The Human Beings Known as the Arnold-Klein Family

[Mya]

12 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I just googled "Little Couple Florida home" and got this.  

Thank you!!

[Kohola3]

Quote

Is that their "stoop?" That's an awful lot of stairs for a little person, especially tiny Zoey. Given what they paid for the place, I hope they have an elevator like they did at the Houston house. 

Wasn't that the Houston house?  Since yesterday was Halloween, this episode must have been filmed last year unless they got the whole FL neighborhood to pretend was Halloween sometime this summer.  I'm thinking this was 2016 when they were still in Houston.

[toodles]

18 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I just googled "Little Couple Florida home" and got this.  

Holy cow.

That is all.

[gonecrackers]

That's a TON of stairs. I wonder if they'll have it renovated somehow with easier options for them.

[Libby]

The house has an elevator. It's in one of the pictures.

[gonecrackers]

I assumed they'd have elevators on the inside since they did in TX. On the outside there, by the garages, there's some very steep steps. I guess they'll just enter via the garage.

[SMama]

WOW that is some house. The upkeep must cost a mint. Good for them, they worked hard and are reaping the benefits. It’s too much house for me. The article states the house has an elevator.

Edited November 1, 2017 by SMama

[floridamom]

Yep, that's their house. My husband's cousin lives down the street. I wouldn't live there myself because that area always floods with the littlest bit of rain. Shore Acres is lowland. That house is beautiful, but overbuilt for the rest of the neighborhood. I wish them well there, though, as I like Jen and Bill.

Oh, I also looked up the county property record and it's their house.

[SunnyBeBe]

Hey, if Jen is worried about being too insistent with the kids, her concerns are not warranted. It seems that nagging moms are actually a benefit!  lol (I'm not implying that Jen nags at all.)

Quote

Study find girls with nagging moms grow up to be more successful

http://abc11.com/society/study-girls-with-nagging-moms-become-more-successful/2596387/

[calpurnia99]

I'm wondering how his Pet shop is making any money. Pretty much every month a new small pet shop opens near me and is out of business in 6 months. There is a huge market, with everyone having mutts. But like Bill said, Petsmart and big chains can sell cheaper. And Petsmart has all the gourmet dog food brands now. i don't know how many people want overpriced fru fru items for their pets. I guess they make money in the grooming part of the business and maybe they also do boarding.  Just another one of these places went out of business near me. It was offering fancy gourmet dog food. People do seem to be worried about feeding their mutts Ol Roy more these days.

Edited November 12, 2017 by calpurnia99

[Jeanne222]

On 11/1/2017 at 10:14 AM, Libby said:

The house has an elevator. It's in one of the pictures.

I'll bet that elevator goes all the way down to the garages and all the way up.  Might be in trouble if the garages flood!  Does look like a ton of steps outside for all of them.

On 11/1/2017 at 3:34 PM, floridamom said:

Yep, that's their house. My husband's cousin lives down the street. I wouldn't live there myself because that area always floods with the littlest bit of rain. Shore Acres is lowland. That house is beautiful, but overbuilt for the rest of the neighborhood. I wish them well there, though, as I like Jen and Bill.

Oh, I also looked up the county property record and it's their house.

I think their Houston home was also overbuilt for that neighborhood and being a bright blue house in a brick neighborhood made it stand out too.

[BitterApple]

2 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

I'm wondering how his Pet shop is making any money. Pretty much every month a new small pet shop opens near me and is out of business in 6 months. There is a huge market, with everyone having mutts. But like Bill said, Petsmart and big chains can sell cheaper. And Petsmart has all the gourmet dog food brands now. i don't know how many people want overpriced fru fru items for their pets. I guess they make money in the grooming part of the business and maybe they also do boarding.  Just another one of these places went out of business near me. It was offering fancy gourmet dog food. People do seem to be worried about feeding their mutts Ol Roy more these days.

I've always wondered if the pet shop makes any real profit or if they just stay afloat to cover the overhead. I was actually shocked when Bill talked about franchising the store because it doesn't seem like that much of a money maker in the first place. Maybe they're hoping some obsessed fan will take the bait, but I guess that hasn't happened. Funny thing about the dog food, though. I have a Mastiff and he's been on every kind of kibble imaginable and he actually functions best on the "cheaper" brands. I'd give my last dime for my dog, but I'm not dropping $100 on a 20 lb. bag of food just because it has grass-fed unicorn meat in it, lol. 

