(Original Publication Date, 1 September 1991)
Panel 1: The first throw-away panel has John all excited about how April is grabbing for his nose and showing off to Elly. She says that this is a good sign because she's developing normally.
Panel 2: We get a slam at John having rosacea when Elly quotes the child care manual thusly: "Recognises and reaches for large, colorful objects."
Panel 3: John seems as unaware of when object permanance begins as Lynn when he confuses April by hiding his face and asking "Where's April."
Panel 4: When he reveals himself and says "There she is!", she coos in baffled delight.
Panel 5: He then plays the "Gonna getcha-gonna getcha-GOTCHA" tickle game with her.
Panel 6: She laughs at the "One-two-three-BOO!!!" game.
Panel 7: We're about to shift from a cute strip to more fucking martyrdom when John notices Elly's silhouette in the background and says "See Mommy? Go See Mommy!" to April.
Panel 8: John sets up the whining nonsense when he says that he loves the stage where children respond to everything you say. Elly does too.
Panel 9: We then look at Mike's messy room as she moans that it makes up for the stage when they don't.
Summary: What Elly never gets through her thick skull is that they are responding to a thing she says because they can't help but overhear her whine that housework is simply the worst thing ever when she has to do it. Rather than waste their childhoods away scurrying around while she props her flippers up, they tend to leave that to her.