep it together. She was alone at the hospital and in the ICU. My father wasn't allowed inside and neither was I. Another friend's father fell and broke his hip. He too was taken to the hospital alone and died during surgery. She never got to see him or say goodbye. 

I just cannot fathom that it was smart or safe to take off to see a very pregnant friend and her family during this time. I don't know if I could live with being someone who spread this to someone else (not that I have it) and cause them issues or even death. 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

19 hours ago, cereality said:

They view babies/kids as props to bestow status in their fundie society. A baby is a prop to be dressed up looking cute and carried around like a sack of potatoes the way that others carry around Versace bags or wear Louboutins. A baby is status in a society where you need to show the world -- you got a man to marry you, he can get it up, and you can carry a pregnancy and push.

I mean I don't think they even want their kids to be smart esp the girls. With the babies like Carlin and Josie's (sorry can't remember all the baby names), it's hard to know what they're really like. But we've seen time and time again when these people do birthday messages to their kids (or on the show "birthday praises" given verbally) -- it's always this person loves the Lord, wants to love the Lord more/spread the gospel, or is sooo helpful. And for a girl child -- she had better be helpful. I mean it'd be one thing if G&K did this bc with 19 kids, they don't know them individually (they're slightly better than the Duggars but that doesn't say much). But we've def seen Erin, Alyssa, John, and Whit say these kinds of things -- like they'll go on about how their 2 yr old or 5 yr old daughter is soooo helpful at home and loves to do housework . . . . Like a little girl could have no other interests besides helping mommy fold laundry and clean up her brother's toys.

But honestly they don't even want a smart (or witty or whatever) girl. What would they do with that? How would she catch a husband? They 100% believe you NEED to be dumb to flatter a man and then he falls in love with you. I mean remember the show Carlin put on when she and Evan and Gil went to go get the marriage license. OMG Evan you KNOW your social security # -- ALL of it -- OMG I could NEVER do that, it's soooo long, you're soooo smart. And dad wait your full name isn't GIL and mom wasn't born in Knox, OMG I didn't know that -- wait Evan you know your dad's name AND where your parents were born -- OMG you're a genius . . . . And then even at the wedding Gil goes on about how Carlin should praise Evan, it works for every guy -- tell him how smart he is and how hard working he is and he'll turn into super man. Basically you women are just here to suck the man's dick. I mean what on earth would they do if Layla or Allie or whoever wanted to be a dr or an engineer -- who would marry that?!

 

Absolutely. On Callie's last birthday her message on social media from Gil was that she would be a good mom someday. The child actually has talent with the piano from what we saw on that one episode. Yet they have already started grooming her for her role as wife and mother. This season she was asked by the producer why everyone gives Lawson a hard time about being single and she said essentially that it was odd for him to be single at his age. Those aren't her own thoughts. She has been fed them over and over again by her parents and siblings. It's sad to me. They suck the potential right out of any of them to make them the perfect wives and husbands to carry on the family brand. 

It's sad to me that someone like Carlin seems to have only gotten the positive attention she craved from her parents when she found a man. Kelly Jo only seems to realize she had individual children and not just this nebulous 19 when they get married or have a baby. I saw the re-run episode the other morning where Kelly Jo and Whitney threw Carlin a party for graduating college. Mind you it was a thrown together after thought because her wedding was only two or whatever weeks away. Even it was thwarted for the gender reveal and pregnancy announcement for Whitney. No wonder Carlin is such an insufferable attention seeker. She and her siblings are ignored unless it is some occasion where Gil and Kelly Jo can rule the roost as the parents of 19. 

All of the girls are herded into Crown College with the only opportunities whatever Crown has on the roster. Want to be a doctor? An engineer? A lawyer? An actual teacher in public schools or accredited private schools? An accountant? Too bad. What about cosmetology, music ministry, or biblical education? Carlin left Crown for Liberty, but it wasn't as if she did it to actually do anything with her life. She did it so that she was more available at home and had an easier time of it with her traveling (read: filming) that was interfering with class time. 

 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

It's not Carlin and Evan's stupidity that gets to me. We all know stupid people. We know people who cannot grasp even the most basic of concepts. 

