[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

14 hours ago, Dimi1 said:

..allie was quite aggressive on grabbling the marker from a sister...so I am seeing alot of repressed anger in her...

It's funny you say that because I noticed similar behavior in the Christmas video. There were a couple of times Maci reached out to grab something Allie had in her hand and Allie snatched it away and gave her a death glare. I know toddlers can be grabby and don't understand what's theirs and what isn't, but the interaction was so hostile. That is not a happy kid. 😥

 

1 hour ago, Dimi1 said:

..I think alyssa and John are the worst of the worst....and are raising these kids with classic trauma roles...the scapegoat , the jester, the lost child, the sick/martyr child and the golden child aka penis...all classic symptoms/roles of a dysfunctional family...

There's definitely no question as to who fills the scapegoat and golden child roles! 

[Josie and Kelton: They Have Employable Skills]

I think Kelton spends enough time with the Bates to not be rude, but it's pretty obvious he prefers his own family. Case in point, when he cooks for his side it's steaks and prime rib while the Bates get chicken and Russet potatoes. Nothing wrong with the latter, but he clearly doesn't go all out. 

I can't get a good enough read on him to say whether he discourages Josie from having family over or spending time with them, but it was incredibly strange when Alyssa didn't visit after Josie had Hazel, and Katie doesn't go to her house ever when she's in town. Maybe they've just all grown apart and gone their separate ways, but it's sad for sisters who were once so close.

[Meet the Parents: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates]

Just saw that Lawson is there as well. Not sure about Tiffany. 

Personally I hate doing large group trips. I'm the type that wants to get up and be on my own schedule. I don't want to sit in a hotel lobby for an hour waiting for someone to finish their makeup or jump in the shower because they didn't wake up on time. I can't even imagine how bad those antics would be in a family like the Bates.

 

 

[Meet the Parents: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

So Trace, Lydia, Addee and Kelly are somewhere snow skiing. I wonder who else is there?

Good question. Katie and Carlin were at Zach's house for dinner, Alyssa and Erin are currently home, and I'm assuming Josie isn't flying cross country so close to her due date, so it doesn't seem like most of the marrieds are attending. Maybe it's Gil, Kelly, Trace, Lydia and the younger kids? 

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

Omg, how did she get metal in her eye? That's scary as hell. 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

Last Sunday Carlin posted a video of Layla with Josie's girls, and Layla is similar in size to Hazel, who's much younger versus Willow who's only slightly older (IIRC). Khloe, like Kolter, is also close in age but a full head taller. 

I know short genetics are going to produce short kids, but I have to think Layla's diet is a major factor. I've never seen a child eat so much junk. 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Stewart booked themselves on a nice vacation right after Christmas and nipped the freeloading in the bud? Very interesting though how E&C seem to be wearing out their welcome. Their visit to NJ got cut short after Travis made it clear he and Katie weren't going to play your guide, and now E&C returned to Knox immediately after the holiday. Highly unusual. 

I did see Carlin's reels and that watch party was so lame. The men looked so bored, which makes me think their wives dragged them to church. I can't imagine watching a bowl game sitting at a folding table rather than the comfort of my couch. Bless her heart though, that this is her definition of a wild time. 

[Katie and Travis: Young Love?]

21 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I agree Haley is a very much loved, happy little girl, but I've seen both Ma Clark and Katie be kind of firm with her in ways to harsh for Haley's age. Other than that though, her little life is filled with attention and love.

Oh, wow, in what ways? I'm not disagreeing with you, I just don't watch a lot of their YouTube, so I haven't noticed. 

[Katie and Travis: Young Love?]

2 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

I just came here to say that Hailey is the cutest, happiest baby I’ve ever seen!

Hailey is very lucky. The Clarks adore her and dote on her. Ma and Pa Clark are problematic in a lot of ways, but they'll never let that little girl go without. I hope Katie keeps that in mind whenever she gets the urge to move back to TN. With that said, I don't think she'll be an only child much longer. I think both Katie and Carlin will announce pregnancies in 2024, especially now that Josie's having her third. 

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

They must have one very patient HOA because the outside of their house looked like a dump. Dead shrubs, dilapidated fence, several years past due for a paint job. I know improvements cost money, but I can't believe they let it go this long.

