Alyssa and John: Lunch with Lurch

[cereality]

1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

Well, Kelly’s mother’s husband died of Covid, and Erin is evidently still not at 100% after her bout with long Covid, so I would hesitate to say nothing catastrophic has happened. 
 

But yes, their nonchalant attitudes about safety be it Covid, water safety, or flying are baffling to me.

Wait someone in their family died of Covid?? Not sure I knew that? We don't know what they think of Covid overall. The way they are carrying on with life like almost the whole time makes me think they see it as - it's the flu NBD + we're young and healthy we'll be fine + God will project esp. the elders. IDK how they explain away Erin's long covid though unless they view it as God's will or something??

[emmawoodhouse]

Yes, Kelly's mother's husband died, and Kelly's mother herself was very ill. There were pictures posted of some of the kids visiting, and she appeared to be in bed. 

All that and Lawson still f!aunts his anri-vaxx rhetoric on SM. 

[cereality]

12 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Yes, Kelly's mother's husband died, and Kelly's mother herself was very ill. There were pictures posted of some of the kids visiting, and she appeared to be in bed. 

All that and Lawson still f!aunts his anri-vaxx rhetoric on SM. 

I did see a video they did with Kelly's mother - I think they stopped by over July 4 after visiting Papa Bill/Mama Jane. She did seem ill and/or recovering from an illness and somewhat bed ridden, but I didn't realize she had had covid (I know she's had other health problems previously). Does Law say anything about vaccination? Insta? Or elsewhere? I haven't seen any of the Bates discussing it; only person I've seen is Evan's brother on social media - making fun of people getting vaccinated. So I kind of attribute that thinking to all the Bates even though Evan's brother obviously isn't a Bates.

You'd think/hope that at least Alyssa and John are vaccinated - if only because I assume she still has to follow up with a cardiologist being only 1-2 yrs out from her surgeries and cardiologists have been pushing the vaccine hard since cardiac is one of the higher risk groups. BUT a dr. can only do so much - they can discuss it and if you shrug and say God's will, they can't force you either.

EDIT: just realized Law has a Twitter. And one of the first things I see is a retweet re what laws require re informed consent for pharmaceutical marketing and how Fauci/Biden etc. are violating those 🙄 OMG STFU Lawson. In order for you to have any credibility on this issue I'm gonna need you to show some kind of degree that wasn't printed up by your mama on your home computer. You know like medical school - if you know so much about vaccines. Or law school if you want to talk informed consent or marketing laws. Damn his head is even bigger than I realized. Good luck with that Tiff.

Edited August 10, 2021 by cereality

[emmawoodhouse]

I'd hope John was vaccinated, what with going into different stranger's homes on the daily.

Lawson saves his nastiness for Twitter. He's been quite vocal on that platform. 

[cereality]

9 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

I'd hope John was vaccinated, what with going into different stranger's homes on the daily.

Lawson saves his nastiness for Twitter. He's been quite vocal on that platform. 

They all go into strangers' homes. Chad/Trace/whatever crew of younger bros he's using most of their jobs are small - reno a kitchen or bathroom - with people living in said house. John - of course. Evan - he's still in electrician school but I think he's in the apprentice phase - even then though I don't imagine apprentices go into houses as much as commercial buildings are that are being constructed/gutted like warehouses. And Kelton - uh yeah he goes in and deals with some gross things. I mean the only brothers in law maybe not going into anyone's home are Bobby (bc I don't think he's doing the plumbing at all now just back office), Brandon, and possibly Evan.

But for John yeah living with a wife that has had 2 heart surgeries!? Though with these people who knows - they're the type who accept medical care and then say eh God protects what do drs. know, so the cardiologist's rec re the vaccine would/could fall on deaf ears.

Looking at his Twitter OMG why is Tiffany with him?? I know she's religious/evangelical but I don't think she's fundie. There's plenty of evangelical in SD and she's a C list celebrity, could she legit find no one better than a wannabe cop/cowboy/musician in rural Tennessee?

Edited August 10, 2021 by cereality

[emmawoodhouse]

You're right. All those guys in the trades are going lord knows where. Thinking on it, I wouldn't be surprised if Chad brought Covid home to Erin. 

And I agree about the Websters. With Alyssa's health issues, one would think they would be especially vigilant. But Alyssa has said that she's cured, so I think they're more cavalier than they should be.

[cereality]

37 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

You're right. All those guys in the trades are going lord knows where. Thinking on it, I wouldn't be surprised if Chad brought Covid home to Erin. 

