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1. 

   howtheduck said, about 1 month ago

   Your kid comes home muddy. Do you:

   a. Clean him up, or
   b. Automatically assume he got into trouble, or
   c. Stare at him until he confesses to something?

   If you answered (b) or (c), then you can graduate from the Elly Patterson School of Parenting.

   By the way, Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in Canada

2. 

   OpenWings said, about 1 month ago

   …..does that awesome stare tactic work on grownups?? Lol :o)

   (…..btw, does anybody else think today’s strip is drawn quite differently to normal?)

3. 

   EarlWash said, about 1 month ago

   It does look a bit drawn.

4. 

   mroberts88 said, about 1 month ago

   Well, it worked that time, so she must be right.

5. 

   dstufff said, about 1 month ago

   I agree the drawing is quite a bit different today. That’s because this comic would be one of Lynn’s early ones from way back when. All of her early strips looked like this. You can also check out a couple of her early books like “David, We’re Pregnant!” and “Hi Mom! Hi Dad!”, to see a similar drawing style.

6. 

   Wildmustang1262 said, about 1 month ago

   Michael, quit making lame excuse. Go and take a nice bath!

7. 

   amongthestars said, about 1 month ago

   Must say I much prefer today’s Ellie to the usual lame helpless Ellie who yells with fury or collapses with dismay at the least little thing - the stare of truth is a much better look LOL!

8. 

   WORDMAN33 said, about 1 month ago

   MOMS SHOULD WORK FOR POLICE INTERRIGATION

9. 

   lightenup said, about 1 month ago

   Sometimes it’s not that you want to get them in trouble, but that you just want them to tell the truth.

10. 

    GrinsToYa said, about 1 month ago

    Mud fight…. cool.

11. 

    Macushlalondra said, about 1 month ago

    Yes it looks different. Elly’s hair looks different. As to her parenting style, well she got the truth out of Michael but I think I’d have gotten him into the bath first and afterward given him the stare to get the truth out of him.

    As for you Not Norman, wrong again! She’s not so bad, and she does put up with a lot around there with her not so helpful husband.

12. 

    Allan Claus said, about 1 month ago

    HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO MY CANUCK FRIENDS!
    We Canadian’s are smart to have it early, so we can shed the gained pounds several weeks before “Christmas Gorging” season starts :P

13. 

    Nelly55 said, about 1 month ago

    NotNorman, I hope you mean it this time

    I’ve grown very weary of your constant complaints

    As for the strip, my father had a stare that would make you confess even if you didn’t do it! Mom only used him if she was getting nowhere……lol

14. 

    ShaZamKaPow said, about 1 month ago

    @OpenWings: Maybe it looks different because of the “stare of truth”…

    @everybody: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

15. 

    AndiJ said, about 1 month ago

    I hated getting this look as a kid. It was never from mom though, it was from dad and when he gave you that look you wanted to disappear. :(

16. 

    EarlWash said, about 1 month ago

    @NotNorman

    You never whine, complain or assume the worst of anything?

    Gimme a break!

17. 

    kittylover2 said, about 1 month ago

    Goodbye NotNorman……………….you won’t be missed.

18. 

    dianecliff said, about 1 month ago

    NotNorman - obviously not a parent. You can tell as soon as they walk in the door that something is up. And, since kids are the masters of changing the subject, it’s best to get everything out first before life charges in and causes you to forget.

    My mother had a great stare and I’ve inherited it. It even works on the college student!

19. 

    Wildmustang1262 said, about 1 month ago

    NotNormanChubsyUbsy,
    GROW-UP! Quit posting negative comments and then, don’t read the strip and our comments. If you keep doing again and again, we will put the flag on you.

20. 

    JanCinVV said, about 1 month ago

    Openwings: Sure the stare works on grownups. Just ask any husband about “The Look”.

21. 

    newworldmozart said, about 1 month ago

    Fairly thee well, NotNorman, I say good bye to thee. I have to say it does seem as tho you have mom issues. Moms are not perfect. As a child and grown up you have to deal with that. The sooner you deal, the sooner you can forgive your mom for whatever she may have done.

22. 

    discoEd said, about 1 month ago

    Geez Burgundy2, you promised!!!!!!!!!!!!

23. 

    Susan001 said, about 1 month ago

    When I was a kid, my mother had a look that could freeze fire.
    Unfortunately, it was sometimes followed by slaps and spankings.

