Monday, February 9, 2009

New Episode - Walk In The Woods


While Kate's away in the Big Apple, Jon and the kids set out to explore the woods near their new house. With walking sticks in hand, they're off on an outdoor adventure! Will all the kids enjoy the great outdoors or will there be inevitable meltdowns?

58 comments:

Ann said...

This is the part of "the house" I'd like to see! I love wooded properties. I think the kids will really enjoy it as they grow older.

Anya@IW said...

I agree. It will be interesting to see more of the property.

Yes, I can imagine the Gosselin kids having a lot of fun growing up with this property. Treehouses, clubhouses, lots of games of hide and seek. Makes me want to be a kid again!

Anya@IW said...

http://theanti-gosselinswithoutpity.blogspot.com/

Baby Mama has a new post up I thought some would be interested in....

Anonymous said...

Maybe since TLC is around the kids so much, it is taken for granted there will be "inevitable meltdowns" as they describe. But I wonder why that would automatically apply to a family taking a walk in the woods? It sounds like fun to me.

I think exploring that property would be incredible. Simply having trees to climb was so exciting to my kids when we moved to where we are now. Our old house was basically built in a hugely popular area of subdivisions built on flat divided farmland with no trees. They barely knew what a squirrel was before moving to a wooded site!

Anonymous said...

I'm guessing that Joel is having the same reaction that one of my kids had when I had the "great" idea of taking them on a nature walk.

It was a sunny day and there were trails that went through this wooded preserve, but you'd think that I was taking him through the the forest from the Wizard of Oz.

"I want to go home Mommy."

"Stay close to me Mommy."

"What is that noise Mommy."

and of course . . .

"Hold me - e - e - e Mommy!"

Ann said...

Thanks for the link Anya.

marci said...

There's something special about having a home surrounded by woods. My housing development was formed in the 1970s and was orginally a horse farm. The original owner insisted that it remain a place people could stable and ride horses, so free land was incorporated between the properties, which few people have cultivated.

Now, this isn't acres of land, but we have a healthy deer population that roams in there and shows itself...along with other "critters"...depite dogs being in almost every yard.

I think it's just the most magical thing to be able to look out your window and see these animals up close. So for the Gosselin children, I'm sure it will add to the treat it must be to have a bigger house and a bigger yard to play in.

Anonymous said...

Linda: you're right, of course. Wasn't thinking how scary it could appear. Don't know if that was the case with Joel, but makes me realize things aren't always one way or the other.

Hope you made it out alive!

Portia said...

When I was growing up we had woods right past our back yard. The first time I heard a snake in the grass I ran like crazy. Took me awhile to get used too, but once I did we were always playing there. Joel and the other kids just need to get use to their surroundings.

The boys seem to not like to get dirty and this could be because of Kate's phobia to dirt and germs. She seems to be loosening up so maybe the boys will too.

Unknown said...

I think this episode should be fun to watch.

I saw the preview and Joel was crying about something. (maybe he got dirt in his shoe :) )

And it looked like they were all carrying a big stick.

Linda,

I liked your post!

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to tonight's ep- I grew up in a very rural part of the country, and my brothers and I spent a lot of our days out in the woods surrounding our house. I think it can be a "shock" to more suburban kids- I remember our "city-slicker" cousins, when they came to visit, being kind of freaked out at various things that we were used to.

Lizzy said...

This episode wasn't one of my favorites, but it had some great times in it nonetheless. I love that Jon and Kate were joking around about the kids seeing trees and birds now. Her "What are you, a botanist all of a sudden?" was hilarious.

I also loved that they each have a stick and they keep them in one place. Can't blame the kids for wanting to be like daddy!!

Collin collecting sticks was adorable-- especially when he had about 4 sticks and a bunch of leaves. Poor Joel, crying and falling down over the trees.

Jon breaking Alexis' stick was pretty mean-- I can see why he did but still... what else is she gonna do with her stick but poke her brother? I will not be surprised if anti-Gosselin people cry foul on Jon this time for his response.