And I agree about the Websters. With Alyssa's health issues, one would think they would be especially vigilant. But Alyssa has said that she's cured, so I think they're more cavalier than they should be.

Yep they may think - she's cured, she doesn't have a heart condition. Covid is scary though as it's causing heart issues and heart rate issues in people who never had any before. So you think someone predisposed to those issues at any time in their lives would be even more vigilant. Yet Alyssa is out and about with wild abandon. Orlando is one of the current hotspots - probably in large part due to the number of people who move in and out of that city from all over the country + its own residents seem not to mask or act any differently. I mean just in the last 1-2 weeks, we've seen Alyssa take all 4 kids and sit indoors in a coffee shop and sit indoors eating lunch AND she went out for a pedi with some friend of hers (or some sister in law? no idea). No masks on anyone of course. No sense of - let's hurry this up and get out. Nope it was hanging out 2019 style.

Even if she IS vaccinated (and that's a big IF - I highly doubt it), she has FOUR kids ineligible for a vaccine including one that is not even 6 months old (not that she'd get it for them even then but right now it's not even an option). I mean I know views on this pandemic vary a lot and it's fine if you don't want to stay home 24-7 now, but do these people even own a TV or ever check the news? Because it's kind of hard to miss in Fla right now that something is up?!

Re Chad/Erin - it's actually possible. She wasn't really going anywhere (maybe the shop though IDK if they had the shop last fall when she was ill or if it was just Whit's garage at that point) and has 4 kids all at home, so it's not like they brought it home from school. Chad was the one who was doing jobs in people's homes. It's quite possible Chad had it very mildly or even asymptomatically and then Erin caught it from there. Though who knows she got it in the summer of 2020 and by then I assume they were socializing as a family - all the brothers in law work in people's homes, anything is possible.

Edited August 10, 2021 by cereality

[cereality]

Man no pandemic as far as J&A are concerned. Kids off to co-op for a day this week and then the whole family goes to Petco - maskless of course - to pick out goldfish. FOUR kids under age 12 including an infant + a mom with previous heart surgeries, but hey carry on. Meanwhile Orlando is telling people to sharply cut back water usage probably for WEEKS bc liquid oxgyen is used in water treatment but there's a shortage developing bc so much liquid oxygen is being used at the hospitals to treat patients -- and obv they want to be able to divert it to the hospitals as much as necessary. Yet to see these people carry on, it's like 2019. I don't understand it. I truly wonder if they are clueless enough that they just don't know -- like how would if you don't watch news + don't read (they don't seem like readers to me) news bc in your fundie crowd/at church all your hearing is - oh Covid is fake/politics/just a cold etc.

[BitterApple]

I mentioned this on the Duggar thread, but pretty much everyone I know is living life as normal, albeit within the restrictions set by the governor. I was just at Dunkin Donuts and there were kids all over the place. I feel like you have to reach a happy medium between complete carelessness and living in a bubble. 

[3 is enough]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

I mentioned this on the Duggar thread, but pretty much everyone I know is living life as normal, albeit within the restrictions set by the governor. I was just at Dunkin Donuts and there were kids all over the place. I feel like you have to reach a happy medium between complete carelessness and living in a bubble. 

Yes, but our state does have a mask mandate and people are not losing their minds over it.  Florida is the polar opposite. I am fully vaccinated, so I am more comfortable about going out, though I do mask up. 
I doubt they are vaccinated, and the girls are too young anyways.  But Delta is much more transmissible, and kids are getting sick.  I just don’t understand the laissez-faire attitude.

Edited August 21, 2021 by 3 is enough

[Absolom]

It seems societally irresponsible to be out and about in a state where the hospitals are overloaded going maskless and taking unvaccinated children along.  For people who claim to be a Christian, they seem to be avoiding remembering to love thy neighbor as thyself.  

[3 is enough]

Alyssa just dumped a bunch of photos of a trip to the library with the girls.  Not a mask in sight and Maci was pawing at the books. SMH.  The only saving grace was that there appeared to be no one else there- I guess most kids are back in school.

I can’t decide if they are totally ignorant of everything going on around them or just figure Jesus will protect them. How they have not caught anything is beyond me- unless they did and just kept quiet about it.

[cereality]

Man all the Bates are on fire this week - like a dumpster fire.

