S13.E09: I'm Gonna Catch the Biggest Fish!

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

It's family vacation time for the Kleins; Jen's parents and Aunt Barbara head up the Florida coast to visit Jen's sweet Great Uncle Ray; the family learns about sea turtle rescue, goes fishing, and celebrates Uncle Ray's 87th birthday.

Original air date 2018.11.13

[Bunnyette]

So far the kids are pleasant...I do hope some sort of tribute to Mexico Beach happens.

[Honey]

It's nice to see Jen take some time to relax.  The woman works very hard, and living in a construction zone is horrible.  She had the most gorgeous clothes on for her whole trip.  Most of them reminded me of the beach, with coral, and sea life.  Just beautiful.  The woman looks great in a bikini, she is in great shape.

I love seeing her and Bill have such nice things, as a reward for their hard work.  I can remember when the show first started and they were in that little rental apartment.  They have come a long way, and it was well earned.

Poor little turtles, 1 in a 1,000 survives to adulthood.  Most are picked up and eaten by seagulls before they even get to the water, so it's great that there were so many people there to keep the seagulls away.  They are just the cutest things ever though.

[onatrek]

I'm on the west coast so I can't see if anything is said on the show, but she did post and suggest people donate.

[seahag50]

I love this family.  Good things are worked for..

[SongbirdHollow]

Everyone needs an Uncle Ray!

[DkNNy79]

I thought this episode was a little boring.  I ffwd a lot.

[viewer]

I was surprised to hear Bill say for financial reasons they had to cut back on the reno.   I kind of wonder If they don't edit and add comments like that when they see feedback.  The kids are certainly better behaved.  

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I think the kids are well behaved when they get exactly what they want.  Zoey stomps her foot a lot and talks back and is quite the drama queen, very cute but I couldn’t live with that behavior.  And both Bill and Jen are guilty of giving a direction to the kids followed by “OK?”    Jen just walks away when Zoey acts out and I notice Will flinches a bit if she touches him sometimes.  He is better around her though.  For years it was only Baba!

Jen was cute in her bathing suit.  She looked so fragile sitting in the crashing surf which toppled her at one point and her mother caught her and put her back upright.  Really shows how limited her movements are and makes me wonder about her physical challenges and how she would be able to deal with an emergency quickly.  She can’t move that fast and has limited mobility.  

Surprised me too about the sudden lack of funds although he did say the house in Houston was not sold yet so that would tie up some money and I think they dropped the price a few times so they took a hit on it.  Funds can’t be that tight renting a house for a weekend, off to Disney as per their Instagram photos.  

Edited November 14, 2018 by Foghorn Leghorn

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

They sold the house so finances are much looser now. Those scenes were shot before the house sold and they were still paying 2 mortgages.  Zoey is the perfect child for Jen. She's such a lady, but, loves animals, especially sea animals as much as Jen does.  It's such a joy to see when families honor their elders. Uncle Ray really does hold a place of honor in their family, rightly so. 

 

I always thought the turtles hatched at night. We couldn't have lights on the beach (at night) during certain times of the year because they would confuse the turtle babies. What a treat to see them hatch and make their way to the gulf. Lucky family.

[BitterApple]

This episode was really cute.

Uncle Ray is awesome. We need more like him in this world. 

Jen gets an A+ for her beachwear. I'd love for her to do a segment on how and where she shops for clothes. 

The kids' enthusiasm over the turtles was sweet. 

Bill reminds me so much of my late father. He hated the beach too.

[sATL]

3 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

This episode was really cute.

Uncle Ray is awesome. We need more like him in this world. 

Jen gets an A+ for her beachwear. I'd love for her to do a segment on how and where she shops for clothes. 

The kids' enthusiasm over the turtles was sweet. 

Bill reminds me so much of my late father. He hated the beach too.

does Chloe Dao  ( link ) make and alter most of her clothes ? I remember a prior episode where Choloe made two dresses for an engagement Jen had to attend

[viewer]

It's unlike Bill to say he can't do something financially.   I am sure Uncle Rays party was comped by TLC!   Jennifer does look very fragile.  In fact I don't think she ever looked that fragile before these current shows.  

