Baby Blues by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott for May 05, 2024

From Not Always Right: Brilliant Belching Baby Brothers

Last century, my grandad was one of the first people to have a tracheotomy for throat cancer and survive. With it came speech therapy and an alternative way to speak, based on a technique of burping. He was ashamed to do his exercise but quickly found a way around it.

He was taking long walks with his then youngest grandchild, my brother, all the while practicing his speech. Nobody thought it strange as people make all sorts of sounds to babies. As my brother was between six months and a year old, he was at his most receptive for language development and was quick to pick up what my granddad was doing.

One night, in his crib, he was imitating the sounds my granddad made, sounding as if he was choking, scaring my mum and making her rush to him. It took a while before she made the connection and understood what the baby was doing.

And that is the story of how my brother learned to speak at an early age and how, to this day, he can belch upon request.

NOT my story, but fits I think.

LOL, my immediate reaction was that Wanda WAS referring to Hammie.

Hammie is freaked that Mom didn’t find this hilarious.

Hammie got the best of Zoe! At least for a little while!!

If that was one of the billions of cicadas that have arrived this season, well, a lot of people eat them.

I have a younger brother, my only brother. Zoe hasn’t learned how to cope with Hammie. Don’t respond. Don’t run to mom, don’t scream, don’t freak out, just don’t. My bro would put live lizards down my shirt. Ice was NBD. I mean it. Not even a “for pete’s sake.” He finally gave up.

In my teens years I remember my mom was terrified of snakes. My step brother waved her down as she was driving from the house (still on a residential street). When she rolled down the window to see what he wanted, he stuck a snake up in her face. She calmly replied “That’s nice” and drove away. She later told me it scared her, but she figured if he was holding it, that it wasn’t poisonous, and she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

But Mom! I wasn’t really gonna make her eat it! It was nowhere near her face! Beside, it isn’t poisonous! She just overreact over everything I do and it’s annoying! She even freaks out if I so much as breathe in her direction. That because your breath smell like doggie poo and you do that on purpose and you know it! See what I talking about, Mom? ROOM! NOW! BOTH OF YOU!! See what you did? Me?! This is all your fault and you know it! NOW BEFORE I CALL THE COPS!!

Hammie – “But mmmoooommmm, he followed me home. Can’t I keep him? I promise I’ll take good care of him and feed him every day.”

And this is why a lot of girls are scared or grossed out by insects and other innocent creatures, their mothers instill it into their psyche. Thank God both my mother and wife didn’t and don’t have these problems. In fact my wife takes spiders out of the house and lets them go.

Normally I dislike Hammie, but I feel sorry for him.

Hammie missed his big chance. He said “Open wide” and Zoe did in the first panel.

Of course, he he popped the bug in her mouth he’s have been in so much trouble… but he may have thought it was worth it.

Now that was funny Zoe.

Love it!!!

Hammie looks SO dejected. Dragging his sad little body out into the cold cruel world.

No one ever cares about the poor spider!

Love Zoe’s line.