first partial (mini) mash

I did my first mash and sparge on Sunday. I think it was a single infusion process. The smell in the house was incredible...I always seem to be able to smell brewing beer even during the day after..... sparging the water over the grain, the whiole process was an great experience.
In pitching the yeast I spilled a little down the side of the carboy. Not knowing how much was actually wasted, and not having any homebrew in house, I couldn't RDWHAHB. I rocked the heck out of that carboy for the first day and a half. I was thinking about getting another vial (WLP023), next thing I knew, I had an overnight blowoff, and the beer in the carboy was moving around like it was in a heavy boil. This baby overflowed 2 different runoff bottles. Now this is only my 4th batch since I started back brewin, but I have never had fermentation like this. Is it the move from steeping to mashing that brings this about? Is this kind of fermentation normal...
Was it the extra aeration? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Sounds like you did everything right. Let us know how it turns out.

My first full boil, I had a fermentation like that, and my first PM the other day was similar. It is normal, and mezmerizing.

I find using liquid yeast makes for way better fermentation... I started using this when I went off kits and to AG

I've never used dry yeast except fo my first ever batch. I did a 5 gallon batch, then 2 one gallon batches with full yeast package pitch. This one is a 5 and waaaaay more active then even both of the one gallon batches..

Extra aeration is a good thing. If you do a bit of searching, you'll find a youtube video one of the members made comparing three methods.