Alyssa posted that I guess someone commented earlier this week on her ability to spell "hydrate" (she claimed to misspell bc there's some brand name that spells it wrong) - and now she's posting about how you don't know the amount of negativity people's IG accounts - especially popular people's accounts - get. LOL sweetie you're a D list celebrity at best and when the show ends, there goes your YouTube following that you use to make some income while sitting home, so maybe save your money.

Interesting that the middle brothers - Jackson; Warden; Isiah - are constantly running down to A&J's house. Jackson had been missing in action for weeks as he's usually in all of Chad's reno pics and then it turned out that he had been at Alyssa's for 10 days (and I suspect maybe at something like ALERT before that or maybe he's courting and spending time in some girl's hometown). And now Warden's been down there for over a week. I guess it makes sense. They don't have real jobs (I mean I don't think Chad has enough work for each of them 40 hrs each wk, it's more them getting called in by Chad when he does have work) + make enough of their own money that they can spend $50-100 on Spirit tickets to Fla + don't have any husband/dad responsibilities yet + in exchange for doing some reno work for A&J every time like putting in a backsplash or light fixture, they get a Florida "vacation" -- i.e. at least they can sit by a pool. Plus unlike Addie/Ellie/Callie, they are just fun uncles who can engage the kids for 30 min and be done, they don't have to be feeding and diapering and lugging around Alyssa's children.

I'm unclear however how these teen boys survive on the TINY portions of food Alyssa serves. She's taken to videoing whatever spread she puts out for lunch/dinner as "make your own" -- and it's like 8 slices of turkey and a tomato is supposed to make sandwiches for her + Warden + her 3 kids!? I mean maybe she doesn't eat lunch and the kids are little so lunch probably is just a slice of turkey + cheese on bread but Warden needs more than that!? Same with her dinner taco bar one night where it was like this is probably enough meat for John and Warden. I have a feeling when John goes out at night to grab a 2nd dinner at McDs, Dominos etc. many nights, he's bringing Warden/Jackson along.

And in other Bates news -- C&E had an anatomy scan and are all good and ready to announce name/gender soon. It had better be a boy or else they need to have frozen whatever eggs she has left to try for another in 9 mos.

Carlin went on the lamest vacation ever after gushing about vacationing, needing to travel, reminiscing about going back to the spot they always used to go to as kids blah blah. Lol it was her and Katie with Kelly -- who can't miss out -- and her babysitter sisters (Addie/Ellie/Callie) and younger bros bc if their moms Addie/Ellie/Callie are going, they can't be left alone. Lol -- looks like all your sisters EXCEPT YOU have a life and chose to sit this one out . . . .

Whit just posted that Z is working SUCH long hours on the new house and even taking days off work . . . LOL so he's not at the shop folding dresses as much??

And Michael was asked if she's working in nursing. She said no bc she's seeing a fertility specialist and needs to be available all the time for appts, but she's volunteering + taking online classes to keep her skills fresh. I wonder what kind of fertility treatments? IVF? I know I have friends who've said that certain treatments meant going to the dr. all the time but I never asked what exactly. While the rest of this family is a dumpster fire, I would love to see M&B have a baby; they genuinely love kids, not just as an attention seeking bc omg I'M A MOM, carry it around like Gucci bag while bitching when you actually have to raise the kid.

And at 31 and 32, it's totally normal ages to have kids - bc as nasty as this family is you know if they end up having 1 kid at 41/42, everyone will look down on them for their one later in life baby while their own kids are grown courting/marrying and go on about OMG I SO would NOT want to start over now blah blah. Though I guess with so many siblings, if M&B have kids in 10 years, those kids can hang out with Addie/Ellie/Callie's kids rather than Carlin/Katie/Tori's kids.

[emmawoodhouse]

Alyssa... it's DINING. You spelled it "dinning" multiple times. Can't blame that one on autocorrect. 🙄

[3 is enough]

So Warden is supposed to be doing some work for Alyssa.  He hung a light fixture and some framed photos on the staircase.  Supposedly the kitchen is getting extra cabinets, a backsplash, pantry doors, pendant lights over the bar and a kid friendly treatment on the back of the bar because the girls have marked it up while they eat there. He has been there for over a week and he seems to be hanging out by the pool, going to Top Golf and out to dinner so I’m not sure when the work will get finished. My guess is there will be a reveal on You Tube.

I guess John is too busy to do all those renos and Warden was available.  I do wonder if they are paying him or just taking him out while he is there.  But yes, he must be hungry. 

