Alligator tears

We have a pretty set schedule for work days at our house.  I work 5 minutes away and don't have to start until 8AM, while Adam's commute is about an hour (often an hour plus, depending on the Marc train) and he starts at 7:30AM.  We've been round and round about Adam's schedule, but if he goes in early, he can be home by 5PM.  Either way, I take James to daycare in the morning.  It can be a challenge to get us both up, dressed, and out the door, but most mornings we're on schedule, if not early (I have a flex schedule, so if I get there early, I can leave 8.5 hours later).  Luckily, James just has a sippy cup of milk in the morning with me and then Rhonda gives him breakfast shortly after he gets to her house.  Breakfast used to be my saving grace.  James would go from my arms and into the high chair, where he knew breakfast was waiting.  He was happy, I was happy, it was a win-win situation.  No tears or drama when I left him to go to work.  But lately, James has been hating the high chair.  He has to sit there for lunch and we make him sit in it for dinner, but breakfast was just too much.  Sometimes, when I leave him at daycare, Rhonda holds onto him.  It isn't always possible for Rhonda to grab him, and the last two mornings, I've set him down on the floor and gone to leave.  And then the tears start - big, ugly, red in the face tears.  And I just try to ignore it, give him one last kiss and get out the door.  I'm sure (and Rhonda has confirmed) that as soon as I'm gone, he's over it.  They are nothing but alligator tears, but it still makes me feel awful.