Literata

I felt such disgust toward Jeremy tonight that I consciously had to remind myself he's a character on a reality TV show and not worth my anger. He looked as his mother with such derision. And honestly, Zach wasn't much better, and Matt was his usual manipulative, spoiled, unreasonable self (who clearly was eating up the fact that his "boys" were defending him). The whole conversation was obviously miserable for Amy, and it hurt to watch her be so disrespected.

I have never wanted to smack Jeremy in the face as badly as I did tonight. His disregard for his mother is so obvious. He wants to work at nothing, yet slide into the big house because he seems to feel it's his right. On a related note, will someone please explain to me why although Matt broke up the marriage, Jeremy embraces him while treating Amy as an irritating appendage? I seriously felt sorry for her throughout this episode.

Audrey's uncle is more famous than Audrey! Sweet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Botti

Matt didn't get it exactly right -- it's the greatest number of episodes of a family-focused reality show, apparently. http://programminginsider.com/tlcs-little-people-big-world-makes-the-guinness-book-of-world-records/

Been there, sadly, and agree entirely. But the difference is, I'm not on TV, and I'm not worried about ratings affecting what's become a gravy train for most of my family. I'm 99 percent sure my theory is wrong, but the remaining 1% is skeptical that what we think is happening is actually happening.

Here's my theory. It's a stretch, but bear with me. I think we're heading toward Matt & Amy 2.0. I'm not a Matt fan, but he's savvy, and my guess is he's always on the lookout for a ratings bonanza. Here's how I see that happening. Matt and Caryn break up. If we're to believe the tabloids, perhaps they already have. Matt's not one to do well alone, and he's not getting younger or healthier; I can't see him being willing to be alone. I think he'll appeal to Amy for reconciliation on the basis of two things: "saving" the farm, and mending the family. (It's also my guess that Jeremy and Audrey and their "fighting for marriage" shtick will be partly responsible for Matt's change of heart; Matt's always hero-worshiped Jeremy, and I think Jeremy and Molly are the two kids who can impact his thinking.) Amy is conflicted, but given that she obviously still has feelings for Matt, she decides to give him another chance. She never wanted the divorce, and I'm sure its impact on the kids has bothered her. She's obviously enjoying her time with Chris, but I don't see Chris wanting marriage -- and it certainly seems that's endgame for Amy. Matt makes a giant show out of winning her back. Flowers. Date nights. Trips. The kids help him plan special events. Ratings, ratings, ratings. They remarry on the farm, in which the kids all take a renewed interest now that Mom and Dad are back together. As I said, huge stretch -- but it wouldn't surprise me. I think Caryn, Chris, and "will they sell the farm" are filler. Once this occurred to me a few days ago, a lot of plot turns began making sense; they could very well be machinations designed to lead us to something else.

Yes. And I kept waiting, in the podcast episode, for her to call "bulllshit" on Jeremy's telling Audrey and his roommate that Janae "just showed up." WHY would she not have called him on that, in front of them??

Given that she said she was sobbing about it in the airport, I'm guessing it was some pretty strong stuff. My suspicion: Audrey made her feel as though she had imagined the relationship and that Jeremy had been trying to let her down easily because he felt sorry for her, and probably added some mention of the fact that she wasn't attractive enough or good enough for Jeremy. I would imagine Audrey is capable of being pretty cruel. As Janae started to get a little more real toward the end of the last episode, I really began to suspect more had happened than she had let on -- not that they had actually had sex, but certainly that they had kissed, maybe even messed around a little. Here's my other suspicion. Jeremy was away from home for the first time, was probably a little homesick, and probably did form close relationships with his roommate, Janae, and others in that circle. I have no doubt that deep feelings developed between Jeremy and Janae, and maybe he was even in love with her. But knowing what we know about Matt, he was probably pretty dazzled by Audrey and may have pushed Jeremy in her direction. So if Jeremy really was torn between the two women, Matt probably helped him make his decision. I don't think Janae is unattractive by any means, and she certainly seems much more genuine. But Audrey would have been judged by Matt and likely others as the "hotter" of the two, and I can see that resonating with Jeremy, who's clearly not the sharpest. Finally, and then I'll stop with the armchair psychology: Ember's middle name is Jean. That's awfully close to "Jenae." Just saying.