I appreciate how Jon and Kate talked about letting the kids be kids, and how they are happy they have the chance to live in a house with land like that. It is interesting to see Jon watch the kids and how he interacts with all of them.

Walkie talkies are a great idea!! The kids can then communicate easier with each other without screaming (same thing with Jon and Kate).

Samantha@IW said...

The kids were so cute on the tractor and using the walkie-talkies, they have changed so much lately. During the interview all I could look at was Kate's pink polkadot socks!

Ann said...

Four year olds are notoriously bad with sticks! And yet, they must have them on a hike. This episode brings back memories...

Oh, Jon, the deer will be back. I promise!

My kids loved tractor rides, too, when they were smaller. John needs to get a wagon attachment for hay rides in the yard. So much fun for little ones! (And useful for hauling mulch.)

Did John turn on the tractor blades with a child on his lap? Ugh! Just like my neighbors...that's a BIG NO in my yard. I get freaky like Kate when I see kids on mowers with the blades on.

I think the refrigerator debate from last week has been settled. Closure. It's a good thing.

How cute was that silent lunch? They were tired and hungry :)

Kuromi said...

"The sticks! The sticks! Oh the humanity--the sticks!"

At least, that's what certain angry fanatics will be saying. The Princess posters have been laughing at the stick-fear induced by last week's episode...

On second thought, it's likely going to be fodder for those who believe that the Gosselins specifically do things in reaction to the Nasty Nellies. "They KNOW we'v advocated against the dangers of sticks! They made this episode just to make us mad(er)!"

Jenn said...

I am so sad. Our Directv went out because of the wind. Someone won't be out here until Thursday to fix it. I missed this weeks episode and I will miss all my other shows too. whaaaaaaa!

how did fridge-gate get resolved?

merryway said...

Yes, I remember kids and sticks. They always had to have them. I liked how Collin wants to collect the forest. The contrast between the adventure and dinner was funny. They were like the silent family. They will or are getting use to it all, it's all new. They will be all over running, falling down and making up games. Kate doesn't know what she's missing. It looked like such a great place just to camp out back. I thought Jon's take on the cat's point of view of kids with sticks was cute.

I saw the preview for next week. Kate get's a dented appliance. I hate getting new appliance with a dent in it. It just takes some of the fun away to have to deal with it.

Nicole said...

It was nice to see the kids outdoors and enjoying Mother Nature.

The kids riding on the tractor made me nervous. You just never know what can happen.

Kids like to play with sticks. It's just part of being a kid.

Kuromi said...

"Why do you see the STICK in your brother's eye but fail to see the plank in your own eye?"

[Apologies to Matthew, but it really seemed apt :)]

Ann said...

how did fridge-gate get resolved?

The old refrigerator with the wooden panels was downstairs in the unfinished part of the basement. So it WAS a new refrigerator "we" saw last week. But, Jenn, we don't know if it's plugged in down there or not. We may have to discuss and moralize about this further.

Jenn said...

The old refrigerator with the wooden panels was downstairs in the unfinished part of the basement. So it WAS a new refrigerator "we" saw last week. But, Jenn, we don't know if it's plugged in down there or not. We may have to discuss and moralize about this further.

gosh, how dare she have 2 refrigerators! the nerve!!

Samantha@IW said...

Kuromi- I love it!


I didn't notice the old fridge... but I also didnt notice the new fridge last week.

MoreCowbell said...

Yes, because GOD FORBID, a family of 10 might like to buy in bulk and need a second fridge! Makes sense that if they got a new one, the old one is put to good use. If I had that many kids to buy for, I'd be shopping at Sam's or Costco for bulk items every week. Heck, with just one kid, I wish I had a second fridge so I could buy some things in bulk. I don't have a Sam's membership because I know I don't have the storage space to take advantage of it.

I don't get it. Why was this a controversy, again? Because they're running out of things to bitch about?

