(Strip Number 4206, Original Publication Date, 11 August 1982)
Panel 1: Now that the family is at Jim and Marian's, we find ourselves watching Mike and Lizzie talking to their grandmother; an anxious Mike sets up our odd punchline when he asks Marian why they live so far apart.
Panel 2: Marian tells him that it's because Elly fell in love with someone in Ontario; Lizzie asks her why that happened.
Panel 3: Mike tells his sister "Because, dummy---she couldn't find anyone here that looks like Dad!!"
Summary: Unlike Lynn, I don't claim to be an expert on how children think but I'm not sure an eight-year old would think along these lines. It seems to be that he'd be a lot more likely to be the one asking why Elly couldn't have found a John-like man in British Columbia so he didn't have to say goodbye to relatives so often.
