S10.E06: A Little Trip to the Big Easy

[BizBuzz]

A photo shoot for the cover of Jen and Bill's new book is harder than it looks when they need the kids to pose for the picture. Later, the family takes a trip to New Orleans, where Jen is slated to deliver a speech.

[farmgal4]

Zoey's hair is growing on me, and she is so talkative. That little girl has done a 180 since joining that family. The Kleins are so blessed!

Dear Bill and Jen,

I will pay YOU if you'll let me be your nanny. Please??

[BitterApple]

I liked Jen's speech at the cancer benefit and I think she looked really pretty when she was all dolled up. I'm also happy she got a clean bill of health at her check-up.

Will thinking he killed the fly with the chopsticks was hilarious, especially since he was unfamiliar with the movie Karate Kid.

I know everyone loves Zoe, but I think she's becoming a brat. When she said "I want that" in regards to the beaded necklaces, it irritated me that neither Bill nor Jen demanded she say please. They need to start teaching her manners.

[Wellfleet]

I liked Jen's speech at the cancer benefit and I think she looked really pretty when she was all dolled up. I'm also happy she got a clean bill of health at her check-up.

Will thinking he killed the fly with the chopsticks was hilarious, especially since he was unfamiliar with the movie Karate Kid.

I know everyone loves Zoe, but I think she's becoming a brat. When she said "I want that" in regards to the beaded necklaces, it irritated me that neither Bill nor Jen demanded she say please. They need to start teaching her manners.

 

It's definitely not too soon to begin teaching Zoey please, thank you etc. But I can vouch for the fact that virtually all four-year olds point and say "I want that" - every time they see anything they want. The hard part is being the adult that has to pretend they don't hear the child - LOL.

[Absolom]

If they are asking for a roll at the table, then enforcing please and thank you is the way to go.  If you're shopping and they go I want this or that, my standard response is something like indeed or I expect that you do like it.  It's more as an informational statement or that's the way I take it.  Most of them by age four have learned they don't get everything they ask for in a store.  I translate it to I like that. 

[Lillybee]

Is there anything more adorable than tiny Zoey running around?  Since Jen was so sick for at least six months after they got Zoey, I am thrilled  with the close bond Jen and Zoey have.

[Lillybee]

The way that Bill looked at Jen when she was giving her speech at the cancer fund raiser melted my cold.dark heart.

[Ina123]

It was nice to see Will and Zoe fighting over who was going to hold Jen's hand when they left the Sushi place.

[walnutqueen]

The kids are so stinkin' cute; watching them fills me with delight.  Zoey is a little chatterbox now, and Will is so funny with his little asides and boundless enthusiasm.

 

Jen's speech had me in tears, and it was obvious how much love and admiration she and Bill have for each other.  The meeting with Martha brought those tears right back again, too.

 

Jen looked lovely in her sparkly dress, and I loved her champagne & french fries mini-date with Bill.

[minx]

Zoey is like a doll that has come to life and runs around saying cute things.

When they were at the photo studio and she said "Aw, man!" I died. Love her outfit there too.

And when she sat there in her little yellow slicker at the aquarium, chatting away, it was too adorable.

[gunderda]

Will's face when he was telling Jen that he doesn't like pictures - I DIED! So funny.

The photo shoot, hilarious - how serious they were about their 'spots'.  I was actually surprised that worked so well.  Will is getting to the age where either he will do ok with getting a picture taken on demand or he will start to rebel it.   My nephews are one of each lol - the oldest is good with photos, the youngest who is about will's age will immediately clam up when he needs to pose for a picture and he has this ridiculous fake smile that you know is fake because he looks like he's in pain, when maybe 2 seconds before he was happy and laughing. 

My cousin has 6 kids (2 adopted) and they get pictures taken quite a lot and her oldest who is a little older than will is starting to rebel in pictures by making weird faces constantly. 

[4leafclover]

I could listen to Zoey talk all day--how cute she is!

[minx]

I was getting hungry watching them all eat sushi.

As the parent of two fussy eaters, now grown, Jen and Bill are fortunate to have kids that will aren't picky. I know they have talked about how children from orphanages are voracious eaters; I also think these kids were exposed to different foods at a young age.

