KATE GOSSELIN: HOW SHE FOOLED THE WORLD - THE RISE AND FALL OF A REALITY TV QUEEN (93 page)

A few years ago when they were filming on Bald Head Island in North Carolina, Kate said this would be a “tradition” that she would always continue for the kids. Not surprisingly, after the TV shows were canceled and the filming ended, the Bald Head Island vacation “tradition” ended as well. Kate failed to specify that a tradition would only remain a tradition if someone else
were footing the bill.

In 2011, Kate told us that she didn’t take the kids to Bald Head Island to continue the
1-year-old tradition because she couldn’t rent the exact same house. Having rented summer beach houses before, I can tell you from personal experience that if you rented the house the previous year, you automatically get right of first refusal to rent it again the next year. Realtors do business this way to get the house locked up as far in advance as possible for their clients. So when Kate said that the house was booked, what she was really saying was that Discovery was no longer paying for her trips, so the “traditions” had to stop and the kids would lose out – as usual.

As 2012 rolled around, it proved to be another not-so-great year for vacationing for the eight Gosselin children. Kate once again came up with excuses as to why she was not taking her children on vacation. For the first time in several years (since TLC canceled Kate’s show and, with it, all of her free trips), Kate “decided it would be fun” to take a “staycation!” What that meant was that the kids didn’t get to reap the rewards of their hard work by going somewhere they might enjoy during their spring break from school.

A staycation can be a fun, affordable way to do family-friendly activities and entertain children during spring break or vacation time. This was a golden opportunity for Kate to finally do some things with, and entirely for, her kids. She had the chance to find out what they would like to do for a change; then actually do it. Instead, according to Kate’s tweets and blog, the kids played school in the basement all week and did some work around the house.

“Staycations are a great way to save money! Check out our Spring Break plans on my Coupon blog!

Spring Break at the Gosselins

Posted on March 5
th
, 2012

Typically during our very long ten day spring break, we have a fun trip planned. This year, I must admit it has crept up on me and I just realized the other day that I had planned absolutely nothing exciting. After my panic attack subsided, I decided that a rather relaxing home based ‘staycation’ may not be so bad after all. By staying home, we will not only save money, but we will truly be able to relax and that may turn out to be a different kind of fun. So, for our staycation, I decided the following things are a must in order to make it memorable for the whole family...

Kate then listed a few “musts” that they would be doing on their staycation. These fun and exciting events included:

“At least one (if not two or three) movie nights with popcorn with a ‘surprise.’ I’m known for burying a small candy treat in the bottom of each of my kids’ popcorn cups, so it has become an expected tradition (God help me if I should forget the surprise!)

“A picnic lunch at a local playground – weather permitting, of course.”

“Reorganizing the garage and moving the kids’ toys to the large shed I recently relocated to the right of our garage.”

It’s kind of funny that Kate said, “I’m known for burying a small candy treat in the bottom of each of my kids’ popcorn cups…” She did that one time because they were filming. Also, those fun and exciting staycation events sound suspiciously like activities kids would ordinarily do even when not on break from school.

This is part of a blog Kate posted the next day, March 6, on her own website,
kateplusmy8.com:

School During Spring Break…?!

March 6, 2012

Our spring break comes really early each year. Usually, we have plans to travel somewhere. This year, it snuck up on me and with other obligations, doctor appointments and whatever else, I realized we would be spending time at home, playing… Oh and did I mention sleeping in? I made some mental plans for fun things to carry out this week but the kids have suddenly developed an amazing plan all on their own!

A few days later, Kate tweeted about their amazing, fun and exciting trip to the playground:

Good morning! Playground and picnic day!
http://t.co/vX3w0blx

RT @xxxx @Kateplusmy8
RT? Kate Gosselin’s Kids Spend Spring Break in “School”!
http://t.co/JPwqvYGw
via @babbleeditors
NICE ARTICLE:)

A mere 30 minutes after Kate tweeted that picture of her kids at the playground, a “Kate approved” article appeared online about Kate’s spring break, using Kate’s own photo. The photo shows six freezing sextuplets by a picnic table eating their snacks. In Kate’s own blog, she wrote: “A picnic lunch at a local playground – weather permitting, of course.”

The kids were taken to the playground by somebody, maybe a babysitter, on Friday, when the weather was 40 degrees and very windy. The kids looked very cold.
Thursday, the day before, was 70 degrees and sunny. That day would have been the perfect day for a picnic at the playground. The forecast had those days called perfectly all week, so the weather wasn’t a surprise to the rest of us. How could the “most organized person on the planet” and the ultimate “masterminder” mess that up?

What was lost in the midst of Kate’s excited tweeting and blogging about a staycation for the kids was the fact that Kate had no intention of settling for a staycation herself. Instead, she snuck away to Las Vegas with her handler, Steve, to attend a comedy club opening. She wasn’t even smart enough to
continue tweeting to her fans at least once or twice a day to give the impression that she was at home. It was only after a few photos of Kate and Steve at the comedy club turned up online, and a designer/dressmaker outed her on Twitter by telling her she looked “amazing” in his dress, that she came out of hiding and admitted what we already knew – that she was away from her kids once again having a grand old time on a lavish trip for herself.