[calpurnia99]

Yeah I was recently in Pet Supermarket, which is a chain, and the employees tried to make me feel guilty for not giving my dog grain fed unicorn meat food. I won

t go back in there even though it is very convenient for me. I have also been given the hardsell at PetSmart in the dog food aisle by a unicorn meat salesmen. My dogs get what they get. My 14 1/2 year old dog is very healthy. He gets medium decent food, higher up than Ol Roy and Kibbles and Bits but not much.....

[BW Manilowe]

This looked like the proper place to put this; apologies if I've erred. Anyway... I saw this clip on YouTube today (though it may have been up before that). It's a clip where the family goes to an aquarium on a boardwalk (presumably near their new house in FL) where you can also eat, & the family gets a tour. William falls completely in love with the stingrays; Zoey's reaction to them (at least the ferocity of it), at the end of the video, surprised me. I'm assuming it's from an upcoming show.

Edited November 14, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To add a comment.

[SMama]

It was filmed last year in Houston.

[BW Manilowe]

22 minutes ago, SMama said:

It was filmed last year in Houston.

Thanks for the correction. I'm assuming the ep this is in is still coming up though? I really love Zoey's reaction in it.

[SMama]

The episode has already been shown. It is the one where Jen’s med school friend comes to visit them with her three children. Maybe you can watch it on TLC go or whatever their app is named. Zoey did crack me up with her sassy explanation, facial expression and arm folding. 

[BW Manilowe]

3 hours ago, SMama said:

The episode has already been shown. It is the one where Jen’s med school friend comes to visit them with her three children. Maybe you can watch it on TLC go or whatever their app is named. Zoey did crack me up with her sassy explanation, facial expression and arm folding. 

I must've dozed off, or something; I know I saw at least parts of the ep where the friend & her kids are arriving, then where they're leaving or have already left. But I somehow missed the whole restaurant trip. At least that explains who the other people were who seemed to be with Bill, Jen & the kids on the tour--people actually with the Arnold/Klein family instead of people the family doesn't know The way TLC seems to bundle the show into a lot of multi-episode airings, that 1 may be back on sooner rather than later.

I'm still cracking up about how Zoey was ready to feed those stingrays until she got some of their tankwater (which sounds like it might've been at least chlorinated) into her eye & then was all "I'm not doing it now! I got water splashed in my eye & now I can't see, & it stings worse than a shot! I'm not doing it now and that's it!"(paraphrased; the last sentence, or the end of what she actually said, was emphasized by her standing with her arms across her chest & glaring, & maybe some other negative behaviors/expressions.

I meant to add, for once I thought Will was relatively well-behaved; even after he saw the stingrays & kept going away from their tour group to watch them. All Bill or Jen had to do was say Will's full name, firmly but quietly, look at him shaking their head, & he got off the stepstool he was standing on & rejoined his group. Of course, he waited until nobody was looking to go back to the stingrays once he got caught; but overall I thought Will was pretty well-behaved. Except I think by, like, the third time he ran off (if I were Jen or Bill, or both) I'd have moved in closer to him (so he could feel my presence) & kept a hand on 1 or both of his shoulders until it was time to see that tank of stingrays.

Edited November 14, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To add a comment.

[CousinAmy]

I can't remember where I read the comments about grandparents carrying/babying the children, so I'll put it here. If Bill's stepmother tends to baby the grandchildren, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world. There are enough other grandparents to give the mature responses and practical explanations; let this one woman speak to the baby inside the child. It won't hurt them.

 

About the picking up and carrying, I think that's just a matter of moving faster. A taller adult can cover a lot more ground than a smaller child. They always seem to be running late anyway!

[woodscommaelle]

On 11/12/2017 at 10:17 AM, BitterApple said:

grass-fed unicorn meat 

Sounds like the title of a Tom Robbins book. 

[Limelight]

On 11/12/2017 at 0:17 PM, BitterApple said:

I've always wondered if the pet shop makes any real profit or if they just stay afloat to cover the overhead. I was actually shocked when Bill talked about franchising the store because it doesn't seem like that much of a money maker in the first place. Maybe they're hoping some obsessed fan will take the bait, but I guess that hasn't happened. Funny thing about the dog food, though. I have a Mastiff and he's been on every kind of kibble imaginable and he actually functions best on the "cheaper" brands. I'd give my last dime for my dog, but I'm not dropping $100 on a 20 lb. bag of food just because it has grass-fed unicorn meat in it, lol. 