[gunderda]

How excited they were over the sushi (even the soup!) was so freaking adorable. 

I get that excited about sushi too sometimes lol 

[Wellfleet]

Gosh, I was really surprised to hear about another book so soon. I thought their first was just launched Spring of 2015. Or was it 2014? Even so, that was fast. I wonder if there's a ghost writer for this one? Was there on the first? I didn't read it.

 

PS - quite honestly I always lose a little respect for anyone that "writes" a book with a ghost. IMO, anyone who can read & write - and has a good-enough story or idea to share - should be able to write a book. At least to the point where a professional editor steps in. God bless the editors. Now let me be clear. I'm not saying writing a book is easy by any means, and it would obviously take a lot of time. But not every book needs to be a contender for the Nobel Prize. It just needs to be clear, readable & mostly importantly, understandable. And every story worthy of being told should be told in the "voice" of the person who lived it, or created it. This cannot be done by even the most-skilled ghost writer. Needless to say, this is an issue about which I have a very strong opinion. Climbing down off soapbox now... :>)

[Absolom]

Ratings are in: 1.388 M viewers and a .33 rating.

[BitterApple]

The ratings seem to be holding pretty solid, which is a good sign. I'm just waiting for TLC to announce their favorite shitshow (19K&C) is back. It's inevitable.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

So I guess we are seeing more of how the Kleins get the kids to do things, promise them food and negotiate.  Promising Will lunch to get him to pose for photos for about an hour?!  Why tell him anything?  Let's get dressed and let's go.  When Will was done he was done, he sat down and controlled the room as did Zoey, you stay there, you stand there, etc etc...Bill laughs at everything while Jen is in makeup and changing.  Will do we need a theme in here?  It is called promise me food and maybe I will do what you want for an amount of time determined by me!  I skipped the speech and the cancer follow up.

 

The kids are adorable and in charge!  Will is still sucking his thumb and Zoey her fingers.  I wonder why Jen doesn't care about that anymore.

[BitterApple]

I actually felt bad for Bill and Jen when the Rainbow Kids lady put them on the spot about adopting more kids, especially when she said something to the effect of "we have one available."

To me, that seemed like kind of a guilt-trippy thing to do. Yes, Bill and Jen have the financial means to support more children, but they may not necessarily want to. I don't think either one of them wants a third child, which is fine, but they may have been worried they'd come off as cold or insensitive if they admitted it.

Edited February 10, 2016 by BitterApple

[Snow8585]

It really does make me happy to see that folks on this site enjoy the show that much and really like the family. I wish I could feel that way but the more I watch, the more i find myself cringing . I feel like I am watching Icarus starting to fly too close to the sun or something. Bill and Jen are becoming so materialistic and phony and not doing a good job of raising their kids. Sure they buy the kids tons of toys and bribe them with food...sushi no less.  This speaking engagement in New Orleans for the hospital--Moonlight and Martinis-- was a very fancy event. Ticket prices ranged from $125 per person to --get this-- $25000 for some tables including passes for the Meet and Greet with Jen and Bill which was 6p-7p. So make no mistake, Jen and Bill were not just hanging out with regular people. People were paying big bucks to meet them. And Jen's speaking fee is approx $30,000. So the cancer survival thing has been profitable. And in New Orleans no less. Of course moocher Dave and Judy were there--I thought why couldn't they take Bill's folks or the nanny?? Did the nanny have to stay behind and walk the dogs?? We see one episode that that Dave and Judy are getting ready to move and the next thing you know they are carrying the kids all around New Orleans. Moochers. And the hokey psychic probably made more being on one episode of the The LIttle Couple than he makes all year. So for goodness sakes, Jen--buy the beach house--I know you can afford it. OOps i mean BUILD it because you are so competitive and materialistic, you would not want your mom to have a beach house retirement home built that you always wanted. I also think there is a lot of fighting in that family going on behind the scenes. I was surprised to see Will scream " Its Over" and storm away. Who did he see do that in their home? Anyway, i wish Bill and Jen would do more for Rainbow Kids other than meeting Martha for beignets. That was useless. Or host a fundraiser for LPA since they helped with the adoption of Zoey I think. They consider themselves celebrities and can attract $$$$$ obviously so do it.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

^^^^^ Bang on!^^^^^   

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Yep. There's another example. Jen said that her selfless, noble cause was to help this wonderful hospital. In reality it was to earn $30,000.