[Libby]

If I understood Jen's conversation with her father properly, it sounded to me like they planned to finish their renovations on the main living space on the top two floors. What they planned to put a halt on, was renovations to the first floor apartment, after they moved upstairs.

I'm not sure that Uncle Ray's daughters liked Judy and Jen upstaging them at their father's birthday party. They seemed a little pissed to me.

ETA: I thought that Bill looked like he was getting a tooth pulled through the whole episode. It was very, very obvious that the weekend wasn't his idea of a good time.

Edited November 15, 2018 by Libby

[SongbirdHollow]

3 hours ago, sATL said:

does Chloe Dao  ( link ) make and alter most of her clothes ? I remember a prior episode where Choloe made two dresses for an engagement Jen had to attend

It's possible. I got the impression those special dresses were the first Chloe made for her, though, and she's been sharply dressed from the get-go.

[viewer]

Chloe did the vow renewal dress and Bill said she had made clothes often and had her measurements.   

[Absolom]

Ratings:  1.345 M viewers and a .29 rating.  17th cable show of the day.

[snarkish]

I was noticing Jen's clothes a lot in this episode too. She always looks very stylish and comfortable at the same time. Great taste, especially when she basically must rely on the kids department for a big chunk of her wardrobe. Her shoes are always adorable. 

Their Houston house sold much later than anticipated and they took a loss on the price as well (I did some Googling during the episode where the bought the St. Pete home). 

As a parent of one limited-vegetable eater and one that loves salads, I loved seeing Zoey nomming on the corn and the asparagus! Those kids look like they like a wide variety of foods. 

I'm getting anxious to see the St. Pete house finished! According to Jen's Instagram, the Mexico beach segment was filmed last summer, so by now the St. Pete house should be beyond done hence why they were currently vacationing at Disney. I swear, I want to be adopted by Jen and Bill. 

[retiredviewer]

19 hours ago, sATL said:

does Chloe Dao  ( link ) make and alter most of her clothes ? I remember a prior episode where Choloe made two dresses for an engagement Jen had to attend

Years ago she would shop in the children's department. I guess it helps that some kid's clothes are grownup style.

[RebeccatheWriter]

46 minutes ago, retiredviewer said:

Years ago she would shop in the children's department. I guess it helps that some kid's clothes are grownup style.

I have a friend who is a few inches (maybe 2 or 3) taller than Jen. She does most of her shopping in children's departments/sizes. However, she does have some specifically made for work, as children's departments rarely sell such things as business suits. 

[readheaded]

On 11/14/2018 at 12:59 PM, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I think the kids are well behaved when they get exactly what they want.  Zoey stomps her foot a lot and talks back and is quite the drama queen, very cute but I couldn’t live with that behavior.  And both Bill and Jen are guilty of giving a direction to the kids followed by “OK?”    Jen just walks away when Zoey acts out and I notice Will flinches a bit if she touches him sometimes.  He is better around her though.  For years it was only Baba!

Jen was cute in her bathing suit.  She looked so fragile sitting in the crashing surf which toppled her at one point and her mother caught her and put her back upright.  Really shows how limited her movements are and makes me wonder about her physical challenges and how she would be able to deal with an emergency quickly.  She can’t move that fast and has limited mobility.  

Surprised me too about the sudden lack of funds although he did say the house in Houston was not sold yet so that would tie up some money and I think they dropped the price a few times so they took a hit on it.  Funds can’t be that tight renting a house for a weekend, off to Disney as per their Instagram photos.  

I just finished reading their book.  I'm not sure if you're talking about an emergency at work or in general or both, but she strategically moved her career early on toward simulation to give greater longevity to her career because she anticipated that she'd have a harder time as she got older actually practicing medicine.  When she was hired at Texas Children's, she was hired to do sim, as well as a neonatologist.  I'm not sure if that's also the case with her new FL job.  

On 11/15/2018 at 12:27 PM, RebeccatheWriter said:

I have a friend who is a few inches (maybe 2 or 3) taller than Jen. She does most of her shopping in children's departments/sizes. However, she does have some specifically made for work, as children's departments rarely sell such things as business suits. 