With Steve accompanying her, the question arose yet again about Steve’s role in her life. A tweet from one of her superfans gave Kate the chance to explain why Steve has to accompany her on her travels. Apparently, this
38-year-old mother of eight, former reality star who is now fading away into obscurity, desperately needs a bodyguard. She tweeted that having a bodyguard was “Important for my safety. :)” (Somehow, the story, “The Ransom of Red Chief,” by O. Henry springs to mind.) Kate said just a few short months ago that Steve was now her “road manager,” so it remains foggy what it is he actually does.

The bottom line is, while the kids got to do absolutely nothing but work around the house and play school in the basement on their spring break, Kate treated herself to a four-day birthday present away from them, to Sin City. Then, in true Kate fashion, she returned home and tapped out these “Look, I’m a regular mom, just like you all” tweets:

Good day!This morning sure came fast! We had egg, ham and cheese burritos for breakfast then quickly out the door..grouchy Monday morning..

...sitting at the bus stop eating dry organic 'Cheerios'... So hungry!!The life of a mom, I guess??! :)

HOPPY EASTER, GOSSELIN KIDS

As Easter approached in 2012, Kate posted her “much-anticipated” coupon blog about her plans to save money for the holiday. Any guesses on where she planned to cut corners once again? If you said, “on the kids,” you would be correct. That question was too easy, I know.

While their friends were probably getting Easter baskets filled with fresh chocolate, assorted candies and maybe a few toys, the Gosselin children’s mother planned to fill their baskets with … “toothbrushes, socks and batteries.” And if we are to believe what Kate wrote in her blog, the kids were also going to be lucky enough to get year-old, non-Easter-themed candy that she kept in the freezer all year because she got it at half-price the day after last Easter. Her advice: “Don’t waste money on Easter-themed candy.”

Kate also informed us that her kids were not getting any special Easter outfits that year. She wrote that, instead of buying said Easter outfits, she would be buying the kids one pastel-colored item of clothing, like a polo shirt or skirt, so they could wear it year round. Her frugality would not be the object of anyone’s scorn if she worked just as hard trying to save money on purchases for herself.

The disgrace of this is that Kate actually described how she would be saving on buying things for her children just two days after returning home from that expensive, first-class trip to Las Vegas with her married “friend.” Kate was comped two tickets to the comedy club opening in Vegas, but her first-class travel, including limousine to and from her MGM Grand hotel suite, her expensive meals, and her Vegas shopping spree all came out of the family money. Money the kids earned.

Kate got a luxurious trip to Las Vegas with a handsome, married man. The Gosselin kids got a working staycation and year-old Easter candy.

But a new twist was about to impact Kate’s Easter plans.

On Friday, April 6, 2012, Kate “found out” via Twitter that Jon might possibly be going to court the following week to fight for more custody time with his kids. Kate pretended not to be aware of the impending court appearance. Whether she knew or not, the fact that it became public knowledge might be why she suddenly did a 180-degree turn from her previous Easter plans, where the kids would be getting year-old candy and batteries, socks and toothbrushes, and they would not be coloring eggs. These were Kate’s Easter tweets
before
the court news reached her:

xxxxx @Kateplusmy
8
how many dozen eggs do you color?

kids get bored of it so I’ll probably HB a few dozen (were overrun remember) and see how they go…

xxxxx @Kateplusmy8 mine only wanted 2draw on them w/clear crayon.I ended up coloring.Ran out of gloves (see bike tweet) so now my fingers r awful

yep. Happened to me last year. Make a mess then run off… Ugh!

But in the span of three days, after news broke of Jon possibly going to court for more custody, Kate suddenly changed her tune about her Easter plans:

GM everyone! Busy day here! 800+ eggs&8 baskets to fill, cooking, baking and Easter outfits to lay out! I better get going…!! Yikes!

xxxxx @Kateplusmy
8
Do you still hide hundreds of Easter eggs around outside for the kids to find?

yes.. Stuffing is on the list for today and tomorrow. 6-800 this year!

just counted my supply.. Actually 1100-12—eggs this year… We have 2 little friends joining us :)

According to Kate’s tweets, the number of eggs she filled went from 600-800 one minute to 1100-1200 the next. How is it possible that Kate “just counted” her supply and she didn’t know exactly how many eggs she had? Keep reading for the answer to that question. ;) Here are some more of her pre-Easter tweets:

xxxxx @Kateplusmy8 Please tell me @Kateplusmy you’re not really hiding 800 eggs. It seems like the kids would get burnt out trying to find all of them

my kids dash like its an Olympic sport! Gotta hide that many (or more!) to make it last more than a blink of an eye!

Kids in bed,dog in bed,house is cleaned up so I’m saying GN! Lots of cooking,easter basket preparing&egg filling tomorrow,oh my!Need sleep!

....settling into another four days with my kids....plan to over Easter egg,candy and toy them..So excited to see hoppy faces all around! :)

xxxxx @Kateplusmy8 I'm betting this is a custody hearing. Explains why you are going overboard with Easter celebrations. You will never learn.