Sunday, January 25, 2009

New Episode - The New House

After hearing about the new house, the eager Gosselin kids get to see what their soon-to-be new home looks like before moving day, but will they share the same enthusiasm for the new house as Jon and Kate?

449 comments:

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Anonymous said...

I need an avatar that says "Passive aggressive people drive me nuts"

MrsRef said...

Nina - no I don't want you to force people to agree with me - but I don't need to be called out on every opinion either. And Jenn, maybe I remind you of someone in elementary school but this reminds me of junior high where everybody just piles it on and like I said, I already did that. I can make better use of my time than blogging about this family. They sure don't give a crap about me and they don't care about you either.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a psychologist, but the term "groupthink" keeps coming to mind about the GWOP blog. It's like a big colony of bacteria looking to overcome everything in its path, even if the people are innocent bystanders.

Gina said...

Good morning ladies! I have been busy lately, and it has taken forever to read this thread. Unbelievable insanity! WOW!

I don't understand all of the hoopla about this episode if it isn't related to jealousy. For those who don't think J&K deserve this new house, let me be the first to tell you . . . LIFE ISN'T FAIR. It is sad that someone's dad/brother/husband/uncle has lost his job, and the family must live on Ramen noodles cooked over an open butane torch while living in a box by the river, but that has absolutely nothing to do with J&K. The world is made up of fortunate and less fortunate people, and their "worthiness" has little to nothing to do with it. Get over it.

To those posters who are offended--If you are not able to handle dissenting opinion and discussion, then maybe it is best that you choose to post elsewhere. Discussions may get heated here, but overall, I would say that this is a pretty welcoming blog as long as the posters are sincere in wanting to participate in a mature discussion.

On a side note, to avoid future pronoun confusion, an option instead of using "you" to refer to general folk instead of another specific poster is to use "one". It makes one sound a little pretentious, but at least no one should assume that one is specifically referring to her. Snort! ;)

Ann said...

Helo, all,
Mrs. Ref, if you are reading, I am sorry to see you go, but I speak only for myself. I still do keep your family who lost jobs in my prayers and congratulate you on the grandbaby.

May God bless Pastor Craig and the good people and other pastors at his church who came into the GWOP crosshairs yesterday. I hope their Gosselin experience is fun, funny, and well worth the emotional cost. I certainly think his email box (spammed, as Indianprincess said) gives him some insight into what the Gosselins must suffer.

Ladies, I would be ashamed to post at a blog truly equal in tone and intent as GWOP. You are a such nice bunch. I appreciate the fact that I can criticize Kate Gosselin's crabby "stay out of my room" speech without imagining she made Cara cry, hating her sub-zero fridge, or even disagreeing with her house rules. I enjoy the show so much more while watching because I watch with the audience in mind...looking forward to your comments.

Does anyone from the Princess boards read here? If you do...I love your posts. I look forward to Tuesday mornings because of you. I was recently sick and missed a lot, and besides the pleasure of several GDNNOP threads to catch up on, I had FOUR pages of Princess board snark to enjoy. Thank you!

Samantha@IW said...

GLO-

On a side note, to avoid future pronoun confusion, an option instead of using "you" to refer to general folk instead of another specific poster is to use "one". It makes one sound a little pretentious, but at least no one should assume that one is specifically referring to her. Snort! ;)

Too funny! I think we should all incorporate this into our everyday vocabulary- a little pretention never hurt anyone :)

P.S. One musn't snort- it's unbecoming. LOL

Anya@IW said...

Glo said...For those who don't think J&K deserve this new house, let me be the first to tell you . . . LIFE ISN'T FAIR.

Glo, I know I have been saying this a lot lately, but I love your new avatar.

Yep, "life isn't fair" sums up just about everything I believe about the over-the-top reaction to this episode. That and "Your imagination doesn't count as a reliable source" are going to be the mantras I repeat to myself for the next week!

Lizzy said...

OMG Glo-- I *just* saw that pic and debated making it my avatar then decided I like my current one too much. It is awesome!

Saint, ditto about the Princess boards. They have made me calm down from many an insane situation.

