S07.E08: Tea Time with Zoey

[formerlyfreedom]

Bill takes Will to work so that Jen can spend some quality time with Zoey.

 

[SunShine Gal]

I'm really looking forward to this episode. They've been showing the promos and Zoey calls Jen "momma". Zoey is SO CUTE and I'm SO HAPPY for Jen that she's got her little girl now. Time to play dress up. Time for cute, fun hats. Time for cute clothes. Time for tea parties!

[Jellybeans]

I am excited too! Love both Zoey and Will and so glad Jen and Bill are their parents.

[LegalParrot81]

Liked last nights show.  Will cracked me up when he was mooing at the big dog.   Will has NiNi wrapped around his little finger. It's so fun seeing how crazy Judy is about that little boy.   Did anyone else notice that when Will was taking Bill's temperature he said Daddy hot, not Baba hot?

 

I can't help it, Zoey just makes me smile. She continues to rock the sunglasses, gloves on the other hand (no pun intended), not so much.  She wasn't having any of the half cupcakes until she realized she'd get more cake going with the plate. 

 

Looking forward to Will's birthday.  He may just hyperventilate when he sees his cake. LOL

Edited April 23, 2014 by LegalParrot81

[Jellybeans]

Loved Jen having "high tea" with Zoey. A very endearing scene... Zoey is a beautiful girl and loves her Momma!

[MrMattyMatt]

The tea time was so cute.  I like Zoey's somewhat bossy personality that we are finally getting to see.  Jen will have a run for her money soon!  LOL

 

Looks like Will is going to have quite the lavish birthday party.  The cake that they ended up with seemed smaller and totally different from when the Cake Lady was visiting for her consultation. 

[mojito]

This episode felt forced to me.  Mind you, I'm a viewer, so I'm not criticizing Jen's parenting (as though I have enough information after watching 22 minutes of edited film); I'm voicing an opinion. I don't like it when parents try to engage a child in something they think is cute when the child is too young to appreciate it or would rather do something else. I would have preferred to see a more freestyle activity with Jen and Zoey, more like what Bill did with Will. Point him in a direction and then just let him roll with it. That would've allowed me to see how Zoey rolls instead of how Jen thinks Zoey should roll.

Will sure is obsessed with "cake", isn't he?

Edited April 23, 2014 by mojito

[MrMattyMatt]

Right, it seemed that Jen "ran" the tea party when it should be the other way around.  Then again, Zoey is a bit to young at this point, but I am sure we will see the tables turn soon.  It almost exhausting watching the the segments with Will.  I prefer calm Zoey.

[Madame]

I  thought it was funny that Jen was so much more into the tea party than Zoey was.   Except for the "cheers" part -- I don't think I've ever seen a little kid who didn't love to do cheers, for some reason.  And no doubt fist-bumping will be standard "tea party etiquette" from now on. 

[Everh]

This episode felt forced to me.  Mind you, I'm a viewer, so I'm not criticizing Jen's parenting (as though I have enough information after watching 22 minutes of edited film); I'm voicing an opinion. I don't like it when parents try to engage a child in something they think is cute when the child is too young to appreciate it or would rather do something else. I would have preferred to see a more freestyle activity with Jen and Zoey, more like what Bill did with Will. Point him in a direction and then just let him roll with it. That would've allowed me to see how Zoey rolls instead of how Jen thinks Zoey should roll.

Will sure is obsessed with "cake", isn't he?

You posted 200% exactly what I wanted to say, only much better I would like to add.   The tea party was for Jen. It was ridiculous to watch such self indulgence, catered sandwiches and all.     As Mojito said, just let these kids play, free of the constant direction and made for tv concocted scenes.  Again like the poster I quoted I would of much rather seen Zoey run around a playground.

           Did Bill or Jen ever see how much Will loves music?   Let the kids dance and sing.    I bet it would help Will with his speech in a natural fun way too.

                        Speaking of Will, he has a big pot belly now and still in diapers.     They have to remove him from the home to sample cakes?, only to eat chocolate with Grandma.    Grandma should of given him a piece of fruit.    If they are trying to keep him happy and camera ready by giving into his demands for sweets, it just solidifies why I think they should not be on tv anymore.     

