Michelle and JimBob aka J'Chelle and Boob

[truthtalk2014]

Jim Boob and MEchelle on the marriage retreat- OMG.  She wore a freaking long skirt to go zip lining.  Okay, the strap has to obviously go through your legs- so how is that more modest.  

 

Her swim attire is so laughable!  I wonder if she had someone specially make that horrible moo moo.  And Bob is an idiot- instead of bringing a pair of shorts or buying a pair of swim trunks, he has MEchelle cut off a pair of his blue jeans to swim in.  That must have been really comfortable.  He went snorkeling in a polo shirt! I'm surprised a shark didn't bite him and those white legs that haven't seen the light of day in years. 

[Joe Jitsu913]

I just recently read that MEchelle's sister is a lesbian. Does anyone know if they have anything to do with her? Does she get invited to the weddings? Where does she live?

I believe her sister lives in Ohio with her partner. Josh has stated that his aunt does not believe in gay marriage (yeah right.)

[Barb23]

I caught some of the marriage retreat this morning. I cant imagine how J'chelle & the girls swim in their Modest Swimwear. Doesn't the skirt part flow up while swimming? I know there is some type of shorts/leggings underneath but how comfortable is that? I "totally" cant get over Boob & his snorkeling/scuba attire. All those clothes had to be heavy & not safe. But when has safety concerned the Duggars? I'm sure it was hard for the snorkeling instructors to keep a straight face with these two.

[NausetGirl]

truthtalk2014: I read somewhere that Michelle's parents were going to move to North Carolina after she graduated from high school. Instead of having her move with them then return to marry Jim Bob, they let her marry right away a month after graduation. I don't know why they would have done that as she was waaay too young to marry another kid like JB, but they gave their permission after her mother convinced her father to let her marry him before the family left Arkansas for NC.

 

Could be true.  But in all honesty, this sounds like one of the more-creative "knocked up" cover stories I've ever heard.  What's the difference if Michelle had to "come back" to marry Jim-Bob?

[truthtalk2014]

Could be true.  But in all honesty, this sounds like one of the more-creative "knocked up" cover stories I've ever heard.  What's the difference if Michelle had to "come back" to marry Jim-Bob?

I would bet a case of Aldi cream of chicken soup  and 3 bags of tater tots that she was preggo when she married Boob.  She miscarried and called it macaroni.  

Edited September 15, 2014 by truthtalk2014

[flyingdi]

They can say what they want about headship, Michelle rules this household with an iron fist. It is all about keeping Momma happy.

[JerseyGirl]

According to Michelle, Jordyn, 5, is having a particularly hard time with all the new developments, and burst into tears one day when Jessa left with her fiance's family. "She was worried that Jessa was leaving for good," Michelle wrote. "I had to comfort her and reassure her that Jessa wasn't married yet, just going for a visit."

 

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/michelle-duggar-blogs-about-jills-pregnancy-jessas-engagement-201449#ixzz3DmTtWRkr

[Ljohnson1987]

Jordyn knows that her mom is leaving. It proves that the older girls are more of a mother to their sibligs that J'Chelle will ever be.

[ginger90]

"I had to comfort her and reassure her

 

I wonder, did she do that by holding her chin and pointing her finger in her face? That's about all of the contact I recall between Michelle and "the littles".

[CarolMK]

I actually think that Jim Bob was on the lookout for some fundie guy to become interested in one of his daughters, hence the fact that he pretty much arranged this relationship between Jill and Derrick. Hopefully it was Jill who came to him to speak of her desire to be married and to have Jim Bob find a nice guy for her than Jim Bob doing it for ratings and to save his show from cancellation. Jim Bob knew when Ben came on the scene that it would be awhile before Ben and Jessa would be ready to marry, even if Jessa might have willingly done it as soon as she was granted permission. At one point in the show, Jim Bob actually said that he thought John David should be getting married so I'm sure it's been on his mind quite a bit with his kids. 

[Ljohnson1987]

J'Chelle is so jealous of Jill's fertility. I cannot wait to see her head explode when Jill gives birth. I bet Jessa will be pregnant by then too. It's not like when Anna gave birth. These are her biological daughters.

[truthtalk2014]

This may have been covered somewhere here but I haven't seen it.  Didn't MEchelle say in the prior episodes that she uses that ATI homeschooling program (Gothards)?  

 

On their official page, she lists other programs for homeschooling and nothing about ATI.  DId she realize she was supporting a child molester organization and felt defrauded or am I missing something?