We have talked a lot on this thread about the actual show, so if anyone has a problem with the discussion about GWoP the best solution would be to ignore and make comments about the kids, or the barn, or the dead, flat mouse. I was just thinking earlier of Aaden's "No horses, no cows, no sheep... no nothing!!" statement and it made me smile. Can't wait for this next episode either-- I really hate moving, so the thought of having 8 kids underfoot while boxing your life up is not appealing!

Anya@IW said...

Also, forgot to mention: along with:

Life isn't fair

I would include:

GET OVER IT!

:-)

Anya@IW said...

Lizabeth said...We have talked a lot on this thread about the actual show, so if anyone has a problem with the discussion about GWoP the best solution would be to ignore and make comments about the kids, or the barn, or the dead, flat mouse.

Yes, agree. We need these posters to make the comments though. Most of the posts have begun and ended with "why are you talking about the other site?" That's the extent of the "contribution."

How about sharing what *you* actually thought of the show?

There were a number of cute kid moments that have been brought up, but it doesn't hurt to discuss again.

Do you guys think Hannah will really have the bedroom to herself? This is speculation on my part (I am using my imagination, Samantha, LOL), but I wonder if it will turn into kind of an extra bedroom for the sextuplets. Maybe Hannah will use it most of the time due to the issues she has, but it would also be a good place to put a sick kid if the other kids are well. I could see other uses as well. I am happy for them that they will have more space.

The other thing that stuck out for me was when Kate said "we needed this." I can see why this statement might rub some people the wrong way. I do agree they needed more space. I am not sure they "needed" this house (not that I consider it a mansion or anything).

I just wonder sometimes if Kate has some feelings of guilt or unworthiness and compensates by telling herself they need this or that. Of course, when I think about some of the stuff I buy, I am totally in the the same league. I tell myself I really "need" that laptop when in reality, I want it and it will make my life easier, but I do not truly "need it."

Anya@IW said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Samantha@IW said...

Anya:

May I also suggest adding my avorite 90's mantra:

Life's tough- get a helmet.

shawna said...

I personally think Kate is so busy trying to make new story lines for new episodes that she doesn't have time to parent her children.

Regarding the Mady kicking Alexis incident... she should have pulled Mady aside and asked her if she did indeed kick Alexis.

When the boys needed help with the toilet, Kate should have stopped cleaning the fridge and helped them.

I guess it doesn't make for good TV if you are not showing your "obsessive" cleaning habits instead of helping your children or yelling at your husband to do it for you.

Samantha@IW said...

The other thing that stuck out for me was when Kate said "we needed this."

I interpreted it to mean "We needed this solitude- where people cant drive by with their cameras, and overzealous fans (or people who hate our guts and wish I would be locked up in an institution, and my children will grow up to hate me, and my huband will cheat on me) can't stroll up to our front door on a whim."

Lizzy said...

Anya, thats an interesting take on the room idea! I remember the twins talking in the past about how they did not want to be split up, so I assumed this was why Cara and Mady were together in their own little suite. Hannah may need time to wake up more than the others, but I agree it will most likely be the "extra" room where any of the kids are able to get some peace and quiet.

As far as the "we needed this" concept, I don't think Kate was too far off. Anyone who has seen the earlier specials will agree that it was extremely tight having 6 babies to roam in the living space at their old house. Moving to a bigger house with an unfinished basement helped, as did cleaning up the garage and using it as a play room. I agree with previous posters that while the house looks ginormous now, once you get furniture in there it won't seem near as big. Not to mention as the kids get older and are getting into music, sports, and wanting to have friends over. I think as much as Kate really does want control of her family she has loosened the reins a lot since having the sextuplets. Reading Multiple Blessings showed me just how anal retentive she was, so it is good to see how much she has grown as a person and been able to let go of her perfectionism. I can't imagine having Mady, Cara, Alexis, Leah, and Hannah all in their pre-teen and teenage years together though... those girls are going to be trouble for the boys they come around!! :)

Gina said...

Thanks, ladies! I was inspired to go avatar hunting after seeing all of the cool ones here.

I just finished catching up on GWOP at the Princess board, and all I can think is . . . words fail me. The utter lack of self-awareness, common sense and logical reasoning abilities, and the failure to display common decency at GWOP has made it so unbearable that I decided long ago for my own sanity to not read there. Someone earlier got it right when she/he said that some of the posters there lack class.

