Jessa, Ben and Their Brood: Making a (Diaper) Mountain out of a Mold House

[crazy8s]

5 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

It's funny how prior to Jeremy joining the family, Ben was the ultra jock, yet Spurgie and Henry have never been seen with anything sports related, not a ball or even a book.

so true - do they not have a cheap t-ball set or anything?

I did feel the boys knew of baseball from the mud video. since spurge said he was "batting the mud" and he swung the branch around like a batter.

[DangerousMinds]

15 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Jessa is a lying liar who lies. If Bin legit finished a while back, she would've bragged about it on Instagram. Also, you'd think Guinn would've posted if Bin had graduated.  

She has always been a liar.

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, DangerousMinds said:

She has always been a liar.

Often a hallmark of people from highly dysfunctional families.  She wasn't raised seeing any respect for truth from either parent. 

In fact, the Duggar kids were often required to tell lies. Plus, of course, highly incentivized to lie by being brought up in a house full of snitches and in a wildly judgmental cult. 

[Ljohnson1987]

No way Bin has a degree. Jessa would be on the rooftops screaming about how smart her man is. 

[VioletWitch]

One of my favorite Jessa lies: 

Producer: How many diapers have you changed?

Jill: A lot, probably hundreds 

Jana: Thousands

Jinger: So many, hundreds, thousands...

Jessa: Well, my mom and dad did most of the diaper changing...

Edited May 20, 2020 by VioletWitch

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, BOOgen3 said:

There is something just so sad about birthday greetings to a young man turning 25 who has already been married for five and a half years and has three children under the age of five. Talk about being old before your 

Yeah, it's pretty depressing. I don't get the sense Bin and Jessa do much of anything besides wake up every day and schlep over to the TTH. There's no hobbies, no excursions, no shared passions, nothing. They don't ever seem to have any fun. I feel like they can't even use the kids as an excuse considering there's a steady supply of babysitters right down the road. Hell, my grandmother at 90 had more of a life than they do at mid-20s.

[satrunrose]

2 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

Often a hallmark of people from highly dysfunctional families.  She wasn't raised seeing any respect for truth from either parent. 

In fact, the Duggar kids were often required to tell lies. Plus, of course, highly incentivized to lie by being brought up in a house full of snitches and in a wildly judgmental cult. 

I know the answer to this question is "because Jim Bob and Michelle are miserable humans", but the fact that you can base your whole moral and practical life compass on a couple of minor bible verses (the quiver thing, Proverbs whatever) and completely ignore one of the ten commandments (plus very large chunks of the Gospels) never ceases to puzzle me. 

[VioletWitch]

 

[GeeGolly]

Jessa knows lying is wrong. She is now an adult who willingly continues to lie.

JB, M and the Duggar 19 might want to ask themselves if wearing pants, abstaining from alcohol & sex, etc, gives them enough brownie points to overcome their lying.

Looks like third tier heaven for them.

[Future Cat Lady]

19 minutes ago, VioletWitch said:

 

Doesn't flour mix with water make glue?

Also kids with knives and near bowls of hot liquids!

[Ohiopirate02]

17 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jessa knows lying is wrong. She is now an adult who willingly continues to lie.

JB, M and the Duggar 19 might want to ask themselves if wearing pants, abstaining from alcohol & sex, etc, gives them enough brownie points to overcome their lying.

Looks like third tier heaven for them.

In all seriousness, the commandment only says you shouldn't bear false witness to your neighbor.   I know of many fundies who like to interpret that as they only have to be honest to other believers.   Lying to non-believers is just fine.  Knowing Jessa and her parents, the circle of neighbors is only blood relatives who follow KJB to the letter. 

[Sew Sumi]

20 minutes ago, Future Cat Lady said:

Doesn't flour mix with water make glue?

Also kids with knives and near bowls of hot liquids!

Those boys wielding the knife scared me. Especially Henry. 

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, satrunrose said:

I know the answer to this question is "because Jim Bob and Michelle are miserable humans", but the fact that you can base your whole moral and practical life compass on a couple of minor bible verses (the quiver thing, Proverbs whatever) and completely ignore one of the ten commandments (plus very large chunks of the Gospels) never ceases to puzzle me. 

I kind of think it's the other way around....I think M and, especially, JB picked the cult because they (maybe sorta subconsciously) perceived that its "principles" (the few select bible verses Gothard focuses on!)  would give them cover to do stuff they wanted to do....

