Jon, Tate, and Jennifer Plus 8

March 25, 2008 | Filed in: it's not a blog it's HBO

Tate would never publicly admit this, so I’ll do it for him, but he enjoys that show Jon and Kate Plus 8. Of course, he probably would never have purposely watched this show if it weren’t for me. We are both so fascinated by this show and how they function. ”Eight kids!” we say. “All those kids!” we say, shaking our heads in disbelief.

A good evening in the Binky Bitch household is when TLC or Discovery Health is playing a marathon of all the episodes!

I have so much I’d like to say about this show. Since it’s been some time since I compiled my thoughts in handy outline form, I thought I do that for you today.

I. Jon and Kate’s relationship
     A. Wow.
     B. Wow.
     C. How DO they stay married?

II. Kate’s OCD and quirks
      A. Wow.
      B. Wow.
      C. She makes me feel inferior that I have a mere TWO kids and can barely keep the house clean.
      D. She scrubs the floor on her hands and knees MORE THAN ONCE PER DAY.
           1. Wow.
      E. She took pictures of her kids’ first poo.
           1. Gross.
      F. I would like to be friends with her.

III. Those kids are so freaking cute.
         A. They never seem dirty or unkempt.
               1. Where are their snotty noses??
         B. They all speak so well…especially for being MEGA-multiples.
         C.  The kids are all pretty sweet to each other.
               1. Maybe they are horrible when the cameras are turned off.
                     a. Doubtful

IV. They never eat out.
        A.  Kate cooks from scratch and mostly with organic foods.
              1. Again she makes me feel inferior.
              2. I would die if I never got to eat out.
                   a. Of course, I’d probably die if I had to eat out with 8 children.
        B. Those kids have never had fast food
              1. Or so Kate says
                    a. I don’t think she’s lying, though
              2. Inferior! ME!  We eat Chick-Fil-A weekly.

V. Jon is cute.
      A. More importantly, he’s also a great Dad.
            1. This is probably why I think he’s cute.
      B. He is a saint for keeping his cool with Kate.

VI. They took the kids to Disneyworld
        A. They drove there all the way from whatever northern state they live in.
              1. Air travel would have been equally as HORRIBLE in my opinion.
        B. They must be crazy.
        C. How DID they SURVIVE?
             1. Not only did they survive, they seemed to have….fun?

Discuss. Jon and Kate dissertations are due by 5 AM tomorrow. Pass the No-Doze!

(This wasn’t supposed to post until tonight…damnit.) (There is a post below this one that was meant for TODAY…I’m telling you this because the comments are hilarious!)

I LOVE THAT SHOW.

and have an enormo girlcrush on amy roloff.

enormo.

MizFit’s last blog post..Tues Tips & Trends

I am in complete awe of Kate. I haven’t scrubbed the floor on my hands and knees in ages, let alone multiple times a day. Also, I am quite reminded of the relationship of my husband and I with Jon and Kate. I am critical and we snip at each other frequently but are completely devoted to each other and have a lot of respect for one another.

I watch the show religiously. My husband does too, but doesn’t want anyone else to know…

Toni’s last blog post..Boys Will Be Boys…I Guess.

Kate is pretty impressive, but is it only me or does she come off rather cold and bossy? Love the episode where she surprises her husband with a trip to the Keys and once there she decides to not wear any sunscreen. A white girl in the Florida sun hmmm….she gets so burnt that the rest of the trip is ruined. No ones perfect.

I love that show too! I think Jon is a saint most of the time as he puts up with her bitchiness..but also.. she is a saint to do that with all those kids. argh.

I loved the disney one.. that was nuts!

Sandi’s last blog post..Monday…

I totally love that show! I think my hubby does, too, cause he’ll watch it with me.

My girls also like it. They like watching “all the babies” as my 2 year old puts it.

photomommy’s last blog post..Easter, the Aftermath

“We eat Chick-Fil-A weekly.” I could comprehend nothing in your post after this statement. I am mad jealous.

I too love this show and I look forward to my DSC/TLC Mondays. I kick off my evening with two episodes of Little People/Big World and then two episodes of Jon & Kate. Hubby used to stay in the dining room on his computer. Then he moved into the living room with me, after a couple of weeks, but still on his computer. Last night, he said, “Why’d you pause the show? Fire it up!” when I had paused J&K because BusterBrown kept getting up and I was irritated because “my show” was being interrupted. He’s hooked. I didn’t see him look down at the computer screen once, it was merely a crutch.

Kate is crazy but really, you’d have to be with that many children. They’re in Pennsylvania and man, I wouldn’t fly with all of those kids either. Jon is the perfect match for her, he’s even keeled and doesn’t mind being ordered around (for the most part). He doesn’t even get upset when K is telling him he’s breathing too loud. Kills me how unflappable this guy is.