 

Jen is taking a page out of Hillary's play book!  And both have a Bill!! 

[Saylii]

I found it interesting that Bill said that they wouldn't adopt another child because Will and Zoey needed all of their time. They didn't worry about how much time Will needed when they adopted Zoey.

This is typical Bill and Jen. They always want to pretend that they have a higher cause. Why couldn't Bill just say that they wanted to adopt two children, a boy and a girl. Why couldn't he say that their family is complete and he and Jen are not interested in adopting more children. There is nothing wrong with that. I hate how they continually pretend that everything they do is special and selfless.

In this particular case Jen was more honest. She said that her and Bill needed a breather. One or the other of them always puts out the "noble" cause for everything that they do. This time it was Bill.

Didn't they technically adopt Zoey first or at least get approved for her first? It was just slower to finalize then Will because of the legalities out of India. I seem to remember an interview where they said they agreed to adopt Will partly because they thought Zoey was never going to get approved for adoption. Then Zoey ended up getting approved less then a month after they agreed to move forward with Will.

For those upset that Jen is making money from speaking engagements, what would you want her to do? It's not like the hospitals aren't going to throw their fancy galas just because Jen won't agree to speak at them. They'll just pay $30,000 to someone else. The plus side for the hospital is that more people will pay/donate more $$$ to meet a "celebrity".

Edited February 11, 2016 by Saylii

[BitterApple]

I don't think anyone is upset per se, they were just calling Jen out for being disingenuous. It was kind of a lie by omission when Bill and Jen conveniently forgot to mention her five figure payday. They presented the whole thing as Jen helping the cancer center from a purely altruistic standpoint.

Edited February 11, 2016 by BitterApple

[DkNNy79]

I enjoyed the episode. Martha from Rainbiw Kids is such a sweet person. Loved that Will had no hesitation in hugging her.

If people want to hire Jen to give speeches at their event more power to her. You can earn money and want to help out a cause. I don't think it's all or nothing. Also, Jen and Bill are not crass people. I can't see them talking about what they earn or if they get paid for speeches, it's nobody's business.

[xldb2004]

Wow Jen's parents are moochers now. I'm happy for Bill and Jen's success. Who in their right mind would pass up an opportunity to make as much money as they can while they can. The dinner was a benefit for the cancer hospital. The more butts they put in the seats, the better it is for the hospital. If Jen can bring in people good on her. They would have paid someone. IMO it seems some folks are bothered by the fact Jen and Bill are financially successful. Would it be better if they lived paycheck to paycheck? Like doing good and making money are mutually exclusive. Bill and Jen have no idea how long they will be able to work or what will and Zoey's medical future looks like. They would be irresponsible to to provide in the best way they can.

[Veronique Bette]

It really does make me happy to see that folks on this site enjoy the show that much and really like the family. I wish I could feel that way but the more I watch, the more i find myself cringing . I feel like I am watching Icarus starting to fly too close to the sun or something. Bill and Jen are becoming so materialistic and phony and not doing a good job of raising their kids. Sure they buy the kids tons of toys and bribe them with food...sushi no less.  This speaking engagement in New Orleans for the hospital--Moonlight and Martinis-- was a very fancy event. Ticket prices ranged from $125 per person to --get this-- $25000 for some tables including passes for the Meet and Greet with Jen and Bill which was 6p-7p. So make no mistake, Jen and Bill were not just hanging out with regular people. People were paying big bucks to meet them. And Jen's speaking fee is approx $30,000. So the cancer survival thing has been profitable. And in New Orleans no less. Of course moocher Dave and Judy were there--I thought why couldn't they take Bill's folks or the nanny?? Did the nanny have to stay behind and walk the dogs?? We see one episode that that Dave and Judy are getting ready to move and the next thing you know they are carrying the kids all around New Orleans. Moochers. And the hokey psychic probably made more being on one episode of the The LIttle Couple than he makes all year. So for goodness sakes, Jen--buy the beach house--I know you can afford it. OOps i mean BUILD it because you are so competitive and materialistic, you would not want your mom to have a beach house retirement home built that you always wanted. I also think there is a lot of fighting in that family going on behind the scenes. I was surprised to see Will scream " Its Over" and storm away. Who did he see do that in their home? Anyway, i wish Bill and Jen would do more for Rainbow Kids other than meeting Martha for beignets. That was useless. Or host a fundraiser for LPA since they helped with the adoption of Zoey I think. They consider themselves celebrities and can attract $$$$$ obviously so do it.

