Bubba's Battleship

"Mama," my eight-year-old son said.  "Will you play a game of Battleship with me?"

"Sure, Bubba," I said.  "Go get the game."

He did, and we set it up.  "Do you remember how to play?" I asked.

"Yep."

I gave him a quick reminder of how the game was played, just in case.  And then we started playing.

He hit my ships several times, but I couldn't seem to find any of his.  "Bubba, why am I not finding your ships?  There aren't too many other places they can be!"

"You'll never find them, Mama!"

A few turns later, I finally had a hit.  I called other locations after that, which resulted in hits.  Then, suddenly, the ship "disappeared." 

"Bubba,"  I said.  "That ship should be sunk!  Why are you saying it's not there when the grid locations say it should be there?"

"Mama, it dropped off the radar screen."

"What are you talking about?"

He turned his game board around so I could see it.  And do you know what?  All of his ships were on the upper board, where he was supposed to be keeping track of his calls to me.

"Bubba, that's not how to play the game!  I'll never get your ships up there!"

"Mama," he said.   "That's the point!"