          Lastly, one more fancy expensive birthday party and cake in the making.  Boring and of course they didn't pay a penny for any of it, just like most of the furniture in their house.

[Fostersmom]

I about died when Zoey was "blowing it up" at the tea party. She obviously couldn't care less about the tea party, that was all for Jen's benefit. Zoey is 2, has no idea what a tea party was, and would have been just as happy doing nothing at all. Maybe my childhood was as lacking as Jen seems to think her's was, but we never had a formal tea party. We had a little plastic pot and cups and my sister and I would put Kool-Ade in it and sometimes open a pack of Little Debbie's, but that was it. Well, once my dad and uncle put beer in our little cups, but that's what happens when your dad is 23, your uncle is even younger, and you are 5. I don't remember any of my friends ever having a formal tea party, they all had the juice/cookies variety I had. I think Jen was showing her age with this one. It's her ideal of a fun event as an older mom, but certainly not Zoey's. 

Judy obviously dotes on Will. It seemed like Judy wanted Bill just to drop Will off to her and then leave. She got kinda excited when she asked if he could stay. Bill really needs to have his back surgery. He was so stiff when he was following Will back out the door. It looked like it was hurting him to even walk. 

[LegalParrot81]

I think about half way through the tea party, it dawned on Jen that Zoey wasn't quite getting it.  She made a comment about Zoey putting her cucumber in her tea and Zoey being only two.  I think Jen's intention was well placed, just maybe a year too soon.  Zoey would have been just as happy hanging out, playing in the cupboards with Mom. 

[Jellybeans]

I did the same stuff with my daughter at age two and Zoey did what tea party toddlers normally do. It is all about enjoying a time together and that was obvious.

I think certain things are producer driven.

I hope the tea parties continue. A sweet way for them to bond.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Jellybeans

[Marigny]

I think Jen needed something to do with Zoey for filming. She's still a bit restricted on public places and probably can't go too far with Zoey alone, so a tea party was a cute and logical option. It was no more forced than painting with Will a few episodes ago. Even though Zoey wasn't that into it, it was still cute. 

[MrMattyMatt]

Too bad it all had to end with having to put Zoey down for her nap.  Did they ever show more about her cute bed?  I was suprised to see that there is a huge opening that she could roll out of, unless the side comes up like a crib.   When we have seen Will in bed they have quite a set-up for him.

[4leafclover]

I agree with you Jellybeans.  I started having tea parties with my granddaughter when she was about 2 years old, complete with hats, scarves, English accents and a real tea pot and cups.  She was into it for about 3 minutes but I had a blast.  If I enjoyed it more than she did, so what?  It was a special time between us and I wouldn't give it up for the world.  By the time she was 3, she was asking me to have "tea pots" (that's what she called tea parties) with her! She's 8 years old now and sadly, hasn't asked for one in awhile but maybe we'll dust off the the hats this weekend for one more "tea pot."  

[constantknot]

This episode felt forced to me.  Mind you, I'm a viewer, so I'm not criticizing Jen's parenting (as though I have enough information after watching 22 minutes of edited film); I'm voicing an opinion. I don't like it when parents try to engage a child in something they think is cute when the child is too young to appreciate it or would rather do something else. I would have preferred to see a more freestyle activity with Jen and Zoey, more like what Bill did with Will. Point him in a direction and then just let him roll with it. That would've allowed me to see how Zoey rolls instead of how Jen thinks Zoey should roll.

I too think that a more informal hangout between the 2 of them would have been a nicer glimpse into their regular life and relationship. As Jellybeans says, there must be some pressure from producers. They need 'something' to happen for each episode, and so they come up with something that they think viewers will want to see. Puts the parents as well as the kids on the spot though, and everyone gets judged about their particular actions during that particular (staged for fun/drama/excitement) moment that doesn't always hit the mark. I don't blame her one bit for wanting to do fun girly stuff with her daughter though. Bill and Will are clearly best buds and Jen deserves a taste of that as well! 

As a speech-language pathologist and a new mom, I know how hard it is to give children some 'expectant waiting time' and not desperately fill all the quiet moments with your own speech. Probably especially hard when you've got a camera on you, and you don't want to the moment to seem boring..... All that being said, I kept wishing that Jen dial back all the talking and repetition and just let Zoey play, listen, and learn! 

