Going deep

These kinds of hypothetical discussions are sometimes fun to have. Personally I think the missionaries would think they struck gold if they knocked into Bluey's family. Hello Kitty might be a little too aloof to be interested beyond a few discussions, IMHO.

But what I'd really like to see? Muffin in the nursery
 

Sacrament entertainment

When I did the attendance count clerk I saw people doing all kinds of things on their phones. Not everything was gospel-related!
 

Not officially part of the Countdown

As our esteemed panel of judges reviewed the cartoons from 2024, including stats and feedback, we've been able to determine our Top Ten and the Runners Up. Those will be coming later this week. There were a couple that were so close to the mark and the judges liked them, so we're running them today.

Here we go: the ones that didn't make it.

There are always quirky things with missionaries and their companions. Here's one that drew from a real-life experience:

All callings have their challenges. For example, working in the Nursery can be an amazing calling. However, there are some days...

Missionaries always want to look their best. But things don't always go according to our wants.

OK. Consider these as the teasers. The REAL Countdown begins tomorrow with the Runners-Up!

Stop, drop and roll

To be fair, some kids make the transition more easily than others…
 

A cry in the wilderness

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

Fun fact: I debated whether I should give nostrils to the crying kids. Then I realized that if they were crying, their noses would all be snotty. That always makes things better!
 

The power of one

Raise your hand if you think your kid (or sibling) could accomplish this in the second hour. I thought so!
 

Sketchbook: The time is far spent

It seems that Nursery is one of the last rooms to clear out after church is over. But is that because the kids don’t want to leave, or because the parents aren’t ready to go get their kids?

Editor’s note: This may not stay in the sketchbook too long. 
 

Dressing for the position

Truth be told, there are very few boys in Primary who are concerned about their wardrobes.
 

By any other name it wouldn't smell as sweet

Of all the rooms in the church building, the nursery has the most distinctive smell. 
 

When only the best will do

You can tell a lot about someone by the snacks they bring to church.
 

This thought entered my head

Please indulge me while I whine about the woes of being a cartoonist. If you ever plan to travel, you have to either (a) plan and draw ahead, (b) fall back on reruns, or (c) make careful preparations so that you can do your work from the road.

I chose the latter option for my most recent trip, but even the backup plans seemed to go wrong. Here's what I didn't expect: just because a place says they have internet doesn't mean that it's reliable internet. Connectivity was a challenge.

Scanning is another challenge. It's one thing to pack a laptop; quite another to pack a scanner. There's the ol' scan-with-your-phone trick, but that's less effective when you can't get good lighting. You may not notice, but the perspective on this artwork is a little bit off. I had to shoot at a slight angle and make a few corrections in production. 

Anyway, I think I've got the bugs worked out and I can catch up on things. Thank you for your indulgence. Have a better day than mine (and it's actually pretty good)!
 

Dress for success

At first I was afraid that this was pushing the PG boundaries, but then I stopped by the nursery. We're good.
 

Sketchbook: Big changes

Our nursery is down to just two kids since we did the class changes at the beginning of the year. On the other end of the spectrum, our priests quorum is huge!
 

I'd buy that

Ever notice how certain rooms in the church have their own, individual scent? 
 

Sunbeam challenge

As I was finishing up the artwork for this cartoon, I realized that either one of them could be saying this and it would still make sense!

Hey — if you have a Primary class, or Sunday school class, Mutual or seminary class, or if you have a family, or if you're alone, or whatever your circumstance you'll probably enjoy the Ward Cartoonist's General Conference Activity Pack (now available in four languages)! Check it out!
 

How much time do I have?

It's never too early to start thinking about things like that, you know.
 

Fits and giggles

For deacons, the sound of flatulence is the funniest thing in the world. Come to think of it, that would probably get the elders quorum giggling, too.

Jurassic Nursery

Nursery can be a blast sometimes, especially when you hit that sweet spot when all the kids play together. Sometimes!

Planning ahead

The time needed to fulfill my calling will be diminished significantly with the switch to the two-hour block. That change will create some interesting administrative challenges  beginning at the first of the year.

Occupational hazards

Which means they can't use glue sticks on Fast Sundays.