He's growing up!

It's picture day at school. Last night, Devlin decided he wanted to wear a shirt with buttons, his "Cool Kid" button and nice pants. His hair was going to be spiked too. Would that be okay, he wondered. Sure, I agreed.
Then my seven year old boy snuggled into bed with me to read his book assignment for class and the first chapter of Flat Stanley. With only a few hints at some of the words, he did an admirable job. After a cuddle and a kiss for the baby in my tummy, he was off to bed. With his daddy. Somehow the two of them managed to squeeze into the top single bunk.
As a working mom, I rarely have the opportunity to walk my kids to school. On the mornings I do, I find the rush to get them dressed, fed and out the door on time extremely stressful, but the actual walk to the school is refreshing. Ceilidh will be chattering away about a dinosaur bone she found in the schoolyard while Devlin will try his best to convince his sister it's not a REAL dinosaur.
I had an early doctor's appointment this morning. Extra time was needed to spike Devlin's hair to his satisfaction. Ceilidh had to change her top twice. Then her jacket. By the time their shoes were on, it was clear that the 8 minute walk would not be happening. I piled them into the car. They were delighted.
We arrived at school with 3 minutes to spare before the first bell rang. We walked hand-in-hand, all three of us, to the kindergarten gate where Ceilidh was dropped off. First she gave me a kiss, then she wanted a "nose kiss" (a la Eskimo style). Then she grabbed Devlin in a bear hug to say "good-bye". He merely patted her on the shoulder.
Devlin and I then headed to his line-up area. As we rounded the corner, his hand surreptitiously slipped out of mine. Nonchalantly, he waved and said "bye" and hurried away to join his friends.
"Hey, don't I get a kiss?" I asked.
He came back, to put his arm around me, while his head dropped low so that my kiss ended up on his scalp.
"See ya!" he mumbled as he rushed away, trying not to look embarrassed by the display of maternal affection.
Is this the same kid, who three years ago, had to be peeled off my leg in tears as I delivered him to his junior kindergarten class. The kid who cried everyday for two and half months?