I think Alyssa finally smartened up and realized if she wanted stuff done she had to figure out a way to grift it. She didn't feature long, lingering shots of the painting company's sign out of the goodness of her heart. John even said he's too cheap to pay pros, so they definitely got some form of discount. 

I agree it looks nice. I like the bluish-gray on the garage doors. 

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

5 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

If you're so cheap, maybe you should stop having kids! They probably should have stopped 3 kids ago. 

Exactly, but Fundies gotta Fundie. 🙄

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

I think buying the shoes a half size big, (assuming Allie has ones that fit her now), wouldn't have been the worst thing. Where her parents went wrong is not getting her something she could enjoy right then and there. Two pairs of shoes she has to grow into and doll clothes for a doll she didn't yet have makes for a pretty depressing Christmas. Not that her siblings made out much better, but at least they had one thing they could play with that day. 

I don't know what John and Alyssa's deal is, because judging by the Christmas social media posts of her siblings, they don't scrimp when it comes to their kids. Layla and Zade got a nice playset, Bradley got his dog, Khloe got a Barbie Jeep and Josie's girls got princess gear and other age appropriate toys. Alyssa strikes me as kind of bitter, like "I didn't get shit for Christmas growing up, so you don't need to either." I think John is just cheap and won't spend any more on his kids than absolutely necessary. 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

3 hours ago, Absolom said:

I hate heavy boots with dresses.  I'm not a fan of kissing the boy while the girl hangs around their feet either.

I cringed so hard when I saw the pictures of the Royals walking to church, and Sarah Ferguson had on clunky green ankle boots with a dress and matching coat. It's an awful trend when teens and 20-somethings do it, middle-aged and up is even worse. Wear a flat if you need something comfortable, ffs. 

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

39 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

It sounds like they spent far more time and money for Rhett's gender reveal. And at the time I thought Alyssa said she basically gave up SM grifting because she was back shelved(?,lol) on IG.

Is she back in the game now?

Alyssa claimed she was shadowbanned, but I think followers were bored with her content and stopped engaging. She was also notorious for not properly disclosing sponsorships and may have gotten reported as a result.

She's still shilling, but she's not nearly as successful at it as Carlin, Josie and Katie. I think YouTube is her main source of social media income. 

[Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch]

I don't know if you all have seen Alyssa's Christmas Video, but damn. They should've titled it "Webster Family Christmas......and Allie." 

They had the kids open their Christmas presents nearly a week early. I'm assuming it was so Alyssa could get the editing done and post by Friday. Alyssa films each kid opening their gifts, starting from youngest to oldest. Let me be the first to say that I hate how Christmas has become so commercial and materialistic, but John and Alyssa are ridiculously stingy. Each kid got tennis shoes that looked like they came off the rack at Walmart, a stocking full of cheap Dollar Tree crap and two additional presents.  

Lexi got a tool kit, which she seemed genuinely excited about and Zoey got some sort of mermaid thing, and then we get to poor Allie. She had to open her sad little pile with no one watching because her siblings had lost interest and were off playing with their own stuff. You'd think as parents, either John or Alyssa would've said "Hey guys! It's Allie's turn! Let's see what she got!," but, nope. Alyssa couldn't even keep the focus on her and kept shooting the camera over to Golden Boy, then the other girls before breaking away to show off her new car. Way to make your daughter feel special!

Anyways, after Alyssa flexes her new whip, we go back to Allie. She opens the shoes. Pretends to be excited. Opens what she thought was a cool dress only to be told it's pajamas. Her last gift, she exclaims "Is it a bracelet maker?!" to which Alyssa replies, "I didn't know you wanted one." It ends up being doll clothes, which Alyssa says will go with her present from John's mother. Allie's total lack of reaction makes me think she's moved past playing with dolls, but nobody seems to have noticed. She clearly wanted hands-on, crafty items. 

I know I'm not projecting because the video is being discussed on Reddit and everyone is having the same reaction. It's just crazy with the amount of cool kids stuff out there nowadays, this is the best they could do. It's one thing to keep Christmas spending in check, but it's another to blatantly half-ass it. Hopefully Kelly sent them something better. 

[Zach and Whitney: The Constable and the Carhop]

17 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

They already have a rehomed dog failure? 

They shouldn't have pets. 