I'm sure the sticks in the hands of four-year-olds, or Jon taking Lexie's stick away, or "forcing" the children to go in the woods when they don't want to, will be hashed, rehashed and blown out of proportion. Pretty soon we'll hear about "Jon brutally grabbing the stick from Alexis and breaking it over her head, then throwing it savagely over his shoulder where it impaled a crying and miserable Joel, while at the same time the other tups were forced to go potty in the weeds and wipe their butts with poison ivy leaves."

The Travel Mom said...

Morecowbell you are too funny. Cause you KNOW how things are so twisted around, I fear that they will just beat on poor Jon for being a terrible dad. He did great and is the best Mr. Mom I know! Funny most people are talking about the previews for NEXT week. Cause how DARE they furnish their home, or be entitled to get new appliances!

My kids hate being outdoors and in the woods. People comment like "how sad" but really, all kids are different. I feel the trolls will grasp at straws again on this one, till next week when they can attack on something new. Because they claim they all DON'T watch.

rain88 said...

I don’t care one bit about how much furniture they have or who gives it to them.. I’m much more interested in the interaction of the people. The hike in the woods started off badly and didn’t get any better. Jon was so goal oriented that it appeared nobody had fun in the woods. If he’d slowed it down some it probably would have been less stressful for everyone. I loved the walking sticks piled up, a hike is always more fun when you find a really good stick to walk with.


Kate didn’t seem happy during that interview until the very end. The “botanist” comment didn’t seem jokey to me at all. Maybe she is having a difficult time seeing Jon handle the home part as well as he does. That used to be her territory so maybe she has conflicting feelings about it.

Guinevere said...

I thought the botanist thing was funny. It occurred to me that Kate just busts Jon's chops a lot, to borrow a phrase. I prefer that to her correcting his grammar or pronounciation, when she makes just about as many errors as he does.

Not my favorite episode either; the ratio of cranky to cute was a little out of whack for me. Jon was cranky with the kids, but I didn't blame him; it can't be fun to be in charge of six whiny little ones for an extended period of time.

I wonder how "they" will spin this. The kids were obviously unhappy at certain points (the walk through the woods, mostly), but by my reckoning it had nothing to do with being on tv. It was just regular kid whininess. Like I said, not the most fun to watch, but it reinforces for me how normal the Gosselins are at the heart of it.

I did love the kids on the walkie-talkies. So cute!

Anonymous said...

Guin - I agree that the "ratio" wasn't quite there. I didn't see the point of taking kids for a hike if they weren't interested or you didn't think some would even enjoy it. That seems like a recipe for tantrums to me! Although I must say I'd rather see episodes of the family at home versus on vacation.

The end of the episode, while they ate lunch and joked around, was cute.

I was just so disinterested in the whole episode, much like Kate it seemed! Maybe she was tired, maybe she was bored... I don't know. It's hard to get excited for the show when either Jon or Kate doesn't seem into it. Also, in many of the earlier episodes the focus was on Kate - as she was the one home during filming. Yet even though Jon was at work he still seemed attentive and interested during the interview.

Mom said...

Didn't love it - didn't hate it either. I thought the kids were pretty "normal" as far as 4 year olds go. I can only imagine my two 4 year old nephews x 3. LOL!

Kate's pink dot socks were funny (and distracting). I wear big goofy socks around the house all the time.

I missed the fridge. I could care less about the fridge thing and LOVE that they have stuff taped to the new one in the kitchen.

The kids clearly adore Jon and that was evident with the lunch scene. "what do you want for dessert?" "broccoli?"

Nooooooooooooooo. LOL! WAY cute!

Anonymous said...

"I'm sure the sticks in the hands of four-year-olds, or Jon taking Lexie's stick away, or "forcing" the children to go in the woods when they don't want to, will be hashed, rehashed and blown out of proportion. Pretty soon we'll hear about "Jon brutally grabbing the stick from Alexis and breaking it over her head, then throwing it savagely over his shoulder where it impaled a crying and miserable Joel, while at the same time the other tups were forced to go potty in the weeds and wipe their butts with poison ivy leaves."
_________________________
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!! OMG this was too funny! But I can totally see it happening.

Anonymous said...

I loved seeing the kids with the walkie-talkies and even on the computer, which looked like educational games. (hopefully, they're not on GWOP LOL!)