MoreCowbell said...

When MCB wrote, "and if you put it out there to be read by the masses, you're going to get some feedback, and not all of it from obsessed, lonely, bitterly brainwashed mental patients full of hatred, who agree with you..." I think she meant that if GWOP puts criticism out there, they will get some feedback from others (that's us) and not all the feedback will be from the GWOP posters who are obsessed, lonely, brainwashed mental patients full of hatred who agree with everything written at GWOP.

Thanks, Saint. That's exactly what I meant. (Sorry, late to the party again) I certainly wasn't referring to anyone here. I can see where it might be misinterpreted if you're already on the defensive, which Mrs Ref seemed to be, but yeah. I'm speaking of Club Looneytunes which I'm pretty sure inhabits that particular blog.

Gina said...

Shawna said,
Regarding the Mady kicking Alexis incident... she should have pulled Mady aside and asked her if she did indeed kick Alexis."

LOL, because, of course, an eight-year-old is going to confess, "Yes, mother. I did kick my sister. Please put me in time out."

Especially with eight kids, a parent would spend all of his/her time refing these types of conflicts, and he/she would rarely get the whole "truth."

MoreCowbell said...

I don't think we've had a thread go to three pages yet, have we?

Regarding avatars, there are two which I contemplated replacing Will Ferrell with (for now). One is a black and white of a man bending over with his head up his butt and the other is a 1940's looking soldier with a steaming mug of joe, saying "How about a nice cup of shut the ***k up?"

Both with our advocating friends in mind, of course.

Anonymous said...

MrsRef:

You wrote:

the people behind those annymous names are real people too. Have you ever given a moment's thought to that.

Yes, I have. And that is the point. The posters are standing behind their screen names. The people who post nasty remarks and name call children are HIDING behind anonymous screen names.

That is the difference.

I've not seen you do this, but under the cloak of a pseudonym many of the GWOPPERS do call innocent children names. Children. That is a difference.

It isn't misguided. Not one darn bit.

It stoops to a combined level of cowardice and evil that is difficult for me to fathom.

I don't have a problem calling it what it is. It isn't misguided. It is combined cowardice and evil.

shawna said...

In reply to GLO...

I would hope that their eight year old would tell the truth. Since religion plays such a "huge" factor in their life Mady should know to tell the truth.

"Never tell a lie"

Anya@IW said...

shawna said...Regarding the Mady kicking Alexis incident... she should have pulled Mady aside and asked her if she did indeed kick Alexis.

And it's possible this happened off camera. I agree with Glo though, you have to pick your battles and as one of eight siblings, the Gosselin children are going to have to resolve some of these conflicts without their parent's help. Alexis is 4 1/2 - not 2.

When the boys needed help with the toilet, Kate should have stopped cleaning the fridge and helped them.

Based on the footage (which, of course, was edited), I tend to agree. It was less than ideal timing for her, but that's life.

Anya
"Life's tough- get a helmet." Samantha-NC

scarfoot79 said...

I would hope that their eight year old would tell the truth. Since religion plays such a "huge" factor in their life Mady should know to tell the truth.

With all due respect, children from religious homes are not perfect and still have to learn the same life lessons as all other children. In fact, I would hope that all children, not just children in religious homes, would learn to tell the truth at all times.

Christians, in this case, are just as apt to make mistakes as anyone else. I do grow weary of the comments about the Gosselins being Christians, as if being a Christian means you must have perfect behavior at all times. Yes, Christians follow the Bible and strive to live a life according to those principles, but it does not mean that they don't still struggle with many of the same life issues that all adults struggle with.

Samantha@IW said...

Shawna:
I would hope that their eight year old would tell the truth. Since religion plays such a "huge" factor in their life Mady should know to tell the truth.

Mady is a child. Their faith does not automatically make their children perfect- something you yourself clearly are not. Why do you hold them to a higher standard than you hold for yourself?

Gina said...

Shawna,
"I would hope that their eight year old would tell the truth. Since religion plays such a "huge" factor in their life Mady should know to tell the truth.
"Never tell a lie"


And in a perfect world this would happen. My point was, it would be an exceptionally rare eight-year-old who wouldn't at least prevaricate if asked this question.