"Yes" to all this. And something else that just occurred to me, after going back and listening more closely to the closing minutes of Episode 3 of her podcast: First, she says she hasn't been in communication with "Jay" since he got married. But then, when pressed by her friend, she admits that she HAS spoken with him once or twice; and that if she wanted to reach out to him again, he likely wouldn't rebuff her, but that she's refraining from "opening the door" because if she decided to do that, she knows she wouldn't be met with resistance. Although I love the idea of anyone pissing off Audrey, that's potentially incendiary stuff. Did that seem strange to anyone else?

And why the hell would it be Audrey's dishwasher?? Funny thing is, if he's so into gender roles, I'd assume he'd be out hustling to get a real JOB to support his family. And yes, I know that's rhetorical, as the show is his "job," but, God, what an insufferable ass.

I've gotta say -- compared to the drivel we're subjected to from J&A, I'll take this any day. To be honest, though, that could be because I'm a new grandma to a baby who just started eating solids! My daughter's pediatrician spent quite a long time with her and my son-in-law on the process -- what foods to introduce when, how to do that, etc. And because the "eating mechanism" is so different from the sucking mechanism, it's not something all babies catch onto immediately. Honestly, I love that T&Z are so enamored with Jackson. When we see Ember begin eating solids, it likely will be via a series of selfies with Mom in which both are garbed in "Always More" and Audrey talks incessantly about how the process is so difficult and inconvenient for her.

Jeremy, from tonight's episode: "I should have just blessed my wife with a new dishwasher." Oh, Jenae, honey. Don't look back.

I listened to both episodes tonight. This Janae girl sounds like a lovestruck 16-year-old. Remember when you were in high school and you'd spend the night with your best friend and talk endlessly about what it "meant" when Tommy looked at you outside the biology room? That's what the podcast reminds me of. That said, Jeremy absolutely played her -- probably because she so obviously adored him and appealed to his narcissism. The fact that she was obviously naive and was willing to do anything for him makes the whole thing even more heinous. And Audrey, unsurprisingly, is a really nasty woman.

If I had feelings for someone who had to be told to squelch his feelings for someone else, I'd probably always wonder if he had regrets. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have married him unless, after some time apart, he'd come to a decision on his own and made a genuine effort to get me back. I can't imagine fighting over a man. Ever. I'm sure Audrey's inviting Janae to the wedding was simply about braggadocio and condescension. What a hateful shrew she is. Janae may not have -- how did Audrey describe her own hair? -- an "untamable, fiery tangle," but she's perfectly good-looking and reminds me of Amy Schumer. And she's probably kind and decent. Time will tell, but I wonder if the fact that Matt had an affair has subconsciously rendered Jeremy able to justify that kind of behavior. If I had to place a wager, my bet would be that Jeremy will stray. I had a good friend whose husband was a police officer, and she talked often and loudly about "affair-proofing" her marriage by making sure to have sex with him every day. Guess what? He had an emotional affair that escalated into a physical one, and he left his controlling wife for someone who wasn't nearly as physically attractive. It wasn't about sex. It rarely is.

"Yes" to all this. I've also found it incredibly sexist that Amy has been judged so harshly for not keeping a tidy house. Was that solely her responsibility, by virtue of her possession of a uterus? IIRC, Amy was working part-time and raising kids full-time. That's a crap-ton of effort right there. And yes, in the early days, Matt worked outside the home, but when he WAS home, he couldn't be bothered to help with household chores, or with the kids, for that matter. I believe Matt and Amy absolutely should have enlisted more help from the kids, who were old enough to keep their rooms clean, assist with the kitchen and laundry, etc. But that wasn't entirely on Amy, either. It's funny how differently we all see things, isn't it? To me, Matt's always been an insufferable, immature narcissist who's caused or exacerbated most of the issues in the marriage.