Edited September 18, 2021 by 3 is enough

[babyhouseman]

35 minutes ago, cereality said:

I wonder what kind of fertility treatments?

If it's IVF, she'd have to have eggs retrieved. Or they might be like a sitcom couple who tracks ovulation and has to have the right moment for sexy times.

[Peanut6711]

52 minutes ago, cereality said:

And Michael was asked if she's working in nursing. She said no bc she's seeing a fertility specialist and needs to be available all the time for appts, but she's volunteering + taking online classes to keep her skills fresh.

I can't help but think that if she was really serious about being a nurse, now would be the time to start working considering that hospitals across the country are overwhelmed and could probably use extra nurses. Nursing homes too, provided she's vaccinated. 

Also I've had friends who had to resort to fertility specialists to conceive, but they were still able to hold down a full time job.  This all kind of sounds like a convenient excuse. 

[cereality]

No way they're paying Warden. Or if they are it's some paltry $100-200 lump sum to cover his travel costs and allow him to buy a new pair of sneakers or something he wants. No way they're paying anywhere close to contractor rates or even handyman rates for what those jobs would cost. Yeah I imagine she doesn't want to show W doing work bc she's trying to get YouTube viewers, but yeah I also don't think he's working 40 hrs/wk or even 20 hrs/wk, as there seem to be a lot of afternoons in the pool, out to Top Golf at night etc. I assume he probably does some little project/task each day while the girls "do school" -- which can't be more than 2-3 hrs/day given that Alyssa leaves a bunch of 3-6 yr olds alone to educate themselves; I bet he's just doing something for the few hrs that the kids are occupied and Alyssa is cleaning house/doing laundry/grocery shopping/whatever and then as soon as that's done, it's lunch + pool + hang out all afternoon. 

It's probably also why these brothers come down to Fla and end up staying for 2-3 weeks at a time - bc they aren't rushing to finish and get home. Gotta hand it to John, he's prob decided this is the route - have the teen bros come down and take care of these tasks bc he has no intention of being Alyssa's handyman for life, the way Chad was for Erin the early years. I don't think it's as much anymore with C&E bc I just think there's nothing further he can build in that 2 bedroom cottage but it used to be constant painting and repainting etc; now I think it's more cleaning etc. for Chad as Erin isn't gonna just let him do nothing and with 4 kids + complicated covid etc., he took over on stuff that she's just not gonna take back.

Plus I think John is a guy's guy and all the brothers esp the teens like him and John probably likes having a guy around to pal around with, watch the game etc. instead of his crew of 1-6 yr olds who can't sit still for a game or his ditzy wife who prob spends the whole time going - 1st down, I don't understand, what happens now.

No idea what M&B are doing but she referred to lots of drs. appointments which would be hard with nursing esp now bc you can't just always get time off esp hospital nurses; IDK if she meant being available for sexy time 24-7 but honestly they've had that availability for over a yr anyway. Bc of covid her school went online 1+ yrs ago + Brandon said that he had been working from home for several years -- so if they needed to drop trou on Tuesday morning, no problem doing that after M's 10 am class was over.

[cereality]

4 minutes ago, Peanut6711 said:

I can't help but think that if she was really serious about being a nurse, now would be the time to start working considering that hospitals across the country are overwhelmed and could probably use extra nurses. Nursing homes too, provided she's vaccinated. 

Also I've had friends who had to resort to fertility specialists to conceive, but they were still able to hold down a full time job.  This all kind of sounds like a convenient excuse. 

Exactly. Hospitals are overwhelmed right now. If you really wanted to be a nurse, you'd jump in right now. I'm sure it's scary but you'd also get career altering experience in like a few months given how busy they are. And yeah I thought of a friend as well who is doing fertility treatments now. She's an attorney for a large health system in her state, worked all thru covid mostly in the office - esp early on when lawyers were brought in to find masks/PPE and quickly draw up contracts w/ any co. that could sell any masks. She didn't quit her job for this. She says it's tough to constantly have to dial into meetings from drs offices or schedule meetings/appts around each other, yet she didn't just up and quit to make a baby!?

[IndianPaintbrush]

What a crock. Let's face it, Michael will probably never really work as a nurse.

[BitterApple]

1 hour ago, IndianPaintbrush said:

What a crock. Let's face it, Michael will probably never really work as a nurse.

I agree. She went to school as a consolation prize for not being able to get pregnant. Now that the possibility is on the horizon, the career's been dumped with lightning speed.