The problem with these two is their blatant disregard for anything that doesn't "look cute." Carlin and Evan to some extent consistently refer to Layla and other babies and children as being cute. It is as though they can't fathom that a child might be smart, humorous, talented, etc. Yes, Layla is a baby and probably won't show any signs of talent, etc. However, how about coming up with some adjectives that describe her that aren't based on being cute? When my goddaughter was Layla's age, I was impressed with how well she gripped things and how she already had favorites. I called her smart because I saw her that way. The way they talk about Layla and their lives just continues to perpetuate the idea that they are simply playing house. 

They go out of their way to remain uninformed and ignorant to the world around them. I guess that makes them happier to be that unaware. It would drive me crazy. Carlin bucked the trend in the family and actually graduated from an accredited school - albeit one with a horrible doctrine and history of discrimination. She behaves as though she's never picked up a book in her life. 

[Meet the Parents: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates]

1 hour ago, Sew Sumi said:

I don't think Kelly's ears are pierced. 

I don't think they are either. They have some sort of belief about adornments (not limited to IBLP families). I just noted the earrings because of how strict they had been on such things in the past. 

[Meet the Parents: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates]

11 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

🙄

 

I am glad they have a new pic and aren't using that tired one where he has his hand on her abdomen like he expects her to miraculously get pregnant again. Those are some big earrings for a woman in a family that didn't allow the girls to pierce their ears. I remember that Alyssa got her ears pierced after she got married and made a point of mentioning it on one of those Nightline stories. 

[Tori and Bobby: Whine Time!]

On 6/15/2020 at 8:12 PM, Sew Sumi said:

Tori and Carlin definitely strike me as the most immature of the girls. At least Tori doesn't hold Kolter (I think that's the baby's name) like a sack of potatoes ala Carlin. 

Tori has some actual skill in being a caregiver/mother. Granted some of the poses in the Smith family photoshoot they posted the other day are a little awkward. There is one where she is holding Kolter and Bobby is holding Kade. But from the angle it looks like Kade climbed up there and is about to put Kolter in a chokehold. 

We haven't seen yet, but I have a feeling that Tori may be a little like Michelle Duggar in that she loves the whole baby time but loses interest as the child(ren) age. Kelly Jo has this issue to, but less than Michelle. Kelly Jo loved being pregnant and having the baby (attention) and then it was pass the baby off to work on the next. She doesn't show interest again until they are older and she can harangue people into marrying them.

Tori doesn't seem to have the most patience. That little bit of teaching we saw from her showed a woman who is annoyed at interruptions. How is she going to be with 6 or 7 kids under 7?

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

22 hours ago, floridamom said:

Does Michelle actively list properties and show them? I had an inkling that Michelle is the listing agent for properties that Boob or their LLCs list and she gets part of the commission when it sells. That's a pretty good game they have going on there.

This family claims that women aren't allowed to 'work outside of the home' in a traditional job, yet Michelle has real estate listings???? What misleading liars they are.

Their excuse and that of the Bates too (usually) is that the woman supports the man's efforts and the man supports the family spiritually and financially. Therefore, if Jim Bob has his license then Michelle has hers to be of assistance to him. They wouldn't do something where Michelle had her own business and Jim Bob had his own that was different. 

The Bates girls seem to be a little more free in that line of thought. However, they still emphasize that their outside jobs not interfere with their child raising, housekeeping duties overall. As their families grow in size, I'm sure their outside projects will shrink. 

Most of us have to balance home and outside work to make things happen. It's the way life works. After I adopted my oldest daughter I was given the opportunity to present at a national conference with one of my heroes presenting after me. I agonized over that and ultimately chose to do the conference while my parents cared for my daughter. I felt guilty and sick about it, but I knew this wasn't an opportunity that would happen again. I don't regret it and don't see any issues arising from it now.

I can't imagine that I would even have such a choice as a Bates or Duggar girl.  

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

6 hours ago, Temperance said:

The heart condition is supposed to be one that can be fixed and go away. Like if it didn't comeback after six months, it never will. There are people, who had the same condition, who have said the surgery completed fixed the same problem for them.  That probably changes things. If it was on-going, I think John would put his foot down.  

From what Alyssa said on the show, the one issue (irregular) was fixed by the procedure that she had twice. A second issue is still an ongoing problem.