Not nosy at all -- her milk wasn't in yet. They had her pump colostrum, and that worked well -- but his glucose levels were low and they needed to get a little more food into him, so my son-in-law gave him a couple bottles of donor milk. (As far as I know, that's the only way it's given to the baby.) By that time, my daughter had tried the nipple shield, and that helped the baby latch. Unfortunately, she's had two bouts of mastitis, but she's persevered, and at five months, nursing is going very well. The baby takes bottles of Mom's milk at daycare and breastfeeds when he's with Mom. I often wonder -- not to play armchair psychologist here -- if Audrey's insufferable behavior isn't borne of some massive insecurity. We're all products of our environment, and perhaps her childhood wasn't as idyllic as she'd lead us to believe. I'm not talking anything overly dramatic -- perfectionist parents, maybe. I'm appalled by Jeremy and Audrey largely because of the way they portray themselves on the show, but also because of what I read on their social media -- primarily their attitudes toward divorce and toward individuals who happen to be gay. But I do have to say that the way Jeremy behaves with Ember, while not redeeming him in my book, does make me think there's potential for him to evolve into a decent human being one day.

The way to remember the rule: Remove the "person and." You wouldn't say, "The way you treat I is truly wonderful"; of course, you'd say, '"The way you treat me is truly wonderful." In this instance, act as if the "j and" is not there. "J and me" is correct. And the message really is beautiful -- simple, heartfelt, meaningful. It's easy to tell she really loves him. I imagine that has to be incredibly gratifying to Matt and Amy, in that I'm sure they worried Zach would have a more difficult time finding a mate. I'm a Zach fan, so I get that Tori values his character and personality; I have to admit, though, that her obvious physical attraction to him humbles me. I've never thought of myself as terribly superficial, but I've often watched them and asked myself, "Could I be similarly attracted to a little person?" And I honestly don't know. I aspire to be the type of person to whom that wouldn't matter at all.

Audrey is one of my least favorite people in the world, but I'll cut her some slack on donor milk. My daughter gave birth to my first grandchild -- yay! -- in November, and breastfeeding didn't come easily; like many babies, he had trouble latching at first. Her lactation consultant explained that for moms who intend to breastfeed exclusively, donor milk is the best option for supplementation because it's more easily digested, and the enzymes in it don't vary from one mom's milk to another's. My daughter used it a few times until the baby got the hang of things. I'm not a medical professional so chances are I'm not getting this exactly right, but perhaps Audrey's doctor or lactation consultant recommended it as well.

No doubt that he does. But I suspect Audrey is a little much for them, despite their good nature.

Does anyone else think Tori can't possibly like Audrey? In my sick, twisted fantasies, in the privacy of their own home, she and Zach put on giant red wigs and "always more" shirts and recite lines like "The nurses EVEN SAID it was the WORST ENGORGEMENT they had EVER SEEN." And I've looked back through posts but can't find it ... did someone mention Zach perhaps liking/approving of Chris? I'm hoping that's the case. Amy's not without her flaws, but I couldn't handle my adult kids throwing me as much shade as Jeremy and Audrey throw her. I'm hoping Zach and Tori are at least somewhat in her corner.

I have a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law. One treats me with love, kindness, appreciation, and respect. The other tolerates me, grudgingly. I have no doubt the difference in the relationships will play out when and if both couples have babies. It has to be hard to bond properly with a child when your access to that child is limited, and especially when the child's parents treat you badly. I am Team Tori all the way here. She obviously loves Zach, and by extension, loves and appreciates his parents, even though there are undoubtedly things about both of them that get on her nerves. Audrey loves ... Audrey. And she and Jeremy are both SO judgmental -- under the guise of fundamentalist Christianity -- of divorce and the new relationships that can form after a marriage breaks up, and it's clear neither wants Matt and Amy's influence to impact Ember in any way. The way Jeremy treats his mother, and allows Audrey to treat her, is shameful. Amy's a bigger person than I am, as I would have let Jeremy know long ago that his condescension was not allowed, and that we'd resume our relationship when he changed his ways.

Hey, I'm grasping at straws here. :) Maybe he really IS texting his side piece or taking a few hits off a joint. My point is: Wherever he's going, she knows, but they've decided not to share that with us.

I imagine that when she confronted him about it, she found out exactly where he's been going, but he didn't want it shared with us. I wondered if he has IBS, maybe, or another bowel/bladder issue. You'd think she'd be aware, but some people are weird around bodily functions.

I dislike them because of so much that doesn't appear on the show, but can easily be found online. Audrey, especially, is insufferable, narcissistic, and horribly narrow-minded, and seems unwilling to accept that others' opposing views aren't necessarily wrong.