I kind of wonder if things are as hunky-dory between John and Alyssa as they like to make it seem. All these siblings flying down and staying way beyond what would be normal for guests feels like buffering to me. 

 

[3 is enough]

And the You Tube video is up.  You see the (almost) finished product but I guess they saving the final reveal for a future post.

There was a bit of drama (of course).  Evidently one of the pipes from the dishwasher had been pierced by a nail when the baseboard was originally installed. When they removed the baseboard to put up some wainscoting water started to leak. It was staged for maximum drama of course- all they had to do was turn off the water under the sink and pull out the dishwasher but of course it looked worse. Instead there was running for towels, calling John at work, etc.

5 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I kind of wonder if things are as hunky-dory between John and Alyssa as they like to make it seem. All these siblings flying down and staying way beyond what would be normal for guests feels like buffering to me. 

I think it is just a combination of free labor, John not having the time, and Alyssa not wanting to wait forever to get stuff done.  I noticed in the latest You Tube video that there are a lot of little things that aren't quite 100 % finished.  There was a shot of the stairs and you can see dried wood filler all around the trim.  It needs to be sanded and touched up with paint, but it looks like a time-consuming job and probably neither of them has the patience to do it.  Also, there is a section at the side of the bar where there is a gap between the counter and the drywall.  All it needs is filler or a small piece of trim but it really stands out.  Maybe those are the "finishing touches" she was talking about.

[floridamom]

Are these the Bates brothers who are employed by Daddy's tree cutting business? If so, this shows me that there is little need for them to work with their father. They would never have the time to fly down to Florida on a pseudo-vacation to do some handiwork in Alyssa's house.  I guess the tree cutting business isn't booming right now up in Tennessee. Zach is working on his house; so he's not can't be chopping down many trees...not enough time to do both...so, how do these people support themselves? Still a mystery to me.

Alyssa needs to FEED her family. There is absolutely no need for John to make trips out for fast food to supplement dinner. What is wrong with him? Why does he not tell her to cook larger meals? What a waste of money, his time and his energy doing this....it's also unhealthy. She really is a ditz.

[3 is enough]

I wonder if the smaller portions she serves are a result of food being rationed when she was a child?  I think they went through some tough times and with all of those mouths they may have had lots of starches and less meats and more expensive foods.

[cereality]

John also isn't a contractor. He's an HVAC guy who happens to be handy enough that he could finish the house enough to move in, yet there are LOTS of rough edges. Things like the filler around the stairs. Where he put in the cabinets, he just put them in as they fit - leaving a 4 inch gap between the ones above the fridge and the ones next to the fridge. That happens because of fridge width but there are panels to close it off, which is what they do in a completed home. Same thing with the pantry, put in shelves but no door bc it is a tiny narrow pantry that won't take a standard door you can get at Home Depot - it needs some kind of bifold door. He's not a contractor. Unlike Zach he has a job, so he's not going to watch Youtube videos and make a dozen trips to HD to figure this out. Yet they're tight on $$$ (as they always say in videos) and she's VERY LIKELY bitching about it -- so fine call in the brothers. They have all the time in the world to spend days/weeks on one project since they don't work anyway plus it's someone to entertain Alyssa.

The brothers all supposedly work for Chad (and then show up when Gil has big tree jobs). Suggests that neither Chad nor Gil is busy. If Chad had job after job lined up where he needed his full crew of 5 guys, no way you could just take off for 2-3 weeks at a time and the moment you return some other brother leaves. Same with Gil - if he had tree jobs 5 days/wk, Z couldn't be folding dresses and renovating his house all day every day.

As for A&J - I DO wonder about their marriage and not just because of the brothers. They've said in more than one video that they fought A LOT in their first year of marriage. She has said she "should have been a better wife in that first year." Even during courting/dating, they almost broke up several times + it sounds like she was kind of a bitch to him but he kept pursuing/trying to make her happy -- so she's used to getting her way by being a bitch. Their solution to all this -- have a baby 11 mos into marriage and then another every 18-36 months thereafter. 

But I think the issues are still there. I think they just make it work bc what are you gonna do with 4 young kids in a cult where you just keep making babies + can't divorce or really do anything but keep sweet? John has said -- oh I NEVER thought I could just show up and any girl would just fall all over me, I think you have to work for a quality girl. So I think he like a good family man justifies it as -- ok I'll just keep bending to Alyssa's will for the rest of my life, that's what husbands do to make a marriage and family work.