As a veterinarian,  those grain-free brands of food are recommended for your pets for a reason.  The other brands are made with by-products and corn as their main ingredients, pets are attracted to them because they have a lot of salt content added too.  It would be like eating potato chips all the time or fast food, it's fun but isn't good for your health.     I've seen the difference in my patients with the higher quality foods, especially in the quality of their fur and weight.  So many pets have weight issues now, like humans, because they're lacking exercise and eating very poor foods. 

It's wonderful stores like PetSmart, etc make high-quality foods available at a good price as it goes a long way towards making a healthy pet.  I do wonder about a smaller store like Bill's as it much be cheaper to go to a larger, warehouse store to buy food.   I think he's mentioned before that the grooming is where they make their money.   That puppy piddle pad with the hydrant is a good idea, if that were to be sold to a distributor, I think that could really take off and be a money maker.

[toodles]

My office is in a little strip mall.  Next door is a pet store similar to Bill's.  They have people and pets going in and out all day long.  They do grooming, sell pet food and pet doodads.  It's busy all the time.  I think Bill was in the right place at the right time with the pet store.  People love their pets dearly (raising me hand here) and are willing to spend big bucks to buy the best.  I like big box stores as much as anyone, but I'm willing to spend a couple of dollars more to buy my pet food at a family owned pet shore.  YMMV

[walnutqueen]

5 hours ago, toodles said:

My office is in a little strip mall.  Next door is a pet store similar to Bill's.  They have people and pets going in and out all day long.  They do grooming, sell pet food and pet doodads.  It's busy all the time.  I think Bill was in the right place at the right time with the pet store.  People love their pets dearly (raising me hand here) and are willing to spend big bucks to buy the best.  I like big box stores as much as anyone, but I'm willing to spend a couple of dollars more to buy my pet food at a family owned pet shore.  YMMV

I agree.  Back when I still had a semi-decent income, I went out of my way to support local small businesses whenever possible.   I would imagine some small business owners do much the same thing, especially when it comes to supporting other businesses within a small mall or the same shopping district.

ETA - maybe that (in addition to allowing filming) is why the Kleins were toy shopping at that specialty shop.

Edited November 15, 2017 by walnutqueen

[ginger90]

Eventually they will move again

https://mobile.twitter.com/JenArnoldMD/status/930629433211355136?p=v

[CousinAmy]

7 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Eventually they will move again

https://mobile.twitter.com/JenArnoldMD/status/930629433211355136?p=v

Isn't the new house a dream beach house? It's at the beach, has a pool, etc. I don't know what more one could want! 

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

She has always wanted to live directly on the beach. She talked about it in Galveston.

[bichonblitz]

On 11/1/2017 at 4:34 PM, floridamom said:

That house is beautiful, but overbuilt for the rest of the neighborhood.

The house in Houston was the same. It didn't blend in with the neighborhood. Why in the world would 4 little people need 5,500 sq. ft and 6 bedrooms?  I guess if you can afford it, why not!  Will they have to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms to fit their needs? 

10 hours ago, CousinAmy said:

Isn't the new house a dream beach house? It's at the beach, has a pool, etc. I don't know what more one could want! 

The house is on a canal, t's not on the beach. 

Edited November 16, 2017 by bichonblitz

[luvbadtv]

On 11/15/2017 at 8:05 AM, toodles said:

My office is in a little strip mall.  Next door is a pet store similar to Bill's.  They have people and pets going in and out all day long.  They do grooming, sell pet food and pet doodads.  It's busy all the time.  I think Bill was in the right place at the right time with the pet store.  People love their pets dearly (raising me hand here) and are willing to spend big bucks to buy the best.  I like big box stores as much as anyone, but I'm willing to spend a couple of dollars more to buy my pet food at a family owned pet shore.  YMMV

I've visited Bill's store.  It is in a shopping area, more like a downtown, that has  a lot of high end and boutique-y stores.  It was a few years ago; I remember it being more of a "buy cute things for your pets" kind of store - toys, clothing for dogs, etc.  They probably had food, but I don't remember seeing it.

[toodles]

That makes sense since Chole's store is just down the way.

[Sew Sumi]

It looks like the Arnold-Klein's kitchen was remodeled. I wonder what the turnaround time was from accepting the job in FL and actually moving into that mansion, which I will assume has had other modifications made to it? Did they stay in Houston? Rent in FL until the home was ready to move in?

Edited November 24, 2017 by Sew Sumi

[Snow8585]

After Thanksgiving, Bill and Jen are heading to New York for date weekend/dr appointments including a myelogram. Maybe Bill is still having back issues.  Wonder if he aggravated something when he tried sledding and crashed at the bottom.