Kate seemed very tired. I remember reading they do those at night. Perhaps she should've just let Jon do the interview. I thought the botanist quip was funny as well as Jon's forest line about Collin.

Just another little glimpse of their life. It's great to see Jon the SAHD in action. I'm glad they ventured into the woods and did something they didn't want to do. They are learning. I think by being around Jon, they are learning to deal with stuff that may be "fears" of Kate's. Even Kate, not an outdoorsgal, seems intent on the kids experiencing their whole estate.

Ann said...

I thought the best line of the night was when Jon looked at the camera and said, (paraphasing)"It's like taking a bunch of four year-olds in the woods."

If the purpose of the show is to let us see how it's different with six the same age, this met the goal. We've had whiners on hikes but we hiked anyway. Rarely does it last the whole hike. This episode was edited for whininess. With only one four year-old it wouldn't have seemed so bad.

I loved seeing them sit on the fallen log. There was really only room for five at the end they chose, and instead of going to the other side of her brothers, she just squeezed in. Those kids are cute.

Unknown said...

I loved this episode...I think it is my favorite!

Loved to see Jon doing something outside with the kids.

Loved Colin and his collecting. I am the same way when I hike about rocks. I see a good one and I have to bring it home. I do wish Jon would have let hime keep his leafs and sticks.

Loved seeing them on the tractor.

Loved the quiet lunch-I think that is the first time I have seen them all so quiet.

Loved the walkie talkies.

Loved that is was just Jon taking the kids.

Only complaint was Kate's sulky mood and trying to interrupt Jon. Glad he told her to be quiet.

I wish TLC would have interviewed Jon alone.

Guinevere said...

Guin - I agree that the "ratio" wasn't quite there. I didn't see the point of taking kids for a hike if they weren't interested or you didn't think some would even enjoy it. That seems like a recipe for tantrums to me! Although I must say I'd rather see episodes of the family at home versus on vacation.

I don't know; I think these days with computers and TV, etc. you sometimes have to force kids to exercise. Going outside, being in the fresh air, exerting themselves - I think it was good for the kids, even if they didn't want to do it.

I think Kate is tired. It doesn't bother me and I don't tune in to see Kate being perky and energetic, anyway.

Nicole said...

I have to say that I like watching the show for the kids. But last nights show had a lot of whining and crying. A walk in the woods should be fun. I like sseing Jon alone with the kids.

As for Kate and Jon, they didn't look very happy to be together on the couch. I have a feeling that these two are getting tired of each other. It was a good thing that Jon told Kate to be quiet. I don't think that she should have been part of the couch interview. She didn't go for a walk in the woods. I bet Jon hops the next plane for Utah, all by himself.

Anonymous said...

I, too, thought Jon's line about "It's like taking a bunch of 4 yr olds in the woods" was funny!

I watched with the kids this morning and my 7 yr old son thought it was funny how Jon forced them out of the house. I make my kids go out too, and tell them it's good for them (can you believe we have to MAKE them?).

My son also added that he wondered why they didn't want to go out in the woods because they always liked playing outside at the old house. Score 1 for suburbia I guess?

It is true like we said earlier that kids need to get used to things they haven't had before. I think they will LOVE all the exploring. And since this has been taped so long ago, I bet it seems old for them and they've already become comfortable.

Anonymous said...

Not too smart to allow children to sit on your lap while driving a tractor. Or to let them run around it. They are so little, they could fall and slip and have tragic results. Jon was way too rough on those kids. Telling Aiden to walk like a man, and taking away the stick and snapping it in half. Too rough.

themrs said...

i wasn't too impressed with this episode. i thought it was hilarious though when leah was having a meltdown about not wanting to go wearing her shirt that said "sweet". my four year old daughter has a shirt that says "angel" and i swear every time she wears she acts horrible! LOL

i could care less about the fridge. if i bought a house of that price range i'd probably get some new things too. i do have to wonder why she spent four hours cleaning the old one though.

