Grinch Needs Love

 

My kiddo substitutes words he doesn't know (parables, Grinch) with words he does know (panda bears, crunch) to varying degrees of successful communication. He knows of the Grinch from an exercise show (Miss Linky) - I'm not sure when he'll actually watch the Grinch because I got nightmares from that for a while when I was a kid - that green hairy dude is frightening. But Ori likes to disagree so he nails the mannerisms of the Grinch here.  

Text:
O: I'm the Crunch!
L: The Grinch needs love ♡
O: I don't like love!

A Lot For Christmas

 

Hey, I have a sketch for this one! Is that a church bulletin? I will neither confirm nor deny.

Text:
M: I don't want a lot for Christmas -
W: Then you don't want me because I've been told that I'm a lot.

No Bones About It

 

It's amazing what random facts kids will internalize. 

Text:
O: bloh bloh bloh I'm octopus!
L: Oh, you have lots of arms.
O: bloh bloh bloh I have no bones.
L: ... Yep, that too.

DOTA2 Zeus in Stereo

 

I feel the mythological Zeus would just throw a lightning bolt at you if he received any criticism, so this is real growth for him here. I believe he says this phrase in game when you direct him to a place on the map. 

Text:
Title: DOTA2: A Day in the Life - Zeus
T: Zeus, hold the mic further away - you're overpowering the chorus.
Z: Sound advice!

DOTA2 Zeus the Technician

 

Another catchphrase from DOTA2, this time from Zeus. Enchantress, as a faun/dryad, clearly would question why someone would join an electricity company.
Back when I was in college, our pastor told us about how he wanted to officiate his friend's wedding but didn't know if he could so he called up his dad (also a pastor) and asked "Do I have THE POWER?" much to his dad's confusion. He explained THE POWER meaning the part at the end of the wedding ceremony when the pastor declares "by the power vested in me I pronounce you man and wife." And now his overly energetic inflection of THE POWER goes through my head sometimes when power is mention.

Text:
Title: DOTA2: A Day in the Life - Zeus
E: You accepted the job at the electricity company?
Z: A position of power!

Adorable Kid Boy

 

I mean, you can be all of those things and also adorable. And he definitely is.

Text:
L: Are you being adorable?
O: No, I'm Ori and a kid and a boy. 

DOTA2 Kunkka on Laundry

 

Happy Birthday to my SEEEEEEEESTER!
So many comics come from sitting next to my husband while he plays his games. I have no desire to play a battle royal with all the people trying to get me, but I like hearing (some of) the character's catchphrases and coming up with comics slightly out of character to use said phrases. 

Explanation: Tide is a brand of laundry detergent. Kunkka is an admiral in the navy and has many phrases about the sea levels and conditions.

Text:
Title: DOTA2: A Day in the Life - Kunkka
SS: I put too much detergent in, and how the laundry room is filling with bubbles!
K: Rising Tide. 

DOTA2 Necrophos in Winter

 

In the game DOTA2, this character has many rather visceral phrases but when he says "raging contagion" I always think of toddlers toddling along with all their germs. 

Text:
Title: DOTA2: A Day in the Life - Necrophos
N: Raging contagion!
A: *sneeze*
O: *sniffle*

Panda Bears of Jesus

 

Toddlers (and some adults) have a tendency to substitute words they know for words they don't. It can be kinda hilarious. As a side note, I have been enjoying watching Saddleback Kid's Stories of the Bible on YouTube - it's very Biblically accurate while engaging yet not being overstimulating. 

Explanation: Parables. The word he was looking for was Parables. Not panda bears. A parable is "a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels" per Oxford Languages. 

Text:
O: Let's watch that Bible story!
L: Do you know what it is?
O: Panda Bears of Jesus!
L: Ah yes, Jesus was always talking panda bears with the people. 

Prince of Cinderella

 

I'm thankful my parents did not give me 11 middle names. That would be a bit excessive, but if you look up the names of royals then you will see this is an actual thing with at least European royalty. 
This is inspired by the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical version of Cinderella. We watched it with my kids because it's very low peril - no evil cat (which is the scary part for my little ones). And the 1965 version is honestly delightful. A very chill movie for your viewing pleasure. 
Explanation: In the musical, there is a song titled "The Prince is Giving a Ball" (you should watch it on YouTube to get a feel for the movie) and the prince's full name is given. His parents also have similarly lengthy names. It's a royal thing. In most adaptations of Cinderella, her prince is known as Prince Charming. 

Text:
E: My name is Ella, but my stepfamily calls me Cinderella.
CRWVCAFRLHGJ: My name is Christopher Rupert Windermere Vladimir Carl Alexander François Reginald Lancelot Herman Gregory James, but people call me Charming. 

One Lick No Thanks

 

My two-year-old's personality is really coming out and he's quite the comedian. In a toddler way. And he had to try his hardest to force his licked hand into my mouth. Every time I wiped his hand dry, he sucked on it again to refresh the lick. While giggling. This is why parents are constantly sick, in case you were wondering. The kiddos want to share their saliva. 

Text:
O: *sucking on hand*
O: You want some?
L: No. *sigh* What is it?
O: It's lick!

Give Me Five Cold Germs

True story - toddlers really don't know social etiquette or basic hygiene. 

Text:
D: Good job - give me five! Wait - not the hand that was just up your nose; use the other hand. OK!

Slang Connection

 

I've done a few of these slang posts, but slang keeps changing so I have to keep making more. 

Old posts: 2018 2020 2021 2021b

Explanation: Drip coffee is a thing (when you make it in a pot) that is not not Keurig coffee (when you make it from a little cup thing that gets water poured through it). Something being drip is apparently a good thing per the current slang? 

Text:
A: How do we connect with the youths?
B: Say "this coffee be drip."
A: ... but it's Keurig?

Thanks for Trick or Treating

 

A little late but that's how it goes - I think up a comic, remember to jot down the comic, digitally draw the comic, and eventually get around to posting the comic. I thought about saving this one for next Halloween, but hopefully my kids will be speaking nice and clearly by then. Writing how my kids say things can be difficult. But also can be easy when they actually speak clearly. 

Text:
A: How was trick or treating?
M: I reminded my kids to say "thank you" nice and clearly.
A: And did they?
M: Well, they said "tank oo knife an' cwearwhee!" 

Pattern Following

I feel like this with some cooking recipes as well. I think once you're familiar enough with a skill, you can tweak as you go rather than making the whole thing and trying out changes on the second go-around. 

NOTE: if you do this and it doesn't work out, absolutely do not complain in the comments on said recipe/pattern. Your failure was most likely due to your changes. Follow the directions exactly if you want to see if a pattern/recipe works. 

Text:
Title: Crochet
M: Have you done that pattern before?
L: Nope.
M: So you're going to follow it, right?
L: Also no.