S11.E01: Great Scot! The Hurricanes Are Coming / S11.E2: A Sheep Is Going to Eat Us!

[EmmeRose]

July 10, 2017

TLC has announced the premier date of The Little Couple as September 19th, Tuesday, 9:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.

I just can't wait to see my favorite family again in a new state, Florida, where Jen has accepted a new position!

[4leafclover]

Oh no--they're moving from their beautiful home in Houston?

[VioletNevermind]

Thanks for the heads-up.  I hope it's okay to leave this preview link here for anyone who might want to watch it: https://www.google.com/amp/people.com/tv/little-couples-dr-jen-arnold-bill-klein-season-9-exclusive/amp/

[EmmeRose]

Yes, 4leafclover, Jen accepted a new position at Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL.  She will be the director of simulation.

[Evagirl]

16 hours ago, EmmeRose said:

July 10, 2017

TLC has announced the premier date of The Little Couple as September 19th, Tuesday, 9:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.

I just can't wait to see my favorite family again in a new state, Florida, where Jen has accepted a new position!

Wooo hooo!  Thanks for the update.  I've missed them soooooo much.  I didn't know about Florida!  I'm so behind on stuff.  I do look at Instagram every 3 or 4 months to see how much the kids have grown.

Do you know anything about the sell of the house?  It was customized for little people, so I'm wondering if they'll have a hard time selling it.  Plus it as a McMansion too, so it won't be cheap.

[Jellybeans]

Hopefully we will learn how they sold their house.  :-)

[EmmeRose]

I would think that any average sized buyer would have to gut the kitchen and bathrooms as the counters are too low.  If a potential buyer does not want the elevator, that could be made into closets - the original construction I believe.

[BitterApple]

It's crazy because I haven't followed the LIttle Couple for a while. I checked out their Instagrams to see how they were faring during Hurricane Harvey, and I had no idea they'd moved!

I'm also curious to see what they did with the house because it was already overbuilt for the neighborhood.

[mythoughtis]

I would think they  didn't have an issue. Either another little person bought it or a fan of the show bought it. 

Edited September 1, 2017 by mythoughtis
Autocorrect stinks

[TexasTiffany]

10 hours ago, BitterApple said:

It's crazy because I haven't followed the LIttle Couple for a while. I checked out their Instagrams to see how they were faring during Hurricane Harvey, and I had no idea they'd moved!

I'm also curious to see what they did with the house because it was already overbuilt for the neighborhood.

I had wondered if they were okay. I clicked on the TLC website and saw the news that they moved to Florida. In hindsight what a blessing that they did move since the devastation of hurricane Harvey. I hope they are doing well. It will be good to see them again.

I was watching another TLC show about conjoined twin babies being separated. One of the doctors there was Jen. 

[bichonblitz]

10 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

Either another little person bought it

That's unlikely. I doubt there are that many little people that both can afford that house and that live in Houston. That is a customized house, it's not just the kitchen, it's the bathrooms, the doors (hardware situated so they can reach) and a whole bunch of other stuff we haven't seen designed specifically for little people to navigate around and won't be easy to sell. I'd like to know what the sales price is.  

[Reddust]

I still think it would be an awesome house for someone who is in a wheelchair.

.

[4leafclover]

I am in Houston and I have been watching the local MLS listings for their home here but it isn't listed.  It is either not for sale or it is a private listing.  The county appraisal district has the market value at $933, 250.  

[BW Manilowe]

On 8/31/2017 at 3:02 PM, BitterApple said:

It's crazy because I haven't followed the LIttle Couple for a while. I checked out their Instagrams to see how they were faring during Hurricane Harvey, and I had no idea they'd moved!

I'm also curious to see what they did with the house because it was already overbuilt for the neighborhood.

