HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW JOSEPH BRUNER . . .

My "baby" boy is nine years old today.  To hear about the "exciting" day he was born, click HERE.

Andrew has been a joy to us from day one.  He is funny, a BIG tease, SO smart, both book smart and "street" smart, and just a joy to be around.  

He is in 3rd grade this year.  And he has an AMAZING teacher.  I told her before school started that Andrew is really smart, but he knows how to "work the system."  (Unfortunately, he's a lot like me.  He's lazy and just does what he needs to get by.  LUCKILY for him, he's smarter than I EVER thought about being).  I told her that he was smart, not because I was bragging, (okay maybe I was bragging a LITTLE!), but because I wanted her to be aware of it and not let him get away with NOT doing his best.  Andrew has had some good teachers, but I never really felt like they "pushed" him as much as they should have.  Last year his teacher told him she felt like he's only using about 60% of his brain.  I was a little ticked.  I thought as his teacher, she should be pushing him to use that other 40%.  We push him at home, but he needs someone to do it at school.  So I didn't want to have a repeat of last year.  (Keep in mind, we were out of the country last year, and my main concern was him fitting in and feeling comfortable and enjoying his time there.  So I didn't want to put TOO much pressure on him, especially since it was only 2nd grade, and I knew there wasn't much he could "lose" in that year).

Back to this year.  I was talking to his teacher a few weeks ago and she was telling me how smart he is.  She said when I told her that stuff at the beginning of the year she thought, okay, every parent thinks their kid is smart.  But she said, "Michelle, he's a genius.  I don't think YOU even know how smart he is, and I KNOW HE doesn't know how smart he is."  Needless to say, I had a hard time getting my big fat head out the door of the school building that day!  

So yeah, he's a smart kid.  He's also a smarta$$ kid!  He likes to tease, but he's better at dishing it out than at taking it.  And he LOVES his sister.  And he's so good with her.  He will play with her and read to her and tell her stories.  He just likes being around her.  He and Jason butt heads a lot, but I think that's normal.  They are as different as night and day.  They literally have nothing in common.  I see a lot Andrew in Sarah and a lot of Jason in Sarah, but I don't see any Jason in Andrew or Andrew in Jason.  And that's okay.  Andrew is his own person.  And luckily for me,  God gave him to me to raise and nurture and try to help him become the best person he can be. 

And I THANK GOD every day, that I'm the lucky Mom that has him.  I love you Andrew.  I will ALWAYS love you.  And I will ALWAYS be here for you.