One of my close friends lost both her parents within a few years of each other shortly before the birth of her first child. Her three children are now in their early teens and she still misses the presence of her parents in their lives. She would gladly spend every penny she had if only she could have her parents accompany her family to Disney World, the Grand Canyon and their other vacation trips and events, and never once think of them as “moochers”.  Judy and Dave dearly love their grandchildren and vice versa and have been nothing but incredibly supportive and helpful to Jen and Bill throughout these last tumultuous years.  They are not hired help, they are family and I don’t know how Jen, Bill, Will and Zoey would have made it without them.  I don’t see them as “moochers” or freeloaders in any way, no matter who paid for their trip.

 

As for paid speaking engagements, ex-presidents and other politicians of both parties and philosophical leanings make big money to blather on about whatever their speech writers prepare for them, as compared to Jen's heartfelt and personal message of encouragement to those people going through what she experienced in real life, in real time. I'd rather pay money to hear her speak and benefit a hospital than to fund a library even for a president I might have voted for.

[minx]

I think Dave and Judy, as well as Jen and Bill, are comfortable financially--no one is mooching off of anyone.

My husband's parents died when he was 8. Mine only got to see one of our children before they passed away. The absence of grandparents is sad.

[woodscommaelle]

"Can I order your guys drinks?"

Love!

Edited February 11, 2016 by woodscommaelle

[Absolom]

I surely hope going on a trip/vacation with the children and grandchildren is not mooching.  If it is then I'm a moocher. We don't know who paid for what.  Dave and Judy were helping out with the kids and kept them part of the time.  I think it's a fine thing for grandparents to do and no doubt Dave and Judy wanted to spend time with Will and Zoey before moving. 

[Emily Thrace]

They say that they do the show to educate people. They leave out that they get fame and money.

They say that they won't adopt more children because their children need their time. They leave out that they are happy with their family as it is.

They say that Jen speaks at the New Orleans hospital to help the hospital. They leave out that she's being paid $30,000.

It's funny how they always think to mention what's in it for the other guy, but always seem to skip mentioning what's in it for them. There is a definite pattern here.

 

1. If all Bill and Jen wanted was fame and money they could be doing a lot more to promote the show. They could also be putting the supposed "family drama" on display for ratings. Bill and Jen are hardly the Kardashians.

 

2.Or Bill just wanted to put it a nicer or way. Especially since he probably would have just been called selfish for all the kids he was leaving in an orphanage. Since you know Bill and Jen can support ten kids so they should adopt that many whether they truly want them or not.

 

Or I actually suspect that even they aren't sure if they are done yet. Both Bill and Jen sounded like they weren't sure if that was the case. I think its more they need to catch their breath from the crazy past couple of years before making any final decisions on closing that door.

 

3. Do we even know that she was paid? Jen could have waived her speaking fee and just gotten her expenses covered for all we know. Besides Jen is a lot of things but tacky isn't one of them.  Talking about a payday is definitely tacky.

 

Yes if you take three completely separate statements and interpret them the same way you will find a pattern. Have you considered working for FOX news? Whether its actually disingenuous is debatable. I think its more that Bill and Jen are trying to be discreet Most of the information above is extremely personal and simply none of our business anyway. Just like I'm sure Jen check-up included a pelvic exam and  they wisely didn't show that on camera. I'm pretty sure that wasn't done to make Bill and Jen look more altruistic. 

 

Also so glad to hear that Jen is healthy. Her cancer's timing was brutal (not that there is ever a good time for cancer) and its been so wonderful to watch her with her kids.