Like think super-highly of yourself by simply following a few dumb rules like wearing denim skirts below the knee;  exert total control over your children all the way into adulthood; make sure your kids had such a crappy education that they'd never be smarter than you or do better than you!; lord it over women and keep 'em in their place (in JB's case!)....Etc. 

I mean, the rules of the cult were invented by Bill Gothard to let him get away with a lot of crappy crap he wanted to do.  So they're likely to satisfy some of the wants of other people, especially men, who are neurotic scaredy-cat control freaks and timid sex freaks just like BG. 

Gothard got a ton out of his cherrypicked biblical "principles," like getting a lot of people in thrall to him and primed to keep sending him checks for junk like his "education" program while also pumping out a bunch of children he could make more money off of and abuse and control in various ways he liked.

Notably, because of the "principles" of the cult, Gothard could gather around himself a whole bunch of relatively naive girls and young women dressed in his favorite 50s-type clothes, and sporting long ringlets and bare flip-flopped feet. And he could feel assured they'd been taught by their parents (whom he'd instructed) to be quietly subservient to "authority" even if the authority was nuts and abusive to them. And then he could corner them in cars and office and indulge his foot fetish, presumably so he could get himself off after the fact back in his lair while totally getting away with it for decade after decade....

Of course, he's a good con man, so he knew the only way he could succeed with a cult whose "principles' served his wants was to make it a cult whose "principles" would also serve the wants of a lot of dunderheads of a particular kind -- JB and M's kind. Because if it didn't serve people's wants, but actually promoted moral behavior, nobody'd ever join it. 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Churchhoney

[Churchhoney]

50 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jessa knows lying is wrong. She is now an adult who willingly continues to lie.

 

Sure.

But she got started at the rate she did because she saw that the godliest people she knows (she keeps telling herself) lied and promoted lying in numerous ways all the time.....

So while she knows it's "wrong" to a lot of people, she's also very well acquainted with the usefulness of lying. Including when it comes to building a media persona, which is her main aim because that's where she gets her money.....And, compared to some of her siblings, Jessa has a pretty ruthless and goal-driven personality.

Morals and ethics that are embraced by many people that she doesn't even know (because she barely knows anyone) are a very small consideration compared to the fame and money she needs and wants for herself.

And she can let herself off the hook by reciting --as she so frequently does -- her mantra about her parents being the most wonderful and godly people in the world. And she knows that lies are constant out of their mouths and all around the TTH.

I'm not saying it's right or inevitable that many people from deeply dysfunctional families lie automatically as adults. But I do know that it's very often the case, as it is in this case! 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Churchhoney

[leighdear]

22 hours ago, VioletWitch said:

 

Spurgeon, Henry.....and then there's Maude......

[PikaScrewChu]

1 hour ago, VioletWitch said:

 

No... I can't even. This is bringing back flashbacks of Emily and Dna. 

Except the chicken wouldn't be real and blah blah blah. 

[drafan]

2 hours ago, Future Cat Lady said:

Doesn't flour mix with water make glue?

Wallpaper paste.

OMG...Jessa's Old Navy dress, size Medium Tall,  is dark mustard.

Dweeby Bin is only 25? He should be out playing beer pong.

Is Jessa keeping Spurge's hair in that nest-like wad to garner attention ? I can't think of any other reason.

Edited May 21, 2020 by drafan

[Barb23]

7 hours ago, VioletWitch said:

 

 

6 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Those boys wielding the knife scared me. Especially Henry. 

You and me both.  Jessa is an idiot for letting them use that sharp of a knife at their ages. I had to stop watching when it was Henry's turn.  I don't even like to use that type of knife. It scares me so I use a smaller paring knife I can control better when I have to dice things.  She couldn't have let them use  less dangerous not as sharp plastic knifes from the TTH? 

Also, they must have wasted gallons of water while Spurge was cleaning just one stalk of celery. The water was coming out of the faucet at a good clip. They probably ended using  at least a tub full of water by the time he was done cleaning all of the celery.    

[Albanyguy]

16 hours ago, leighdear said:

Spurgeon, Henry.....and then there's Maude......

"that uncompromising, enterprising, anything but tranquilizing, right-on Maude!". In other words, every Fundie male's worst nightmare.

And, I hate to say it, but Spurgeon really looks like Jim Bob in that picture.

[Nysha]

Henry looks just like my dad and my brother when they were that age. 

I don't have a problem with teaching the boys how to use knives, but I would have made a fruit salad and had them cut bananas and grapes with plastic knives OR have someone else film so I could stand between them and supervise.

[VioletWitch]

 

[GeeGolly]

Ivy's got a pretty good vocabulary. Too bad she has to perform like a trained animal.

