19 Kids & Counting: Mackynzie's Haircut, Vanderhoffs Visit

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

The "Josh & Anna" episode struck me as a jumbled mess. Mackynzie's first haircut, sure. A few minutes with first-time parents talking about toilet-training, works. Anna trying to take five children to the park alone... okay. I'm hesitant there since there seems to be no reason at all why she'd have to go it alone. The worst parts were the Josh scenes, really. He gives an obligatory update on his car lots (which we all know is crap... the kid is never at work), then plays some screeching violin for his daughter. Josh specified that he only had about 18 months of lessons (not sure why... I know it's been stated that the kids start young, and all four of the oldest girls have had 10+ years of lessons on the harp), but he was still a bit awful... and it seems that nobody ever taught him how to tune his instrument, either. The second episode ignored Michelle's pregnancy for the most part, but it did have Michelle heading off for yet another speaking engagement... she's really busy with these lately! So, that leads me to ask, why is TLC bothering to film ALL of them?? Unless they're just looking for filler - but more on the Vanderhoffs and their family might have been nice. I don't know... it just seemed to be a bit thrown-together, if you ask me.

19 Kids and Counting "Josh & Anna Check-In" (S06E02): Josh talks about business being slower... we see him try to sell some cars. They're moving out of the taco lot and back to the second lot, but luckily all of their decals are still on the windows.

Anna's friend is taking cosmetology courses so they have Mackynzie's first hair cut there. It takes a lot of work to distract her, and Anna ends up having to hold her in the end. [um, I can't be the only one who thought that her haircut wasn't fitting for a toddler, right?]

Anna quizzes Mack on her shapes and animals and letters... she's already starting to homeschool. [and this might not be bad for them - Mackynzie seems pretty smart so far!] Josh and Anna are planning to get their children music lessons, so we see Josh play some violin for Mackynzie, who plays along with a cardboard cutout. [OH MY GOODNESS... Josh is SO BAD!] They're also working on toilet-training, and we get an earful about the family's diaper habits. [really? do people care that they sometimes use disposables because it's hard to keep up with two kids' cloth diapers? sucks that Anna feels bad about it, tho.] Anna takes her kids, plus Johannah, Jennifer, and Jordyn, to the park, borrowing a 15-passenger van to do so. [NOBODY was available to help Anna install all of those carseats?? I appreciated that Anna buckled each child in her seat herself instead of letting them do it themselves like the Gosselins! Also, "Josh's three little sisters" should have been "three of Josh's little sisters" ...Josie exists, guys.] 

Michelle is 18 weeks pregnant and spends an hour on the elliptical 5-6 days a week. [just in case you care.]

19 Kids and Counting "40 Kids, Oh My!" (S06E03): The Vanderhoffs, a family with 21 children (9 are biological), are staying with the Duggars while they close on a house nearby. The Duggar boys sleep on the bus and the guests stay in their room. [that's still a LOT of people in that room! Two to every bed??] We see the infamous "home church" building out by the airport, which JimBob bought as a repo home a few years back. Everyone worships and several of the children play music. They have a fellowship meal. [Jana seems to be running the whole shebang... she plays the keyboard for the service and works on the meal!]

Michelle has a speaking engagement in the Little Rock area, so she's going to spend the night with her high school best friend, Cindy. They were cheerleaders together. [cute pictures!] Also going on the trip are Jana, Jeremiah, Jedidiah, Jason, and Josie. [but we don't hear much of why those three boys are there.] Michelle and Cindy talk and text, but it's rare that they actually get to see one another. Cindy asks staged questions about her fondest memories from high school - like hanging out, spending the night, skating, trips.The speaking engagement is uneventful, but it seems a little awkward that Cindy doesn't attend.

For his birthday, Justin wanted to go to the pawn shop, as James convinced him to get a trumpet. [I'm surprised we didn't see a Duggar lecture on selfishness!] JimBob uses the opportunity to teach the boys about negotiation, and although Justin isn't really into the jeep power wheel he ends up getting, but they paid $200 for it. [this really didn't seem like a toy the family needed!] They have a double-party (requiring 30 pizzas) for Justin and Hudson Jr., which is the same day as Michelle's talk, explaining her absence. [that comment about 30 pizzas covering the night's sales needs was ridiculous! unless it was a small place on a weeknight??]