I've wondered where she gets a lot of the pretty cardigans she wears.  They don't look like children's wear or like they'd be easily made by Chloe.

[readheaded]

On 11/13/2018 at 11:20 PM, seahag50 said:

I love this family.  Good things are worked for..

Agreed.  As I've mentioned in some of my other posts, I just finished reading their book which really goes into a lot of the hardships they've overcome.  I had no idea they'd had so much surgery growing up, and really difficult surgeries with body casts and months' long recoveries.  Not to mention the bullying, infertility, and Jen's very serious cancer (I didn't know it had spread to her lungs at one point).  Yet, they still keep moving forward without self-pity.  Of course, they aren't perfect people, but they certainly seem like decent people who are determined to make magic for themselves.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I got a good chuckle when Jen and Bill did the back and forth in the TH about her competitiveness!  She is extremely competitive and finally admitted it after debating with Bill that very topic which proved it!  

And I am talking about her being slow to respond in an emergency in or out of the hospital.  Her being so slow in uprighting herself after she toppled over shows how limited she is due to her surgeries, not her fault just an eye opener.   

Edited November 17, 2018 by Foghorn Leghorn

[TwirlyGirly]

On 11/15/2018 at 11:38 AM, retiredviewer said:

Years ago she would shop in the children's department. I guess it helps that some kid's clothes are grownup style.

Let me shed some light on this. I am 4'2", 63 lbs., and proportional. So closer to Bill's height, but with the proportions of an average-size woman - just smaller.

In pants I wear a girl's size 7. They fit me perfectly, as long as they have an adjustable waist (because I'm a woman, my waist is proportionally smaller than my hips). I buy jeans at Gap, and can usually find one or two pair of pants per season at Zara.

Tops/jackets are more difficult, because I have a bust (and little girls don't). 

For T-shirts and sweaters this isn't much of an issue (I can wear a size large comfortably), but for items made of woven fabrics (shirts/jackets) I shop in the juniors or ladies - usually an extra small or small. I have to pay particular attention to sleeve length and overall length, so I don't look like I'm wearing someone else's clothes. I'm thrilled with the cropped button-down shirts that have been sold the past couple of years; perfect length on me!

I stick to neutral colors and more mature fabric textures and prints (herringbones, plaids, tweeds, etc) and express my personal style with jewelry, and accessories such as hats/scarves/purses/etc..

That's what I do; I suspect Jen's wardrobe consists of some ready-to-wear (with tailoring for fit for certain items) and some items custom-made.

@readheaded: the cardigans don't have to be hand-knitted by Chloe specifically. Almost every yarn shop can put a customer in contact with an experienced knitter in the area willing to do custom work.

Edited November 19, 2018 by TwirlyGirly
Forgot to answer readheaded's question!

[TwirlyGirly]

On 11/15/2018 at 12:27 PM, RebeccatheWriter said:

I have a friend who is a few inches (maybe 2 or 3) taller than Jen. She does most of her shopping in children's departments/sizes. However, she does have some specifically made for work, as children's departments rarely sell such things as business suits. 

I apologize for the double post; I meant to quote/address this earlier.

 

I worked for a major corporation for 22 years. For suits I would shop in the boy's department in high end department stores, because I could buy suits made with high quality fabrics AND get free alterations.

My first suit was a beautiful camel colored corduroy Ralph Lauren jacket and pants - it had the leather patches on the  elbows! Because the pieces were sold separately, I was able to purchase a smaller size for the pants and a larger size for the jacket. Yes, men's and boy's jackets button the "wrong" way, but in all the years I wore boy's suits, no one ever noticed. Even my best friends were surprised when I pointed it out to them.

Sure, it's hard to shell out $200.00 - $300.00 for an outfit made for a child, but a custom made suit would have cost me more than double (easily), and the cost of altering a suit purchased in the ladies department would have also cost more (and still the fit wouldn't be exactly right; there are certain things alterations cannot do).

