Happy birthday, dear Andrew!
Today you are nine (gulp) years old. Nine! Is it really possible that you are half-way to 18? You still seem like my sweet little boy, hardly half-way through your childhood.
You've sure sprouted up this year. Growing, changing, stretching to 57" tall! Still the same you. Still the same beautiful smile, although it is also growing, changing and stretching. In January, the orthodontist installed a permanent expander on your top teeth, and a removable one on bottom. Despite being annoyed that gum-chewing and popcorn-eating had to stop, you adapted so quickly to talking and eating. And just a couple weeks ago, the addition of four front braces appeared on your teeth. All of this hardware sure has wrecked your cozy sleep habits, but that's okay - you are working to retrain yourself. And honestly, you might just be outgrowing your bedtime!
You still venture off on your own, whether it's playing outside in the snow after school or taking a spin on your bike. There's something alluring about being alone, and you're not afraid to break away. I imagine this will be a lifelong attribute, perhaps a deep wanderlust that will continue to be cultivated.
You spent most of second grade questioning relationships with three specific friends, boys that you longed to play with constantly. However, they didn't seem as eager to reciprocate, and so while it crushed me to hear your stories, Dad and I offered you options and tools every night at dinner to take to school the next day. You are so loyal and affectionate and invested, that when other kids aren't, you use words like "my low today..." or "excluded". The end of the school year was especially rough. Not being chosen is heartbreak for both you and me. Being told "this is just a game for two people" or "you can play with us tomorrow" is like a punch in the gut. I know this is parenting, and I know this won't be the last time I intentionally pray you through your days at school.
You are an avid rule follower and like to enforce rules most often at home. If justice isn't served by the one in authority, you will take it upon yourself to remind others of the law. In fact, you told us once that you wanted to be a police officer so you could tell others what to do. Oh, Andrew, how I laughed. This is something you will come to learn: most times, it's not your place to enforce rules. Certainly you can be encouraging and set a good example for others, but you will lose relationships and opportunities for friendship if you let the rules always win. (Standing up to shush the entire class when your teacher steps out of the room is a perfect example of this, as you well know.)
Despite the friendship challenges, the year was filled with less worry, and I can't help but wonder if that went hand-in-hand with your physical health. You had perfect school attendance last year until you were sick in February - a remarkable stretch for you! Also stellar were your academics, high marks on all your papers. Despite the whining about homework, you sure do turn out good grades.
You begin most of your days with breakfast and a book. I dare say it's the only meal you actually savor. With reading as a distraction, you linger at the table for quite a long while, and some days I have to prod you along. Alone, those two things - food and books - aren't really spectacular, but put them together and it's magic for you.
Shall we take a moment to discuss the fondness you have for your hair? Oh Andrew, do you love styling your hair. You often ask me if I can take the clippers and do specific things to shear the sides and create designs in your scalp, and unfortunately I am just not that talented. Since the day you were born you've had a swirling cowlick near the front right of your forehead and it's become your hair nemesis. Somehow you manage to make it work and come out with perfectly groomed waves on the top of your head. I'm not even kidding when I say you could have been born in the 1950's and pulled it off. The hair, the unconditional love for old cars, the buttoned up shirts and tightly belted waist. It's all you, all perfectly you.
You love competition and striving for first place. Running is your thing, and the word is out about your speed. I know a couple of coaches who are looking forward to having you on their teams in future years. And I know a couple of siblings who can't stand the competition!
House design is still a fascinating subject for you, as are RV's and campers. This summer we checked out many non-fiction titles on each topic, and it was the coffee table books with large photos that you pored over most, scoping out all of the fascinating features of each home and vehicle. Your dream is to travel in an RV, and live in a two-story or three-story house with gabled windows. I don't have any doubt that someday you will make this happen.
While I wouldn't say you are strong-willed, I would describe your personality as determined. Once a light bulb goes off, you are desperate to make that thought a reality. Time, schedules, advanced-planning... those things aren't a factor in your efforts. You see the end result so clearly that other considerations are simply annoyances that get in the way. During the summer when life is fluid, you are elated to have the freedoms that make your processes happen at a pace you set. Summer suits your personality best. But when school rolls around complete with homework and chores, with boundaries and constraints, there is some emotional backlash to hearing that "now isn't the best time". You long for those liberties of summer.
I think sometimes we see you as inconsistent or unpredictable, Andrew. Your favorites change often, and so do your emotions. We're not sure day to day if you will eat the same breakfast, sleep well or poorly, have a ravenous appetite or a full stomach, or even enjoy the same TV show as you did the day before. It's what sets you apart from everyone else in this family, and while it may seem like something negative, it's actually quite refreshing. You embrace most days with such an enthusiasm for living and are uninhibited about what will come. You remind me to throw a little caution to the wind every now and then, and I love that about you.
Like always, the next year ahead will have new adventures and possibilities, more growth and understanding. I pray that you continue to grow strong in all ways, but mostly, continue to grow strong in Jesus. I love you, Andrew!
Always,
Mom
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:1
