'Jon & Kate Plus Eight' recap: Rollin' Along

So both mom and dad admitted they were extremely stressed in this very special episode of, oh, right, American Chopper. Was I the only one who forgot I was watching this show instead of Jon & Kate? It wasn't until they came back to the Gosselin residence with Jon's new motorcycle and Kate's ''surprise'' pink bike that I remembered what I was watching. So what else could possibly be left for the actual episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8? Well, not a whole lot actually.

The episode titled ''Bikes and Trikes'' featured most of the same footage, or simply extended moments from the American Chopper episode. We saw a little more of Mikey's ventriloquist act and the kids' giddy response, the picnic in which Kate barked at Jon to get the dogs away from the food, and some bike riding. Both the AC and J&K crew rode sans helmets, but Kate reassured us that it was legal and they were going ''four and a half miles per hour.'' Still, seems like a bit of a bonehead move for parents on a family-oriented show.

There were also some notable disparities between the two episodes. During American Chopper Paul Sr. discussed the matter of paying for the bike with Jon, but here Jon mentioned that the bike was given to him. Not shocking necessarily but certainly noticeable. But the most surprising thing was the fact that the sextuplet's Pre-K graduation wasn't shown, let alone mentioned here.

Of course, we did get some Jon & Kate we know (and love?) when Kate gave a half-hug to the sweaty American Chopper gang and Jon (who once again sat separately from his wife on the couch for interviews) mentioned again how much he liked being on his own. Sure the episode had its charming moments (mostly from the AC guys) but the lack of time with the kids and the focus on the cross-promotion felt like overkill. And just when I thought I was on Team Kate this week, she went on to snap at Cara while at the Ronald McDonald House (which they credit for helping them before they became the celebrities they are now) to donate her new pink bike.

What did you think of this and the American Chopper episode? Did you like this cross-promotion more than the previous weeks had with Ace of Cakes and Emeril Lagasse? Or has it all turned you off? Did you catch Mady's noticeable absence, too? Is she getting ready to pull an Aimee Osbourne on us? And could we really blame her at this point? Were you surprised by what Jon had to say? Did you find yourself more on Kate's side this week, too? Or do you wish they'd finally just get back to focusing on the kids again?