Edited November 19, 2018 by TwirlyGirly

[RebeccatheWriter]

13 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

I apologize for the double post; I meant to quote/address this earlier.

 

I worked for a major corporation for 22 years. For suits I would shop in the boy's department in high end department stores, because I could buy suits made with high quality fabrics AND get free alterations.

My first suit was a beautiful camel colored corduroy Ralph Lauren jacket and pants - it had the leather patches on the  elbows! Because the pieces were sold separately, I was able to purchase a smaller size for the pants and a larger size for the jacket. Yes, men's and boy's jackets button the "wrong" way, but in all the years I wore boy's suits, no one ever noticed. Even my best friends were surprised when I pointed it out to them.

Sure, it's hard to shell out $200.00 - $300.00 for an outfit made for a child, but a custom made suit would have cost me more than double (easily), and the cost of altering a suit purchased in the ladies department would have also cost more (and still the fit wouldn't be exactly right; there are certain things alterations cannot do).

I asked my friend about her suits at one point because I'm 5'1" and have rather short arms in proportion to the rest of me. Even with tailoring, suit jackets always look off kilter. She said she did buy a few jackets/blazers in the boy's department and had them altered. However, once she found a seamstress she liked, she got a few made specifically for her. The good news with women like Jen who don't seem to fluctuate in size (weight) like I do, is that their wardrobe continues to be usable and grow even after longer periods of time. 

[libgirl2]

On 11/14/2018 at 2:42 PM, BitterApple said:

This episode was really cute.

Uncle Ray is awesome. We need more like him in this world. 

Jen gets an A+ for her beachwear. I'd love for her to do a segment on how and where she shops for clothes. 

The kids' enthusiasm over the turtles was sweet. 

Bill reminds me so much of my late father. He hated the beach too.

I loved Uncle Ray. I agree, we need more people like him in the world. 

Jen's beachwear was gorgeous and she looks great in a bikini. 

Loved seeing the turtles. 

On 11/14/2018 at 5:51 PM, Libby said:

If I understood Jen's conversation with her father properly, it sounded to me like they planned to finish their renovations on the main living space on the top two floors. What they planned to put a halt on, was renovations to the first floor apartment, after they moved upstairs.

I'm not sure that Uncle Ray's daughters liked Judy and Jen upstaging them at their father's birthday party. They seemed a little pissed to me.

ETA: I thought that Bill looked like he was getting a tooth pulled through the whole episode. It was very, very obvious that the weekend wasn't his idea of a good time.

They probably didn't have to pay for it, so smile or do something on your own. 

On 11/15/2018 at 7:09 AM, snarkish said:

I was noticing Jen's clothes a lot in this episode too. She always looks very stylish and comfortable at the same time. Great taste, especially when she basically must rely on the kids department for a big chunk of her wardrobe. Her shoes are always adorable. 

Their Houston house sold much later than anticipated and they took a loss on the price as well (I did some Googling during the episode where the bought the St. Pete home). 

As a parent of one limited-vegetable eater and one that loves salads, I loved seeing Zoey nomming on the corn and the asparagus! Those kids look like they like a wide variety of foods. 

I'm getting anxious to see the St. Pete house finished! According to Jen's Instagram, the Mexico beach segment was filmed last summer, so by now the St. Pete house should be beyond done hence why they were currently vacationing at Disney. I swear, I want to be adopted by Jen and Bill. 

I liked that too. I'm glad to see the kids aren't the chicken nugget or nothing type of kids. 

[readheaded]

23 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Let me shed some light on this. I am 4'2", 63 lbs., and proportional. So closer to Bill's height, but with the proportions of an average-size woman - just smaller.

In pants I wear a girl's size 7. They fit me perfectly, as long as they have an adjustable waist (because I'm a woman, my waist is proportionally smaller than my hips). I buy jeans at Gap, and can usually find one or two pair of pants per season at Zara.

Tops/jackets are more difficult, because I have a bust (and little girls don't). 