 

Did anyone else notice that when Will was taking Bill's temperature he said Daddy hot, not Baba hot?

I thought I heard that too. Wonder if Will will eventually start calling Bill Daddy all the time, like he hears other children calling their fathers. I think it's sweet that they're keeping that part of Will's heritage but question if it will stick long-term. I might be remembering it wrong, but I feel like on occasion Bill has referred to himself as Daddy too. 

Such a lovely little family. Totally enjoy them every week. 

[LegalParrot81]

So far, we haven't seen nearly as much with Zoey, her room, toys etc as we did with Will, but the circumstances this year are so completely different than they were when Jen & Bill brought Will home last year.

 

From a height stand point, it's nice to see that Will is growing at about the same rate as any 3 year old (which is 2-3 inches in year 3).  

 

Constantknot, I do remember Bill referring to himself as Daddy to Will.  Bill also goes back and forth between referring to Judy as Grandma or NiNi.  He called her both in this episode.

Edited April 23, 2014 by LegalParrot81

[MrMattyMatt]

I would have liked to have seen more with Will and Baba doing things at the Pet Store.  All we saw was him "brooming up" dog hair (as Bill put it) and then NyeNye feeding him chocolate and cookies.  They really need to break that kid from all the treats and sweets.

 

Oh wait, we did see Will toss a dog treat too...

Edited April 23, 2014 by MrMattyMatt

[mojito]

 

Oh wait, we did see Will toss a dog treat too...

What we didn't see was the footage of Will trying to eat it before someone stopped him. Oh, c'mon, you know it happened!

[MrMattyMatt]

What we didn't see was the footage of Will trying to eat it before someone stopped him. Oh, c'mon, you know it happened!

 

I was waiting for it!!

[Absolom]

Ratings for this week: 2.652 M viewers and a .7 rating.

[Jellybeans]

Ratings for this week: 2.652 M viewers and a .7 rating.

Can you explain what that means? I can't tell if that's good or bad.

Thanks.

[camom]

 

What we didn't see was the footage of Will trying to eat it before someone stopped him. Oh, c'mon, you know it happened!

 

Maybe not.  With two dogs at home, Will has probably learned the difference between dog treats and Will treats.  (But then, at that age my very intelligent son liked to eat the kibble so much that I switched our dog to canned food!)

[Absolom]

That's good for TLC. Their average prime time viewership is usually down in the 900K to 1.1 M range. Any show that can stay above 2 M viewers is doing very well.

[xldb2004]

Zoey's green dress gave me life. Who bought Zoey's clothes when she was sick? Her wardrobe is fabulous!

[LazyToaster]

I bet Jen has been shopping online. That dress is adorable.

[Lillybee]

I think that Jen may have tried too hard with hosting that cute tea party but I felt that she was trying to make up for all the time that she lost when she was so sick and wasn't able to interact with the kids.

[LegalParrot81]

Jen had been stock piling clothes for Zoey for quite a while.  She's started buying almost a year before they finally got to go get her.  Zoey looked very summery for the tea party and quite suitable for high tea.  LOL

[roamyn]

She needs a tea date w/a real Brit: Prince George Alexander of Csmbridge!

And while we're at it, let's set up Will w/Princess Estelle of Sweden.

Talk abt cuteness overload!

Edited April 24, 2014 by roamyn

[millk]

I was glad Jen didn't go with a fake accent. Nothing makes me cringe more than a fake accent. (I'm fine with lip smacking or whatever vocal fry that freaks others out but fake accents...no.)

[Jellybeans]

That's good for TLC. Their average prime time viewership is usually down in the 900K to 1.1 M range. Any show that can stay above 2 M viewers is doing very well.

Thanks Absolom!

[all4mom]

(talking about the wonderful new growth charts you can BUY now to match the colors in the rooms, whereas poor Jen had to make due with pencil marks on the door jam like the rest of America)

 

Jen: "There aren't many walls in this room."

 

Bill: "Well, there are four."

 

Tee hee!

[mojito]

 

Maybe not.  With two dogs at home, Will has probably learned the difference between dog treats and Will treats.  (But then, at that age my very intelligent son liked to eat the kibble so much that I switched our dog to canned food!)