 

Loved the kids at the photo shoot. The photographer was a good sport about it too. His "like nailing jello to a wall" comment cracked me up.

 

I felt for Zoe at the aquarium with the penguins. I don't think Bill and Jen realized she would react that way.  I hope they bought her a stuffed Otter from the gift shop.

 

Something the hit me about the sushi is that its probably closer to what Will was eating in China than a lot of what he usually eats. Rice, fish, soy sauce they're all staples of both cultures. I wonder if in both Will and Zoe's cases the change in diet at a young age makes them more adventurous about food. Most kids that age are really picky.  Some studies have shown that exposing kids to a range of foods at an early age is good way to prevent fussiness  when kids get older.

[pinguina]

Yes, Will sucks his thumb - but really so what?  My oldest niece sucked her thumb.  In fact in the middle of taking her bar exam - guess what she did for comfort and to calm her nerves?  She sucked her thumb!  She doesn't do it all the time - she is a grown-up! - but in times of great stress, she goes back to a habit that gave her comfort!

I also think that the majority of four year olds say "I want.." whenever anything catches their eye, they don't expect to get it!   And going by the four year olds I have been around, it doesn't hinder them from saying please and thank you when appropriate (although, they have to be reminded at times)

Also so what if Jen gets paid.  

Finally, I really enjoyed this episode. So many wonderful moments!

[camom]

I really don't care if Jen got paid to speak or not; it's really none of my business.  I'm sure the majority of the people at the hospital benefit were there to support the hospital and not to see Jen.  Personally, however, I would probably not support a charity event that paid a large sum of money to a speaker.  That money could be spent for the charity's purpose instead.

[Wellfleet]

Yep. There's another example. Jen said that her selfless, noble cause was to help this wonderful hospital. In reality it was to earn $30,000.

Again, nothing wrong with earning money fair and square. The turn-off for me is Bill and Jen trying to project to people that they are saints with a selfless, noble reason for everything they do. Please...

 

If this is the case and Jen was indeed paid $30K for this speech, then I have to agree. Jen should have just said that she was invited to speak at the XX event, whatever it was. It is really poor to insinuate that she did the speech to help the hospital if she was invited and paid a [stiff] fee. Of course it might very well be true that she actually wanted to help. But if it ultimately cost the hospital $30K to actually get her there, that's a different kettle of fish entirely. And by the way, $30K? OMG. At this rate, they should be ensconced in that Galveston beach house in no time. 

[Ina123]

Confession. I sucked my thumb til 4th grade. I can remember hiding behind a book to do it. I'm 64 now and I've been a productive member of society all my life.

[xldb2004]

It is common practice to pay speakers or entertainment for charity events. It's like the cost of the room or the catering, or travel expenses. Wanting to help and getting paid are not mutually exclusive! It's like saying if a doctor gets paid then they don't care about their patients and should not say they do. Plus no one knows even if she got paid.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Here's Bill's speaker fees at half of what his wife is getting.  Jen is definitely the breadwinner in that household!    

 

http://www.executivespeakers.com/speaker/Bill_Klein

 

"It's over!" and walking off the photo shoot by Will was very odd, the word choice, his angry look and leaving the room like that.  I hope the Kleins aren't going through relationship problems that often come with fame. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by Foghorn Leghorn

[gunderda]

I actually felt bad for Bill and Jen when the Rainbow Kids lady put them on the spot about adopting more kids, especially when she said something to the effect of "we have one available."

She actually said FIVE were available lol 

 

So I guess we are seeing more of how the Kleins get the kids to do things, promise them food and negotiate.  Promising Will lunch to get him to pose for photos for about an hour?!  Why tell him anything?  Let's get dressed and let's go.  When Will was done he was done, he sat down and controlled the room as did Zoey, you stay there, you stand there, etc etc...Bill laughs at everything while Jen is in makeup and changing.  Will do we need a theme in here?  It is called promise me food and maybe I will do what you want for an amount of time determined by me!  I skipped the speech and the cancer follow up.

 

The kids are adorable and in charge!  Will is still sucking his thumb and Zoey her fingers.  I wonder why Jen doesn't care about that anymore.