Now, if only they would get rid of the sound bite “…But its ourlife!” I want to rip my arm off everytime and throw it at the television when she says that during the intro.

Sorry this is so long and probably rambling. I shouldn’t be making comments in the dead of night.

Mama DB’s last blog post..Weekend in Pictures

Couldn’t agree more!!
LOVE the outline!! ha ha! That’s great.

Mandy’s last blog post..Easter - It’s a good thing

Couldn’t agree more!
LOVE the outline, too! Hilarious!

Mandy’s last blog post..Easter - It’s a good thing

Jon is a cutie -patootie.

Kate, while being a bit high-strung, obviously digs on Jon.

My mom had 8 kids but we were spread out. I think she would have gone MAD if there wasn’t a 20 year span.

Kate does have someone come in to help, which is probably when she scrubs those floors.

I love the show too.

Sister Honey Bunch’s last blog post..What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?

I think she’s setting her kids up for years of therapy!! She is WAAAYYYY too anal for my liking, and she won’t let them play with paint or markers? Not even the older kids?

CHILL OUT WOMAN!

I can’t watch more than a couple of minutes - she drives me nuts and I do think her husband is a saint especially for putting up with the condescending jibes she gives him on screen.

Pass the remote!

I just wish she would be nicer to poor Jon. Their family is amazing.

HRH’s last blog post..Building a better girltrap…

You pretty much summed up my exact thoughts on the program in your outline!! I think the only one I’m not positive I agree with is the ‘I want to be her friend’. Her OCD scares me just a wee bit too much.

Sadie’s last blog post..Taking a 24 hour break.

I LOVE THAT SHOW! And I get a kick out of the “product placement” that goes on. Hehe.

They are in PA near Harrisburg and a friend of mine shops at the same Sams Club. She said next time we come visit we’re going to drive around and see if we can figure out where they live.

I’ll keep you posted. I have a trip planned there over the summer.

CourtneyRyan’s last blog post..I <3 Peeps…

I love that show too! It’s a little disconcerting to see how similar to Kate I am, and how similar to Jon DH is!

Mom24’s last blog post..Please pray…

I love the show too and also feel inferrior when watching. And I only have one child. It makes me want to go crawl under a rock.
Seriously, she is like super woman/wonder woman combined in my book!

Mary’s last blog post..Happy Easter!

A. I couldn’t tell you the last time I got down on hands and knees to scrub the floor
1. Scrubbing floors would be the last thing on my mind with 8 kids
2. I’m doing good to just keep the floor swept
B. I have to get my fast food craving in
2. I heart Chick Fil A
3. Cooking from scratch is for wusses

Jean’s last blog post..Where Do I Sign Up For Mother Of The Year?

I love that show too - and wonder every time I watch it how they manage to survive with 8 kids and each other. Not to mention a film crew - that’s got to be one crowded house most of the time!

Love the outline!
Deb - Mom of 3 Girls’s last blog post..Tackle It Tuesday #27 - ‘Flowers’ and utensils

I too watch this show in disbelief and usually turn it off thinking I am the worst mom in the world! Her kids go down for naps without trying to scratch her face off! How is THAT possible?

and John does put up with a lot, but what choice does he have?

and going to Disneyworld? INSANE!! I’ve never taken my two kids out in public alone. I am scared and weak!! LOL!

I like the show, but I often have to turn it off because Kate makes me feel so inferior. All those organic home-cooked meals on the clean dining room table.. . .obviously she doesn’t blog. Or read.

Jerseygirl89’s last blog post..Birth Story Carnival

We TiVo that show every week and I get beyond excited when it’s marathon time!
They live in PA….somewhere in the middle!
I am soooooo curious about where their extended family is. I know that the sister is involved but what about grandparents, etc.

Alison’s last blog post..I COMPLETELY forgot!

love the outline!!

have u seen the old ones?? the ones before the tummy fix and all the cool tlc camera crews?? crack me up!! and i love the ones where they watch an episode and comment. and not only do i want to be kate’s bff - i want to be friends with her best friend - the one with the crazy big house!! who is she??

amanda’s last blog post..road trip recap

That show makes me twitch.

I love Jon and Kate Plus 8. I watch it every Monday

My husband and I were discussing the episode yesterday, when they took Leah out by herself, and you could see the love shining between Jon and Kate. You don’t always see it in the episodes, but it’s there, and I think it’s awesome. The stress of 8 kids would probably kill Josh and I, ROFL.