I don't know a single person, Christian or not, who has never told a lie--not even George Washington. :)

merryway said...

SamanthaNC said...
The other thing that stuck out for me was when Kate said "we needed this."
I interpreted it to mean "We needed this solitude- where people cant drive by with their cameras, and overzealous fans (or people who hate our guts and wish I would be locked up in an institution, and my children will grow up to hate me, and my huband will cheat on me) can't stroll up to our front door on a whim."


That's an interesting interpretation and I wouldn't be surprised if you're right. My first thought was that it was materialism, and I certainly didn't fault her for that, she is human after all. I love my toys. When I gave it a little more thought in context of the rest of her statements, I think it's the privacy for herself she's seeking. I also think Kate is the frugal type. For her to go with a house of this size, etc. that this is something she really does believe her family needs or something she dreamed of being the perfect situation for her children (I sometimes phrase those things the same way).


"I would hope that their eight year old would tell the truth. Since religion plays such a "huge" factor in their life Mady should know to tell the truth.
"Never tell a lie"


Well, there's always hope, but kids lie all the time regardless of religion of morals. Teenagers know better too, but they also lie all the time.

I also think Kate should have stopped and went up the stairs to tend her toilet needs instead of continuing to clean the fridge. She was already inside.

I would never make it through an evening of playing cards with them as couple but I like to watch them on tv.

On a funny note, our air is very dry here today and my little one was creating quite an electric charge while riding her bike around on the carpet. She went to pet our tom cat and they both got it. He screamed SO loud, I thought she had accidentally run over him. Lol :)

Anonymous said...

Shawna said -
Regarding the Mady kicking Alexis incident... she should have pulled Mady aside and asked her if she did indeed kick Alexis.
-----------------------------------
It MAY have happened off camera or ended up on the cutting room floor. Just because it was not seen does not mean it never happened. Then again, maybe Kate said nothing to Mady... there is no way to know for sure.

As for the "other" board, I just cannot wrap my mind around the comments. I am new to posting on this blog, but I feel as though I'm not the only one that struggles to understand how escalated that blog has become. Therefore it is a topic of discussion here at times.

Some of my favorite moments this episode involved Aaden. You know, I really felt for him when he said "No cows, no chickens, no sheep, no anything!" In his mind barn probably meant animals!

MonicaW42 said...

Carrie,

I forgot about that scene with Aaden. awwww he is a cutie. God help them if they get any animals. I'm sure PETA would be contacted on them next. They just can't get a break.

Tyra said...

Quote:
Regarding the Mady kicking Alexis incident... she should have pulled Mady aside and asked her if she did indeed kick Alexis.

I'm inclined to think that she knows exactly what happened, without her having to see it.

The little scene you're talking about didn't just show one behavior, it showed two behaviors. From what I could see, Alexis is well-versed in the routine of: ignoring a rule related to the twins' privacy or room, sitting like a lump until Mady resorts to physical means to move her, and then tattling to Mom.

If Mom calls Mady out in direct response to Alexis' tattling, that reinforces the whole routine. Listening to Alexis (M-o-o-o-m), her mom could tell there was no injury involved, just kid power struggles. Yes, you deal with Mady kicking Alexis in the overall, but you don't let kids summon you to reprimand other kids, because that puts them in charge of you.

What Kate did was deal directly with Alexis' behavior by not reinforcing it. Mady's behavior could be dealt with later, out of view of Alexis.

Anonymous said...

Something that kind of worries me is, that if it is true that Gosselins have had their old house "egged" and if it is true that their tires were slashed, and there were other mean acts their way, will these little kids actually be able to play outside alone and roam through their big acreage? People can be crazy. I hope they do have a nanny or a parent who will always be outside with them, which is even a bit sad, as they might not be able to play with great abandon like little kids should allowed to do. Childhood needs to be free from problems like that.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure if any of you watch "The Real Housewives of Orange County" but on the network website all of the ladies have their own blogs where the comment on the show and recap some things and reveal things not seen on the show.

Considering that Jon and Kate have their own website, I've often wondered why they don't use it like that...like to clarify something they said or did, or to say, "what they didn't show right after that..." or whatever.

