Throwback Fourth

 Some patriotic ones from the archives:

Scrunchies

 

Bonus!

There is much to be said about 90's fashion. Much of it doesn't need to be said. HOWEVER my daughter has started using a scrunchie in her hair when she goes to bed and WOW her hair is so much tamer in the mornings. 

Text:
M: I have been told this is a scrunchie. They were very popular when your mom was a kid.
L: Had to hold back that perm somehow. 

Bonus:
L: Feels nicer than a banana clip.
M: How do those work?
L: I never learned.

Leave it on the Table

 

My child is serious about his morning milk consumption. He doesn't like the wait when he finishes his first cup and we have to get the carton from the fridge to refill it. He has a solution that eliminates this lag. His delivery brought to mind the classic trope of a person, down on their luck, seated at the bar telling the bartender to leave the bottle when their glass of alcohol is served.

Text:
O: I want milk, please.
M: Sure thing, buddy.
O: Can you leave it on the table?
L: "Leave the bottle, bartender."

Time Mismanagement

 

Such a struggle, being busy after lollygagging. I should complete my tasks before gagging on the lollies, but alas that is not how the story goes. 

Text:
M: How was your afternoon?
L: Super busy once I stopped lollygagging.

Toddler Goals

 

Of course this was loudly announced as I was dropping him off at the kid area in the gym. Where he had peed himself the day before. And thank you, girly, for the clarification. Yes, goals all 24hrs not just when the sun is up or whatever.

Text:
O: I will NOT pee my pants!
L: That is always the goal of the day.
R: And the goal of the night, too. 

Fascinating Transparency

 

Why would I ruin totally agreeable information by actually checking anything? That's like conflict of interest or something. And just to be clear, it does seem to calm a cough when I pop a whole clove in my mouth and just chill with it. This is, to be clear, the spice named clove that is used in spice cookies and such. This is not a clove of something like garlic. That would give totally different results, possibly? I don't think I could manage to suck on a whole clove of garlic to see if it clears up anything. 

Text:
L: I have been told - and have not researched in the slightest because I like this information - that sucking on a whole clove can stop a cough.
A: Fascinating transparency there. 

Throwing Food

 

Tales from Pre-K: name redacted to hide the one getting condemned. I was also informed that he tips chairs, as in when he sits in them he doesn't "keep all six feet on the ground" like I was informed to do as a child. My son thought the individual was really cool because he has the same name as a favorite uncle. You just never know what will stand out to a child. 

Text:
R: *redacted* is the boy who throws food.
L: We do not throw food.
O: Yeah, just gently throw.
R: We absolutely do not throw food at all.
O: Just gently throw.

No Mow May

 

My daughter notices when the grass gets too high (per her estimation) and she'll ask for scissors to go cut the offending blades. It's not an efficient system, but it does take up a lot of time which is usually the goal with summer activities for kids. 

Text:
A: Your lawn is getting rather tall.
B: No mow May!
A: We're halfway through June.
B: It's the sequel?

Baltering

 

Balter is an excellent word, even if spell-checker is making me doubt if it's a real word (it is archaic). It means to dance or tread clumsily. Modern usage has a joyous connotation, meaning you dance gracelessly but with great enjoyment.  

Text:
L: What's going on, Buddy?
O: I'm doing my thing! *balters about* *bonks into a wall* The thing is over.

Food Options

 

If you've ever questioned "why can't my partner just read my mind and know what I want?" then I have a solution for you: it's called verbal communication. Say what you need to say. One of the best pieces of marriage advice that I was given so many years ago was to keep the lines of communication constantly open. Don't say what you don't mean, and don't hide what you want known. For example, if you really would like an item for an upcoming gift giving occasion, send the exact link to your spouse with the title "potential gift" or something very clear like that. Don't just hope that they somehow know such an item exists and is desired. 

Text:
M: So, to which place would you like to go?
L: I'm fine with either as long as you pick the one I want. 