the only part that really irked me was the interview portion. if Kate is that disinterested then don't be there. she wasn't a part of that epi anyway. also, i wish she wouldn't have stressed that jon was there ALL ALONE with the kids while she was out of town when we now know they have a nanny. i know, it's just kate being kate :) but that doesn't make some of her qualities less irritating to me:)

as far as the tractor is concerned, my FIL loves to do this with our kids. i have a really hard time with it because i think it's dangerous (i've been overruled too, kate) i just read recently how many kids are in the ER each year as a result of tractor and mower accidents, even when the blade is up. after that, i told my husband "NO MORE". of course i'm the bad guy now :) "sorry guys, mommy won't let you do that anymore. daddy thinks it's fine but mommy says no"

Anonymous said...

I personally though this episode was hilarious! Some cute one liners from the kids, and Kate, even though she wasnt "bright eyed and bushy tailed," still got a couple jabs in.

I think its great that Jon is getting the kids out of the house, fresh air and a little exercise. I think the kids really did have a great time but TLC just has to show the "inevitable meltdowns," since that is what people have grown accustomed to seeing from the tups.

As far as the tractor rides--I grew up on an 11 acre Christmas tree farm and some of my FAVORITE memories are when my Dad would drive up and down the Christmas tree rows with me in his lap. I think Jon is being cautious by letting only one kid go at a time.

Hannah's toe nail business also cracked me up, "I didn't even know this would happen!" How cute and grown up sounding. And the walkie talkies are perfect! Im looking forward to the puppies episode in two weeks!

Guinevere said...

Yeah, I don't know what to think about the tractor business. I'm super-cautious myself, so I don't blame Kate for not being happy about it. On the other hand, if Jon is taking the proper precautions I'm assuming it's really pretty safe. I don't think it's good to make your kids too neurotic simply because you're fearful about something.

Anonymous said...

I understand that you can't get all six kids to want to do something at the same time, however, if there was no production schedule to meet, maybe they could have done the walk when they were a little more receptive to the idea. Not too sure about the tractor rides either. I know there are alot of accidents in Lancaster county involving kids and machinery, some really tragic. I personally wouldn't want to chance it.

Ann said...

Jon should just get the wagon attachment and then the six could ride behind the tractor (NO BLADES RUNNING PLEASE.) My kids and the neighbors used to love it when they were smaller. Careful on hills though! Otherwise, enjoy YOURself.

Hannah was cute when talking about her toe.

I thought Kate seemed tired. I didn't care for her "slacking off" either. It's one thing to be tired on camera when it's filming just her daily life, but she should make an effort to be pleasant during the interviews, IMO.

Anonymous said...

I haven't watched this one yet, but could someone please tell me what the damn big deal was about the sticks? Did someone lose an eye? I've been roaming various boards today and if they aren't whining about the fridge(another wth moment for me) they're going on and on about some sticks. Seriously, someone help me out here.

themrs said...

i just realized that my last comment seemed a little snarky. please forgive me, i have PMS and three sick kids. i could mention what bothered me without being rude:)

MrsRef said...

There was no big deal about the sticks. The kids had walking sticks and a couple poked each other - no eyes were lost in the filming of this episode. Normal kid behavior - I would not have given them sticks but I can see Jon as a typical dad/man doing so. Jon got tired of the sticks and broke one over his knee and threw it away.

Nicole said...

themrs,

You have PMS and so does Kate.


I have never seen Kate is such a moody mood. You would think that with that nice big house that Kate would be happy. Something's not right.

Guinevere said...

I have never seen Kate is such a moody mood. You would think that with that nice big house that Kate would be happy. Something's not right.

She didn't seem moody to me, just low energy. Just tired. I've definitely seen Kate in more of a "mood".

scarfoot79 said...

I thought Kate truly seemed exhausted. In fact, at the beginning of the interview, I thought her eyes even closed for a bit (you know, one of those times you blink and you realize that your eyelids haven't gone back up yet! haha).

I did notice the fridge. I also noticed their old fridge in there. I'm not sure they were even plugged in. This also made me wonder about how people trashed the Gosselins realty pictures, saying that they are leaving behind their washer and dryer. Maybe those pictures were just taken before they got everything out and they still took their things?

