They're meeting in the middle.

For quite a while now (almost a year), Jack and Grammy have been butting heads. Jack wants more control over his everyday stuff, and Grammy wasn't letting up on her control. Jack always complained when he would have to re-write his spelling words at her house in the mornings after doing it at our house in the evenings. He wanted to pick out his shirts that he would wear, or wanted to stay and play at a friend's house instead of going over to visit. She always made him do his work (twice), picked out his shirt, and got on to him when he wasn't very nice at her house.

Since Jason passed away though, they're both giving just a little bit. Most of the changes I've seen on her side, but Jack doesn't put up an argument when we go over to "visit". He took his job of shopping for her Mother's Day gift seriously when he realized his dad wasn't around to do it. She told me that he didn't need to write the spelling words on his homework page because she'd made a copy of it and he was doing it at her house. She's taking him to get a new pair of Van shoes on Wednesday because she noticed that lots of boys at his school wear them and he wants to also, but because of his foot size it's hard to find (think wide triangle). She puts out 2 shirts in the morning for him to choose from, and calls almost nightly to find out what he might want for breakfast the next day.

The biggest "meet in the middle" event happened last night. She'd called and wanted to talk to him. Turns out she discovered that I'd packed up Jason's clothes (I was waiting to tell her that one) and she had an idea. Apparently, she and Jack had talked about the fact that Jack wanted to save Jason's ties so he could use them when he grew up; so she had an idea. She suggested that the closet that is in their spare bedroom would be where she would put Jason's clothes. Jack could help her pick out the shirts and pants that he would want to keep so that when he gets older, he could wear them if he wanted. I kept Jason's jeans because I know that Jack will be able to fit in them soon (girth wise not length wise--Jack's legs will probably not ever be as long as Jason's. Jack's built like my father in law). She admitted that Jack is sentimental, just like his daddy, and that he might like to do that. She got a big thumbs up for that suggestion.

They're meeting in the middle, and learning how to deal with each other. Jason would be proud, he always wanted that for them both.