The other day, in the "The Human Beings Known as the Arnold-Klein Family" thread, I linked to an Instagram post from Jen on her account. It was of all the flooding on the street where they lived in Houston. You couldn't see any of the house(s), just a really big mess of water. In the caption, Jen thanked their neighbors there for looking out for the property during the storm & said that they'd be coming back to check on things as soon as it was safe (& it was on Twitter yesterday that Bill will be there soon, making donations of food & other pet supplies for the animals that have been displaced & otherwise need help). I was surprised Jen said they'd be coming back to check on the house, as if they're just on an extended trip elsewhere & that's still their primary residence; like others, I figured they'd sold the house, or have it on the market to sell; especially since, in the last season promo TLC released, Zoey & Jen are talking about how someone else will be living in the house & using this or that thing. Some of the people who responded to the post with the house pic said that maybe they decided not to sell the house, at least not yet, so they/Bill would have an accessible place to stay in Houston since Bill still owns Rocky & Maggie's, as far as we know, & he'll probably be going between Florida & Texas on Rocky & Maggie's store business. I hadn't thought of that until then, but it does make sense to me. I mean, it costs less to stay in your own house than to have to rent a hotel room every time you're in town on a business trip.

[humbleopinion]

Food for thought...

Bill/Jen leasing the home to TV production companies for staging shows with little people casts once Bill sells his Houston business and doesn't need it to stay in to on Maggie and Rocky trips.

The house has professional lighting, has neighbors used to the comings and goings of production crews and is located fairly close to Hobby Airport, making it easier than having to drive through Houston's congested traffic to Intercontinental to get out of town.

In the long run, there is a chance Will or Zoey will want to use the home for college or job in Houston.

Or sell to another little people family.

It is a nice home.

Hope it didn't sustain any flood damage and we get an update....

Edited September 2, 2017 by humbleopinion

[BW Manilowe]

People magazine  says the season premiere ep on the 19th has been expanded to 2 hours, to include the trip Bill made back to Houston with his brothers (or with 2 of them, at least, who have experience with a Hurricane aftermath, because 1 is a firefighter & the other as a first responder) to help out with the relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey (Jen & the kids stayed behind in Florida).

After the article about the expanded season premiere episode, there's an embedded video Facebook post from Jen, giving an update on the family's status since they evacuated from the Tampa/St. Pete area (which is also quoted, in print, in the article I  linked to). She says everybody's fine, including the kids; apparently they're waiting out the storm somewhere in northwest Florida, & they're worried about relatives on Bill's side of the family & on Jen's side (relatives other than her parents though) who are (as I remember) on either side of the peninsula & stayed there during the storm, so Jen's asking for good vibes & prayers for all of them.

[BW Manilowe]

Marathon of The Little Couple on TLC, in honor of the new season premiere, from 11AM-10PM Eastern/10AM-9PM Central TODAY. Includes what looks like 2 new hour long eps.

[Eureka]

What time does it start tonight? I may have to watch tomorrow evening if it's too late.

[ginger90]

24 minutes ago, Eureka said:

What time does it start tonight? I may have to watch tomorrow evening if it's too late.

From what I can tell, it's two episodes, starting at 8p Eastern.

Edited September 19, 2017 by ginger90

[Eureka]

2 hours ago, ginger90 said:

From what I can tell, it's two episodes, starting at 8p Eastern.

Great, thanks. I can do that. I can't watch tv much past 10pm on a work night.

[farmgal4]

This is the only show I watch on TLC, so I just saw tonight's preview.  Bill and Jen look great!  Can't wait to see the kids!

[AZChristian]

I haven't watched this show since they were in India to adopt Zoe.  But tonight I turned it on just to see how the kids were doing.  OMG.  HOW ADORABLE are those kids!  And it's so nice to see a family interact so positively with each other.  

Just watching Zoe in dance class now.  I can't stand how cute she is!!!!

[Eureka]

I had to pick up a kid so came in on the tail end of the hurricane special and is it bad that I'm not that sad I missed it? 

I love seeing how the kids have grown! Their conversation about the ants in the middle of the distillery cracked me up.

I'm glad I watch Outlander, it helped me understand the accents, lol. Zoe was clearly not thrilled with the bagpipes. The look on her face was hilarious.

On a shallow note, that bow shirt Jen was wearing in the couch segments was kind of odd.

[farmgal4]

This show is TLC's only redeeming quality IMO.

[LocalGovt]

Let me say, I really like this family.  I was, however, disappointed in Bill's lack of parenting his kids on this vacation. The grands, I'll give a pass to, because they're not around the kids often enough.  But Bill -- in that castle -- slamming cannons, swinging ancient gongs....and Bill just kind of...let it go on. I don't know if the kids don't have many boundaries, or are not told not to do certain things (I had a niece who didn't ever want to tell her son "no", because she felt it was too negative). I've worked with preschoolers and young children in a teaching environment, so I've seen others this age in action, so to speak.  

