Chapter 5, Page 15 Not so idle threat

Never complain about the length of the trip to the guy who's driving. Really.

And I'm so sorry this is late! I completely forgot about it! Aaaa!

Anyway, I'm sure that any of you who are parents have experienced what Dad's going through. And those who remember their childhood most likely remember doing what Mary's just done.

She's also going to be in big trouble with Ruth and Conny.

Chapter 5, Page 14 Does it count as traffic?

It's a little late for Mary to ask to go out, anyway, since Conny's done with the potty. That's why Mom's holding it in both hands in the first panel. She's just going out far enough from the street to dump it. Not sure how far is far enough, but I guess there's some politeness standard for this sort of thing.

Now to figure out how they get back in line. Maybe I'll skip that part. (Being stuck in traffic is funny from a distance but stretch it out too long and it gets tedious for everyone involved.)

Chapter 5, Page 12 On the road

Minnesota has two major seasons. Winter and road work. Unfortunately, road work corresponds to the time of year when everyone is trying to get as far away from home as possible. It's annoying and great fodder for jokes.