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

[BitterApple]

I don't think Bin works. Someone on Reddit would've figured it out by now if he did. He's always available for filming and travel, which wouldn't happen with a real job. 

[sleepysuzy]

My suspicion is that Ben works somewhere in a not-public-facing capacity,  but they keep it quiet for two reasons: to keep people from launching a campaign to get him fired, and because they don't want to admit that their self-employed/working for family only paradigm isn't sustainable. He could be working in a warehouse or factory and remain somewhat anonymous.

If he works part-time or rotating shifts, it wouldn't be hard to schedule around filming, since most of what we see is heavily edited, scripted,  and aired far after it happens. Don't they really only have like 10 hours if actual new footage each season, shared among like 35 people? My family who work blue collar jobs often have 4 or 5 days off in a row each time they switch shifts (like going from 1st to 3rd). They often know those schedules months in advance, too. All speculation, but that's what makes sense to me.

[ranchgirl]

Another sign that Spurgeon is favored over Henry ..  Jessa won't cut Spurgeon's hair to save the curl but has no problem cutting Henry's.  

 

 

 

[emmawoodhouse]

1 hour ago, MonicaM said:

Very true.  However, I strongly suspect that if he had any kind of substantial employment or education, his wife would be shouting it to the masses all over social media.  She's very image conscious and very aware of what's said and written about her family.  Two of her sisters get to post about their husbands who are working towards advanced degrees and she makes only vague, occasional references about Bin coming home from work.  IMHO, that says a lot.  If she had something to brag about, she'd be bragging.

Jessa did remark that Ben finished school last spring. What school that was is anyone's best guess. 

[Marshmallow Mollie]

One of my twins needs to get his body moving right before bedtime - especially when he was the ages of Spurgeon and Henry. He just had to get that last bit of energy out, and then he’d fall straight asleep. However, he also went to preschool, had regular play dates, went to playground, and had a mentally stimulating household where he actually learned stuff instead of reciting Bible verses. Jessa’s kids have to be bored out of their gourds. Rough housing with Ben is probably the only really good exercise they get.

[iwantcookies]

Maybe they go to TTH daily and play with the M kids. But yeah definitely the kids are BORED.

[Madtown]

Spurge talks about how he hates fighting. Jessa says we should hate what God hates..

This was in her insta story and she said it was too cute not to share.

 

[lascuba]

15 hours ago, sleepysuzy said:

My suspicion is that Ben works somewhere in a not-public-facing capacity,  but they keep it quiet for two reasons: to keep people from launching a campaign to get him fired, and because they don't want to admit that their self-employed/working for family only paradigm isn't sustainable. He could be working in a warehouse or factory and remain somewhat anonymous.

If he works part-time or rotating shifts, it wouldn't be hard to schedule around filming, since most of what we see is heavily edited, scripted,  and aired far after it happens. Don't they really only have like 10 hours if actual new footage each season, shared among like 35 people? My family who work blue collar jobs often have 4 or 5 days off in a row each time they switch shifts (like going from 1st to 3rd). They often know those schedules months in advance, too. All speculation, but that's what makes sense to me.

I've thought this for a while. If he were working for JB, they'd talk it up and make him out to be some kind of property manager or something--I don't think they'd hide the fact that he was working for the family business, since that's the be all end all to them. I wouldn't think he doesn't work at all, just because JB wouldn't support that from a son-in-law. That leaves Ben having an actual W-2 job that they don't want the public knowing about for the reasons you states, and/or his employer doesn't want their business associated with the show.

Filming schedule doesn't really factor, I don't think, because they don't film that much anyway and most everything except births is scheduled far in advance.

[GeeGolly]

1 hour ago, Madtown said:

Spurge talks about how he hates fighting. Jessa says we should hate what God hates..

This was in her insta story and she said it was too cute not to share.

 

Why would she film this conversation to begin with?

[BitterApple]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Why would she film this conversation to begin with?

Because Mama Rose is determined to make him happen!

[drafan]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Why would she film this conversation to begin with?

...because they had spent the whole trip rehearsing those lines....

[JoanArc]

Quote

Jessa says we should hate what God hates..

Child Molesters?

Hippocrates?

Liars?

Mean Girls?

Not doing yourself any favors, Jessa.

[awaken]

God hates hippocrates!  Note to self!

[floridamom]

I'm sorry to say that I still don't understand Henry when he speaks. Jessa needs to follow up on this.