Have you ever had to tell a 4 and 6(?) year old what to do?  If you could get them to do everything on command then you are more talented than every parent I know.  Bribery is the key at that age. Especially when it's something that you can't really postpone.  

 

 Anyway, i wish Bill and Jen would do more for Rainbow Kids other than meeting Martha for beignets. That was useless. Or host a fundraiser for LPA since they helped with the adoption of Zoey I think. They consider themselves celebrities and can attract $$$$$ obviously so do it.

Why do they have to do anything for Rainbow Kids?  They were just meeting the person that helped facilitate the adoption.  There are probably tons of wealthy families that have adopted through them.  Why must they feel obligated to help them out after the fact?  Adoptions aren't cheap, they were probably paid very well for their services. 

 

 

 

Something the hit me about the sushi is that its probably closer to what Will was eating in China than a lot of what he usually eats. Rice, fish, soy sauce they're all staples of both cultures. I wonder if in both Will and Zoe's cases the change in diet at a young age makes them more adventurous about food. Most kids that age are really picky.  Some studies have shown that exposing kids to a range of foods at an early age is good way to prevent fussiness  when kids get older.

FALSE! - well not always haha, but my nephew ate a lot of stuff when he was really young, probably between the ages of when he could eat solid foods and 6 and then he suddenly became VERY picky.  So picky to the point where his hot dogs couldn't have any 'black stuff' (ie from being grilled).  His younger brother seems to be the opposite, exposed to a lot of foods at a very early age as well and he's currently 7 and still loves stuff like onions, peppers, spicy stuff.  however I've been told he doesn't like cheese or mac n cheese which is SO WEIRD. And I'm not sure I can claim someone has a family member if they don't like cheese ;)

 

Here's a link regarding Jen's speaking engagements. There's no proof that she charged for this particular event, but she definitely charges $20k to $30k to discuss cancer along with other topics, so there's no reason to think that she didn't get paid for this particular event.

http://www.executivespeakers.com/speaker/Jennifer_Arnold

In the future, when Jen tells us how she wants to support and inspire people with cancer, we have to remember that she wants to support and inspire them for a $20k to $30k fee. Her support and inspiration doesn't come cheap.

All motivational speakers want to inspire, motivate, bla bla blaaaaa and they all spout that.  But they ALL get paid MASSIVE fees.  So it's not like Jen is some magical unicorn. 

 

For the organization I work for (a small non-profit) we are usually able to get speakers for $5k if their fee is around $10k.  And that's for a ONE HOUR session. So for Jen being a celebrity, her base of $20k fee is not odd when a lot of no-name speakers can easily get $10k.

 

If she indeed was paid $30k, or even $20k then you can imagine what type of money that event actually brought in.  

[gunderda]

A lot of speakers base their fees off the organization they speak for or the event.  If a smaller group who can't afford Jen goes to her and pleads their case it is very likely she might speak for them for a much lower cost.   But for free? probably not.   The only time speakers give their services for free is if they are trying to get their name out there and built up a reputation. 

[Saylii]

So I guess that we can assume that only wealthy cancer patients get support and inspiration from Jen. Poor cancer patients will have to go get support and inspiration from somebody who donates their time and support for free without self gain.

There's very few celebrities that would speak at a gala or show up at a cancer ward for free. Even the athletes & football players that show up for photo ops usually get a check cut to their "charity" from the hospital. The hospital gets compensated on the back end by getting donations from that athlete's fans, from selling the pictures to the tabloids, and by being able to use the pictures of the athlete in promotional material. Hospitals have entire budgets dedicated specifically for this type of marketing. And it makes them money in the end.

I don't think Jen needs to address the amount of money she gets paid for every speech she does. It's also very possible that she specifically chose that gala to speak at instead of the 100s of others she gets requests for which is why she talked about supporting that specific hospital.

[minx]

It's called a free market economy. Supply and demand.

People wanted to hear what Jen had to say so they paid money to listen.

No one forced or coerced them to do so, they did so of their own free will.

She is free to give speeches when asked.

[xldb2004]

Will could have picked that up from a kid at school. Lord knows as a kid I modeled behavior that didn't present in my home, but that I thought was cool when i saw it elsewhere. It's almost as if people want Jen and Bill to be poor and miserable.
 

