One Week To Go

This time next Wednesday, The Wife will be bringing NJ home from her first day of day care. We've been e-mailing the school about what we need to send to day care with her, gone over her current formula-to-whole-milk transition, and asked whether NJ will be at a disadvantage amongst her peers because she's not yet walking. We've been reassured on all fronts, and are looking forward to the center's picnic this Friday to meet all the teachers, parents and kids.

I've been working two jobs for 10 days now -- the job I started last Monday, and taking care of NJ. It hasn't been a picnic, by any means, but my new colleagues are understanding types and we're muddling through. From that one perspective, I'll be glad when day care starts. From every other perspective, though, I'm a bit wistful at the notion of, for the first time in more than a year, not spending the day with my girl. The Wife is a little wistful, too, because she prefers that her daughter be in the care of her husband over the care of people we don't know well. In particular, she's dreading that first day drop-off, when NJ will "think I'm abandoning her." And NJ is doing her best to make it tough on her parents by turning the smiling/laughing/personality-developing/fun-loving knob up to 11 lately. I'm looking forward to the day two weeks from now when our new routines will be set and this big change turns out to be fine, dandy and normal. We know it will end up being fine, dandy and normal, but I'll be happy to see it rather than just anticipate it.

Hey, why the long face? Get over here and lemme squeeze that nose of yours. And lighten the heck up, will ya? OK? Good. Now get me some more corn.

And much less importantly, I've got a week to come up with a new blog name and tag line.