There are so many things I love about sending Addie to daycare. The socialization, of course. She has friends who are so excited to see her in the morning - and it's mutual - she knows their names and talks about them in the car ride home. She is also exposed to a (sort of) diverse group of people, and with it, a more diverse vocabulary set. She will sometimes say words that I didn't even know she knew. Even the seemingly endless drippy nose doesn't bother me - I know it means her immune system will be much better prepared to fight disease when she's older. Most of these I thought about before she started going and some of the reasons I chose this type of day care over an individual in their house or even a nanny.
But, I didn't really think about the art. Every week, I now look forward to whatever arts and crafts project they did in school that week. Sometimes I get a glimpse of it in the photos they send home every day, and other times they are surprises for Christmas or Mother's Day. But, I cherish each one. This child, who could barely hold a crayon half a year ago, is now creating art that makes the world a brighter place. Or at least my little part of it.
