CousinAmy

I think that's a good idea. The show and its offshoots, the speaking engagements and such, are a great way to maximize income, especially if they are bringing in more money than the pet store.

Mady is turning out to be the same Mady she was when she was 5, just bigger. She was always snarky towards Kate; now she can just meet Kate eye-to-eye,instead of eye-to-knee. And Cara was always quieter and moodier; she was "the good twin" on camera, but as we saw on their appearance on Today last year, she froze Kate out during that show when she refused to speak. They're teenagers. It all comes with the territory. The "little kids" as she calls them are just beautiful, and delightful to watch.

This has been thoroughly debunked. It's not an indication of anything, except that someone on the Internet was trolling.

One of our 4-year-olds showed up to school today dressed as Woody! For no special reason. That's the wonderful thing about preschoolers - they are always surprising you.

I don't know if they ever explained to the children what Trick or Treat meant. If they did, perhaps Will would have had a clue! I doubt if he understood either Trick or Treat. This may sound shocking coming from a preschool teacher, but I don't think we will ever break preschool boys of the habit of making guns out of Lego's, Playdough, or toast! It almost seems hard-wired, like the fascination with wheels. Of course we tell them that it's not appropriate in school, but I don't know if their parents are that vigilant, and for sure once they're out of parents' sight they will resume playing with "guns" - including real guns, unfortunately.

I wonder how much this gender separation is producer driven, being mostly around playtime. We have no idea what the children like to do on their "downtime." What we see are special events or trips. What do they do on a rainy afternoon after school? I hope their lives are not programmed like so many children are today, and they have time to explore their own interests. Besides swimming, perhaps art, music, nature, or sports. Do they watch movies, and which type of movie does each child favor? There is so much we just don't see.

Will, like so many preschool boys, has a fascination with wheels. I rarely see girls who are intent on just rolling cars and trucks back and forth, back and forth. Girls tend to make up stories about the cars or fire engines, or whatever might be considered "boys' toys." So far Will seems to fit neatly in that category. Zoey's interests are hard to tell from what we've seen, we haven't heard her ask to do a puzzle or artwork, or play with her dolls. She may be doing that, and it might be considered too boring for TV. What she does onscreen is pretty much presented to her. I can't believe, though, that she's never alone in her room with the opportunity to make some of her own choices. I don't believe that Jen doesn't love Will, and Will doesn't love Jen. Moms have to do some pretty awful stuff for kids not to love them. I found out from my mother when both my brother and I were in our early 50s that my mom used to beat my brother when he was a baby. I've never told him this, because I think it would hurt more than help him. (Since she died last year we have uncovered some other issues that have made us both feel even sadder and disappointed in her.) That's the kind of deep, emotional scarring that touches a child's soul. Mom wanting to play dress-up with little sister? Not even in the same universe.

When Bill took Will fishing, he said something like, "A man wants to take his son - or daughter - fishing with him." The first part of that sentence is paraphrased, but I remember how he threw in the "daughter" comment. So why didn't he offer to take his daughter fishing, too? They do seem to stick pretty closely to gender roles in playtime but seeing how Jen is a Doctor and the family breadwinner, I don't think Will or Zoey will grow up with a skewed idea of what men and woman can do. Zoey does seem to like getting dressed up but she also likes riding ponies, is taking swimming lessons, and will probably express interests in other activities as she gets older.

I find Jen to be very nurturing and loving. She's not cold, or emotionally distant. When she sees Bill playing with the children, her face lights up. Just because she doesn't get down on the floor to play or give out hugs (at least on camera) doesn't mean she is not bonded with Will. She realizes that Bill's bond is very strong and she encourages their interactions. I think Zoey is well-adjusted to both parents, which is great. If Bill and Jen are a little lax in discipline, I'd rather see that than to see them harsh or standoffish with their own children.

Totally shallow comment - how hot did Bill look with scruff? He should keep it! And Jen is just so beautifully radiant. They are so lovely together.

You're not alone, many people have said the same things. I think it's too early to tell, because a lot of these behaviors will be noticed by their teachers, and together they and the parents can work on some of these issues. Yes, Will is nearly 5 but acts pretty much like a three-year-old. Bill and Jen did not have a huge background in child development, (although I know Jen is a pediatrician, but it's different being a Mom and dealing with it first hand) and thus are thrilled with whatever small steps the children make. But this is why a child goes to preschool (not daycare), to get them ready for kindergarten. And if Will isn't ready, it's not the end of the world. Either he takes another year in preschool (depending on what the laws are) or he will receive comprehensive services. (If not provided through the school system, Bill and Jen can certainly afford to see that he gets them.) The school might even help with nutrition counseling. One of the ways that children learn to focus their attention is through mastering a skill or sport, especially when there's a coach or teacher - like the swim teacher - there instead of Mom and Dad. So besides learning to swim, it's also helping his social/emotional development. I don't think Zoey is that far from the typical 3-year-old - she seems to be at the level of the 2 1/2 year olds in my preschool, just starting language, but bright and curious about everything. She's willful, but also silly and funny - "Happy Daddy!" - and I think she'll be fine when she's ready to enter kindergarten.

It's not a race. Will may catch up this year, or next, or it may take him longer to become literate - reading and writing - and to become a clear speaker. As long as he is making progress every day, I don't see what the urgency is. And no one knows their child's "prognosis with a great degree of certainly." There are so many factors that contribute to a child's growth and advancement that it's impossible to make hard and fast rules about what a child's future will be.

If any of this is to believed, that Bill thought Will would "take the school by storm" and was shocked that it didn't happen, this is a perfect example. On the other hand, every parent is hopeful that the first school experience will be just wonderful, and I can't imagine anyone telling their child, "Well, school might be great, or it might be terrible. Maybe you will find friends or maybe no one will like you. Who knows?" /half-kidding and half serious!