Four plus minutes of a heavily edited post. I wonder how long the training was.

And Henry magically disappeared.

[Madtown]

My OCD was on point with the pickle mess and then after being on the disgusting floor twice(of what we saw), she puts it on her mouth..GROSS! She is talking well though.

As Jessa says, "Aww such a sweet girl" all I could think was that, that "sweet girl" is going to be a slave in about 4 years.

[GeeGolly]

Loosely continuing the discussion about Jessa from Jinger's thread.

Ben thought Jessa was pretty. I think Jessa jumped at Ben because up until that point, Derick was the best of the guys coming around.

 

[VioletWitch]

 

[magpye29]

I am SO sure Jessa laughs every time Ivy refuses to say Mama!

[MichaelaRae]

Ivy's going all Mean Girls like her mama as an infant. RESPECT.

[leighdear]

Ivy's eyes take up so much of her face space, like one of those weird, big-eye paintings from the 70's, by Margaret Keane.  

Tim Burton did a movie about her.  'Nuff said. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by leighdear

[wilsie]

I think Ivy is sweet looking.  I dislike her parent's extreme religious beliefs that they try to impose on others.  

Edited May 22, 2020 by wilsie

[GeeGolly]

I predict Jessa will be pregnant by the end of 2020. She best hope she doesn't have twins or her laundry room breakdown will soon follow.

Edited May 23, 2020 by GeeGolly

[PikaScrewChu]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I predict Jessa will be pregnant by the end of 2020. She best hope she doesn't have twins or her laundry room breakdown will soon follow.

It runs in the family dontcha know!

I will see myself out.

[Churchhoney]

21 hours ago, PikaScrewChu said:

It runs in the family dontcha know!

 

It's interesting that when God's messages are strongly fact-based -- "With 5 kids, you feel like you're totally losing it! Seems like 5 are as many as you can handle! That suggests you shouldn't have any more! 5 is a nice number! It reminds me of the Pentateuch!" -- they completely ignore them. 

I wonder what the godly messages they actually listen to sound like? I'd guess the Jim Bob message on "let's keep having a million kids" went like this "All for Jim Bob! People for Jim Bob to totally control forEVAH! Sons who'll make Jim Bob BELOVED of GOD!!" 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Churchhoney

[PikaScrewChu]

Money is their god. The only way Jessa remains relevant to the show is if she keeps getting pregnant and having babies. As vapid as the Kardashians are, they do find other ways to stay relevant.

I mean, she could pull a Kardashian and serve Bin divorce papers out of nowhere. But we know that isn't happening. 

[farmgal4]

On 5/20/2020 at 3:43 PM, BitterApple said:

Yeah, it's pretty depressing. I don't get the sense Bin and Jessa do much of anything besides wake up every day and schlep over to the TTH. There's no hobbies, no excursions, no shared passions, nothing. They don't ever seem to have any fun. I feel like they can't even use the kids as an excuse considering there's a steady supply of babysitters right down the road. Hell, my grandmother at 90 had more of a life than they do at mid-20s.

To me, Jessa seems very content, and she appears to find enjoyment and happiness just from being a mother.  Ben, on the other hand, appears to be the least joyous person out of all the married couples.  We don’t hear or see much of Ben at all, but from what I’ve seen on social media, he seems to be miserable.  I suspect that he regrets ever hearing the name Duggar, much less marrying one.  JMHO

[madpsych78]

3 hours ago, farmgal4 said:

To me, Jessa seems very content, and she appears to find enjoyment and happiness just from being a mother.  Ben, on the other hand, appears to be the least joyous person out of all the married couples.  We don’t hear or see much of Ben at all, but from what I’ve seen on social media, he seems to be miserable.  I suspect that he regrets ever hearing the name Duggar, much less marrying one.  JMHO

Well no wonder. His identity as a Seewald has not only been stripped from him (he might as well be an honorary Duggar), but his sisters appear to be doing more with their lives than he is. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was experiencing some regrets over the decisions he has made.

[Growsonwalls]

1 hour ago, madpsych78 said:

Well no wonder. His identity as a Seewald has not only been stripped from him (he might as well be an honorary Duggar), but his sisters appear to be doing more with their lives than he is. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was experiencing some regrets over the decisions he has made.

And ... he's married to Jessa. The most joyless, dour Duggar J-slave. That can't be fun.

[GeeGolly]

Has Jessa always had a business contact on her IG account?

And has she always been Ephesians mother? 😉

Mom to 👦🏻Spurgeon, 👦🏼Henry & 👧🏻Ivy • Ephesians

[Churchhoney]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Has Jessa always had a business contact on her IG account?

