Panel 2: What a metaphor! Dee has one kid in her arms and another tugging at her leg, while her poor husband, who probably had to sweep an entire floor by himself, tears his hair out, and her saintly mother-in-law offers salvation!
Panel 3: Ew, I hope Elly's not going to put that spoon back in the pot after she's sipped from it!
Panel 4: Elly, give me a break. Seriously. You do not have an empty nest. You still have a kid at home; two if you count that guy in the engineer costume. Anyway, you're the one who kept adding on to the house when your kids were younger. NOW you regret the empty space? Hey, I know what you could do to alleviate loneliness! Have you ever thought about getting into the retail business? I know a bookstore where the owner hardly ever shows up!