S13.E05: Time to Leave!

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I seem to recall something about a death when they were redecorating Will’s room in the firefighter scheme a few seasons ago.  I think it was mentioned how many first responders were in Bill’s family and I believe the one who died was his uncle or Bill’s Dad’s brother. 

[TRUSAG]

wow did anyone else NOTICE how WILL shoved his mother a wiped kiss when they were giving fish to friends, it wasnt about the fish more i think he was embarrassed of being Kissed on for head, you could tell he was TESTING The limit there by the look on his face, I sure HOPE BILL will STEP up on discipline when he does it again. THAT WAS NO TIMEOUT moment its was mega deserving of aWHOOPING,, 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

46 minutes ago, TRUSAG said:

wow did anyone else NOTICE how WILL shoved his mother a wiped kiss when they were giving fish to friends, it wasnt about the fish more i think he was embarrassed of being Kissed on for head, you could tell he was TESTING The limit there by the look on his face, I sure HOPE BILL will STEP up on discipline when he does it again. THAT WAS NO TIMEOUT moment its was mega deserving of aWHOOPING,, 

I posted that too wondering if anyone noticed...Jen kissed him on the forehead, Will promptly put his hand into her chest and wiped his forehead of her kiss and gave a dirty look to her and the camera...very willfull and disrespectfull

[BitterApple]

I handled sharp objects all the time as a kid. I think we need to find a happy medium between the days when children toiled away in dangerous factories and the current environment where they can't leave the house unless they're in ten layers of bubble wrap. 

[SMama]

5 hours ago, jcbrown said:

 

Add me to the Zoey fan club. That girl is adorable, imaginative, and intelligent. I loved her conversation with her horse.

Both Will and Zoey crack me up, but the last few episodes it’s been mainly Zoey. At the zoo on the golf cart, Zoey said “ouch” (I didn’t see what happen), Jen’s friend says “sorry.” Zoey chirps, “it’s OK sister!”. She had me in a fit of laughter. It’s also her delivery. And of course the hot diggity dog upon seeing the new house. 

Edited October 27, 2018 by SMama

[MusicFan85]

Zoey:  " I can show you!  This is the box.....when I got married."

This part also cracked me up.  She's too precious.  

[humbleopinion]

Nanny Kate  was crowding Zoey on the golf cart bench when Zoey said "It's okay, Sister."  Very Texan for female friends to call each other Sister...that Zoey is such a sponge...very funny and intelligent....bet Nanny Kate called her Sister before and Zoey returned the endearment...

Edited October 27, 2018 by humbleopinion

[SMama]

I didn’t realize Kate was with them, really thought it was Jen’s friend. That’s the problem with half watching.

Apropos, did Jen say Kate and her husband were driving to Florida when they moved? To drive the second car or just help with the kids?

[humbleopinion]

  Nanny Kate and her hubby"get" to drive one of the cars to Florida, basically providing a second car to separate the kids.

Saying goodbye to Nanny Kate will be a tear jerker for Zoey and maybe even Will..prepare yourselves...

[Spike]

On 10/25/2018 at 10:33 AM, bichonblitz said:

Yes, he did. That's pompous Bill for you. Delusional Bill, too. 

I thought I heard him say that he would place his kids’ patience and behavior above that of other kids lol.  Yeah Will is super patient.  I think that comment was directed to all the critics on social media.

No goodbye to the hunky swim instructor?

[SMama]

26 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

  Nanny Kate and her hubby"get" to drive one of the cars to Florida, basically providing a second car to separate the kids.

Saying goodbye to Nanny Kate will be a tear jerker for Zoey and maybe even Will..prepare yourselves...

Did Jen or Bill state they would separate the kids? It does not seem to be their style. 

[humbleopinion]

Can't imagine Will and Zoey getting along peacefully for many many long hours of driving strapped in car seats.

TLC wants happy footage of the trip and having Will and Zoey bickering over snacks, videos, music, games would be bad TV.

A second car would be like a neutral corner...  cooling off periods like quiet nap time in Kate's car with intervals of the 4 Kleins having happy family car time for the TLC cameras....

[SMama]

Understood, they never stated that was the intent.

[humbleopinion]

Just saw the tease and it shows Bill's Dad an his wife accompanying the Kleins to the road stops so maybe they will be the help....

[Barb23]

I noticed the large scissors too.  Good grief, that was a terrible accident waiting to happen. And even though Bill said the kids were acting fine & not in the way on moving day, I'm sure the movers would beg to differ.