Sarah’s last blog post..Twitter Updates for 2008-03-24

I’m recording it as we speak.

Smiling Mom’s last blog post..A Family Necklace

Hey Jennifer, Your commentluv enabler seems to be a bit off. It keeps saying that my last post was “A Family Necklace” and I’ve had 5 or 6 posts since then. FYI.
Smiling Mom’s last blog post..A Family Necklace

Did you know that the subtitle of that show is “Michelle’s Worst Nightmare”?

Michelle’s last blog post..religion and politics

I hate that show.

Every time I snap the channel and catch that show on, that couple is arguing, rolling eyes at each other, snotty….Bleh.

Sounds like my house…

I did take a picture of Fa’s first potty poo and toilet poo though.

~JJ!’s last blog post..Feel yourself up on the Ides of March

My fragile ego couldn’t handle what would be the ugly comparison to my parenting/housekeeping skills.

MammaLoves’s last blog post..How He Became Our Son, Part I

I love that show and have written my own admiring post about it. Can we submit a previously written and published piece? LOL

As people who went through the same fertility treatment as them, near to them (they are in PA FTR), my husband and I watch that show with one thought, “Oh thank God, not us, them, not us, them.” And how mean are we because sheesh clearly they are BLESSED.

But also? In my post? I admit to being a little bit Kate-ish. And it’s kinda funny because…well, a lot similar there. Except I did not snag a much younger man. Mine’s a wee bit older.

Julie Pippert’s last blog post..Maxim (and its readers) can BITE ME!

1) I have not seen the show.
2) I don’t see the friend-appeal of the woman as described.
3) I loved your whole outline.

Swistle’s last blog post..Finding Out the Sex of the Baby: It’s Got to Happen Sooner or Later

4) I’ve read through all the comments now, and what I’m wondering is why any of us would feel inferior to someone who cooks and cleans more than we do. Is that…..better?

I love this show. I love that she’s mad crazy/organized/anal because that is me, and I’ve just got the two kids. I only vacuum or mop if company’s coming. I think she HAS to be this way, or else she would go insane trying to stay on top of everything. And Jon seems content to let her do her thing, and only balks at really cuh-razy stuff.

The think I’m not enjoying now is how it’s starting to feel like one commercial endorsement after another. I UNDERSTAND it, but I don’t like watching and thinking, they got a call from so and so place and were offered a free such and such so that they would say the name of that company on the show. I love that they are getting to do all this stuff, but it just feels like those movies where Pepsi threw up on the entire set.

Other than that, great TV.

all things bd’s last blog post..It Worked! Almost.

Sometimes I just want to lick Jon. I’m sort of secretly glad he accidentally scratched his eyeball and had to wear the glasses in the last couple episodes. So mean, but man, he is steaming in those glasses. And if you saw the new episode last night, how cute was it when one of them kept saying “weinas”. Too cute, that is how cute. I like kate. She’s sort of grown on me like an exotic fungus one might catch in South America. I didn’t ask for the growth, but I’m pleased with it.

Amanda’s last blog post..Moving Day & Introduce Yourself (partial delurk)

And because I forgot, first poop pictures=sickass.

Amanda’s last blog post..Moving Day & Introduce Yourself (partial delurk)

I adore that show!

I also think it makes me feel better about my OWN quirks…of which there are many…

Maggie’s last blog post..Best Shot Monday - Age and Beauty

I love that show. I didn’t always like it because I thought she was so snappy and bitchy to him. But the more I watch it, the more I see that he is JUST LIKE T and he deserves it sometimes! And I am just like her. We bicker over the same stuff but like them, we really do love each other.

She doesn’t make me feel inferior, she makes me feel lazy. But I don’t think she’d like me very much with my filthy floors and letting kids eat food off the ground and such.

jen’s last blog post..No, I did not tell you you could use that cup.

This is one of the time where I wished I shelled out the money for cable…that way I could know the back story on why she would take a picture of her child;s first poop. Was it an actual picture of fece…well you know, or was it a picture of her child on the toilet? In that case I have hundreds of those…and even a couple of my husband….those I use for when the playdates get too quiet and boring.

I love this show! I just sit in awe. Yes, I think Kate can be bitchy and over the top, but honestly, if I had that many kids I would be locked up in the loney bin. She really does a great job staying on top of things.

Oh, and in on of the earlier seasons, they went out to eat. It was some buffet restaurant and they met up with another multiple family. It was insane. I don’t think the parents actually ate. Poor Jon spent the entire meal going back and forth to the buffet.

Megan’s last blog post..Guilty Pleasures

Yes, Kate makes me feel super inferior as a mother of one! I cannot imagine two children let alone twins let alone EIGHT!!!