Edited February 11, 2016 by xldb2004

[Ina123]

I think we need to remember that Jen is a highly specialized Dr. Even without the TV show she would be asked to make speeches representing Texas Children’s Hospital and I’m sure she would be paid for those. She is the Medical Director of the Simulation Center there and basically started it.

[farmgal4]

I could listen to Zoey talk all day--how cute she is!

If Zoey were my child, I would be totally useless. I would do nothing but sit and watch her 24/7. Lol

[Veronique Bette]

I was so busy laughing myself silly over Will’s dramatic exit, “It’s over!”, and all the other hilarious antics of Will and Zoey at the photo shoot and restaurant that I completely missed this telltale sign of possible marital tension in the Klein-Arnold household. Now I think I’ll also have to reexamine Will’s cute offer to “order drinks for you guys”. Hmm, what could this mean? Secret tippling in the home perhaps? The plot thickens…lol.

[woodscommaelle]

If Zoey were my child, I would be totally useless. I would do nothing but sit and watch her 24/7. Lol

Substitute Will for Zoey and I agree 100%.  There is so much joy in that little boy.  Too adorable!

 

PS: Zoey is cute but there's just something about Will....

Edited February 11, 2016 by woodscommaelle

[Wellfleet]

I don't think anyone is upset per se, they were just calling Jen out for being disingenuous. It was kind of a lie by omission when Bill and Jen conveniently forgot to mention her five figure payday. They presented the whole thing as Jen helping the cancer center from a purely altruistic standpoint.

 

Completely agree. Jen is obviously not required to disclose financial details of any kind to viewers, but the whole thing could have been handled discreetly, and honestly, with a little careful thought. Something along the lines of - Now that Jen no longer sees patients, she's able to accept a few more of the many speaking requests she receives. She's chosen this cancer hospital in New Orleans and will attend their big gala event with Bill, bringing the kids and their Arnold grandparents along for a fun family weekend." Without saying it outright, the implication is clear that she is being paid, but it's also clear that she chose the New Orleans offer because of her cancer connection and wish to help.

[BW Manilowe]

I thought 1 of Jen's commentaries during the ep said her parents were invited to come with them to New Orleans. That doesn't equate to her parents "mooching" off of Jen & Bill to me.

I also thought Bill &/or Jen actually said they weren't ready, or whatever, to adopt again right now, but they wouldn't necessarily rule it out when Will & Zoey got older.

As I remember, they had put Will's adoption in motion, but hadn't gotten cleared to go to China to pick him up, then Jen got a call about another child, who eventually became Zoey. I remember it was on the show awhile back. They were getting everything ready for Will, then Jen got a phone call about the little girl who became Zoey & left a message on Bill's phone & they played "phone tag" for a bit until they finally connected, discussed it, & decided to go for it. I think the rationale on doing Zoey's adoption then was because they were in the middle of all the home studies & background checks & stuff for Will & maybe they could do the same stuff for Zoey's adoption at the same time & get hers done quicker, perhaps, than Will's (& then they ended up having to wait because of delays elsewhere in the process, with India authorizing the adoption or something). They had Will for awhile before they got cleared to get Zoey. I also remember them saying they were in China to get Will over Jen's birthday that year, & they were in India on Bill's birthday to get Zoey the year they got her.

[gunderda]

Even if Jen did get paid some big bucks - this hospital also probably got lots of free advertising about the new whatever (program?) Jen was talking about during the episode.  

 

BW - I think Zoey came first - or at least the idea of adopting her first.  I feel like I remember Jen already having the door sign for Zoey's room, but that was taking forever or they weren't even sure it would happen and then Will came along and they scooped him up and then they were officially given the OK for Zoey, they could have said no to Zoey but they instead decided to adopt both.

I'm pretty sure adopting a girl was first on their list. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by gunderda

[BitterApple]

My personal belief is they're fine being a family of four. They've got their routine, the kids are thriving and they're adjusting to Dave and Judy not being around. For some reason I think a third kid would throw a monkey wrench into a well oiled machine. Bill and Jen may have just been too polite to come out and say so in front of the adoption lady.