The Memory Box dissertations were a bit much considering their ages. Jen was over the top in trying to explain their vow renewal. She could have explained one item each & let it go at that. I'm sure it was producer driven.  All of a sudden  Jen remembers the boxes didnt get packed by the movers. Maybe they did get missed but they seemed too large to be missed.

I'm tired of Bill explaining why they need an elevator & why they dislike steps& why they need a house suited to their needs.. Like other posters have said, they aren't the only ones who need to modify their homes due to disabilities,  myself included. Unlike a lot of us, they are lucky enough to have the money to do it. 

Zoe is so imaginative. That horse scene was priceless as was the one of her explaining to the dog at Bill's store that even tho she loved him, she couldn't take him own.  I think she could end up being a children's writer or something dealing with her love of animals.  

It is sort of weird with Will.  Sometimes he's articulate & says things that I think are age level or even above age level appropriate.  Then there are outbursts where he sounds& acts  like a 3 year old. If Bill & Jen would only slow that kid down. I think his constant running winds him up & is part of his problems.  Like I posted before,  he has to walk in school so why don't  they enforce that at home? 

I'll have to go back & check the pictures of their new house.  Is there a fence around the pool or the back yard near the water?  I would be a nervous wreck if there wasn't  the way those 2 kids run constantly.  A fall into the water could prove deadly, swim lessons or not. 

[Barb23]

7 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I handled sharp objects all the time as a kid. I think we need to find a happy medium between the days when children toiled away in dangerous factories and the current environment where they can't leave the house unless they're in ten layers of bubble wrap. 

I'm sure most of us did handle sharp objects as kids but we are talking about Will here. The child that barely stands still.  I was waiting for one of the movers to get stabbed in the knee.  IIRC, Will was just holding them willy nilly and Bill seemed oblivious that Will had them.

Edited October 27, 2018 by Barb23

[Absolom]

4 hours ago, Barb23 said:

It is sort of weird with Will.  Sometimes he's articulate & says things that I think are age level or even above age level appropriate.  Then there are outbursts where he sounds& acts  like a 3 year old

I have yet to hear or see Will do anything above his age level.  He has shown kindness to Zoe, but nothing exceptional or that other kids don't do from toddlerhood.  Almost all of his behavior is below the expectation for a second grader.   I'm sure some of it is being spun up by the crew and cameras, but my grandson at five was ten times more mature than Will at 5.   Grandson at 6 and Will at 6 have an even wider gulf in achievement and behavior.  

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Jen alluded to Will’s development delay in one of her TH’s I think, not directly but in relation to where she saw his strengths in the future, wasn’t glowing like it used to be before from her.

[Absolom]

Will was being batty and very immature and to the camera Jen said I just want him to be happy which is usually code for we now have close to zero aspirations for him.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

2 hours ago, Absolom said:

Will was being batty and very immature and to the camera Jen said I just want him to be happy which is usually code for we now have close to zero aspirations for him.

Thank you! I just couldn’t remember how she phrased it!

[Veronique Bette]

3 hours ago, Absolom said:

Will was being batty and very immature and to the camera Jen said I just want him to be happy which is usually code for we now have close to zero aspirations for him.

Jen and Bill have zero aspirations for Will??? I 100% disagree with this statement; I could not disagree more. I believe that Jen and Bill have every realistic hope and aspiration for him and as loving parents, will put every resource they have into maximizing his potential. Obviously from just seeing Will on this television show, we can’t at all know what actual delays he may have and in what areas – be they cognitive, speech, emotional/social development or some combination of these. That’s private family information. When I look at Will, I compare him now to where he was before and I see so much progress in all areas. Yes, I know other children his age who are more advanced and more self-controlled, but so what? That’s them and not him. His situation is different. I do understand that Will’s behavior can seem wild and unruly at times and I also understand the questions about how he is being disciplined. Maybe I would handle him differently if he were my child. But I see him as an essentially happy, well-adjusted and kind-hearted little boy. For instance, he may not have understood Jen’s explanation of how his uncle died in 911, but his first thought was, “We should have saved him.”

[Bunnyette]

Have to agree, during the Easter episode I saw him playing nicely with his cousins and being quite articulate. For some reason he is rather disrespectful around his mother.  Maybe Bill needs to start teaching him to be respectful. Jen needs to be stricter with him.

[Libby]

Both Jen and Bill need to be stricter with both of their children.

However, I see a lot of improvement in the family dynamics. In the early years they appeared to be a very badly divided family. It was always Bill with Will and Jen with Zoey. I honestly thought that Jen didn't like Will and didn't even want to be around him.

