all4mom

(yawn)

Bessa have good looks in common; once they get their fill of sex, they'll both be like, "What?" (as Bin asked) He's as dumb as a box of rocks, she is just odd! Wow; kind of amazed to see JB tear up -- twice! Is he okay? Not surprised to hear MC just "talk" about crying (not actually crying) re: her existing kids. The pie. Really? Even I know to add more flour!

The reason they had to manufacture "Mommy and Me" episodes was to compensate for the genuine bonding -- there's that word Jen loves to use -- that was lacking in "real" (there's that word again) life. But agree that I'd love to see "Daddy and Me" for Father's Day. It's clear that the chemistry and compatibility between Bill and both kids "over the moon"; no need for plotlines, props, scripting, coaching, spin, or retakes there.

Jen held Zoey in an awkward fashion -- and set her totally on edge at first, as compared to Bill, who was comforting to her -- for the same reason Jen is hyper, nervous, and strained around the kids and so painfully inept in dealing with them; Jen is not a "natural" parent. Bill is. You may recall that Jen was essentially infertile, while Bill was Mr. Super Sperm... Could there be something to Darwinism after all? I found it notable, as well, that neither any of the cherry-picked questioners nor the parents themselves addressed the continuing speech or potty-training delay. Granted, it's none of our business, but then neither is ANY of these kids' lives; why draw an arbitrary line in the sand there?

I thought we thought this was the one exception... Guess not!

I tune in to reality TV to see reality, not fantasy or spin or a PR campaign for a certain someone to get her own show... But that's just me!

Wow, that was an excellent job of damage control! Great spin. I even realized that it isn't "Jen the wife" or "Jen the doctor" I find uber-irritating (although they both have their moments), but just "Jen the parent"; she is SO awkward and uncomfortable in most scenes with those two kids but, naturally, those weren't the scenes they selected to show last night. Loved how they morphed Zoey's post-tea party meltdown with Jen's mania for shoes; very clever, TLC! Sure; Zoey is a mini-Jen just like Will is a mini-Bill. Would Jen have it any other way? And, what? Zoey initially clung to Bill (they couldn't really deny that; it's on film), THEN became repelled by him for the six weeks they didn't film (okay; if they say so), and THEN suddenly liked him again? Suuure... And suddenly was fearless around all the men in the camera crew? OK! To address criticism that Jen isn't as close to Will as to Zoey, we were treated to many, many scenes of Jen/Will kissing Will/Jen, her one SUCCESSFUL act of discipline (although she had misinterpreted the initial offense -- Will was painting his hand because Bill had laughed at that, not scolded him as Jen did, but anyway -- watch your own show, Jen!), and words of affection and admiration for Will... We're back to his being "loving and generous" again after so many accusations of being unable to share or behave. And, finally, "That's why we do the show... RIGHT???" (only to educate the public about bullying little people) Sure, Jen. Alrighty then! I'm sure they DO read these posts and/or those on TWOP and/or other message boards and someone on staff reads them and they find a way of addressing them; Bill even mentioned that he "read online"... That's pretty standard fare for TLC shows (the less-popular ones, anyway, by which I mean every TLC show except this one). At any rate, it was kind of the "old Jen" tonight; just being halfway normal and not screeching or scolding in that prissy way or directing activities or high-fiving or waving her hands in air... It made for a nice change. Next week: more zany fun with two parents, two kids, one nanny, and a dozen or so TLC employees; bring on the zany music!

If I could cook, but simply preferred not to (which is, in fact, the case), I would - and do - say that I don't enjoy cooking; not that I can't cook and certainly not "if I were taller, I would bake a cake, but no one would like that, hahahaha!" or whatever Jen said on Will's birthday... But that's just me!

I'm not so sure Will is ready for pre-K or K-4 since, as someone here once said, "he has fewer words than Boy in 'Tarzan'"... Certainly hope they're as concerned about this as they were prior to his ear tubes being placed. What is going on there? Perhaps if they took away the electronic device he seems to always have in his hand (I'm no techie, but looks like he watches vidoes on that thing) and put him among other children, his speech would -- by necessity -- improve... Expecting pre-packaged questions and answers. It's TLC!

What "guests"? Certainly not Bill's family... I, too, noticed that they all have to climb up into (or be helped down from) the giant dining room table chairs; what is up with that? A kid's play set would suffice for 99.9% of their meals, at which no family or guests are present. Maybe it's just me, but I sense a great deal of impatience and barely controlled (of course) anger toward Will in Jen; how she reacted to his so-called "meltdown" over cake (all her fault), and now her dismissive demeanor toward him at the crafts table makes me very uncomfortable. All of her interactions with him seem forced and fraught with tension. She's extremely short (no pun intended) and snippy with him, although she tries to catch herself, as if he's an annoyance instead of a beloved child. She seemed to barely tolerate him during the poster-making, instead hovering over Zoey, and isn't it amazing how all the letters lined up perfectly? I wonder if the perfectionist and over-achiever in her isn't somewhat disappointed that, at four, her "wunderkind" Golden Son (as one episode dubbed him), of whom she seemed so proud at first, still isn't potty trained or saying more than a half-dozen words. At first we heard how wonderful he was: bright, loving, giving; suddenly we have complaints about him all over the landscape ("meltdowns," eating issues, failure to share). I sometimes get the feeling that she'd have been happier with just her Girly-girl that she and HER mother could shop for, dress up like a doll, and pose exactly to her liking. I find her embarrassingly awkward and unnatural with both children and honestly believe she was never cut out to be a parent (it's not nice to fool Mother Nature), but it's clear that she's thrilled with Zoey; "William," not so much. Also, what's with all these comments lately that she can't or doesn't cook or bake? ("Bill is 'usually' a much better cook than I am"; what does that mean?). Weren't we treated, in the cake-meltdown episode, to Jen busily baking a casserole, checking to see if it's done, serving it up like a real little homemaker, etc.? If she doesn't cook, fine (she's a doctor), but own it. To some extent with Bill, but more so with Jen, I no longer believe a word she says in her THs. An unfortunate, but unfortunately not uncommon, development in most "reality" TV stars. I, for one, don't criticize her for having staff and using them; only for then pretending or suggesting that she doesn't have or, indeed, need them.

Didn't he even say "blesses us with a pregnancy"? Hee! I do feel for Michelle; she's got a big-time midlife -- if not existential -- crisis comin' at her...

Isn't the future father-in-law somewhat highly placed politically (in their circles) somehow? Perhaps it's mutual fame-whoring on the part of the four parents. There's more to this than meets the eye...

Now I remember that female OBGYN; it's been so long since M was pregnant, I nearly forgot!

My mother had me at 40 (nearly 41); I was a "surprise"... Little did I know how lucky I was to be born without Down's Syndrome! I believe Michelle thinks she has some control over this whole process; hence the health kick (exercise machines, drinking gallons of water, and taking fistsful of vitamins with Jubilee after Josie's gestation "went wrong"... Clearly that didn't help, and it might even have hurt, as I thought it was a little over-the-top... Aren't pregnant women supposed to rest and eat for two?). And now she asks what, if anything, she's doing "wrong" and what she can do "right." Nothing, Michelle; you're 47! If you can't listen to God or Mother Nature, listen to your uterus.

As long as there's a basic underlying compatibility (hello, Bessa!), arranged marriages work because the commitment is to the marriage or institution of marriage itself versus the particular person... In other words, it's not based upon infatuation or passion, although that can also be a nice bonus, but rather on a determination to work out any differences and treat each other well. Real love most often follows...