[abbey]

21 minutes ago, LocalGovt said:

Let me say, I really like this family.  I was, however, disappointed in Bill's lack of parenting his kids on this vacation. The grands, I'll give a pass to, because they're not around the kids often enough.  But Bill -- in that castle -- slamming cannons, swinging ancient gongs....and Bill just kind of...let it go on. I don't know if the kids don't have many boundaries, or are not told not to do certain things (I had a niece who didn't ever want to tell her son "no", because she felt it was too negative). I've worked with preschoolers and young children in a teaching environment, so I've seen others this age in action, so to speak.  

I was thinking the same thing.  The kids are beyond adorable but there is nothing wrong with making sure the kids were closely supervised while in some of those places.  Those kids are very young, nothing wrong with making sure they held either Bill's or one of the grandparents hands while walking around places like the castle.  They should not have been running around loose.  Of course I suppose it makes for better tv if the kids are wandering around somewhat on their own and Bill did finally put his foot down when Zoe didn't want to get on the proper side of the velvet rope. 

[TVFAN]

I really like this family, too.  The kids seem to be thriving.  I can't get over how they have changed.  

As I was watching Bill and the kids in the castle, it struck me that I bet that neither Bill nor Jen did any babysitting when they were teens.  The first rule I learned as a babysitter was if you take little ones that age out anywhere--even for a walk--you hang on to their hands for dear life.  I was willing to give Bill a pass the first time Will and Zoe ran off, but not the second, third, fourth, etc.  As my Mom has always said, "If you can't control them when they're little, you are never going to do it when they're teens."  And I won't give the grandparents a pass either.  My grandmother spoiled me rotten, but she also had no problem whatsoever making me mind.

[BitterApple]

I can kind of see both sides of the coin on this one. Bill definitely needs to do a better job of minding the kids, but I also felt bad for Will and Zoe because the outings they were doing weren't going to hold the interest of kids that young. 

[Patricia07]

I was wondering if the grandparents might have been told to let the parents do the parenting, unless they ask for help.  I can see where the grandparents might have wanted to help too much in the beginning.  

[Fostersmom]

Hell, I am 40 and would have wandered off during the sightseeing. Those were possibly the least kid friendly places possible, and as an adult, would have bored me to tears. I did LOVE the pub had a toybox for the kids. I'm sure they were germy and grimy, but toys nonetheless. 

Bill's brothers were hilarious and the puppy was too cute for words. Bill and the other brother had no doubts puppy was going home with the puppy getting brother. Will picking up and using bro was hilarious and such a kid thing to do. Zoey wanting super tall brother to throw her was ridiculously cute, but no doubt that scares the hell out of Jen. 

Jen's dad got old. He looks good, but damn, he got old. 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Jen's dad must have stopped the Grecian formula!  Focusing on the episode in Scotland I was just as bored with it as the kids were with their activities....I realize not all activities should or are about the kids but damn three sleepers for them in a row.  Bill continues to joke his way through his lack of parenting simply by stating something like kids will be kids etc.  I am sure the grandparents were feeling their necks wanting to grab the kids and carry them through the tour.  Will jumping the rope and Zoey behaving just how she was dressed "like a princess" who can do no wrong....Jen said more than once she had her cell phone with her should Bill need her...er um Jen what the hell would you have done over the phone?

Did Jen take even a bite out of her fish and chips as the whole plate appeared to have been picked up by the waitress.

Will seems to have a bit of a smart mouth and I was disappointed in his lack of manners and found it hard to believe he is 7 now.  

[TwirlyGirly]

On ‎9‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 8:51 AM, bichonblitz said:

That's unlikely. I doubt there are that many little people that both can afford that house and that live in Houston. That is a customized house, it's not just the kitchen, it's the bathrooms, the doors (hardware situated so they can reach) and a whole bunch of other stuff we haven't seen designed specifically for little people to navigate around and won't be easy to sell. I'd like to know what the sales price is.  

 

On ‎9‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 4:15 PM, Reddust said:

I still think it would be an awesome house for someone who is in a wheelchair.