Uh-huh. Wanna reconsider whether or not Will tried to eat the treats???

Edited April 24, 2014 by mojito

[all4mom]

I liked how Zoey ripped those gloves off the minute Jen put them on her (actually, while Jen was putting on her own) and then, because Jen still didn't get the message, threw them on the floor after Jen laid them out on the table "for later."  Also, when Zoey was viewing the BIG CAT through the viewmaster, what was with Jen going "ROWR-ROWR!" and all wiggling her fingers just like Bill does with Will to signify a bear?  Poor Zoey just kept repeating, "MEOW, MEOW, MEOW" like a sensible little girl...  Jen really needs to quit talking so much and learn to listen...

Edited April 24, 2014 by all4mom

[all4mom]

Well, I can answer that, having JUST watched the rerun of the spa weekend to Galveston (it appeared Bill had to "make it up" to her for bringing his entire family down for Christmas; I notice they haven't been back since)...  Bill said re: the croquet game, and I quote:  "My wife has this issue; she is ALWAYS competitive.  Always, always, always."

Edited April 24, 2014 by all4mom

[walnutqueen]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode and thought the tea party and the visit to the pet shop were nice.

Bill's sense of humor always makes me smile; this episode it was his comeback "You brought this on yourself, Judy".  Heh.

[4leafclover]

I agree with you that the tea party was sweet.  Zoey doing the exploding fist bump and dropping her cucumber in the tea cup was so cute and so typical of a 2 year old--they have about a 2-3 minute attention span for everything!  

[LegalParrot81]

I did a rewatch last night because nothing else was on and I noticed that when Will said NiNi eat, Judy responded something about ask Daddy and then Will said Daddy eat.  Kind of makes you wonder if the opening scene with Will taking Bill's temperature and saying Daddy, hot, was actually filmed after their afternoon at the pet store with NiNi.

[all4mom]

Mmm; chocolates!  Will is neither old enough nor big enough to get his own food.  It's sort of like "The 600-pound Mom" or whatever...  If they're incapable of feeding themselves and yet are eating too much, well...  Just sayin'!

Edited April 24, 2014 by all4mom

[all4mom]

Speaking of CAKE, leave it to Jen to order a hundred dollar one from a professional when Bill was able to bake his own, presumably from a cake mix, with Will's help, which was a lot more meaningful, not to mention fun.  You can't cook, Jen?  Then why the professional kitchen?  It's a good thing Jen trained for a lucrative profession, is all I have to say.  And the interrogation during the tea party...  Is that good?  Do you like tea?  Is it too hot?  Are we having more fun?  Are we done now?  Can I dress you?"  (nervous laughter)  Jen is talking and can't hush up...

Edited April 24, 2014 by all4mom

[jodo]

Agree it was hard to watch Bill lumber down the sidewalk into the store with that back of his...someone said he tweeted during the episode that viewers might have noticed him laying in a prone position a lot and how he had hurt his back a year ago and needed surgery....I felt his pain walking and no wonder he grunts so loud when he hoists the kids or any kind of weight....AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH

 

I just adore Will, absolutely adore him, his personality, his smile, his devil eyes and Zoey is mimicking Will in everything!  Jen produces a ready-made (not self made imho) sandwich platter straight from the deli that is way way too much for the 2 of them!  Then in her highest upper register tries to get Zoey excited about dressing up...scarf/gloves Zoey?..NO but what does she want "EAT"   Jen says oh you just want to get right to eating.....yep just like Will.  If there wasn't so much emphasis on food on the shows then it might not be a hot topic for me.  And Boy in Tarzan has more words than those kids...EAT!!  

 

Will is getting pudgy, look at that tummy and this is not healthy especially when he suffers from sleep apnea.  Zoey has filled out too and not as drawn looking as she was when she first came thank God, nice to see smiling eyes instead of wtf eyes.  Did they actually expect to tell Will we are taking a box of candy to NaiNai and not expect him to try to try to get into the box again and again and finally just take one.  I truly think he is old enough to know who something belongs to.  They told him it was NaiNai's so he just takes one and I think he said MINE to her when he took a piece of it and walked over to her with it.  Zoey has a meltdown wanting this one first..no, tears shaking head pointing to another one...no, now the other one while Jen plays the game with her instead of saying eat this or nothing Zoey enough.  These kids are not and should not be in charge.  