Horsey Video

 

More parental translating, like the last comic. It has become part of Ori's bedtime to watch "the horsey video!" which honestly is rather calming and peaceful and he's learning Greek mythology so that's something ("the rainbow lady is Iris!"). This section has centaurs and unicorns and pegasi as well as other mythological figures, but my kiddo has focused on the horse-like ones.
Fantasia made in on our list of low-peril movies (both the 1940's version and the 2000 version) with only minor edits, mainly we skipped the demon part at the end of the original because wow that gets intense. We also skipped the soundtrack personification part because my kids totally lost interest. I don't believe we skipped anything in the 2000 version. I should share a list of all the low-peril movies/shows we've found that are not terribly dull. It's a fine line - not intense but also something needs to happen. 

Text:
O: Watch the horsey video!
L: Pastoral Suite Part 5 from Fantasia, coming right up.

Silly Donkey Song

 

Happy early Birthday to my niece! I am blessed with many nieces and nephews, and tomorrow concludes this one's first trip around the sun. 

Oh, the many translations/connections you make when you're a parent. We went to the Disney On Ice Encanto/Frozen show earlier this year, and for the song "Surface Pressure" Luisa sang/skated about with a crew of backup dancers/skaters who were dressed as donkeys. My kids thought it was hilarious. They giggle every time the song plays because they're thinking of the ridiculous donkey skaters ("they should be on all fours, like Sven, not on two legs!") ((Sven was played by two skaters in a shared reindeer costume whereas the donkeys were all individual skaters)). I'm pretty sure most people don't think of "Surface Pressure" as a silly donkey song. 

Side-note, did you know that Luisa is the middle child??? I totally thought she was the oldest. Isabella (must be said with all the disgust Mirabel can muster) is the oldest, while Mirabel is clearly the youngest. You learn something new every time you google a random thing to spell-check your comics. (I couldn't remember if her name was Louisa or Luisa). 

Text:
R&O: Silly Donkey Song!!!
L: Uhhhh *remembers Disney on Ice Encanto* right, "Surface Pressure." 

Strong Like Luisa

 

Happy Birthday to my niece! I just realized her birthday is 6/7, like the meme thing.

We have the HÄGERNÄS set from Ikea and it's super lightweight which works great for chairs that the kids can push in and out without struggling. Sadly the table received many dents from my baby/toddler smacking her cup into it, so it was retired to the front room to be used as a printer and spare peripherals table, but the chairs are still in use at my kids' desks (which I got from Buy Nothing but didn't come with chairs). 

My kids are in the "low to no peril" stage of watching movies, and that severely limits our options, but Encanto is a win in that category. The stress is familial relations, which kinda goes over the heads of my kiddos, and there's no big scary bad guy. As far as role models go, Luisa is a pretty good one. 

Text:
O: I'm just like Luisa! *lifting up chair*
L: Impressive, however that is very lightweight pine.

Stars On Ice: Ilia

 

We had a wonderful time at Stars On Ice, and there was one performer (Jason Brown) who did an amazing "You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like Me" routine that involved many jump-splits, and my child really liked that move and wanted other performers to do it. Namely, he was calling out his request when Ilia Malinin, who's famously the only person to land a quad Axel and also one of the first to add backflips to his routines one that was allowed again, was doing his routine (which involved his famous moves, which are not jump splits). 

Text:
O: Do a jump split!!!
L: Ilia is known for several impressive moves, and that is not one of them.

Stars On Ice: Isabeau

 

I introduced my kids to famous ice skaters via books from the library before the Winter Olympics this year so they would enjoy watching the events with me. I mispronounced Isabeau's name (it's Isa-bo, not Isa-boo) and didn't realize this until hearing her name announced, so my child's question/heckle actually rhymed when she said it. 

My kids were super into watching the stars while they were on ice. I did look up the skaters and watch YouTube clips of their performances ahead of time, so they were prepared. Also, I like watching figure skating. It's pretty amazing what people can do. 

Side-note, I posted a thing about our trip to Stars on Ice at Hershey on my other blog: http://notsocomical.comicaltruestory.com/2026/05/stars-on-ice.html 

R: Isabeau, what jump will you do?!?!
L: I know you're just curious, but it's coming across as heckling.