[BW Manilowe]

On 11/24/2017 at 8:32 AM, Snow8585 said:

After Thanksgiving, Bill and Jen are heading to New York for date weekend/dr appointments including a myelogram. Maybe Bill is still having back issues.  Wonder if he aggravated something when he tried sledding and crashed at the bottom.

I wish him luck with the myelogram. My dad was a neurosurgeon & he used to order them for/perform them on his patients (part of how I know this is I used to work in my dad's office & I'd have to schedule them with the hospitals occasionally). Knowing what they are, they aren't exactly anything I'd wanna have done to myself. Basically, it's 1 of those x-rays where they have to give you an injection of contrast material so they can see what's going on with your neck &/or back & I don't think those are ever very comfortable, even though they do give you stuff to relax you beforehand too.

[BitterApple]

I hope they can figure out what's going on with Bill. The poor guy looks like he's in constant pain.

[humbleopinion]

Did you see the size of the boat that was parked on the dock in the drone pictures of the FL house...the boat is as long as the dock.

Also the house looks like a McMansion invader since it is next to a very modest older small home and a middle sized but not ginormous, over wrought triple decker monstrosity.

Who needs that much home?

Seriously...

Jen will just fill it up with decorative doodads...

[mythoughtis]

I think the snow episode was actually filmed last winter?  I think Bill just has back problems complicated by his dwarfism.  He’s probably going to have surgeries every few years. 

[xldb2004]

8 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Did you see the size of the boat that was parked on the dock in the drone pictures of the FL house...the boat is as long as the dock.

Also the house looks like a McMansion invader since it is next to a very modest older small home and a middle sized but not ginormous, over wrought triple decker monstrosity.

Who needs that much home?

Seriously...

Jen will just fill it up with decorative doodads...

You work hard you get prizes....good on her.  BTW I think Jen has great taste.

[floridamom]

The neighborhood in St, Pete has nice, regular houses on regular sized small lots. I have been there many times visiting relatives down the street from where the Kleins' home is. It's not a mansion-type area. My opinion is that house is over-built for the area. The neighbors don't live like that there. I wish them well in St. Pete, as I think they're nice people. It's not easy to put your life on TV and I'm sure they knew that when they signed the original TLC contract.

[Madtown]

14 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Did you see the size of the boat that was parked on the dock in the drone pictures of the FL house...the boat is as long as the dock.

Also the house looks like a McMansion invader since it is next to a very modest older small home and a middle sized but not ginormous, over wrought triple decker monstrosity.

Who needs that much home?

Seriously...

Jen will just fill it up with decorative doodads...

I have to agree here. It does look very out of place next to the other houses. Granted, they didn't build it, but still. I also question why they need such a large home. I'm not saying they don't deserve it, they work hard, but it just seems so much for a little people family. I know they have large families and I don't know if they all stay there when they visit, but I'm sure they would be ok with staying in a hotel too if need be. I don't question how they clean it as I'm sure they have a cleaning service and probably did in Houston too. I always wondered why they built that mansion in Houston as well. I don't expect them to be in a tiny ranch by any means, but this just seems so over the top.

[Rap541]

"Granted, they didn't build it, but still. I also question why they need such a large home". Why do any of us need more than the pure minimum to survive? I live alone in a two bedroom apartment. I clearly don't *need* a two bedroom apartment. I just like the extra space. If the Kleins want to live in a giant house, as long as they can afford it, they can have at it. They're not required to live in a small house simply because they are little people and don't *need* high ceilings.

[Snow8585]

I guess they just like overbuilt houses for the neighborhood. They now own two of them since the Houston one still appears to be on the market.

[Rap541]

Sure. Maybe there's some ego involved. "We're little people but we have the biggest house!". They can afford it so why not?

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, Snow8585 said:

I guess they just like overbuilt houses for the neighborhood. They now own two of them since the Houston one still appears to be on the market.

It's funny because realtors will always say you never want to be the fanciest house on the block, for a myriad of reasons. I'm kind of wondering why the Kleins go this route, considering over-built houses are more difficult to sell and don't appreciate as much as ones that are more reflective of the neighborhood. I can't tell whether they buy for location or whether one of them enjoys being the big fish in a small pond.

Edited November 28, 2017 by BitterApple

[Snow8585]

I vote for two little people big fish in small pond.

[riverblue22]

I think Jen is a fabulous decorator and has great taste.  I'd like to have her do my house!

I loved the Houston house but don't care for the new one.  Maybe they were limited in choices that had elevators and security gates.  I'm glad to hear that she hopes to build another house and not stay in this one forever.

