Adjusting

As I watch the sun rising over Trenton this morning (it's usually not fully morning until we hit Newark), I'm thinking about the family's whole adjustment to my new career life. The job itself is great - it's intellectually stimulating, it's demanding, I get treated exceptionally well by both co-workers and staff (I admit, it's a bit heady to walk around the office and be greeted with "Good morning, Judge' "How are you, Judge?") The commute is daunting - although quiet time to myself on a train every morning has its upside (I just wish it didn't come at the cost of the sleeping I would normally be doing between 4:15 a.m. and 7:15). JR's dad has been fantastic - he has stepped into the role of primary caretaker and actually seems to be enjoying his extra time with JR and the fact that some household things (like getting JR up and out of the house in the morning) he just does better than I did. He even cooked us a great dinner last night that didn't involve ordering pizza or reheating his mom's macaroni (that will be tonight).

JR has also adapted quite well. He loves his camps and seems to genuinely enjoy the time with the two babysitters who alternate days picking him up after camp. It's been particularly nice to see him develop a relationship with his oldest cousin on his dad's side - who is now entering his sophomore year in college. As the cousins on opposite ends of the age sandwich, they hadn't really spent much time together until this summer.

Of course, he's still his usual self - so we have our arguments over clothes (now mainly limited to Sundays and church clothes) and TV (we've moved on from Max and Ruby to Bindi the Jungle Girl) and whether he can have a second dessert. I love watching him try to negotiate - especially when he goes into what I've now deemed his "spoiled rotten face" I actually can't watch him do this without cracking up. He starts fluttering his eyelids, looking up at me, and pouts. But the whole expression is so exaggerated. I am at a loss to explain where he learned the eyelid fluttering pout or how he knows when it is appropriate to pull that expression out - but he does. It hasn't worked yet to get him what he wants - but it never fails to leave his mother in hysterics.