.

I would do just about anything to live in that house. My daughter and I (I'm a single mom) are both short statured and we both use manual wheelchairs for mobility. I've lived independently my entire adult life. Having always lived in a non-adapted environment (adaptations are EXPENSIVE), if we could live in a house like that I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven.

Can you imagine being of average height and having to live in that house, but not having the money to make any adaptations? (Think about having to make meals every day in that kitchen). That's been my whole life as an adult - in reverse.

[SunnyBeBe]

What a treat to see the family back.  I watched both episodes.  I saw a glimpse of Houston storm damage by Bill, that I hadn't seen before from other reports.  They were very lucky to have their house untouched by storm damage.  When Jen says she's a hurricane magnet, I believe it. 

I was glad that Bill's dad and stepmom were able to accompany them to Europe. With Jen's work, they helped a lot with the kids. Jen's work load seems enormous. I wonder if her current job is as demanding.  Still, she seems to be a very involved parent. 

The kids have matured some and are charming at times.  I am once again troubled, by something that maybe, isn't a problem, but, is in my eyes.  Granted, the kids were on a different time schedule, still adjusting, strange hotel, etc., HOWEVER, they don't seem to have much respect for their parents or other adults. I don't see it as them just being kids.   I know they are young, but, they are old enough to have that respect.  I can't imagine a child directly disobeying a parent, grandparent and a stranger who is directing them in front of their parent.  It really boggles the mine. (They can't get away with that crap at school.)  I hope Bill and Jen will get a grip on it.  IMO, it's not funny or cute.  If they are like that now, I can't imagine at 13.  Regardless of age, they may need a child safety leash for their own safety.  

I'm looking forward to seeing more of their trip in Europe!  

[RemoteControlFreak]

Let's be honest. Bill and Jen suck at disciplining their kids.  I get not wanting to do a lot when the cameras are rolling because if the kid refuses and throws a fit, it doesn't make anyone look good.  But, Will and Zoey's behavior is indicative of children who haven't had a lot of boundaries set for acceptable behavior.  

When they act up, Bill tends to either laugh it off or ignore it and Jen over-thinks the process and says something stupid like, "Mommy is going to use her serious voice now," instead of just saying, "Will, don't do that" and making consequences for bad behavior clear and following through with enacting the consequences if necessary. 

[MissT]

I really loved the first hour of the show.  Bill and his brothers seem very close and I was sure as soon as they showed those puppies, his brother would take one home.   I was happy they gave back to their community and it was touching to see how Bill interacted with his neighbors. 

I hated the second hour.  I understand the trip was probably tiring for the kids, but there is no discipline.  I thought both children at times seemed very disrespectful to Bill, Jen, her parents and the tour guides.  Bill and his parents should have held their hands during the tour in the castle.  I thought the guide was going to have a heart attack seeing Will touching things and going under the rope.  I'll be honest, if the rest of the season is going to show how bratty the kids are, I'm not interested.  

[farmgal4]

12 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

Let me say, I really like this family.  I was, however, disappointed in Bill's lack of parenting his kids on this vacation. The grands, I'll give a pass to, because they're not around the kids often enough.  But Bill -- in that castle -- slamming cannons, swinging ancient gongs....and Bill just kind of...let it go on. I don't know if the kids don't have many boundaries, or are not told not to do certain things (I had a niece who didn't ever want to tell her son "no", because she felt it was too negative). I've worked with preschoolers and young children in a teaching environment, so I've seen others this age in action, so to speak.  

I don't what the excuse is for the behavior/lack of discipline demonstrated last night.  I know if I had been Zoe's parent, when she refused to leave the Do Not Enter area, she and I would have gone outside and had a come-to-Jesus meeting.  I think Jen is more of a disciplinarian than Bill.  I also think older and adoptive parents are less strict, as a rule. (I worked in a large elementary school for years and that's what I generally witnessed.) I also think Bill was at a loss as to what to do, because it was all being filmed, and he knew the audience would be criticizing every move.  Personally, I don't think Will and Zoe are disciplined enough at home (just from what I've seen), but I'm old school.  If I had done what Zoe did last night, my dad would've picked me up and busted my ass.  In Will and Zoe's defense, I think they were both suffering from jet lag plus they were bored to death.  They had just sat through the distillery tour and then the castle tour where most everything was off limits.  That trip would have been much better-suited to older kids.

