Use your babies wisely!

This weekend I took Owen with me to run a few errands.

When you hang out and chat with Owen you will have the most ridiculous, yet reasonable conversations.

Somebody must have discussed the realities of being a fireman with him at some point, because we started talking about their work schedules.

"Mom? Is it true that firemen work all the time?"

"Well, there are firemen on duty all the time, but it is not the same ones all the time." (His questions are always just vague enough that you have to present a clear summary of everything relevant to the question ever, taking into account every possible permutation of the reasoning and intent behind the question).

"Mom?  But they sleep at the firehouse, right?"

"Yeah, I think they work long shifts.  Like mommy has to go to work five days a week, but only for 8 hours, but a fireperson might have to go to work 3 days a week but for 12 hours."  I have little idea of the shifts for firepeople, so I went with a schedule I have heard nurses describe.

"Mom?  They have to visit with their families, right?"

"Right, they get to go home and be with their families when they are not at work."

"Mom?  That is good, because otherwise, if they could never be with their family, that would just be a waste of babies.  You shouldn't waste babies."

Owen said this with such breezy confidence that I'm kind of wondering if this is something I've talked about.

"Jeez.  That's a waste of a perfectly good baby."