And has she always been Ephesians mother? 😉

Mom to 👦🏻Spurgeon, 👦🏼Henry & 👧🏻Ivy • Ephesians

I think The Gift Shoppe is a new addition. Seems odd to me that she'd sign on with the people who've hooked Jingle and Jer up with a long list of completely unsuitable businesses .... 

I'm always confused by people embracing these verses so fervently. I get that the point is that God does everything and next to God humans are nothing. Fair theological point, obviously. But when somebody declares it their main motto, it always sounds to me mostly like an excuse for never doing anything nice for anybody.....That fits the Duggars to a tee, of course...except that they boast anyway....."[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2: 8-9)

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Churchhoney

[GeeGolly]

I just found out that Britney Spears' younger sister has a 2 year old named Ivey Joan. Hmmm.

[Churchhoney]

3 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I just found out that Britney Spears' younger sister has a 2 year old named Ivey Joan. Hmmm.

Maybe Jessa found out, too, and she's changed Ivy's name from Ivy Jane to Ivy Ephesians. 😁

[Temperance]

It doesn't say she's mother to Ephesians. There's clearly punctuation there.  

[Churchhoney]

2 minutes ago, Temperance said:

It doesn't say she's mother to Ephesians. There's clearly punctuation there.  

I'm pretty sure @GeeGolly was joking, doncha think? 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Churchhoney

[Nysha]

Maybe she's pregnant and is giving us advance warning that Ben gets to name this one?

[Oldernowiser]

Maybe it’s their cat?

[AryasMum]

On 5/23/2020 at 10:44 AM, Churchhoney said:

It's interesting that when God's messages are strongly fact-based -- "With 5 kids, you feel like you're totally losing it! Seems like 5 are as many as you can handle! That suggests you shouldn't have any more! 5 is a nice number! It reminds me of the Pentateuch!" -- they completely ignore them. 

I wonder what the godly messages they actually listen to sound like? I'd guess the Jim Bob message on "let's keep having a million kids" went like this "All for Jim Bob! People for Jim Bob to totally control forEVAH! Sons who'll make Jim Bob BELOVED of GOD!!" 

Why did I think the breakdown happened when Joe was a baby? Wouldn’t that be seven as the magic number?  Or my memory is crap. 

[PikaScrewChu]

On 5/23/2020 at 4:37 PM, madpsych78 said:

Well no wonder. His identity as a Seewald has not only been stripped from him (he might as well be an honorary Duggar), but his sisters appear to be doing more with their lives than he is. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was experiencing some regrets over the decisions he has made.

There was a group picture at the TTH where you could see Bin clearly regretting his life choices. It was one of the Mother's Day pictures if I remember correctly.

But he will stay because well... 

[Churchhoney]

38 minutes ago, AryasMum said:

Why did I think the breakdown happened when Joe was a baby? Wouldn’t that be seven as the magic number?  Or my memory is crap. 

I think you're right. I couldn't decide between five and seven, and I just ended up drawing the five because I was  responding to the idea that Jessa might lose it if her next delivery were twins -- so, 5 for her....

I was still flipping a coin about Meeechelle between 5 and 7  -- 7 because I vaguely recalled (maybe) the same thing you said about Joe. 5 because I also vaguely recalled the probably irrelevant thought about her starting to teach Josh to read around the same time.....I!

[ouinason]

In theory, Ben is the head of the household and could decide to pull away from JB and the Duggar of it all if he had the gumption.  That's the THEORY.

 

In theory my husband is the head of our household and can make decisions for our family if he chooses to.

 

Alas, theory and reality are never quite the same thing.  😮

[Albanyguy]

1 minute ago, ouinason said:

In theory, Ben is the head of the household and could decide to pull away from JB and the Duggar of it all if he had the gumption.  That's the THEORY.

 

In theory my husband is the head of our household and can make decisions for our family if he chooses to.

 

Alas, theory and reality are never quite the same thing.  😮

In theory, Jim Bob is the head of the whole shebang, but I’ve always believed that despite her baby-voiced, head-bobbing wifey act, Michelle is the one who calls the shots and nothing happens without her approval.

[ouinason]

I would buy that.  

There are certainly things she tells him to "handle", but he could be one of those guys who are just putting on a good front of control. 

Maybe the crazy eyes scare him too.

 

This is my quote to my mother in law when she pointed out that hubby was the head of our home and responsible for the running of it.  "As the head of our household, he's decided that we are a partnership.  As partners we decided that I'm in charge."