I mean the cooking thing. You're traditional people, he's the headship -- why can't he say look I expect you to raise the kids and cook and clean and I'll make the money? I mean that IS the traditional division of labor. Or if he doesn't want to be that mean about it just -- I need dinner of appropriate portions every night when I get home at 6 pm and on Fridays we can eat out? 

I mean Chad set that expectation on day 1 of his marriage, while he's whipped in other ways, he set the tone right away bc Erin learned to cook ASAP and makes full homecooked meals, baked goods etc., not just tables full of crackers, lunch meat, and fruit being called lunch. And in a recent IG Alyssa straight up said -- I don't know how to cook. Total BS. She was Michaela's helper in the kitchen for like a decade. Yeah she knows how to cook, she just burned out doing it for her family of origin from ages 8-18 + got a guy who won't dare say anything to her, so why bother?

[BitterApple]

2 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

I wonder if the smaller portions she serves are a result of food being rationed when she was a child?  I think they went through some tough times and with all of those mouths they may have had lots of starches and less meats and more expensive foods.

It may well be. I can't remember who said it, but one of the siblings talked about how, as kids, they'd literally fight for the scraps of steak that Gil and Kelly brought home from "date night." 

I imagine the Bateses were similar to the Rods. Unless a sweet friend was picking up the tab, they ate very little in the way of protein, fruits and vegetables. 

 

[3 is enough]

I must admit I am baffled. Alyssa said she wanted to do something with the bar area because the girls were scuffing it when they sat on the stools and stuff was getting spilled. So she went from drywall painted gray to adding wainscoting and painting it white.  It looks nice- blends in with the cabinets, but I can’t see how it will stay any cleaner.  The wainscoting has edges which will catch dust and crumbs.  I thought they were going to put extra flooring on there or something like that.

Edited September 19, 2021 by 3 is enough

[65mickey]

Warden and some of the other brothers probably love going to Alyssa's house in Florida. They get to hang out in a house with a pool, go swimming in a regular bathing suit and experience what normal people get to do without mom and dad watching their every move.  

[3 is enough]

26 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

Warden and some of the other brothers probably love going to Alyssa's house in Florida. They get to hang out in a house with a pool, go swimming in a regular bathing suit and experience what normal people get to do without mom and dad watching their every move.  

I’m sure they enjoy it but I also think the boys have much more freedom than their unmarried sisters. 

[riverblue22]

Just a note....above there was a reference to C&E. I was thinking Carlin and Evan, but it turns out it was Chad and Erin.  So there are two C&E couples and it would be helpful to explain which one is being discussed.

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

I must admit I am baffled. Alyssa said she wanted to do something with the bar area because the girls were scuffing it when they sat on the stools and stuff was getting spilled. So she went from drywall painted gray to adding wainscoting and painting it white.  It looks nice- blends in with the cabinets, but I can’t see how it will stay any cleaner.  The wainscoting has edges which will catch dust and crumbs.  I thought they were going to put extra flooring on there or something like that.

Yeah, that was weird. I was picturing Formica. They should have just left the hole there spouting water. Then the wall would have been self-cleaning.

[floridamom]

The Bates parents should have purchased steaks for the children to eat instead of going out for a "date night" and enjoying steak themselves. Selfish and uncaring of these two IMO.

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, floridamom said:

The Bates parents should have purchased steaks for the children to eat instead of going out for a "date night" and enjoying steak themselves. Selfish and uncaring of these two IMO.

I think they were entitled to go out to eat after working so hard. Do kids that young even eat steak? 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Dehumidifier

[ozziemom]

2 hours ago, floridamom said:

The Bates parents should have purchased steaks for the children to eat instead of going out for a "date night" and enjoying steak themselves. Selfish and uncaring of these two IMO.

Date night seems to be a very important thing in Fundie land. G & K are probably of the same mind set as Boob and Meechelle, that a Christian marriage is sacred and more important than the children.

[IndianPaintbrush]

What stood out for me in the 31-minute story of their courtship was the fact that before they started dating, one of the Bates sisters called up poor John on speakerphone to ask him which sister he "liked." He was 24 years old at the time! So cringe. I bet it was Carlin or Tori. 

John is a goofball and Alyssa obviously wears the pants, but their dynamic seems to work.

[Dehumidifier]

39 minutes ago, ozziemom said:

Date night seems to be a very important thing in Fundie land. G & K are probably of the same mind set as Boob and Meechelle, that a Christian marriage is sacred and more important than the children.