They seem like a much more cohesive family unit now.  I think that Will presents challenges that Bill and Jen didn't count on, but they both seem committed to doing their best with him and loving him, thank goodness.

That poor little guy had a rough start. He was practically starved to death at first and had very bad medical problems.

He's advancing slow but sure in Bill and Jen's care.

[Absolom]

9 minutes ago, Libby said:

That poor little guy had a rough start. He was practically starved to death at first and had very bad medical problems.

He could easily have been in a lot worse case certainly.  I have a friend who adopted a child with a similar beginning and he has much worse problems including ASD and topping out between second and fourth grade level academically.  

[SMama]

14 hours ago, Absolom said:

I have yet to hear or see Will do anything above his age level.  He has shown kindness to Zoe, but nothing exceptional or that other kids don't do from toddlerhood.  Almost all of his behavior is below the expectation for a second grader.   I'm sure some of it is being spun up by the crew and cameras, but my grandson at five was ten times more mature than Will at 5.   Grandson at 6 and Will at 6 have an even wider gulf in achievement and behavior.  

At age three Will was adopted and thus with his fourth family. ANY child with that background would need extra time to catch up.

Edited October 28, 2018 by SMama

[Absolom]

14 minutes ago, SMama said:

At age three Will was adopted and thus with his fourth family. ANY child with that background would need to extra time to catch up.

Of course he needed and needs time to catch up.  His early life was tragic and he's very fortunate to not be in a much worse situation developmentally.  My point is that the gulf appears to be getting wider instead of narrowing.   I had great hopes that Will would be more able to overcome all the early conditions, but realistically it appears less and less likely.

[Libby]

16 minutes ago, Absolom said:

Of course he needed and needs time to catch up.  His early life was tragic and he's very fortunate to not be in a much worse situation developmentally.  My point is that the gulf appears to be getting wider instead of narrowing.   I had great hopes that Will would be more able to overcome all the early conditions, but realistically it appears less and less likely.

Will is progressing at a much slower pace than other children, but he is progressing, thank goodness.

I think that at some point, Zoey will pass him. That will be very difficult for Will.

That's why it's good that they are no longer such a divided family. They can all rally together and help Will through when it happens.

[humbleopinion]

The problem is Zoey.

She is a pistol, articulate, a smart whipper snapper with sharp intellect that makes Will look clumsy in comparison.

Will acts out.

Jen and Bill do not discipline so he runs amuck.

Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

His bratty behavior will kill the show....

[readheaded]

55 minutes ago, SMama said:

At age three Will was adopted and thus with his fourth family. ANY child with that background would need to extra time to catch up.

He also had to deal with the impact of a seriously ill mother shortly after he was adopted.  I think we forget just how seriously ill Jen was because she handled her cancer with such grace and courage.  People will obviously say mean things about her, but she certainly doesn't do self-pity.  

[Absolom]

Both kids had to deal with Jen's illness.  It's particularly good to see how Zoey came through that as the illness happened during her adoption.  

I agree that Zoey will probably surpass Will academically at some point and that may be hard on him.  I think Bill and Jen may be able to handle that one fairly well as they do celebrate what the children do well and don't seem to have much competition between them.  

Edited October 28, 2018 by Absolom

[BitterApple]

Even in families with all bio children, siblings aren't always equally matched in terms of smarts, talents and abilities.

There's not much Bill and Jen can do besides getting Will the resources he needs and letting him progress at the rate he's going to progress. 

[alegtostandon]

On 10/26/2018 at 9:33 AM, walnutqueen said:

Maybe they flew in for the house hunting and the escrow closing?

That's what I understood...they had to fly to FLA to close, then fly back to Houston to drive the vehicles back.

I loved Zoey looking at the pelican...I can't quote her exactly but something about that being her pelican when she was born. 

I do not know the difference between the type of dwarfism Jen and Bill have vs The 7 Little Johnson's...but the Johnson's do not seem to have any problems with stairs. Was watching that show the other day & they were going up & down steps with no problem or complaints or saying they need an elevator in their new home.

[SMama]

Jen and Bill both have had both hips replaced.

Edited October 28, 2018 by SMama

[Honey]

21 hours ago, alegtostandon said:

That's what I understood...they had to fly to FLA to close, then fly back to Houston to drive the vehicles back.

I loved Zoey looking at the pelican...I can't quote her exactly but something about that being her pelican when she was born. 

I do not know the difference between the type of dwarfism Jen and Bill have vs The 7 Little Johnson's...but the Johnson's do not seem to have any problems with stairs. Was watching that show the other day & they were going up & down steps with no problem or complaints or saying they need an elevator in their new home.