[GeeGolly]

Jessa totally misses half of the lesson here anyway. Spurge was jealous of Henry's shoes and made Henry feel bad, because Spurge was feeling bad. The lesson Jessa taught totally ignored Spurge's feelings and only addressed his actions. The don't be mean/always be nice message is not a healthy one on its own.

[QuinnInND]

 

[Tikichick]

On 9/13/2020 at 8:42 AM, Chicklet said:

Wow he's a male Jessa.

Starting to wonder if this isn't what's fueling her apparent determination to make him a star?  Is this her chance to achieve via her child what she really wants for herself?

[Jenniferbug]

Anyone else getting pregnancy announcement vibes from the matching shirt pictures? Brother bee, brother bee, sister bee...all it needs is a onesie with baby bee printed on it. 

ETA: just saw on Reddit that someone went to the website she ordered from and they do make a "baby bee" onesie. Doesn't necessarily mean anything, of course. 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Jenniferbug

[riverblue22]

Jessa has a very nice family--it's a good time to stop~

[emmawoodhouse]

1 minute ago, riverblue22 said:

Jessa has a very nice family--it's a good time to stop~

Not that she will. 

[leighdear]

Is potato baby just wearing underpants with a t-shirt?  And the no-shoes thing is perfect for a toddler playing in a filthy, grass lot surrounded by concrete.  Bravo, Jessa.  

The Splurge has lost all the cute he had.  

[BigBingerBro]

[Churchhoney]

13 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

The lesson Jessa taught totally ignored Spurge's feelings and only addressed his actions.

Call me crazy, but I think this description may be accurate for Jessa's entire approach to life. 

[emmawoodhouse]

43 minutes ago, leighdear said:

Is potato baby just wearing underpants with a t-shirt?  And the no-shoes thing is perfect for a toddler playing in a filthy, grass lot surrounded by concrete.  Bravo, Jessa.  

The Splurge has lost all the cute he had.  

Usually the boys are barefoot, too. I'm shocked that they're wearing shoes! 

Jessa really has a thing against shoes.

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, leighdear said:

Is potato baby just wearing underpants with a t-shirt?  And the no-shoes thing is perfect for a toddler playing in a filthy, grass lot surrounded by concrete.  Bravo, Jessa.  

The Splurge has lost all the cute he had.  

Those look like baby shorts on Ivy.  Jessa doesn't seem to do shoes until the kids need them to go in stores.  

Spurge is not in a good stage at the moment.

[farmgal4]

1 hour ago, leighdear said:

Is potato baby just wearing underpants with a t-shirt?  And the no-shoes thing is perfect for a toddler playing in a filthy, grass lot surrounded by concrete.  Bravo, Jessa.  

The Splurge has lost all the cute he had.  

I’m not against bare feet at all, but I just SMDH when I saw Ivy’s bare feet.  Obviously Jessa didn’t consider the fact that many parking lots have little (or big) shards of broken glass laying around. 

[Temperance]

5 hours ago, Jenniferbug said:

Anyone else getting pregnancy announcement vibes from the matching shirt pictures? Brother bee, brother bee, sister bee...all it needs is a onesie with baby bee printed on it. 

ETA: just saw on Reddit that someone went to the website she ordered from and they do make a "baby bee" onesie. Doesn't necessarily mean anything, of course. 

Good Catch! Jessa is overdue for an announcement. Ivy is 15 months. Henry was born when Spurgeon was 15 months. 

I think her kids are cute enough. 

[Scarlett45]

6 hours ago, Temperance said:

Good Catch! Jessa is overdue for an announcement. Ivy is 15 months. Henry was born when Spurgeon was 15 months. 

I think her kids are cute enough. 

There was a much bigger gap between Henry and Ivy than Spurgeon and Henry though. I in no way think Jessa is done, but I’m not surprised she hasn’t announced anything yet. She will likely have an announcement next year. 
 

Ivy was born right before the wave of girls born Fall 2019/Jan 2020. Before that Joy, Kendra and Jinger were pregnant together in 2018. Jessa was the outlier to be pregnant at the end of 2018. I’m guessing she will make the next wave of births (babies born within an 8 week time span) with Lauren, Abby, Anna in quarter 3 of 2021- Joy will be right behind them. 

[emmawoodhouse]

Jessa finally cut his hair. Sort of.

 

[GeeGolly]

1 minute ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Jessa finally cut his hair. Sort of.

 

Sort of being the key words here.

[QuinnInND]

18 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Jessa finally cut his hair. Sort of.