[EmmeRose]

I was happy to see that Jen seemed much more relaxed with the kids.  I think that year and a half off from filming did her a favor.  Her relationship with Will seems so much better! 

[SunnyBeBe]

Being laid back is one method of parenting, but, I wonder if Bill and Jen truly realize how it is a DISSERVICE to your children to not insist on them complying with adult instruction.  They just seem to not care what their parents or another adult says. They will do it their way and the hell with you.  It's pretty obvious.  I pity Bill and Jen, because eventually, their kids will drive them crazy.  Then there's the special schools, juvenile court and jail to contend with.  It's all laughs until someone has to get lawyers. 

[booboopbedoo]

3 hours ago, Fostersmom said:

Hell, I am 40 and would have wandered off during the sightseeing.

I am 63 and constantly wander off - bored or not

[BitterApple]

This is bitchy of me to say, but I feel bad that Jen is always busting her ass working while Bill gets to be Fun Time parent. I don't mean that as a commentary on gender roles, but more in the sense that it makes me sad Jen has to miss out on the fun stuff while Bill can't even be bothered to chase after the kids when they ran away at the distillery. It's like, dude, grow up. You're a parent, not a frat boy on a pub crawl through England. It just grates. 

[SongbirdHollow]

Seems kind of silly to adopt a puppy in Houston if you have to ship it. Maybe they let him carry it on the plane since it was so small, but still, that costs extra. Impulse adoptions just rub me the wrong way.

And yeah, hold your kid's hand at the very least. I was horrified at all of them in the castle.

[BitterApple]

3 minutes ago, SongbirdHollow said:

 Impulse adoptions just rub me the wrong way.

 

Especially impulse adoption of a high energy working breed that's going to require a ton of exercise.

[PradaKitty]

Bill told his brother he would pay for the puppy's "seat".

[awaywego]

Most of what happens on a "reality" show is producer driven and is therefore staged to a great extent.  Jen and Bill are intelligent, well-educated people and to think that they don't discipline their children based on what you see on TV is an unfair assumption.  It's much more entertaining to see adorable Zoe 'act up" than to see Bill or Jen give her a  time out. Will is sometimes "fresh" or "disrespectful" but how do you know he isn't fed those lines.

My point is give this family and particularly the parents  a break.  With all the obstacles and challenges they have faced and will face, Bill and Jen are incredible people and outstanding parents and the kids are a joy to watch and witness the remarkable progress they have all made.  I think they should be admired and realize what you see is not always their real lives.....it's TV show everyone!

[Eureka]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

This is bitchy of me to say, but I feel bad that Jen is always busting her ass working while Bill gets to be Fun Time parent. I don't mean that as a commentary on gender roles, but more in the sense that it makes me sad Jen has to miss out on the fun stuff while Bill can't even be bothered to chase after the kids when they ran away at the distillery. It's like, dude, grow up. You're a parent, not a frat boy on a pub crawl through England. It just grates. 

That could be part of why they don't listen to him though, because he is the primary caregiver. When I stayed home with my kids, we all got sick of each other by the end of the day and they listened to Dad much better, in part because he wasn't home with them as much during the work week. Not saying it is THE reason, but it could be a factor.

As for what you said about Jen working all the time and not getting to do fun things...it seems like that dynamic is what works for them. Her job is always going to be higher paying and more demanding than his. I follow her on instagram and there have been plenty of pictures of her doing fun stuff with the kids.

Edited September 20, 2017 by Eureka

[LocalGovt]

While the kids are generally kind in the things they say, they have no manners, or maybe I should say, social skills - no. I think it's manners.   Yes, I know they're young.   But the constant interrupting when others are trying to speak (I'm talking, interrupting adults, not your sibling), talking over others (again, adults, not your sibling), and ignoring your elders just smacks of, "I am doted on, and everything I say and do is solid gold".   Now, maybe it's because the cameras are there, and they don't want to discipline their kids in front of them.  But not once do they say, "Zoe, William, you are interrupting so-and-so - please let them finish," etc.  I think Bill takes on the role of giant playmate, and Jen is more of the disciplinarian, as some have said.  It was so nice to see the smiles and hear the shrieks of pure delight, though, on their faces, when they were doing the zip line -- I loved it!