 

https://www.aophomeschooling.com/duggars?utm_source=cj&utm_medium=cpa&utm_content=duggars2&utm_campaign=Duggar&PID=7610510

Edited September 22, 2014 by truthtalk2014

[Absolom]

There have been episodes on the show with Michelle using the Wisdom Booklets (ATI).  She said that they found that they needed more and added the computerized Switched on Schoolhouse. 

 

One could also conclude that using the computer based education allowed Michelle to do less actual teaching.

[HeyNow]

I've been thinking about the possibility that Michelle doesn't particularly like Jill, and may be jealous of her.  Observing JimBob, it seems like he does have affection for his children, and is doing his fatherly duties.  Since Michelle isn't really parenting, Jill (with the other older girls) is, in a sense, partnering with her father, regarding the children.  That's got to cause a whollllllle lot of issues!

[Barb23]

On the "Duggar Family Blog" site (sorry I'm new at this & haven't figured out how to link other sites yet) there are 2 new entries/videos. One is the "Duggars & Healthy Eating" rehashing last weeks episode & the other one "Homeschooling with the Duggars" with Michelle talking about the challenges & joys of homeschooling. Gag me! I haven't gotten the strength yet to watch the home schooling one yet.

Who do they think they're fooling? This is them replying to all our comments on this & other blogs. There was also a previous one explaining the sodas on the baby registry.

[Readalot]

Can you tell us what's the soda explanation please?

[JessDVD]

I just posted an answer to the soda/pop question but it's really more suited for the Jill & Derick thread, so am moving it there.

Edited September 23, 2014 by JessDVD

[flyingdi]

Jim Bob, Josh, Derick and Ben. Who is the most likely to have or to will change a diaper at some point in their life? Do you think Jim Bob ever has?

[Libby96]

Jim Bob, Josh, Derick and Ben. Who is the most likely to have or to will change a diaper at some point in their life? Do you think Jim Bob ever has?

I really don't see how as the father of 19 kids you could avoid changing at least some diapers. And seeing as how he's more hands-on with the kids than Michelle, I wouldn't be surprised if he's changed a few with even the last four little girls. Though I'm sure the sister-moms took care of most of those.

[flyingdi]

Jim Bob does seem closer to the kids than their mother.

[GEML]

I'm pretty certain Josh has changed some diapers, and knew how long before his own children were born.

I don't think the Quiverful movement means fathers don't do childcare - as others have said, JB is much more hands on than Michelle- just that the mother is more responsible for the outcome than the father is, and must answer to her husband if the children aren't acting correctly.

[zenme]

Gil Bates is not averse to changing diapers, IIRC.

[wanderwoman]

Whoa! Check out the short shorts on Joyanna at the 29 second mark of Michelle's homeschooling video.

[Absolom]

Joyanna has on a skirt it appears to me.  It's a tight skirt and above the knees, but a skirt.

[fliptopbox]

It's very odd to me Michelle keeps talking about grandbabies when she already has 3 from Josh and Anna. Or are they suddenly not good enough because none of them are infants anymore? It's so weird how she's constantly talking about her kids and grandkids but she seems to want next to nothing to do with any of them. I can't wait to see how things pan out as the Duggar daughters get older and get married (or run off to join the circus...whatever) and it's just Michelle, JimBob, and whatever howlers and lost girls are left. I shudder to think how nutty they'll be by the time Josie is old enough to date or court or whatever they will believe in by that point.

[floridamom]

I am already so done with Michelle this season. Her demeanor is that of a cartoon character. She is so animated and fake sounding, even more than earlier seasons. I think some posts were read by their publicity department at TLC,, or whoever handles their press and reports to them how they are perceived. She is overcompensating for her little baby voice. She  is removed, disconnected, lazy, infant obsessed, pregnancy obsessed, and I believe she has an issue with self control. I believe that's why she/they don't trust their already grown up sons and daughters to control themselves in the presence of the opposite sex while on a date. I think maybe she had a problem putting on "the brakes" when she dated.

[xls]

i think it's funny that JB always refers to hot dogs as "tube steak" not knowing it's slang for dick!

[jcbrown]

 

I believe she has an issue with self control. I believe that's why she/they don't trust their already grown up sons and daughters to control themselves in the presence of the opposite sex while on a date. I think maybe she had a problem putting on "the brakes" when she dated.

And how sad would it be if this whole family cult of having eight zillion kids and controlling every aspect of every. single. one's. life was a reaction to female sexual desire that a certain weak-willed idiot was unable to deal with? (Insert either MEchelle or Boob as the weak-willed idiot in question.)

