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. 

Dropping Like Hotcakes

 

We have been to two ice skating shows recently (Disney on Ice then Stars on Ice) and for both performances I packed a large interior pocket full of glowsticks. I highly recommend doing this if you take kids to an ice show, as the stands are kinda dark and kids are often not ok with that. But definitely bring extras because kids will drop them and they will roll down the stands and yeah they be gone. 

Explanation: "dropping like flies" and "selling like hotcakes" are two different phrases that can be combined to "dropping like hotcakes", meaning something that is highly desired is quickly depleting. 

Text:
M: Wow, the kids still have glowstick bracelets after the performance!
L: Yeah, they were dropping like hotcakes but I brought twice as many as we needed and we have no extras now.

Wonka and Goliath

 

A continuation from Tuesday, about the giraffe milk macaroon. Maybe Goliath was an early tester (think of the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie and what happened to the kids). Instead of just feeling ten feet tall, he actually became ten feet tall. 

Text:
Title: 1 Samuel 17
D: Wait a minute - did you give these to Goliath?!?
W: He put his hand into his pockolate and got himself some WONKA CHOCOLATE.

Wonka and David

 

A new twist on the classic David and Goliath? Enter one giraffe milk macaroon. (But what if Goliath ate one? Find out on Thursday.)

Once again, this is from the song "You've Never Had Chocolate Like This" in the movie Wonka (which does not contain any Bible character cameos - I was just thinking these up as I listened to the movie soundtrack on my way to Hershey Park for a fun Saturday). 

Text:
Title: 1 Samuel 17
W: 🎵 Goodbye to feeling small And frightened of it all Just eat a few of these and you'll be feeling ten feet tall. 🎵
D: I'm... just gonna trust God to use me and my sling stones. 

Wonka and Elisha

 

Counter-offer: behold my hair-repair eclair.

The movie Wonka has many catchy songs, and "You've Never Had Chocolate Like This" is no exception. I could not help but think of a certain Bible character who called down two she-bears when taunted by a group of youths mocking the fact that he was bald. 

Text:
Title: 2 Kings 2
W: 🎵Lost your hair, Can't think where, feeling fairly bare up there...🎵
E: You... are getting all the mama bears.

Alphabet Aggressive

 

Someday he'll get it right, but for now it's cute and hilarious. 

Explanation: the actual song ends with "Now I know my a-b-c's, next time won't you sing with me?" rather than my kiddo's "next time you will sing with me." 

Text:
O: 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮 A b c d e f g - w x y and z 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮
M: How concise.

Alphabet Abbreviated

 

This is now how my toddler sings the alphabet song every time. My preschooler has tried getting him to "repeat after me" and go through the alphabet, but she doesn't have it down well enough for that. But they got further than the first phrase, so there's that. And got back on track when I prompted them. Also, he will sing it up to a letter that appears in his name, then just sing out how to spell his name instead (as in l-m-n-o-r-i-o-l-e). His actual name has five letters, which means it can be sung in the b-i-n-g-o song, which means the alphabet song transitions seamlessly into Bingo. 

Text:
O: 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮 A b c d e f g - w x y and z 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮
M: How concise.

Salty Lot

 

Happy Birthday to my Grandma and niece!

What is Lot embarrassed about? See the previous comics as we move through Genesis in my church's Sunday sermon series. In case you don't know what happened to Lot's wife, she was turned into a pillar of salt. We actually haven't gotten to that account yet, but I thought this up with one of the earlier comics and had to write it up early. 

Text:

L: That's it - I'm leaving and never coming back. You are so embarrassing. 

A: That's a bit harsh.

R: Yeah, Lot, don't be so salty.

In case you've forgotten - previously on Keeping Up With the Patriarchs: 

Mannette

 

Happy Birthday to my niece!
My little dude, you are convinced of your friend's name just like your sister is convinced of her friend Faniel's name (it's actually Nathanael). But you seem to know the M is not really there. Someday you'll say their names correctly. Someday. 

Text:
Title: Annette
O: mmm-mmm-Mannette starts with A!
L: Yes, but also no. 

Age Disparity

 

The joke here is that my kids don't fully enunciate and miscommunications happen. And this is what I think of and how I respond now when one of them says they're full, as neither of them are four. 

Explanation: "Full" and "four" sound the same when you have a toddler's pronunciation. 

Text:
O: I'm full!
R: No you're not - you're three!