Oh okay.  So when it showed them driving to the closing, I guess they were just driving to the airport.  I didn't even think of that, but it would explain why they had on the same clothes.  Got it.

[Honey]

21 hours ago, alegtostandon said:

That's what I understood...they had to fly to FLA to close, then fly back to Houston to drive the vehicles back.

I loved Zoey looking at the pelican...I can't quote her exactly but something about that being her pelican when she was born. 

I do not know the difference between the type of dwarfism Jen and Bill have vs The 7 Little Johnson's...but the Johnson's do not seem to have any problems with stairs. Was watching that show the other day & they were going up & down steps with no problem or complaints or saying they need an elevator in their new home.

She said that was her favorite pelican since when she was born.

19 hours ago, SMama said:

Jen and Bill both have had both hips replaced.

And Bill had a pretty serious back surgery, and Jen has the vertebrae in her neck fused.

[CousinAmy]

I've had a car or two shipped to me in New York from Florida, and it was convenient and not that expensive. I'm sure they could have flown quite easily and have cars sent, but then they would have missed out on The Great Road Trip, which seems to be the title to the next episode (or something along those lines). Someone probably figured that having them use up time by having road trip episodes would tide them over during the boring renovation months. (The renovation will be interesting in small bits but most of it won't make such great TV.)

I doubt Bill and Jen are fooled about Will's achievements in comparison to Zoey's.  Jen at least knows that there is a world of difference between the two from their ages, sexes, backgrounds, medical conditions, etc. They can probably both read report cards! And Jen probably knows more about child development than she lets on. I am certain she isn't just shrugging her shoulders to say, as long as he's happy we can't expect any more from him. 

Remember he's curious about how things work, and from a young age always asked "why." He isn't placid and bored, but is interested in things happening around him and a creative thinker. Those are better indications of how far he can go than some imaginary baselines he is supposedly stuck on.

[woodscommaelle]

"Who will marry me?"

Awwww. She said it with such concern. She is so stinking cute!! 

[humbleopinion]

The next book can be the funny things Zoey says.

Edited October 30, 2018 by humbleopinion

[humbleopinion]

.

[mtnrunner]

I think both Will and Zoey are high-octane children and there is nothing wrong with that.  Zoey's talks more than Will so we hear here more but I'm definitely not writing Will off.  Also Zoey did not come up with "Hot Diggity Dog".  That is a phrase said often on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney channel so I'd assume she has seen that show a few times.  Trust me if a kid watches that show often they'll say that phrase and many other "Oh Toodles...."

[DkNNy79]

17 minutes ago, mtnrunner said:

I think both Will and Zoey are high-octane children and there is nothing wrong with that.  Zoey's talks more than Will so we hear here more but I'm definitely not writing Will off.  Also Zoey did not come up with "Hot Diggity Dog".  That is a phrase said often on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney channel so I'd assume she has seen that show a few times.  Trust me if a kid watches that show often they'll say that phrase and many other "Oh Toodles...."

Both kids have displayed bratty behavior.  I really don't see Zoey's behavior as better than Will or vice versa.  Zoey definitely seems like more of a chatterbox.  But different kids, different personalities. 

I wonder if Will's size played any role in the initial delayed lack of bonding between him and Jen.  I think Jen could only really lift him in an emergency when they first got him. 

[Me from ME]

I'm a New Englander, I'm frugal so the amount of things they waste bothers me. I am not just talking about ordering too much food because they might take the leftovers home. When they were cleaning out the guest apartment they were tossing out a lot of things which I imagine they will replace once they get to Florida. Not just the things Bill was tossing to Jen but the white cushions which looked perfectly fine once the small stain was removed. Especially since they are going for the same decorating scheme in the remodeled house.

[SMama]

Maybe they donated those items.

[Me from ME]

Quote

Maybe they donated those items

There was a box for donations which was separate from the lined waste basket that Jen was putting things into after Bill tossed them to her. As far as the cushions - how could they not be useful in the new house? It is enormous, much bigger than the one in Houston. Now I have to keep an eye out in subsequent episodes to see if they buy new cushions. lol.

[lookeyloo]

14 hours ago, Me from ME said:

There was a box for donations which was separate from the lined waste basket that Jen was putting things into after Bill tossed them to her. As far as the cushions - how could they not be useful in the new house? It is enormous, much bigger than the one in Houston. Now I have to keep an eye out in subsequent episodes to see if they buy new cushions. lol.

Or that was all staged and edited.  So we really don't know how it all turned out.

[Me from ME]

Good point. I could see some of it being producer driven.