Early Retirement

When I went back to working full-time, Wesley adjusted pretty well, but he did voice some complaints. Almost every night, he asks me if I'm going to be home tomorrow. When he questions why I have to work, I try to explain how we need money to pay for everyday things like our house and food. Ever the problem-solver, Wesley said, "Mommy, why don't we just have someone work for us?" After clarifying that he wasn't suggesting a butler or personal chef, I asked how that arrangement would work. He thought they could just go to work, then give us the money while Marc and I stayed home. I laughed and said I didn't think we would find anyone to take us up on that offer. A few weeks later, my grandmother was visiting us. Somehow, Wesley ended up asking her what her job was. She has been retired for a number of years. Of course, my inquisitive five year old asked what retirement was. You should have seen the light in his eyes when I explained that someone could work for a long time, then stop working and continue getting a pay check. I knew exactly what he would say: "Mommy, why don't you just retire?!" If only it were that easy! I decided to hold off for now on a conversation about social security.