 

I never thought we would catch a break with her rattling on and on in the tea room and why couldn't we see Zoey just being Zoey and letting her decide on her own what she wanted to do, what she wanted to play with...why couldn't Jen say (for the viewers to watch) "Zoey show me _____ or bring me ____ and let Zoey be the life of the tea party instead of Jen?  And what kind of a slam was that to Judy when Jen made the underhanded remark about her childhood and wishes for more tea parties or something.....geez sorry Mom....

Has anyone noticed how much faster Jen is talking, is this a fallout of some medication(s) she is taking or is she so self conscious about being solo on camera with a child who is not talking much and trying to fill space for the show?  

It made me say out loud "ya think??" when Jen (oh but bless her heart) said to the camera well after all Zoey is only 2 and not expected to know tea party etiquette or some such dribble when Zoey put a cucumber in her tea!  

 

Judy was cute at the bookstore and clearly LOVES HER WILL just like me!  She lit up when he came in.  Yet the exchanges between them are food focused as well, eating chocolates, eating cookies, kisses in between.  

Edited April 24, 2014 by jodo

[all4mom]

"Life of the tea party"; ROFL!

[jodo]

I think Jen needed something to do with Zoey for filming. She's still a bit restricted on public places and probably can't go too far with Zoey alone, so a tea party was a cute and logical option. It was no more forced than painting with Will a few episodes ago. Even though Zoey wasn't that into it, it was still cute. 

 

They just got back from a public trip to San Fran on a plane surrounded by people and to a convention.  And she will never be able to take Zoey alone anywhere until Zoey listens to her and obeys her.  

[Jellybeans]

They just got back from a public trip to San Fran on a plane surrounded by people and to a convention.  And she will never be able to take Zoey alone anywhere until Zoey listens to her and obeys her.

Or, until she gets her strength back.

[jodo]

Let's hope so!

[mojito]

Bill has a great sense of humor. In my opinion, he has never said anything stupid; he's always joking. Jen might be competitive, but in a playful way. I don't see her as being obsessed with winning as much as enjoying the game. As I stated before, watching an edited program of selected clips is not much information for me to make statements about anyone's motivation and intention.

 

Jen's an eager parent. She's not the first parent who has tried to convince her child that she's having fun. Parenting, even just a little, in front of a camera must be a tightrope.

 

If the network is nudging them towards certain activities or trying to script their activities and comments, I wish it would stop. There's enough cuteness on the show to pull off ordinary activities like playing with building blocks and horsing around and learning animal sounds and--.well, I'm sure you get my drift--and still be entertaining.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Bella
Implied comparisons with other posters, which we're just not doing here.

[jodo]

I love how Will is mesmerized by things!  Bill gave him that stud finder I think it is and he went to town with it.  Yes growth charts have sure come a long way.....and gee I am wondering why they couldn't get more walls installed....a doctor huh....and Bill's dry remark "we have 4..." fell on deaf ears, she didn't seem to get that...note to Jen: insert nervous laugh here....lol  Loved Will with the sticker sheet and I was so hoping he was going in to pick out number 4 but he just grabbed the first one that became available yet Jen made it sound like he would saying "can you get it?" 

Aw Zoey...all you wanted to do was meow like a big kitty kat but Mama had other plans and took over your game...Jen almost overplays her hand at trying to be playful with both kids but she is too controlling to relax and just roll with it.  An extremely competitive person like Jen cannot relax and fights for control all the time.   Zoey seems to be developing really well, her meows were cute and well said, she is interested and active and you can definitely see what she likes and doesn't like!

I loved seeing Will's face on the replay of his 3rd birthday cake NaiNai made, his eyes turning up and that little smirk with the candles.

[MrMattyMatt]

I was thinking Jen meant that there was not enough free space on the walls.

 

I loved how Zoey was enjoying the View Finder...  until Jen had to come and "enhance" her experience with it.

[millk]

I'm pretty sure Jen meant there aren't a whole lot of usable wall space in the room. I know my childhood bedroom wouldn't have space for a growth chart. And any peek onto Pinterest will show a whole bunch of growth chart ideas. How many families have left the old growth chart when parent's move/downsize?