    I’m glad I never married or had kids. I just know I’d be a terrible mother.

24. 

    WickedCrazy said, about 1 month ago

    My Mom always said ;”Those who excuse themselves accuse themselves”.Wise words to live by.

25. 

    MJ Veira said, about 1 month ago

    I do agree with that, WickedCrazy. Sometimes that has happened to me! Better to keep your mouth shut than to talk yourself into a hole.

26. 

    summerdog said, about 1 month ago

    NotNorman, this IS the “enjoyable slice of family life” it once was!

    This is one of the ORIGINALS.

27. 

    bald 716 said, about 1 month ago

    i came home covered in mud like that when i was 10 and my mother made me clean off with the garden hose in the front yard….. it was in march here in buffalo

    brrrrrrrr

28. 

    mroberts88 said, about 1 month ago

    Norman, if you dont like the strip, why read it? No one is forcing you too.

    Allan, we have Halloween in a few weeks.

29. 

    yyyguy said, about 1 month ago

    so do we!
    not everything between we canucks and you yankees is different.
    (sorry if i stepped on your toes Allan but i figured a neighbour could answer just as well.)

30. 

    mroberts88 said, about 1 month ago

    yyyguy, when is holloween up north?

31. 

    OpenWings said, about 1 month ago

    So It’sNormanGrumpyUmpy I assume your ‘Farewell FBoFW’ means that you’ll no longer be gracing us with your presence? FYI - ‘Farewell’ does actually imply that you’re leaving! Alas, I know which horse I’ll be backing ;o)

    Thanks dstufff for the tip - I didn’t get to see the very early ones, so it would be interesting to see them now!

    ShaZamKaPow good point!!! She still looks very different in the last panel though, even without the SOT.

    JanCinVV LOL! I have definitely heard of “The Look” (and some even say I have employed it a time or two!) but can it actually make an adult tell the truth??!? ;o)

    summerdog LOL! I guess ol’ Normie simply forgot how it used to be, or he’s never actually read the strip from the beginning. No matter, apparently he’s off to greener pastures now where the Moms are always happy, and NEVER scream, whine, complain, or assume the worst :o)

32. 

    Amy Sampson said, about 1 month ago

    Normy is just a plain downer, OpenWings-you should hear how he complains about the current story arc in Gasoline Alley! You’d think getting the comics for free-not having to buy a paper or book full of them-would make you happy, right?

    Oh and if you happen to read this Normy baby-GROW UP, THE COMICS ARE NOT WRITTEN JUST FOR YOUR PLEASURE-THEY ARE FOR EVERYBODY

33. 

    mroberts88 said, about 1 month ago

    OpenWings, I wont miss him.

    Amy, not in his little world they arent.

34. 

    ComicDetectiveDA said, about 1 month ago

    Nothing escapes a woman’s glare! Trust me.

35. 

    Macushlalondra said, about 1 month ago

    Hee hee, looks like Not Norman isn’t popular with anyone! Yes he does whine at the Gasoline Alley strip and that’s the only other strip I’ve seen him comment on.

    I enjoyed my first Thanksgiving in Canada and ate too much like I always do on Thanksgiving. I love what you said Allan about having 2 months before we start eating too much for Christmas.

36. 

    OpenWings said, about 1 month ago

    Amy Sampson Lol, I guess there’s just no pleasing some people!!! Mind you, I think he secretly loves all the attention we give him ;o)

    And mroberts88 don’t worry, I have a feeling he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Farewell… my foot! :o)

    Funny thing though, I thought he was doing alright there for a while, until just recently that is. Then alas, it was back to the same old, same old! Poor ol’ Norman. Hope there’s something that makes him happy! (…because it sure doesn’t seem to be comics!!!)

37. 

    mroberts88 said, about 1 month ago

    bleeep, I cant stand anyone who complains about comic strips, and continues to read them, and complain.

38. 

    Wolfdreamer250 said, about 1 month ago

    notnorman - you are a doofus. I say that with the utmost kindness. this was one of Lynn’s earliest drawings of the Patterson family. As such this is what FBorFW was originally like. So in essance you liked her as this type of mom. So why would you want to leave. Like I said. Doofus.

39. 

    DavidDow said, about 1 month ago

    No, I think that this is a new one, but just drawn strangely. Either that or it’s a REALLLLLLLY old one.

40. 

    Aza said, about 1 month ago

    lol