...and he flew.

"Come to the edge," [s]he said.
They said, "We are afraid."
"Come to the edge," [s]he said.
They came.
[S]he pushed them...
...and they flew.
-Guillaume Apollinaire

What a difference a year makes! Today was Aidan's first day of Little Friends 4 Preschool, and he soared through a wonderful day. Preschool was a hard, hard transition for him last year. He would have preferred very much to stay home with me, or for me to stay with him at school. Despite an outstanding teacher and a class full of sweet and lovely children, it took Aidan many, many tear-filled months for him to adjust. While I know that there may be some tears in the weeks to come as the routine of preschool settles in, I am amazed at the composure, courage, excitement, and pride with which he greeted the new year. He has grown by leaps and bounds, and I am so proud - and so happy for him. I feel like I, too, have grown as a mom, letting go and watching him fly...

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After school, he created a series of four drawings depicting things he had done at preschool today. "A snail boy making playdoh at snail preschool;" "Roll the ball game at snail preschool;" "Circle time at snail preschool;" and "Monkey bars at snail preschool." (He explicitly wanted them labeled this way). Curious about his choice of specimens, I asked, "Aidan, why did you decide to draw snails instead of people?" He said simply, "I am interested in snails."