Observations From Someone New

We've now finished 2 weeks with my youngest niece staying with us.

She's adjusting to life here slowly.  James and his early morning routine isn't helping too much.

He has a habit of opening and shutting cabinets.  Loudly.  Starting around 8am.

While last weekend she went to see her husband on base, this weekend she stayed home with us to relax a little.  It was her first weekend with us, and last night she made an observation to my husband's family that I hadn't thought about.

She told them that she liked me not being in front of a lap top all day long and getting to do things with me.

And that must be exactly what my son thinks, too.

Monday through Friday I actually have a paying job.  I spend all day working on projects and doing my day to day things for them.  I finish at 5, make dinner, and then finally get to sit somewhere where there isn't a computer monitor in front of me.

Her observation started a conversation about how James reacts to my time away from the laptop.

Lately, when I get up to work, James will come to the dining room where I am at and tries to climb into his high chair.  He wants to sit at the table while I work, usually with my iPhone on, for about 45 minutes.  Then he will go play and do his thing.  If I get up at any time, his spidey sense goes off and he is at my side.  Whether I am pouring some lemonade or using the bathroom, there he is.

His nap overlaps with my last 3 hours of work, so when I finish he is waking up.  And from then until bedtime I have a shadow.

This weekend, my niece watched as he went everywhere with me, tagging along and helping.  We saw a movie on Saturday (OMG - Iron Man 3!  GO!!), and he spent 4 hours with his great grandparents.  When we arrived to pick him up, my husband and niece walked in first and I could hear him squeal with excitement.

When I walked in he hopped off the recliner he was sharing with his great grandma and ran at me with his arms open.

That was the most wonderful hug I have ever gotten.

He missed me.

I try to spend time throughout the day with him as work allows.  But the last few weeks have been real work, and so that hasn't been as easy.

So the weekends are his.  He and I watch cartoons and play and wrestle.  I take him with me to run errands and make sure he gets to help in the kitchen.  He gets all the hugs and kisses, and he returns them so easily to me.

My husband jokes that he apparently just isn't enough for him.

I have to explain that it's different.

I've just known James longer than anyone else.  And James knows that.