Anytime I flip through the tube channels and the reality show "Jon & Kate + 8" is airing on Discovery Health or The Learning Channel (TLC), I must watch for at least a few minutes. Originally, I tried to justify my interest in this show because I am the Kids & Family editor for OnMilwaukee.com and I need to stay abreast of the latest parenting programming, but really, as the mother of two energetic boys, I find comfort in this show.

However, it also annoys the crap out of me.

"Jon & Kate + 8" chronicles the challenging, daily life of the Pennsylvania-based Gosselin family, which consists of parents Jon and Kate, and their eight kids -- a set of twin girls and a set of sextuplets (three girls and three boys).

I've now watched six or seven episodes and I think I understand why this show is so popular. First of all, it makes other mothers (and probably a few dads) feel better about their seemingly difficult life.

When I see Kate struggle to mother six 3-year-olds and two 6-year-olds, my motherhood experience suddenly seems like a ginormous piece of double-frosted, candy sprinkled, cream-filled cake. Also, some viewers are probably envious of the Gosselins, especially women suffering from infertility or those with the romantic notion that having a massively large family is a ton of fun.

The other reason this show works is because of John and Kate's relationship. It does seem real, even to a critical TV watcher like myself. They bicker and snap at each other a lot, and Kate orders Jon around like the ninth kid, but they definitely have a connection.

Kate finds Jon funny. Jon likes to buy Kate clothes. There's some good stuff happening in between all the food prep and time-outs. I do have to wonder when, if ever, they have sex, but being a G-rated reality series, such subjects are not discussed.

OK, here comes catty: I must comment on the fact that Jon, who is only 30, has -- not surprisingly -- lost a ton of hair in only two seasons, and now looks like he's 40. He's also gained a few pounds and is always dieting or trying to squeeze in a workout. This is actually endearing, considering Jon often seems like kind of an a-hole, but then again, the man doesn't have a moment to himself outside his full-time job as an IT guy, except for the occasional treadmill jog. Woo-hoo.

(One more thing about Jon: I find it interesting that all of the kids look so much like him. Even though Jon is only half-Korean, and therefore the kids are a quarter Korean, they all look much more like him than Kate. Them Korean genes are strong ones, methinks.)

Kate looks older, too, but is in great shape, thanks to the tummy tuck donated by a viewer who is the wife of a plastic surgeon. The woman asked her husband to give Kate a free tuck after she saw the episode where Kate exposed her post-sextuplet stomach that looked like, well, a frontal flabby butt.

Also, Kate is insanely organized, slightly neurotic and if she wasn't OCD prior to having eight kids, extreme parenting has made her so. Who could wash that many little hands every day, wipe that many butts and cut the crusts from that many sandwiches day after day without some sort of mental repercussions?

I do wonder why Jon and Kate had the sextuplets in the first place. They talk openly about their use of fertility drugs (although I don't think they disclose which ones) and they didn't believe in selective reduction during the first trimester of pregnancy, but I'm still blown away by their decision to go forward with such a high-risk pregnancy. It's unclear if they are Pro-Life or not, but I'm thinking they probably are, not only because of their decision to keep all six embryos, but because they have lectured at churches. (They don't give any more details than that, but I think I get the jist.)

I also wonder how much they are paid for making the show. At some point they moved to a bigger house, and Kate doesn't work outside the home, so they seem to be doing quite well. Then again, I've also noticed quite a bit of product placement -- like tons of Baby Gap clothing -- which helps out, too.

"Jon & Kate + 8" is one big Thomas The Tank-wreck for me. I can't stop watching, and even though I'm annoyed by it and constantly questioning what's real and what's scripted, I get a lot from it. Clearly.