The show gives me strength to carry on with whatever I’m dealing with. And it makes me laugh.

rubialala’s last blog post..I Am Awesome

Thanks for the vote!

I don’t have cable but I’ve caught bits and pieces of this when I drool over the cable at my in-laws. It is amazing! And poor Kate. Poor, poor Kate. She needs a spa day.

Sarah @ Ordinary Days’s last blog post..It’ll Just Take A Second

We had to give up our cable last month and I so totally miss Jon and Kate +8. It was the highlight of my week. And I totally agree with all your observations!

Carrie’s last blog post..Where to begin

can’t. stand. that. show.
Kate is insufferable with her organic stuff…..
and the fact that they get “donations” of holiday and birthday presents, etc. doesn’t endear me to them either. You can slack a little, Kate, with eight kids.

I love this show and I want her to be my friend. I enjoy her organizational skills so much because that are so much like mine and I feel like she is my kindred spirit. We are best friends and she doesn’t know it!

I did not know that her children have not had fast food. Now….I feel like a failure.

I must go now…I need to scrub my floor and pump my children’s stomachs.

Connie’s last blog post..The One About Our Crazy Week!

Kate is one of those people that I want to desperately hate, but I just can’t. She’s such a brat most of the time, but she’s got eight kids and I have to cut her some slack. If she’s not in complete control, I could see how it would spiral way out of control.

The snipes at her husband need to stop though. He kind of loses man-points in my book for allowing it. She is so demeaning toward him sometimes and it makes me all twitchy.

And that OCD? I think most of us would either have it or go completely insane without it in her situation. She wins Motherhood. I cannot compare.

My son loves that show and he recently made a picture representing it. It had a hand an outline of his hand in the middle (which represented the parents - he’s got the right idea, five fingers because you really need FIVE parents for all those kids) and about a gagillion dots all around. The dots were obviously representative of the kids.

I “heart” this show as well. I just started watching it last month, so I Tivo any and all episodes that they air. I thought she was quite snippy, especially with Jon, at first but the more I watch, the more I like her. I think their love for each other is more clear on the behind-the-scenes episodes. I enjoy their banter and sense of humor. I saw the one where they went skiing out West and I thought that was insane, but have not seen their trip to Disney World yet. I have a lot of catching up to do.

One of the episodes that sticks out in my mind is when they were shopping for beds for all of the kids. It was insanity in that furniture store and Kate took FOREVER to decide, poor Jon. I think he’s very cute and I enjoy his interactions with the kids.

I have seen the commercials for the show, but have only seen bits and pieces of it. They look like a really cute couple and those kids are adorable. Will have to make an effort to watch it. When is the next marathon?

Scarlet O’Kara’s last blog post..Beautiful Day At The Park…

Agree whole-heartedly with your outline. I know Kate has quirks, but if you had 8 kids in that age group, you’d have to stay organized. You have to run your household differently - more like a school or daycare than a regular family home.

On top of that, you WILL be moody and snap at your husband. People with only 1 child snap at their husbands after spending a whole day at home with said child watching Thomas on DVD over and over all day.

Love the show. Makes me glad that I don’t have 8 kids.

Mrs. Mustard’s last blog post..Happy Easter!

I love jon & kate as well. I am always amazed by their lives. And, I honestly can not believe they are so adventurous, they constantly take their kiddos on all sorts of fabulous outtings. I don’t think I could do it.

The show does help me keep my negativity in check when I am having a bad mom day, with my TWO girls.

Denise’s last blog post..What Makes Me Different-Vol 6

I think you know I certainly haven’t scrubbed those stupid hardwoods in my kitchen-ever! And, like we said on Twitter, Jon is adorable. Did you see the one where Kate cried on the airplane? That was so SAD!

Anglophile Football Fanatic’s last blog post..The BiTcH is BaCk!

How weird, I am watching that show on my DVR RIGHT NOW!

Loralee’s last blog post..Self-Portrait Challenge: Political

Kate always seems SO critical of Jon. She doesn’t seem to like the way he does anything! But those babies, so cute.

Elizabeth’s last blog post..Not a typical Tuesday morning

I LOVE this show. I feel like they are real people that I would be friends with if they were my neighbors. I love that Kate has not changed her beliefs as a parent, even in the face of eight kids. Clearly, no one would blame her if she did. But she is still there baking cakes from scratch and nagging Jon about what every kid wears. I also like that while she clearly loves each of her kids, she does not take crap from them. When it is nap time they have to go nap. Period. She does not get sucked into the ridiculous discussions that I do. I think there are things I could learn from her. But I am not going to stop letting my kids use markers.

