Top Nine

Andrew turned nine yesterday. NINE!! Someone said to me today, "You know, that is halfway to eighteen, when he will go off to college." My heart sunk and my throat started to close up. How did this happen? How is he already this old? Where is the small curly-headed baby that I held in my arms and rocked to sleep? I am constantly reminded, it seems, of how quickly time passes.

In honor of Andrew, here are nine things about him (in no certain order) that I want to remember as he gets closer and closer to those teenage years. :)

9. Andrew is extremely helpful. He rarely minds running to the other room to grab a diaper or a toy for his sister. He loves to help in the kitchen, and he often volunteers to help before I even ask him. Sometimes I will be asking Tim to grab something for me and Andrew will pipe in, "I'll get it Mom!" He loves to help push the cart at the grocery store, or run to the next aisle to grab that one item I forgot. I know a lot of children want to help their parents...but Andrew is now at the age where he actually IS helpful. He is a huge help to me on a daily basis.

8. Andrew has an amazing memory (for certain things)! He knows so many facts about so many things, that we have become students of our own child on a daily basis. Last week, he came home and taught me about igneous rocks and how they are formed. The week before, he told me all about how scientists weren't sure if Pluto was going to still be named a planet. If you ever want to know about any NBA players, Andrew has a lot of information stored about that, too! His teacher wrote him a note, telling him that he would be a great contestant on a trivia show because he knows so much about so many things.

7. Andrew has a wonderful, infectious, loud laugh. I love to hear him burst out in genuine laughter. It often takes a little while for me to figure out what he is laughing about, because he will be laughing so hard that he can't talk. I love it!

6. Andrew is very appreciative. We got him a Nintendo Wii for his birthday (with help from all the grandparents) and he was SO thankful. We presented it to him at his party last week, and he is still thanking us for it. Today, since we celebrated with all of his friends last weekend, we just had a quiet Birthday lunch at home with a homemade cake. He was thrilled to have his family over and open a few small presents. Before bed, he hugged Tim tightly and thanked him over and over again for getting him a Wii and for reserving a game for him. He thanked me again for making him two special meals today. We are so blessed to have such a thankful child!

5. Andrew is kind. During this basketball season, in fact, we have had to remind him to not be quite SO kind. He was so concerned about whether he was hogging the ball too much, that he passed nearly every time he got the ball. He would look for an open player and pass it to them when he had a wide open shot. After a lot of encouragement from his coach (and his parents), he finally started shooting. He has now reached a great balance where he doesn't feel bad about taking it to the hoop (and wow...he can shoot!) and passing it to the kid who otherwise wouldn't get the ball. We couldn't be prouder.

4. Andrew is not afraid to share his emotions with me. While sometimes this is trying, I am learning to appreciate the openness that it brings to my relationship with him. We have had many late-night talks about the deaths of members of our church family, friendship issues at school, what he wants to be when he grows up, his frustrations about not having a brother at home, and whatever else is on his mind. Although his temper flares up quickly at times, I am thankful that he wears his heart on his sleeve...at least at home.

3. Andrew is an amazing big brother. He doesn't get upset with Anna for getting into his stuff. He simply moves her out of his room and says, "No, no, Anna....that belongs to big brother, okay?" He loves to read books to her, give her zerberts on her tummy, and show her how to do things. Each day as he leaves for school, he will try to get a kiss on the cheek (which she often gives) and then he waves goodbye to her as he heads out the door. He will ask me sometimes, "Mom, did Anna do anything funny today while I was at school?" He loves her so much and it sometimes brings me to tears. I hope Anna someday realizes how blessed she is to have such an awesome big brother.

2. Andrew takes important things seriously. Several of Andrew's older friends have recently been baptized. He has been talking to me quite a bit about this and was a little upset, feeling some pressure to do the same thing. My mom gave him a book to read, helping him to decide if he was ready for such a commitment. He read it over very carefully and thoroughly and decided that it wasn't the right time. I am thrilled that he is thinking things through and that he is letting God lead his heart to a full commitment to Him as he grows older. Again, I feel the tears coming on.

1. Andrew has such a giving nature. If he looked inside his favorite pack of gum and found only one piece left, he would offer to give you half of it. He offers to rub my back if I don't feel well, he gives up his spot on the couch if he thinks it was where I wanted to sit, and he frequently offers to share whatever snack he is working on. The other day at school, Andrew had hot lunch (his favorite- cheese quesadillas) and even shared part of that with his buddy who wanted to try it.

SO...Happy 9th Birthday to my amazing son. I love you, Andrew, and I am prouder of you than you may ever realize. Thank you for being so sweet and giving, for apologizing when you do something you realize you shouldn't have, and for having a heart that wants to please God. I can't wait to see what this next year will bring!

Love,

Mom