[NausetGirl]

Sorry but I disagree. They may be debtfree but they have always accepted handouts up the wazoo. They took donations from neighbors and others in their community. They called them "love offerings" which makes it all sound cute and commendable. TLC finished that barn of a house and then furnished it and supplied HEwasherS and dryerS. Debtfree, my foot.

 

Completely agree.  They MAY be debt-free but they are NOT self-supporting.  They basically accept a lot of charity.  Besides how we KNOW they're debt-free?  Just because JB says so?  It's possible they are, but I'm imagining it didn't happen until the TLC cash came along and they were finally able to pay off whatever they owed.  If not for the show, it would still be life as the rest of we Americans know it, for the most part.  Owing something to The Man...

i think it's funny that JB always refers to hot dogs as "tube steak" not knowing it's slang for dick!

 

Maybe he does know and it's just part of his whole Doofus schtick...

[floridamom]

You know, it dawned on me today, that I sincerely believe that Michelle has a serious problem with self control. It from way back when with her "bulimia" eating disorder, (overeating then purging it all), not caring too much about church, then discovering Christianity and going overboard being a fundamentalist at 17 yrs old. This pattern of behavior continued after marriage with television..they watched TV after marriage like any "normal" couple would do, the it was overboard and consuming, they stayed up watching TV and had a hard time turning it off (her account of it), so they threw the TV away altogether and NO MORE TV. She had Josh and lost and lost J'Caleb (#2maybe?) then had twins and was compulsively looking for atonement. She continued with "leaving it up to God, then seeking conception and posting ovulation calendars and feverishly worked to conceive every possible cycle...Does anyone follow me here? The kids are growing up and she gives them NO decision making skills for the rules she adapted in religion are so severe and restricting she doesn't have to think or make decisions, the answer is simply "NO", we don't do that, thus avoiding any decision making..Gothard stuff rules(d) their lives and independent thinking is discouraged, so no choices and limitations set. You don't have to rely on your own self control,,, as with this courting crap, she (they) don't trust their own adult children to know "when to put on the brakes" if they were on a traditional date...no choices for them either as they have constant guarding from chaperones...She and Jim Bob act like two teen agers and certainly don't reflect 2 adults who are nearing 50 years old. Neither one of them has any self control, but thrives on controlling others around them so no decision making is necessary. They can't trust themselves or anyone else around them to do the right thing. Hope I made my point here, it's a sad one,

[juneday]

I agree. I think anyone who has 19 children simply for the sake of being able to say you have them and only caring about them while they're infants has issues; no self-control one of them. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the type person who didn't know when to stop with anything-like you mentioned, food (which could be an eating disorder, but if so, she needed intervention) TV, probably making-out time with Jim Boob during their dating time when they were teens (maybe why their kids have such strict courting rules?) and no control over how many children she wants to have.

Edited September 27, 2014 by heckyeahheartland

[Barb23]

On another note....I'm watching the Amazing Race. On the first challenge, the couples had to scale a large rock formation in the ocean in St. Thomas. After making it to the top they had to jump/leap into water to retrieve clue in a bottle in the water. This climb & jump looked a lot harder than what the Duggar guys did. All I could picture if Boob & Michelle were in the race was Michelle, not hesitating & leaping into the water with her Modest Swimwear swim dress blowing up in the breeze showing her knees. Then there would be Boob standing on the ledge in his infamous cut off jeans & polo shirt w/undershirt underneath, screaming to Michelle that he doesn't know if he can jump because he has 19 children.

[Almost 3000]

On another note....I'm watching the Amazing Race. On the first challenge, the couples had to scale a large rock formation in the ocean in St. Thomas. After making it to the top they had to jump/leap into water to retrieve clue in a bottle in the water. This climb & jump looked a lot harder than what the Duggar guys did. All I could picture if Boob & Michelle were in the race was Michelle, not hesitating & leaping into the water with her Modest Swimwear swim dress blowing up in the breeze showing her knees. Then there would be Boob standing on the ledge in his infamous cut off jeans & polo shirt w/undershirt underneath, screaming to Michelle that he doesn't know if he can jump because he has 19 children.

Barb, you have that almost right but first Michelle would have to pee on a stick and than JB would have to announce the results before she jumps.