Because I have to believe that Jon and Kate must cringe from time to time watching the show and think, "Ouch, that came out wrong", or "I shouldn't have said it like that because I meant..."

I think the thing that draws the ire of so many people, quite frankly, is that there are times when Kate is just so darned unlikeable and that seeps into the rest of the show. I've mentioned that I was a huge fan of the show at first, but several things turned me off to it and made it difficult to watch it without a critical eye.

Because I know that if I had said, "All mine as far as the eye can see" I would be embarassed to death that I said that and would probably like the chance to say, "Yuck, I should have said, and meant, 'all OURS for as far as the eye can see' instead."

That assumes that she actually regrets things she says or does, which I don't know. Just saying that I would personally want some way of clarifying and connecting with the viewer in a way that made my intentions more clear.

MoreCowbell said...

I find it HILARIOUS that some "advocates" are mentioning calling CPS because Mady kicked her sibling. SERIOUSLY? Good grief. Have none of these people ever had a fight with a sibling? Hitting, slapping, kicking. That's NORMAL. One of my childhood friends got into a fight with her brother at the top of the staircase one day when I was there. She got in one good shove and her bigger, heavier brother went head first down the entire flight. Her mother looked at the two and said to her brother, "That's what you get for picking on someone smaller than you all the time." Believe me, if this is a habitual problem with Mady, there will be a day that her brothers (and possible a couple of sisters) are larger and stronger than she is (Hello, Collin!) and they WILL get revenge. It's part of being in a NORMAL family. Fights happen.

I'd be more worried about siblings who DON'T fight once in awhile (looking in the Duggar's general direction). A couple of weeks ago, LPBW showed a knock down drag out between Jake and Zach Roloff. Sweaty, red, angry faces, rolling on the floor in headlocks. I hate to see what would have happened had Amy NOT told them to knock it off. Have the "advocates" called CPS yet? {sarcasm}

Anonymous said...

Right on, Tyra

I think that Kate handled Alexis exactly right. Alexis should be taught to think about her own behavior and she was obviously not injured. There is no way that Alexis should be reinforced for tattling when she knew exactly what she was doing to get to Mady.

Mady does need (as do all little children)to learn to handle her frustration with her sister without kicking or hitting but Alexis also needs to learn there are sometime unpleasent conseuqences for bugging the heck out of your siblings.

I hope Kate did talk to Mady later, as Tyra said, out of Lex's earshot.

Anonymous said...

I read somewhere that older sibs hit harder, but younger sibs scream louder. Does that make sense?

I'm not excusing Mady's behavior, but little sisters can often be very crafty and can push just the right buttons to make their older siblings boil over. Spoken by a very experienced big sister:)

Guinevere said...

I'm not excusing Mady's behavior, but little sisters can often be very crafty and can push just the right buttons to make their older siblings boil over. Spoken by a very experienced big sister:)

And we know that Alexis is a button-pusher, per Kate (I'm saying this with love - I adore Alexis!). There's a webisode about Alexis' and Collin's tendency to repeat the same thing over and over, which Kate says Alexis does specifically to annoy. There's a scene with Alexis and her cousin Elissa in which Alexis repeatedly asks Elissa, "Is that your puppy?" and Elissa replies, "No, it's my unicorn!" (a stuffed one). Elissa gets more and more frustrated and Alexis just has this pleased little smile on her face. It's awfully cute!

Anonymous said...

Do you remember "I ...want ....a BA...GUL! Repeated five times. Now, I love Alexis dearly, but if I was on the camera crew, I would have thrown her one just to keep her quiet.

Anonymous said...

I think the point with the Alexis/Mady "battle royal"...was that, yes, Mady did kick Alexis.

Was Alexis moving and/or obeying the "twins space rules"? No.

Should Mady have kicked Alexis? No.

Was Alexis hurt to the point that she was distressed? No.

Alexis went downstairs to tattle on Mady but, by that time, was done crying and was easily distracted in just a few seconds.

Kate reprimanded Alexis, which I agree with...Alexis was not following the rules and was being stubborn by not listening to Mady and refusing to move.

Did Mady get reprimanded later? We don't know.

