In the months following the airing
of Advanced Medical Production’s
first hour with Jim Bob and Michelle
Duggar’s remarkable family:
14 Children and Pregnant Again,
it became clear that, whether viewers
agree or disagree with the Duggar’s
unusual lifestyle, everyone is fascinated
with the “hows and whys”
of everything Duggar.
In the second
one-hour episode with the Duggars,
we build on the many interesting
aspects of the family that have
captured the nation’s imagination.
And, as usual, we discover that
even the routine parts of life seem
to take on epic proportions when
undertaken by a family with 15 children
and one more on the way.
The adventure
begins with an ending—the
last days in the only home most
of the Duggar kids have ever known
(in fact, several of the kids were
actually born in the house). We
watch as the family prepares to
move to a rental house that will
serve as their temporary headquarters
prior to the completion of their
7000 square foot dream home. Of
course, like every other aspect
of their existence, this move is
executed with supreme organization,
teamwork and that endless supply
of optimism that seems to be a genetic
trait encoded into each and every
Duggar.
But, hold on to
your work gloves, because this move
is unlike anything you have ever
seen. Calling on the generosity
of several dozen of their friends,
the Duggars turn their move into
a sort of barn raising in reverse.
In a matter of just 90 minutes,
the house they’ve lived in
for 15 years will be completely
emptied. And, in little more time
than that, the new house will be
completely filled and arranged to
the point that the family is ready
to host their first communal meal
with friends.
With life back to an even keel it
doesn’t take the Duggars long
to get back to their routine, if the
word routine can ever be fairly applied
to a family with 15 kids! One part
of their routine is a yearly trip
to Texas to an annual meeting of fellow
home schoolers. That’s right,
the entire family from baby Jackson
all the way up to oldest brother Josh,
will load into the family RV and van
and caravan the 9 hour trip. Once
again, organization is the key. Food,
clothing, games, and all the necessities
of traveling with a clan ranging in
age from 17 to less than a year are
all carefully loaded into the vehicles
and the fun begins. But, not without
a bump or two…
Once in Texas,
we enter the fascinating world of
Christian home schooling. This is
a place where the Duggars don’t
look different… they look
normal. The girls and boys are split
into various activities based on
age and… of course, gender.
While the boys learn outdoor skills
the girls are taught some of the
finer points of childcare. And,
of course, everyone gets to learn
new Bible verses!!
And, of course,
what show about the Duggars would
be complete without the birth of
a new child? This hour of Duggar-mania
will end with the latest addition
to the family. We’ll get all
the details and a bit of video from
the event and leave the viewer with
the promise of a whole new chapter
in the Duggar’s lives as they
move their newly expanded family
into their newly completed home.
|