Beth’s last blog post..daily photo (365/20)

Completely agree with your whole outline. I kept nodding my head through the whole thing. Yes! Where are their snotty noses? Yes! Jon is cute because he’s a good dad! Yes! I want to be her friend, too (even though she would probably intimidate me a bit.)

jackie’s last blog post..Sigh.

Kate is totally my BFF, she just doesn’t know it yet.

My husband refuses to watch because he says she’s too mean to Jon. I want him to watch because I want him to see that I’m not the only one but I don’t want him to know how clean she keeps her house or how well she cooks for her kids, then I’d just look bad.

Andria’s last blog post..Red Is Not My Color

I suppose you’d have to be a complete control freak if you’re going to raise 8 children. Still, she’s shrill, and I don’t do shrill.

John is passive-aggressive and relies on Kate to be the bad guy because it helps define his role in the family.

I’m totally addicted.

Rosie’s last blog post..My Big Redneck Wedding - Gail and John

Didn’t she get a freebie tummy tuck after bearing her stretched-out stomach?

And is it wrong that this sparked a fantasy similar to the one in which Stacy and Clinton show up on my doorstep, make fun of me and then whisk me off to spend money on new clothes?

Arkie Mama’s last blog post..The Perils of Parenting at the In-laws

I love the show.She’s a lot more OCD than me but truthfully I need to be a lot more like her.I think it’s ok they snip at each other and “keep it real”.I mean 8 kids 6 and under would make me a nutjob-I’d have to turn into Kate.I think they do a great job.This weeks episode when the little boy said “I have a weiner” made even my husband laugh out loud because those kids are adorable!

I am in awe of them. And I know she’s a bit nuts on the cleanliness…but I completley understood when she made a point of explaining it this week. Dude, eight dirty shirts a day would be insane. I adore their kids, they don’t seem to be behind at all, which is awesome. And I love that the one older girl, Mady is a freaker and drama queen. My older niece is just like that.

I’m glad it’s not just me that adores it.

Oh and seriously, happy birthday. I’m so behind, but I hope your b-day was awesome.

And um….boys in the shower would bug me too. I love me a long shower alone. Since you have no other alone time, that should be yours.

Phoenix’s last blog post..Suck it, Dr. Google.

I enjoy watching that show, too, although Aaron hates it. He hates most reality shows, to be honest.

Kate amazes me. I want her energy to be able to clean and cook like that. Most days I can barely clear a path thru the toys, and I only have two kids.

Christina’s last blog post..The Battle Between Emotion and Logic Regarding Vaccinations

We just started watching this show. It makes Hubby and I laugh.

You just know Jon’s eyes are rolling in his head everytime Kate speaks though.

In the Trenches of Mommyhood’s last blog post..So Long

I watch this show occasionally and then I shudder at the mere thought of so many children. Ack!

ImpostorMom’s last blog post..Woe is me

I love this show, dh hates it! I am totally inspired by her mothering skills. We are trying to be better about eating at home/organic, so she encourages me, although i am feeling pretty bad about the fast food thing now……. is it wrong to wash you mcnuggets down with organic milk??

I love J&K +8 too. (ha, I just made that up, I like it)
I am totally in love with Aiden, and I think I”m going to steal him. They have 8, would they even notice?
I just want to snuggle him.
BTW somehow this is my first time visiting your blog?! How crazy is that?

cyndy’s last blog post..True Love

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I'm Jennifer, Mom to Carson, 3, and Ella, 2. Wife and Bossaholic to Tate. My claim to fame is that I'm the #1 search result on Google for "kids pooping in pools!!." You can follow me on Twitter, see my stumbles at StumbleUpon, view my photos on Flickr, and contact me by email.

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2009 Booklist

The Given Day
Love in the Time of Cholera
Esther; It's Tough Being a Woman
~~Why is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?~~ I
~~Whitethorn Woods~~ B
~~The Five People You Meet in Heaven~~ A
~~Paula Spencer~~ B-
~~Digging to America~~ A
~~Rebecca~~ A-
~~The Friday Night Knitting Club~~ B
~~The Reader~~ B+
~~The Shack~~ B+
~~The Kite Runner~~ A
~~Three Junes~~ C-
~~Kitchen Confidential~~ A
~~A Cook's Tour~~ A
~~The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas~~ A
~~My Friend Leonard~~ A
~~Daisy Chain~~ F
~~The Gravedigger's Daughter~~ B-
~~A Girl Named Zippy~~ A-
~~Eat, Pray, Love~~ A
~~Water for Elephants~~ B+
~~The Book Thief~~ A++
~~The Poisonwood Bible~~ A+
~~The Hunger Games~~ A

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