Her brother Warden, who was there working for several days, went with them. Ten minutes in the recording they are dressed up and ready to go. 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Dehumidifier

[floridamom]

Since the kids themselves said how they would 'fight' over the leftover steak, I guess, yes most of them would have loved to eat a steak or half a steak each.

[Dehumidifier]

1 minute ago, floridamom said:

Since the kids themselves said how they would 'fight' over the leftover steak, I guess, yes most of them would have loved to eat a steak or half a steak each.

Wasn't that Gil and Kelly's kids? Alyssa and her siblings? Doubt that they were as young as Alyssa's are now when they did that.

 

[3 is enough]

1 hour ago, Dehumidifier said:

Wasn't that Gil and Kelly's kids? Alyssa and her siblings? Doubt that they were as young as Alyssa's are now when they did that.

 

I think so.  John and Alyssa do have their date nights but it just isn’t the same as Gil and Kelly going out for a steak dinner when they had so many more kids who were probably going hungry.

It is possible Alyssa just doesn’t eat much and the girls also have small appetites.  Plus a lot of kids their age are notoriously picky eaters and that might be a battle she chooses not to fight. My daughter-in-law and granddaughters are tiny and they don’t eat much at all but they are healthy and they don’t go hungry. Whenever I go to their house there is always more than enough food for everyone.

Yes, it does look like she makes small portions but maybe John gets seconds which you don’t see in her posts.

 

[cereality]

Yeah the steak was G&K and it was a teenage Nathan (or maybe Law) who revealed that if mom and dad go out for date night and have ANY leftovers they bagged them up - even 1 bite of steak (bc Gil was probably like I paid for it, why would I leave it) and then the kids would fight to get it.

I actually don't think the Bates kids were as stretched thin for food as other fundie families. Like I feel like we've seen coverage over the years with Kelly saying out how many pounds of potatoes or chicken were needed and it always seemed like it was a TON of food to feed the army, in fact with GIL being the cheap one saying why do we need so much, and Kelly still going ahead and saying nope this is what we need. Now I'm positive it was warehouse club chicken or potatoes and certainly not the Purdue they constantly do product placements for now, but they WERE eating meat. I assume it was a lot of casseroles - which stretches out smaller portions of meat with pasta and creamed soups.

In any event they had meals and let's be real the Bates kids weren't super thin. In fact Z was portly pre marriage and frankly Josie/Carlin/Alyssa were all healthier looking pre marriage when they were getting actual regular meals at G&K's house rather than doing the - I don't cook; I don't need to eat; I just drink coffee all day - thing they do now.

Yet obviously they weren't getting the finer things. They weren't going out to restaurants and certainly weren't getting Sbux daily or fast food 3 times/wk like they all do now. They weren't getting fruit all that often - as evidenced by the fact that when Alyssa was prepping for Allie's 1st bday, her family came down and siblings were helping in the kitchen and were sneaking grapes and strawberries like they'd never had them before. And I'm not saying out of control Jeb and Jud - I'm talking like Nathan, Law, Carlin/Tori etc.; like even when Alyssa was getting pissed that the platters weren't getting set up bc they just kept shoving fruit in their mouths.

I mean maybe John is getting 2nds but whatever those 2nds are it isn't enough given that the man is routinely running out to McDs and Dominos at 9 pm after having dinner at home. He needs to assume his wife isn't going to solve this problem bc it's not her problem and take up grilling like Kelton. He's an enormous 30 yr old guy with a manual labor job and seems reasonably active outside work too like with softball etc., guys like that consume a ton of calories. It may slow down by 35 or 40 but Alyssa may be incorrectly assuming that he can eat a bit more than her or eat how she's seen Nathan/Law/Trace eat over the years when the reality is those guys aren't as huge as John AND don't do much -- you're burning fewer calories sleeping until 10 am, lounging around the house and every few days often going out on a flight or to caulk a shower for Chad's business.

 

[floridamom]

The fact that John needs to go out for fast food after dinner indicates to me that Alyssa isn't serving large enough portions. She has a strapping man to feed who works a physical job. It's a no brainer to me. Still a waste of time, money and isn't healthy for him to eat that stuff most nights.

On another  note, I watched that video. I don't know how those white wood panels under the counter will avoid the wall under there getting scuffed up. Alyssa, white just doesn't go with small children in a  home. It looks more like a showplace than a real home with children to me.