[BitterApple]

46 minutes ago, riverblue22 said:

 

I loved the Houston house but don't care for the new one.  

I think it's because the Houston house, while large, still felt intimate and homey while the Florida house just screams "Look at me! I'm rich!". 

[ChiCricket]

52 minutes ago, riverblue22 said:

Maybe they were limited in choices that had elevators and security gates.  

 This is probably it.

[Granimal]

On 11/15/2017 at 5:38 AM, Limelight said:

As a veterinarian,  those grain-free brands of food are recommended for your pets for a reason.  The other brands are made with by-products and corn as their main ingredients, pets are attracted to them because they have a lot of salt content added too.  It would be like eating potato chips all the time or fast food, it's fun but isn't good for your health.     I've seen the difference in my patients with the higher quality foods, especially in the quality of their fur and weight.  So many pets have weight issues now, like humans, because they're lacking exercise and eating very poor foods. 

It's wonderful stores like PetSmart, etc make high-quality foods available at a good price as it goes a long way towards making a healthy pet.  I do wonder about a smaller store like Bill's as it much be cheaper to go to a larger, warehouse store to buy food.   I think he's mentioned before that the grooming is where they make their money.   That puppy piddle pad with the hydrant is a good idea, if that were to be sold to a distributor, I think that could really take off and be a money maker.

Yes, we just had a very scary experience with my 7 year-old cat. It started off as weekly vomiting- mostly hairballs, then turned into throwing up multiple times daily, and bloody stool. Otherwise he acted completely fine. After the multiple vomiting sessions in one day, we ran to the hospital, and they did ALL the tests. An ultrasound revealed that he had IBD and can ONLY eat crazy expensive  prescription food. We have two cats (the other is overweight by a bit), so now they're both stuck on this health food. They don't like the dry food (that's much cheaper) so we were told that we could add a rabbit protein wet food on top. Well, since the new diet- which has only been about three weeks- there has been NO vomiting and no bad smells from the litter box. As a bonus, the other cat has already lost some added weight.

We can't even buy this food at Petsmart without his (the cat's) medical prescription. Aside from the price, it's been great. His coat looks better, he smells better, no more barf, no more bad bathroom smells, and he sleeps through the night in my arms instead of pacing- it also drastically cut down on his bouts of FHS. But really, the price of this food (and considering how little they eat of it-as they're grazers, and I don't want to leave it out for days... is something that will have to be figured out after the little guy recovers a bit. (We still give him anti-inflammatory meds on occasion.)

Some cats and dogs genuinely need this to live a normal healthy life. I don't know if the pet store sells the RX brands, but if they do- kudos to them, because these foods are hard to find. Although I suppose they'd need a vet (vet pharmacist?) on staff, as we needed a vet to review our prescription before we were allowed to buy the darn food!

Edited November 29, 2017 by Granimal
ETA: Not saying that ALL pets are the same, but some pets do NEED these foods to avoid dehydration and other stomach/colon issues that can lead to cancer. So while they may seem silly and price-gougey, they can serve a purpose for pets w/ health issues.

[xldb2004]

Not to sound morbid or anything but I thought there were many large reptiles in FL that were near bodies of water. Remember  the Disneyworld incident and reptiles in pools and on golf courses?  The Klein home is on a canal. I did not see any kind of protection arou d the house or pool.  I'm from California so I don't know if it's a problem.  Just wondering.

[lookeyloo]

14 minutes ago, xldb2004 said:

Not to sound morbid or anything but I thought there were many large reptiles in FL that were near bodies of water. Remember  the Disneyworld incident and reptiles in pools and on golf courses?  The Klein home is on a canal. I did not see any kind of protection arou d the house or pool.  I'm from California so I don't know if it's a problem.  Just wondering.

Well you do raise a concern.  Maybe they have retrofitted something.  We were at a relative's house a few months ago in Marco Island, FL on a canal and their pool/patio area was all enclosed.  Except when I turned around a saw a big black snake (I am truly phobic so freaked out in a big way) on the patio.  Turns out they can get in from the smallest crack.  Luckily Mr. lookeyloo isn't afraid and he swept the thing out.  I'm never going back to that house!!!

[BitterApple]

I have relatives in Naples, FL, and all their homes have screened-in pools. I'm surprised to hear the Kleins don't, unless they've made changes since buying the house. Honestly, the canal location plus boat dock plus pool doesn't really sound like the safest set-up for a family with two kids who don't listen. They must have a 24/7 nanny who watches them like a hawk.

Edited November 30, 2017 by BitterApple