[wanderwoman]

I've always wondered about the debt free claims. I don't doubt, that at one point, they went without. Cramming 14 children and two adults into a three bedroom home that was under 1400 square feet isn't living high on the hog. I also remember the very first episode when Michelle had the girls packing up a picnic to take to the boys on the job site and they filled up a repurposed juice bottle with tap water. But, what I've noticed us that Jim Bob doesn't suffer or go without. He and Michelle didn't wear hand-me-downs, ever. Jim Bob always had store bought clothes and shoes. Jim Bob allowed his family to be raised in a cramped, tiny home while he went to auctions and bought expensive construction equipment and cranes and scissor lifts, etc.,. Jim Bob bought investment properties and businesses and cars and buses. Yet, the kids were wearing tattered hand me downs and sleeping three to a bed. You can argue that they had three hot meals, clothing, and a roof over their head. But, prior to TLC, the kids were not very well provided for. If the show hadn't have come around, I think the tinker toy house would still be under construction, the kids would be snuggle tooth, haggard, unpaid labor. Let's look at it this way- there are NO other quiverfull mega-families living in the same state the Duggars do. The Bates are only living as they live because of their own show and the freebies secured by the Duggars for their own home makeover.

[WTFFF]

 

But, what I've noticed us that Jim Bob doesn't suffer or go without.

 

This seems to be extremely common in these families.  Look at Priscilla's sister, Esther.  The husband, John, solicited freebies for himself left and right and spent money he didn't really have on things like a camper and plane for his ministry in Zambia, where they now live.  Meanwhile, the kids, all eight or nine or however many of them?  Weren't vaccinated before moving to Africa because it was too expensive.  Now when the kids get sick over there, they're treated with home remedies.  But daddy gets to buy a plane because, hey, he wants one.  While living in the States they all lived crammed in another camper and begged groceries from friends and neighbors.  But.  Daddy wants a plane so he can play missionary.  So he gets it. 

Edited September 28, 2014 by WTFFF

[GEML]

Because quiverful isn't the same as Gothardism, I do know some families who are financially comfortable. But they are also more theologically mainstream in that the husband works for someone (in a corporation) and they are educated, using homeschooling as one approach but not ATI or Vision Forum as their curriculum.

[Dr.Scully]

The other day I was reading some of MEchelle's blogs and there was one about raising twins. She rambled on and on about John David and Jana. Apparently, J-D has always had the personality of a rock while Jana was high-spirited and feisty (until they blanket trained it out of her of course). But, she did actually have things to say about them and their personalities. Anecdotes even!

 

When she tried to write about Jeremiah and Jedediah she had nothing. It was literally a sentence or two of some generic Gothard-speak phrases. It couldn't have been more obvious that she didn't have anything to say because she doesn't know anything about them. Jana and John? Since she actually had to raise them she could talk about what they were like growing up. She couldn't talk about Jeremiah and Jedediah that way because she didn't raise them.

 

I thought it was a perfect illustration of how she knows nothing about the younger kids. Mother of the year. What a sham.

[lucille66]

This may have been covered somewhere here but I haven't seen it.  Didn't MEchelle say in the prior episodes that she uses that ATI homeschooling program (Gothards)?  

 

On their official page, she lists other programs for homeschooling and nothing about ATI.  DId she realize she was supporting a child molester organization and felt defrauded or am I missing something?

 

https://www.aophomeschooling.com/duggars?utm_source=cj&utm_medium=cpa&utm_content=duggars2&utm_campaign=Duggar&PID=7610510

I remember her mentioning the ATI  booklets and Wisdom booklets in past episodes. There's another page/blog, "Michelle's Blog", that advertises Big Sandy Conferences, Alert and other Gothard programs. I think they are still completely drenched in Gothard teachings. In a recent video excerpt i saw, JB or Mechelle mentioned reading the Proverbs in correlation to the days of the month....Gothard taught that. Certain phrases and terms they use spells out G-O-T-H-A-R-D. They live life according to the gospel of Bill Gothard. Sickening!

[BitterApple]

Regarding diaper changing, there was a repeat on a while back where Anna was pregnant with Michael. In her interview she talked about having really bad morning sickness and said she was grateful that Josh was changing a lot of Mack's diapers. I think Boob probably changed diapers on the older kids when they were babies, but not so much with the younger ones.

[Chai]

Great point! I never thought of that, but now that you pointed it out, it's so true! It must be clear to people the very fact that you have 19 kids, you are nuts. But, really she does have issues, mentally, that a good therapist can help with. I'm not trying to be mean either. The issue with self control is a good one.

