Jon & Kate Plus 8 Disabled Children

So after several years of not having cable and not really watching tv, I am back in the game.  One of the best parts of having cable is that you can just sit around doing nothing but watch tv until 3 or 4 in the morning even though you have to work the next day.  Channels like TLC and Discover Channel encourage this with huge blocks of the same show starting late at night.  A few nights ago I got sucked into a marathon of Jon & Kate Plus 8 which I imagine is known to it's fans at JKP8DC.  Oh wait those children aren't disabled.  See that's what drew me in.  I saw all these downs syndrome kids and though, "how do they take care of all 8 of them? Man this is gonna be good."

Well as it turns out all the kids are healthy, and for a reality show it's a nice break from all the drama a lot of these shows concoct.  I watched several hours of this and was quite interesting to see how these humans interact with their children.   No snapping his belt, or telling them "I'll give you something to cry about."  Not even an accidental burn on the arm from a cigarette or a butt blowing in through the back window on their laps.  I mean it was actually kind of boring.  No trips to the dumpster behind radio shack to get remote controls that the employees were "throwing away." And the parents don't even yell at each other or at the kids.

These kids are yelling and crying because they can't hang out with their dad.  They are having cupcake making parties and doing projects.  I watched it long enough that I sort of felt like I was raising the kids myself.  What a great parent I turned out to be. I think that was enough to hold me over for a few more years.

It's like the time I was in my kitchen and heard this crying sound for like 10 minutes.  I couldn't figure out what it was.  I was looking all around.  Then I noticed that a kid was crying below the tree in my neighbors yard.  I felt pretty bad for him and thought, "shit that kid fell out of a tree, I wonder if he's hurt?"  I watched him cry for like 5 more minutes, then I went out there and was like "are you okay?"  He cried out a yes and something about some kids pushing him off a wall.  Sounds like some of the friends I had when I was a kid.  I identified with him.  So I said what my dad would have said. Where's your mother?  He said the mother and everyone else were away. He said he fell on a big rock and hurt his back so I was like alright let me see?  It looked kind of bruised up and whatever, but what could I do? I just said "It's not too bad.  Well you better go home.  Lay down for a while and you'll feel better until your mom get's home."

I was proud. I think his own dad would have handled it the same way. Plus I couldn't hear that annoying crying anymore.

That kid is actually alright though.  My dog ran away once and he caught him for me.  A few weeks ago his dog ran away.  I saw it running all around the neighborhood, but couldn't catch it.  As I went past their house I told the father "your dog ran away,  I cant' catch it."  He said,"not my dog."

He was looking right at his own dog and didn't even recognize it. 5 minutes later the whole family was after it.  The mom and dad went off in their cars.  The kid took to the streets.  He came back carrying the dog.  I was proud of the kid.  I think maybe when he grows up he's going to be a dog catcher.