They did. Whit's dad gifted Bradley a Beagle puppy when he was a toddler. The dog lasted all of one or two Instagram appearances and was never heard from since. 

[Zach and Whitney: The Constable and the Carhop]

1 hour ago, AstridM said:

I would’ve been devastated as a child if my parents had given our puppy to my brother only 🥲.

Same. It should've been given as a gift to ALL the kids, not just Bradley.

Hopefully this dog lasts longer than their Beagle did. 

[Lawson and Tiffany: Warbling His Way Into Her Heart]

I'm sorry that Tiffany had a miscarriage. I'm also baffled that she thought it was cute to prank her husband fourteen times. Personally, I don't even think one time is funny, especially if you both desperately want a child and are taking a while to conceive. She's very stunted and immature. 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall during that car ride home. I'm not sure if details weren't hashed out beforehand or what, but I doubt E&C would've driven over 20 hours roundtrip for a long weekend. Even for immature, scattered people like the Stews, that's a bit insane. I think they figured Katie would spend Saturday and Sunday recovering and then be ready to play tour guide by Monday, and it didn't go according to plan. 

You can't tell me they weren't pissed that they drove all the way up there to go the gym and get a manicure and then turn around and go home. I bet they were talking shit the whole way back to TN. 😂

In slight defense of them, however, I'm wondering why T&K even had them come. Katie wasn't so down and out that she needed a team of helpers. They don't work and live off takeout, so I'm not exactly sure what E,C and Ellie were supposed to do that Travis (and his nearby family) couldn't handle themselves. 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

I agree with all the above. This trip somehow went askew. I haven't watched E&C's latest YT, but they definitely didn't drive 10+ hours with the intention of staying only 3-4 days.

I wonder if Travis and Katie had originally planned for just Ellie to come. You can get cheap tickets on Spirit, and that would've made sense for a quick visit to help Katie out. Maybe Evan and Carlin got wind and volunteered to drive her up thinking woohoo!!! three weeks at Katie's, onsite babysitter, BFF's to bounce around with, plenty of content opportunity, etc. 

cereality, I think you're right that E&C ended up bored and disappointed. I know Katie was shilling on Instagram and got her nails done the weekend after the surgery, but that's pretty lightweight stuff. These people are idiots, but I think even Travis has enough sense to put his foot down. I can absolutely see him telling the Stews they're more than welcome to do their own thing, but Katie needs to stay local. Since the Stewarts can't do regular life for more than 24 hours without getting restless, they bailed. 

[Lawson and Tiffany: Warbling His Way Into Her Heart]

He 'agreed' to a birdhouse? What a gem....

Ffs, Tiffany, it's YOUR money. 

[Lawson and Tiffany: Warbling His Way Into Her Heart]

25 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Anyone know if L&T live near where the tornado(s) hit?

They're in Mt. Juliet. I'm not sure if that's an area that was hit, but my brother lives in Franklin and he made out okay. Hopefully L, T and Duke are safe. 

[Zach and Whitney: The Constable and the Carhop]

That's too bad. I hope the little one is okay. The Bates germ factory is the last place I'd leave a sick baby, I'm not surprised Whit turned down the offer. 

 

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

Whelp, we called it. The Stew Crew (plus Ellie) have arrived in New Jersey. Boy, if I were Whitney, I'd be pissed. She had to manage a BSB photo shoot before she left for Hawaii, meanwhile Evan and Carlin are making pizzas in a treehouse and now squatting in New Jersey for God knows how long. It's not like Katie doesn't have in-laws who go above and beyond to help. 

Also, real slick bringing Ellie. I'm assuming this visit will include a jaunt to NYC so Evan and Carlin can hit all the touristy holiday spots. They need someone to dump the kids on.

[Carlin and Evan: But Mostly Carlin!]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Maybe something happened to Papa Bill or Mama Jane?

I'm thinking they're off to Katie's. The mood in the convenience store was pretty jovial. 

I cannot believe (actually, no, I can) that E&C let two toddlers pick out candy for an overnight trip. Even gas station stores carry reasonably healthy snacks. They could've gotten the kids pretzels, granola bars, yogurt squeezes, cheese sticks, etc. If Layla and Zade make it to adulthood with a full set of teeth, I'll be shocked.