[BitterApple]

What I find weird is why doesn't John speak up? 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by BitterApple

[3 is enough]

Just to clarify: from all the photos it does look like Alyssa is not preparing enough food, and if John is going out for McDonalds / Domino’s a few nights a week then he obviously needs bigger portions. 
However, it is also possible that she is staging the plates to look good on Instagram- showcasing the food instead of a heaping plate, because, it’s all about the esthetics, especially if she has a promotional deal with a meal prep company.
I roll my eyes at the muffin pan lunches she gives the girls, but they all look healthy and well fed, not skeletal sickly waifs like the Rodrigues kids. 
 

[Absolom]

I don't watch Alyssa's stories very often.  Is that where the info that John is going out for fast food several nights a week originated?  Is it known fact or theory?  

[3 is enough]

49 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I don't watch Alyssa's stories very often.  Is that where the info that John is going out for fast food several nights a week originated?  Is it known fact or theory?  

As I recall there were posts showing late night fast food runs, but it could have been when some of the siblings were visiting.  I do think that for them going on a midnight McD’s run is the equivalent of non-fundies going to a club or bar.

[65mickey]

I haven't seen the late night food runs to McDonalds, or Domino's. I did see Alyssa and one of her sisters go out for ice cream late at night. I thoutht the fast food runs were for the actual meals not to supplement the meal. None of Alyssa's children look malnourished. I doubt seriously that they are going hungry. 

[lookeyloo]

1 hour ago, 65mickey said:

I haven't seen the late night food runs to McDonalds, or Domino's. I did see Alyssa and one of her sisters go out for ice cream late at night. I thoutht the fast food runs were for the actual meals not to supplement the meal. None of Alyssa's children look malnourished. I doubt seriously that they are going hungry. 

They look and act healthy.  Granddaughter when she was about their ages, ate practically nothing.  Daughter in law made her a plate for every meal of things she said she wanted.  She would play with it and then it would get dumped.  She might have had a snack or two, (not my child, so didn't interfere) but we wondered if she would survive on just that.  FF to today, she is 18, beautiful, healthy, and eats a lot of things.  She tells me she eats a plant based diet.  then we took them to "all you can eat meat" - Fogo de Chao - and the girl took down maybe total half an animal!!!  so much for that. So, we'll see if the girls want more food eventually.  If Alyssa ever has "a boy for John" and his brother because he needs a brother, she will be hard pressed to serve those tiny meals when they are teenagers!!

[3 is enough]

1 hour ago, lookeyloo said:

They look and act healthy.  Granddaughter when she was about their ages, ate practically nothing.  Daughter in law made her a plate for every meal of things she said she wanted.  She would play with it and then it would get dumped.  She might have had a snack or two, (not my child, so didn't interfere) but we wondered if she would survive on just that.  FF to today, she is 18, beautiful, healthy, and eats a lot of things.  She tells me she eats a plant based diet.  then we took them to "all you can eat meat" - Fogo de Chao - and the girl took down maybe total half an animal!!!  so much for that. So, we'll see if the girls want more food eventually.  If Alyssa ever has "a boy for John" and his brother because he needs a brother, she will be hard pressed to serve those tiny meals when they are teenagers!!

This.  My granddaughter is 3 and my husband worries because she picks at her food.  But she is growing and healthy. Her older sister and mother are not big eaters either.  I suspect Alyssa and her kids fall into that category.

[ozziemom]

6 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

As I recall there were posts showing late night fast food runs, but it could have been when some of the siblings were visiting.  I do think that for them going on a midnight McD’s run is the equivalent of non-fundies going to a club or bar.

I remember those food runs from when Carlin and Evan came to help at the new house and also a later visit. Coffee and ice cream for wild times, especially late night. So I don’t think John is running out to McD’s every night for a second dinner but there may be times when he’s working late and grabs something. He works as AC repair guy in Florida where a lot of people run their AC all summer, so I would guess he’s busy.

[Dehumidifier]

On 9/20/2021 at 5:31 AM, floridamom said:

...I don't know how those white wood panels under the counter will avoid the wall under there getting scuffed up. Alyssa, white just doesn't go with small children in a  home. It looks more like a showplace than a real home with children to me.

My theory is that she intended to put something impervious under there but everything in the store looked tacky so she just decided to go white and roll paint on it every few weeks if it gets too bad to wipe off. I agree that the house looks so showplace-y. I would have some fun with the problem. Stencil footprints all over the wall and laugh about it!