[CarolMK]

Most people would think if a person has 19 cats or dogs, that they're a little weird..maybe a lot, actually. I think where I live you wouldn't be allowed to have that many dogs on your property unless you had the proper acreage. Being in the suburbs, also, noise would be a problem. Heck, I have a neighbor with 2 noisy dogs who he leaves out for hours at a time and people have complained..so it has gotten better.

 

But having 19 kids is supposedly to be perfectly okay, because after all, they're the Duggars and can do no wrong. Although at least they seem to have a decent

amount of space now. I don't at all agree about all the siblings sharing a bedroom and find that to be very strange. Even the Bates family doesn't do that.

Back when they had 15 kids in that 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, I can see why Michelle had a nervous breakdown and I'm surprised if it didn't happen again somewhere along the way. 

[GEML]

Well, I come from some religious and cultural traditions that do treasure and admire large families, so I don't think that any number should be an indicator on it's own about a person's or family's mental health. I also do not think that you can compare having children to hoarding or cats or dogs - not to mention that some people actually do have homes with large numbers of animals that are loved and beautifully cared for.

However, I also wouldn't hold up the Duggars as my example of a healthy, wholesome all around well put together family, either. To my mind, paragraph 1 has little to do with paragraph 2, but that my opinion only.

[andromeda331]

I don't at all agree about all the siblings sharing a bedroom and find that to be very strange.

 

 

I don't either especially since they had the money for individual rooms and I'd have fun decorating the each room towards the individual kid.  It would be fun picking out race car beds, Cowboy room, construction zone room what ever each little boy would want or princess, animals, race cars what ever little girls were into. Decorating teen boy or teen girl, etc. My mom always had so much fun decorating her kids rooms no matter what the ages were. Whether it was hunting down good bargins for her son's sports room with his favorite team's colors, or when her daughter became hooked on Sci-Fi, it was fun.  

[Mrsjumbo]

But you would have to know your kid's personality to decorate their room!

[juneday]

Exactly! It's easy to mesh them all into one room and throw some "girly" stuff in the girls room and some "boyish" stuff in the boys because you don't even know their personalities individually.

Oh wait. They don't even sleep with sheets on their beds. No way they are getting personalized rooms.

[NausetGirl]

I am already so done with Michelle this season. Her demeanor is that of a cartoon character. She is so animated and fake sounding, even more than earlier seasons. I think some posts were read by their publicity department at TLC,, or whoever handles their press and reports to them how they are perceived. She is overcompensating for her little baby voice. She  is removed, disconnected, lazy, infant obsessed, pregnancy obsessed, and I believe she has an issue with self control. I believe that's why she/they don't trust their already grown up sons and daughters to control themselves in the presence of the opposite sex while on a date. I think maybe she had a problem putting on "the brakes" when she dated.

 

Totally agree.  I get the feeling Michelle was quite the hot tamale in her teen years.

[DangerousMinds]

Well, I come from some religious and cultural traditions that do treasure and admire large families, so I don't think that any number should be an indicator on it's own about a person's or family's mental health. I also do not think that you can compare having children to hoarding or cats or dogs - not to mention that some people actually do have homes with large numbers of animals that are loved and beautifully cared for.

However, I also wouldn't hold up the Duggars as my example of a healthy, wholesome all around well put together family, either. To my mind, paragraph 1 has little to do with paragraph 2, but that my opinion only.

In most areas there are laws dictating how many animals a homeowner is allowed.

[WTFFF]

 

Oh wait. They don't even sleep with sheets on their beds. No way they are getting personalized rooms.

 

It took years of viewer nagging for the kids to even get beds to not put sheets on.  Hannie, Jenni, Jordyn and Josie slept in pack-n-plays for years.  Which is basically sleeping in a box on the floor.

[floridamom]

Can't believe how Michelle continues to make statements that flatters herself for the moment, but fail to remember that they don't tie in to actual facts. During the "re-upholstering of the stools", Michelle stated how her nursing schedule would have precluded her from doing that that type of job with her daughters in the past. When they turned those stools over, she had dated them 10/2003. "Look, that's the last time I re-upholstered them" she said. Wasn't she nursing back then too? Why did she have "time" to do it then? Once again, contradiction.

[juneday]

It took years of viewer nagging for the kids to even get beds to not put sheets on. Hannie, Jenni, Jordyn and Josie slept in pack-n-plays for years. Which is basically sleeping in a box on the floor.

How is that even safe? For a nap I could see, but putting babies and small children down to sleep in pack-and-plays for nine to ten hours??