18 minutes ago, awaywego said:

Most of what happens on a "reality" show is producer driven and is therefore staged to a great extent.  Jen and Bill are intelligent, well-educated people and to think that they don't discipline their children based on what you see on TV is an unfair assumption.  It's much more entertaining to see adorable Zoe 'act up" than to see Bill or Jen give her a  time out. Will is sometimes "fresh" or "disrespectful" but how do you know he isn't fed those lines.

My point is give this family and particularly the parents  a break.  With all the obstacles and challenges they have faced and will face, Bill and Jen are incredible people and outstanding parents and the kids are a joy to watch and witness the remarkable progress they have all made.  I think they should be admired and realize what you see is not always their real lives.....it's TV show everyone!

You may be right. However, I don't find it adorable in the least.

[Evagirl]

Regarding the house in Houston - Bill said it had been renovated after they moved and this was his first time seeing it after the renovation.  I noticed the kitchen counters were highger, so I'm thinking (since he used the word renovated on a brand new house), that they had everything customized for littler people re-modified to accommodate average height people.

[joanne3482]

They were so lucky that neither house was damaged.  That's buy a lottery ticket kind of luck to me. 

As a compulsive trip planner, the trip didn't seem well planned for the kids.  Bill and Bill's dad want to visit a distillery. I get that. So then they go while grandma and maybe mommy take the kids someplace else. Then they can swap - Bill and his dad can take the kids to a playground or an aquarium while grandma and mommy do their own thing.  There is a lot that could have been done in Glasgow that, while may not be the MOST traditional Glasgow thing, would have been more appropriate for the kids. While there's plenty of things I think "don't let kids rule the roost" on, a family vacation should have been planned with all the family members in mind. 

[gunderda]

During the castle scene I had wondered why Bill just did go and get Zoey from behind the ropes, but then I realized he probably can't effectively be that type of parent.  Those kids can probably run A LOT faster than both of them so it's no use to try and remove them physically, they have to try and communicate to them and with small kids that doesn't work well sometimes. But I think at that point the grand parents need to step in.  Like someone else mentioned, sometimes kids react better to someone who isn't a primary guardian.  I'm sure if grandma and grandpa would have gotten upset and remove them from the area then they would have realized how serious it was.

 

I also think "renovation" meant that they adjusted everything so that an average size family could purchase the house without having to do it themselves.  I honestly never realized all the counter were lower - i thought they used step stools everywhere most of the time.

Just now, joanne3482 said:

They were so lucky that neither house was damaged.  That's buy a lottery ticket kind of luck to me. 

As a compulsive trip planner, the trip didn't seem well planned for the kids.  Bill and Bill's dad want to visit a distillery. I get that. So then they go while grandma and maybe mommy take the kids someplace else. Then they can swap - Bill and his dad can take the kids to a playground or an aquarium while grandma and mommy do their own thing.  There is a lot that could have been done in Glasgow that, while may not be the MOST traditional Glasgow thing, would have been more appropriate for the kids. While there's plenty of things I think "don't let kids rule the roost" on, a family vacation should have been planned with all the family members in mind. 

to me it sounded more like "jen has to go here on business... let's just take the whole family!" and not really a normal 'family trip'. 

[joanne3482]

2 minutes ago, gunderda said:

to me it sounded more like "jen has to go here on business... let's just take the whole family!" and not really a normal 'family trip'. 

That's how Bill presented it... Jen had to go so they decided to tack on the family too. I get doing that. I went to see my sister in Hong Kong because she was there for work.  I previously had no real interest in visiting Hong Kong but it was a cool chance so I took it.  But since Will and Zoey were there, there should have been activity plans geared toward  them beyond, 'hey this place I want to go also has a playground.' I guess the castle was supposed to be geared towards them, but when I went online to read about the castle, the description didn't read to me something that very active 4 and 6 year old kiddos would enjoy.  Yet there are farms, and animal parks and other places that would be more enjoyable to those two which could still give them some of the Glasgow experience.  

I did like watching the kids play on the ziplines. That looked like such fun for them.