Charlie went on a field trip today to see some theater…a production of “Charlotte’s Web.”
Cassie: How was the play?

Charlie: Fine.

Cassie: On a scale of one to ten?

Charlie: Five at best. There were many things wrong with it.

Cassie: Really? Do tell.

Charlie: Well, first off, the production was really for a younger age group…like babies.

Cassie: I could have taken Genevieve?

Charlie: Exactly.

Gigi: I’m NOT a baby.

Cassie: Right, Gigi. Sorry. I mean, the show was for a much younger crowd…in your opinion?

Charlie: Yes. And I saw the same show last year….when I was in second grade. I could swear it was the same actors even.

Cassie: Well, that IS a bummer if you already saw the show.

Charlie: I know! Right?!

Cassie: Okay so the show as a whole was too young and a repeat for you. Were the actors any good?

Charlie: Well, they weren’t very funny. Either they were trying too hard to be funny or they were just overacting. It was painful to watch.

Cassie: It was painful?

Charlie: Very.

Cassie: How was the rat? Templeton. You love the rat.

Charlie: I do. This one was okay, I guess. Not as good as the movie.

Cassie: Which one? The old cartoon movie or the newer one where it’s Julia Robert’s voice for the spider?

Charlie: Both movies had better rats than this guy.

Cassie: Oh. Too bad.

Charlie: I have a feel for rats because of MY pet rats and the actor didn’t have any of the right moves to really look like a rat on the stage. Here’s an example, rats go like this when they’re interested in something or they’re being intense about smelling a piece of food or a person. (Charlie demonstrates a rat sniffing intently and he paws the air in front of his face like a rat would.)

Cassie: I see.

Charlie: Yea. He didn’t have it down. Not. At. All.

Cassie: Maybe someday, if you’re an actor, you’ll be called upon to act like a rat and you’ll have that one covered.

Charlie: I don’t think so. First of all, that wouldn’t be a very good sign about my acting, if I only get the part of a rat. Second of all, I’m totally bored with this conversation. The show was stupid. Templeton bombed. The best part of the whole field trip was going in the car with my friend who likes to talk about dragons and also his mother’s very cheerful and she drove the car smoothly.

Cassie: Okay. That’s so nice that you got to ride with D— and his mum. So what else happened at school today….after you got back from the play?

Charlie: We had a long recess and someone barfed in the boys’ bathroom.

Cassie: Ahhhh. Gross!

Charlie: I knew you’d say that which is why I shared it with you.

Cassie: Thanks. Did someone really throw-up?

Charlie: I’m not going to tell you because I’m tired of talking about my day. What’s for snack?