There were some very cute kid moments. I thought it was interesting to see how sucked into the computer Leah was. It all went downhill when he closed the computer!

Anonymous said...

Dad's just parent differently, don't they! I thought it was a typical example of a day with a Dad. I wholeheartedly agree with needing to push kids outdoors.

Kate seemed tired. I'm not sure why she was even in the couch interview. It was vaguely insulting to viewers that she was so out of it. Still, both my husband and I laughed at one of her dry comments.

Nicole said...

I was looking forward to the episode. It was okay, but it would have been better if Kate wasn't in it. She must be tired from traveling so much. Her tiredness wasn't from unpacking. She made me tired just looking at her.

It would have been better if they had the kids and Jon doing the couch scene.

Jon and Kate don't seem happy for some reason. Maybe the big house is too much for them to handle.

Anonymous said...

IMO, The show is losing its focus. With Kate gone most of the time, it just seems to me her book tours and speaking engagements have taken priority in her life. People used to relate to Kate's cooking,cleaning, and taking care of the kids. It seems when she is there, she is to tired or something, to even get involved. When they were doing the couch interview their body language toward each other was not that good. The whole show just seemed forced to me and kind of boring.

Samantha@IW said...

Fanny-

About the sticks: With Fridgegate over they have to have something to gripe about.

Nina Bell said...

Jimmy,

But here you are. Thanks for dropping by.

Anonymous said...

Kinley said...
IMO, The show is losing its focus. With Kate gone most of the time, it just seems to me her book tours and speaking engagements have taken priority in her life. People used to relate to Kate's cooking,cleaning, and taking care of the kids. It seems when she is there, she is to tired or something, to even get involved. When they were doing the couch interview their body language toward each other was not that good. The whole show just seemed forced to me and kind of boring.
-------------------
I agree. She seemed very bored, tired and disinterested.
The episode was ok. I like seeing Jon w/the kids.
I think the whole fridge thing interesting. Why focus so much on her cleaning the fridge in one episode, when they probably knew it was going to be put in the basement? I think the whole fridge cleaning thing was a big set up to fill time in that episode.

Anonymous said...

I think the whole fridge thing interesting. Why focus so much on her cleaning the fridge in one episode, when they probably knew it was going to be put in the basement? I think the whole fridge cleaning thing was a big set up to fill time in that episode.

Never in my life have I seen a bigger uproar over an appliance. I can't imagine wasting as much energy over a strangers fridge as I have seen the last 2 weeks. Of course, nobody is jealous!

Anonymous said...

Every time there is an episode about Jon and the kids doing something without Kate, she acts totally bored and exhausted during the couch interview. It's seems like if she isn't involved in the activity, it's of no interest to her. Also, she seems clueless about what her kids are doing when they are not with her. They have walking sticks in the garage? When did this happen? Weird. She seems oddly disconnected from her kids, and she was not like that in the early episodes. Watch the original special or the "one year later" followup (the one where Kate has the tummy tuck) and compare them to Kate today. She is a whole different--and I don't think happier--person now.

marci said...

JerseyGirl said...
Never in my life have I seen a bigger uproar over an appliance. I can't imagine wasting as much energy over a strangers fridge as I have seen the last 2 weeks. Of course, nobody is jealous!

This is a prime example of people desperately looking for something, a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g, to harp about and make into a conspiracy.

Um, could it be that maybe, after cleaning the fridge, they discovered that the mold had formed because the fridge wasn't working?????

And that between filming (you know, the time noone believes exists when the cameras are not there) they discovered the problem and then bought a new fridge???

As usual, when people start pulling stuff out of their asses, they get what they were in there rooting for in the first place.

marci said...

JerseyGirl,

I forgot to mention in my last post...I agree with you. :)

Anonymous said...

Marci, thanks for the chuckle on your very accurate line..

As usual, when people start pulling stuff out of their asses, they get what they were in there rooting for in the first place.

February 12, 2009 7:12 AM



So true!