 

About halfway where it needs to be. There's a space between a buzz cut and a decent boys haircut. Smh He looks cute in the ones where his hair is wet. Looks so different. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by QuinnInND
Because what I wrote looked like I was schooled at the SOTDRT

[Churchhoney]

58 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Jessa finally cut his hair. Sort of.

 

Jessa, being so obsessed with "lovely curls" threatens to make you look like a female Bill Gothard. Hard to imagine you didn't somehow pick that obsession up from him, seeing as how it was drummed into your head for years and years and years .... It means nothing about the curl-wearer's godliness. And not everybody even thinks it looks attractive.

Also -- Spurge is nearing the verge of "insufferable" to me as these pose-y pictures proliferate. Don't turn your son into a self-satisfied little fame whore, Jessa. You have an oldest brother who's like that. And it didn't turn out well. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Churchhoney

[floridamom]

Spurgie's hair is still in his eyes, Jessa.

[GeeGolly]

One of my kids had hair very similar to Spurgie's. I guarantee you if she didn't tousle his hair, it would dry much like its combed, but with some slight waves and a little volume. 

[JoanArc]

She....literally cut one hair, didn't she?

Anything to get precious Spurge's face out there.

[iwantcookies]

What haircut???

[emmawoodhouse]

1 hour ago, iwantcookies said:

What haircut???

Why do you think I added "sort of?" 😂

[Scarlett45]

3 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Jessa finally cut his hair. Sort of.

 

I’m not a fan of long hair on men unless it’s dreadlocks, but Spurgeon is a little boy (not a grown man)- out side of getting the hair out of his eyes I think he looks precious. Even if he were a grown man I wouldn’t consider his hair to be long. 

[madpsych78]

She mostly cut the sides and back.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of straight-hair Spurge, only because he resembles Smuggar as a kid when his hair is straight.

[doodlebug]

1 minute ago, madpsych78 said:

She mostly cut the sides and back.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of straight-hair Spurge, only because he resembles Smuggar as a kid when his hair is straight.

She didn't even cut the sides and back properly, though.  I don't think he needs a buzz cut, but he needs the sides and back trimmed shorter and the top needs shortened, too.  She could still keep some length up top to give him some wave; but the non-cut she gave him just continues to make him look messy and unkempt, IMO.  What little cutting she did is shapeless.

[awaken]

7 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Jessa finally cut his hair. Sort of.

 

Haha. She clearly reads here!  Someone had JUST commented on his hair starting to look like a clown wig, and today we get yet another haircut post!  

[Vantraveller]

11 hours ago, madpsych78 said:

She mostly cut the sides and back.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of straight-hair Spurge, only because he resembles Smuggar as a kid when his hair is straight.

OMG! That bottom picture in the middle is Smuggar all over.

Edited September 18, 2020 by AussiesRule

[GeeGolly]

Its like she gave him a mop-top, low key mohawk.

[floridamom]

Give Spurgie a real hair cut, Jessa. He is a sweater..he always looks overheated in those photos.

[zenme]

Just throw a bow on him and this is what you have.

[iwantcookies]

That’s going to be Ivy in a year. 

[Barb23]

On 9/13/2020 at 10:59 PM, Marshmallow Mollie said:

Jessa’s kids have to be bored out of their gourds. Rough housing with Ben is probably the only really good exercise they get.

 

On 9/13/2020 at 11:02 PM, iwantcookies said:

Maybe they go to TTH daily and play with the M kids. But yeah definitely the kids are BORED.

I think often about how bored these kids must be. Even being with their other cousins daily or not has got to feel the same for them.  They always make comments when a new Duggarette comes along there will be plenty of playmate cousins for the new baby to play with. Hopefully this becomes true as they get older. Except the girl cousins won't be allowed to play boy cousins when they hit a certain age & vice versa.  What a shame, my son & niece are a year apart and were the best of friends growing up even though they lived closed by but went to different schools.  Life has taken them in different paths but they are still great friends as well as cousins. I think they consider themselves friends first then cousins.  If this type of relationship happens to only one set of cousins, I'll be good. 

[emmawoodhouse]

Of course, more on the YouTube channel. 🙄

 

[leighdear]

I had a Glamour Shots photo shoot done in 1990 with the exact same hairstyle Sploogen has in photo #3.  Though he really needs huge turquoise earrings and a smokey eye to pull the look off.  

[BitterApple]

Slicked, combover Spurge looks like a future serial killer. The looser, tousled locks suit him better, the only problem is his mother has no clue how to cut hair.