"Candu Enterprises"! Here's a link to some info. It was founded in 2009 and has a staff of 1. http://www.manta.com/c/mtgsqgk/candu-enterprises-inc?utm_expid=82789632-30.8Ue3RXoXRoWAwC0cgSs_wg.0&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.manta.com%2Fc%2Fmtgsqgk%2Fcandu-enterprises-inc

I don't see any reason to suppose that Bill and Jen are anxious to get out of their contract. They certainly have more than extended themselves by showing personal moments, while they could have limited filming to specific situations. Instead of medical visits, maybe restrict filming to public places like pumpkin patches, or pirate ships. (No way could any TV network force a parent to film their child's doctor's visits!) Maybe they are pushing back already, who knows, but it doesn't seem like it. ETA: What auntl said!

I have a Facebook friend (but I do consider her a real friend) who is an appearance advocate in Australia. She has a genetic skin condition that is very apparent to anyone passing by. At age 33, she's very tired of having people treat her like she's an invalid, or trying to do things for her, or even looking at her with pity. She used to have printed cards that explained her condition so she wouldn't have to explain it, but got tired of having to be a "professional educator" to every man in the street. (Now, she actually gets paid for lecturing to doctors.) I understand that. Although I don't have any limiting conditions, I have been approached by people who think I need help - for example, I'm very near-sighted and have to hold reading material about two inches in front of me to read fine print. I was trying to read a label in the supermarket when some woman came up to me to ask if I needed help. I was very insulted - if I needed help, I could have easily asked for it. Don't take "pity" on me by implying I'm incapable of shopping for myself.

I just Googled "the Little Couple" and 388,000,000 hits came up. The odds of the children accessing this website are pretty minimal.

I don't think they've let us see enough to know. For example, we know he likes anything with wheels - which is so typical for a boy from ages 2 - 5, but does he make a ramp out of blocks and try to roll a truck down it? Does he have the ability to pretend he's driving a fire truck - rushing to save someone instead of just rolling the truck randomly? Can he transfer his love of things with wheels to books about things with wheels? Maybe he can line his trucks up, even count them, but can he sort them into categories - cars, trucks, buses, etc? Does he put "people" figures into the trucks and create stories around them? I'm not a big fan of the block/truck area (I'm more towards books, puzzles and art) but sometimes I'll pull over a low chair (I can't get on the floor either!) and listen in on the activity. One boy was just rolling a fire engine around, and I asked him what the ladder was for. He didn't seem to have any idea, but when I took a little figure and placed it on a shelf and called, "Help, help" in a tiny voice, he realized that the ladder was used to rescue the person. Those are some of the intellectual abilities you'd expect a child of that age to have. As I said, they don't show enough of his actual playtime to see if he does.

And I think Jen is tickled pink that Will has bonded with Bill this way. There is nothing but pure happiness when she sees them playing together. They just make a perfect, complete family.

The kids sure seem to be happy and healthy so I think she's "handling them" just right. There are all kinds of parenting styles -- some parents are softies, some parents are yellers. My parents yelled all the time, at us, at each other, etc. I think my brother and I would have grown up happier and healthier with parents who were easy-going and softer. Even though we don't see the children at school, I'm glad that they are in school now, because while parents see their children as "the best/smartest/sweetest child ever," teachers can see how children are doing relative to their peers. Zoey seems about a half-a-year behind, which in a three-year-old is a big gap. She's not really responsive when given directions, she wants to go her own way and she's still living in her toddler-world. But she speaks in complete sentences, which to me is everything! I think she just needs maturing, and that happens with time and patience. Will still seems like a much younger child. So Jen's problem corralling her two preschoolers is understandable, since they both seem to be in a toddler stage. I do see a problem if they are out at a farm or a pumpkin patch and one or the other child starts to take off in another direction. They can move much faster than either parent. That's why I think they have a nanny or other helper when they go on these outdoor trips.

I don't think the foster girls wanted workplace or school attire. They wanted dresses for parties or special occasions, which would be more expensive than T-shirts and jeans. Many towns have Prom Boutiques, where girls can go to pick out a prom dress that they never could have afforded. I'm not sure if the dresses that 50 year old women wear would be suitable for teenagers, but it's a nice gesture anyway.

I think the "toilet in the garage" was there to lead into "hunks come to help move things in the garage." Since they have a pool, they most likely have a bathroom that you can reach from the pool area. Guests could easily use that. A party for 75(?) people has a lot of moving parts. There is guest list, cleaning and organizing house and yard, contracting for the petting zoo (plus the fence), food, cake, etc. With food involved, there's a timeline that had to be followed as well. Afterwards, clean-up, etc. I could see someone detail-oriented like Jen would write a lot of this down.

Yesterday a couple of Facebook friends (from here on Long Island) were talking about a high school classmate of theirs, an actor/director and '70s hunk who "just showed up on a Bravo reality show." I only watch one Bravo reality show currently, and who else could they have been referencing? LOL.

The Pull-Up issue isn't even on my radar screen. I assume that's a medical issue, and since it is so very personal and private, I'll leave it to his parents and his doctors. It's his speech, language, and socialization that concern me. I would really love to see him and Zoey playing with some friends - not being on the lawn at the same time, but really playing - and as long as they're playing with cars, trucks or trains I think they would get along very well. But we only see them interacting with adults, which is why we can wonder about Will's babyish behavior. I hope one of his classmates' families gives an OK for filming.

I'm pretty sure they're saving the whole adoption story for A Very Special Episode. I don't think they would drop it casually into a regular episode, which usually centers around a cute event with the children.