a conversation with a sixth grader

Josh had to go shopping with me tonight.

He asked me, "What do you call a fish without an i?"

"Fsh" (imagine lots of emphasis on the "f" and the "sh")

I told him he was a dork.

He went into convulsions.

He told me he was going to create a new word. Fsh means a kind of cloud.

I said that it has to be a specific kind of cloud. And they have scientific names -- with Latin roots.

He said, "Oh. Then it will mean a word like dang it."

We turned a corner and the piano books in the back seat slid off and landed on the floor.

Josh said, "Fsh!" and tried to retrieve them. He got them and put them back on the back seat.

I stopped at a stop sign and the books slid to the floor again.

Josh said, "Fsh!" Convulsed and twisted to get them again.

He put them on the back seat again and I turned another corner.

He convulsed and said, "Fsh!" again.

I said, "Why don't you just hold the books? The ISAT test has fried your brain."

He said, "The ISAT has took all my smarticles."

He got that word from a girl in his class.

I told him he was going to grow up and marry her. He was totally grossed out. I said that he was going to grow up and kiss her. He was freaking out.

He couldn't wait to get home and get out of the car.