The Switcharoo.

Crowbar, 6, and I went to the grocery store alone tonight. As we walked through the aisle, he asked:

"Mom, can bullets go through metal?"

Not sure how to answer, I responded: "Uh, yeah. I suppose there are some kinds of guns and bullets that can shoot through metal, but I'm not 100% sure, though."

I had to leave myself an out.

"When I get older, I'm going to get a gun and find out," he replied, nonchalantly.

"I don't think that's wise. You could get hurt. I'm not really a fan of guns and shooting stuff."

"Wise?" he asked, surprised. "What do you mean 'wise?'"

"You know, wise. Like smart. I don't think it's smart to shoot a gun at metal."

"Since when do you say, 'wise?'" he asked. "Why didn't you just say 'smart?'"

"Because I like to vary my vocabulary," I responded, a little surprised.

"Well, if you mean smart, you should just say 'smart,'" he scolded.

"I can say whatever I ---. Hey! Don't change the subject!" I said. "Shooting guns isn't wise."

"I just don't get it," he said, shrugging. "Just say what you mean. Geesh."

Geesh, indeed.