Perhaps it happened off camera and perhaps it didn't....some things are not for us to know, young grasshoppers.

MrsRef said...

Saint: I just want to say thank you for your prayers. We learned today that everything is fine with the baby (a boy) and that my daughter is half-way to a safe delivery. After three miscarriages, we were all on edge. Also my son had a couple of promising interviews and his wife is working at a doctors office. Things are really looking up. Again, thank you for your kindness.

Anonymous said...

Scarfoot said...
Christians, in this case, are just as apt to make mistakes as anyone else. I do grow weary of the comments about the Gosselins being Christians, as if being a Christian means you must have perfect behavior at all times. Yes, Christians follow the Bible and strive to live a life according to those principles, but it does not mean that they don't still struggle with many of the same life issues that all adults struggle with.


I agree. Just because people profess their Christianity or we know that they are Christians, doesn't make them a saint. Um, no offense Saint! :) Nor, shall we judge them on the depth of their religion or the perception in our minds and measure their actions to what we perceive as "good Christians".


Jen K said...
Considering that Jon and Kate have their own website, I've often wondered why they don't use it like that...like to clarify something they said or did, or to say, "what they didn't show right after that..." or whatever.


I've often wondered that too Jen K. If you havea site use it. However, I do think that they are just so darn busy with the 8 kids and doing appearances, that when they are home, they just would rather hang with the kids then be holed up updating their webpage, because that can get to be an involved job. Although, perhaps something of importance, like the new book and orders were ann easy fix to do. Perhaps that's on a "to do" list.

I do remember them saying on the Interview Couch that they realize after seeing something on the show, that reactions could've been worded better or they could've reacted better. They also said that some stuff seemed harsher than what it really was.

Remember the time that Kate said Mady saw herself on camera and the camera was her (Mady's) concious because she would treat a child badly and then see it and feel bad about it? Poor Hannah was hit about three times in that episode, once from Mady who just whacked her on the behind for no reason as she was walking by her. Maybe Mady felt bad after seeing this footage of her kicking Alexis.

Ann said...

Thanks for the update, Mrs. Ref, that's good news. I have heard so much bad news lately, tied to the lousy economy, that it's really nice to hear of someone who found employment, and that a company is actually interviewing! Wooo-hooo!
Best wishes to the new parents (boys are awesome!) :)

MonicaW42 said...

I second that motion on something being able to get a job in this economy. Glad to hear it Mrs Ref. Even though I am one that disagrees on things with you, it is nice to hear good news.

MonicaW42 said...

ummm....meant someone.... hooked on phonics didn't work for me.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear of your good news MrsRef!!

Samantha@IW said...

MrsRef-

Glad to hear your good news :)

Anya@IW said...

Mrs.Ref. I am happy for you and your family.
*********************************

From Baby Mama's site:
"On Monday, TLC’s show ranked No. 1 for it’s time slot on cable, pulling in over 1.6 million women between the ages of 18-49. The episode beat out the season premiere of TNT’s “The Closer,” by 400,000. So every snarker that commented on a hate site contributed to Jon & Kate Plus 8 being the #1 CABLE SHOW ON MONDAY NIGHT. So thank you trolls, this family appreciates it!

I trust BM doesn't mind me bringing this over.

The best revenge is success.

MrsRef said...

Thanks to all for the good wishes. I will try to "chill out" from now on. Boys are neat!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Good news on the baby and the interviews.

God bless you and your family.

Guinevere said...

I saw that about the ratings, Anya. I guess some people need to write more sponsors and harrass more pastors!

Seriously, the continued predictions of the imminent demise of the show and the "Gosselin scam" are beginning to remind me of those doomsday cults that are always predicting that the end is nigh. They'll give a date, and when that date passes, and we're all still here, what do you know, there's a new date for the apocalypse. It keeps the masses engaged, I guess.

Of course the show will end, sooner or later. I doubt that the haters will have anything to do with it (I certainly hope not). I am fairly confident that whatever wacky "truth" they are peddling about the Gosselins will never be revealed to and accepted by the world at large, or even the J&K+8 viewing public at large.

Nicole said...

I think that the ratings were high because people wanted to see the new house. We were all sure that it was the house that has been talked about.

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