For T-shirts and sweaters this isn't much of an issue (I can wear a size large comfortably), but for items made of woven fabrics (shirts/jackets) I shop in the juniors or ladies - usually an extra small or small. I have to pay particular attention to sleeve length and overall length, so I don't look like I'm wearing someone else's clothes. I'm thrilled with the cropped button-down shirts that have been sold the past couple of years; perfect length on me!

I stick to neutral colors and more mature fabric textures and prints (herringbones, plaids, tweeds, etc) and express my personal style with jewelry, and accessories such as hats/scarves/purses/etc..

That's what I do; I suspect Jen's wardrobe consists of some ready-to-wear (with tailoring for fit for certain items) and some items custom-made.

@readheaded: the cardigans don't have to be hand-knitted by Chloe specifically. Almost every yarn shop can put a customer in contact with an experienced knitter in the area willing to do custom work.

Thanks for the info!  I was really curious about that because she wears such pretty, but sophisticated, cardigans!  :)

[Whyyouneedaname]

16 hours ago, readheaded said:

Thanks for the info!  I was really curious about that because she wears such pretty, but sophisticated, cardigans!  :)

I had a little extra time this morning so I googled "The Little Couple pilot show" on this episode she flies to NY to ride back with Bill, this is when he is moving to Houston.  She took some clothes that she had started having altered when she lived there, before her Houston job. She said they needed a little tweaking, anyway on the way she & Bill are discussing it in the car, she ordered 2 custom suits, she says something like "just dropped 5k on 2 suits" I think Bill may have said "can't do that very often, we're not made of money." Good gracious I can't imagine what her total wardrobe is worth, she dresses very well :)

[Chalby]

On 11/14/2018 at 9:59 AM, Foghorn Leghorn said:

 And both Bill and Jen are guilty of giving a direction to the kids followed by “OK?”    Jen just walks away when Zoey acts out and I notice Will flinches a bit if she touches him sometimes.  He is better around her though.  For years it was only Baba!

 

This is my number one beef when I am doing family counseling. I realize it's a speaking 'habit' but parents need to be more aware of how they interact with their children. Giving an expectation, only to follow it up with an "okay?" changes the expectation to a choice. "I want you to pick up your toys, okay?" Then the parent becomes upset if the child chooses not to pick up toys. If parents are uncomfortable giving a specific direction, they can always try a 'guided option', like "You can pick up your toys first, then make your bed, or make your bed and then pick up your toys." Never ask 'okay?'

[endure]

On 2018-11-13 at 8:20 PM, seahag50 said:

I love this family.  Good things are worked for..

They are a great couple and they do work hard and appreciate and enjoy the material things they have and love their lives.  They don't complain about their limitations so it's easy to forget they have any. They so enjoy their kids and all of their family more than anything.  I adore Bill he's an awesome Dad and he is so funny.

[BW Manilowe]

On 11/15/2018 at 8:09 AM, snarkish said:

I was noticing Jen's clothes a lot in this episode too. She always looks very stylish and comfortable at the same time. Great taste, especially when she basically must rely on the kids department for a big chunk of her wardrobe. Her shoes are always adorable. 

Their Houston house sold much later than anticipated and they took a loss on the price as well (I did some Googling during the episode where the bought the St. Pete home). 

As a parent of one limited-vegetable eater and one that loves salads, I loved seeing Zoey nomming on the corn and the asparagus! Those kids look like they like a wide variety of foods. 

I'm getting anxious to see the St. Pete house finished! According to Jen's Instagram, the Mexico beach segment was filmed last summer, so by now the St. Pete house should be beyond done hence why they were currently vacationing at Disney. I swear, I want to be adopted by Jen and Bill. 

I think in an earlier season Jen said the kids would eat pretty much anything that was put in front of them, & that had to do with the food situations when they spent time in orphanages/group homes before their adoptions. I also remember, in the episode where Bill’s mom went with them to sightsee/shop at Grand Central Station, they stopped to eat at (I’m pretty sure) a Junior’s Cheesecake restaurant inside the Station, & Jen or Bill did a voiceover saying they finally found something Will didn’t like to eat during that meal. He apparently doesn’t like pickles (unless he’s grown to like them since). I don’t like pickles either, so we’d be good company at meals.