I have a bizillion memories of Andrew. Most of them starting with the phrase, "Hey Di". Usually no one was around when he started a question that way. The first question I remember that started like that was when I was pregnant was his sister Paige, He was 8 years old, his dad was in the shower. Andrew said, "Hey Di". I answered "What". He said, "Where do babies come from". From that day on I knew all "Hey Di" questions were probably going to make me uncomfortable but needed an honest answer. And so our journey began. That day I answered him as honestly as I could, telling him, "sometimes when two people really love each other God gives them a baby". He thought for a moment, nodded his head okay and went back to watching TV. When Jim finished his shower I told him what Andrew had asked me. Jim's response was, "you didn't tell him did you!?" I told him what I had said and the relief was evident.
I always thought Andrew should be a teacher. He had always had a knack for dealing with kids when he wanted to - as long as they weren't a sister of his. I tried many times to convince him that no know other job would let him have summers and holidays off. He always seemed to mull it over then go on about his merry way to pull a prank on someone. You could always count on Andrew for pulling something on someone. It became a real issue at our house at one point. Andrew would put on this "wolf" mask and scare Paige every chance he could. After asking and telling him many times to knock it off I finally decided to put one over on him. Jim was Up North at the time, I had the neighbor come over in a mask and attempt to enter Andrew's bedroom window. Andrew heard something outside, he came to me and said, "I think someone is outside my bedroom window". Knowing my friend was suuposed to be out there I told Andrew, "Let's go look and see if we see anything". Andrew followed me out there (he was about 14-15) we saw a dark shadowy figure outside Andrew's window. I said, "Can I help you". When the figure didn't answer I told Andrew to "RUN!". The funniest thing I have ever seen is Andrew looking out the window of the back of the house trying to find the shadowy figure that was at the front of the house. When I came in the house my friend was entering Andrew's bedroom window that I had left open. Andrew ran in his room and started hitting my friend/neighbor in the face with a pair of his jeans that were lying on the floor. I must have told him 3 times it was okay it was only Joe and it was a joke on him. After that the wolf mask was retired for a while.
Then there was the time he made his sister Paige cry. Paige had two of her friends over one day during the winter. Jim had tied saucer sleds together so he could take them around the yard behind the snowmobile. When they were done doing that they were hanging out by the pond. Andrew tripped Paige, rubbed snow in her face and made her cry. That embarassed her in front of her friends. When we explained to Andrew how bad he had hurt her feelings, a total change came over him. He apologized to Paige, to his dad and to me. I told him then that Paige thought he was coolest thing since sliced bread and by embarrassing her like that he had done more then just hurt her feelings. After that day Andrew seemed to be more aware of how his actions affected other people.
Andrew never gave up harassing, teasing or fighting with Paige. The thing that changed was how far he would push her. He had started to grow up. He noticed that every time she went to the video store she rented games he would like. They would sit in her room for hours and play. She hasn't touched her playstation since he died. In fact, she hasn't rented any games since he died.
As I went back through and read this, I realized I didn't say very much about how I felt. I had to walk away from my computer at that point because I couldn't stop myself from crying any more. You see I work in a very busy emergency room. While Andrew was alive I told him every horror story that had to do with a motorcycle that I saw. I always told him I didn't worry about his ability to ride, I worried about the person that pulled out in front of him. A few weeks before he died, a deer ran in front of him while he was on his bike. That really rattled him. I told him that most of the accidents I saw happened on city streets and that he would probably be safer coming home on the freeway. I also told him for the upteemth time that almost everyone I took care of who had been in a cycle accident said someone had either pulled out in front of them or turned in front of them. I SO wish my horror stories would have made him give up his bike. I cry all the time, mostly now when no one is around. Andrew was a great kid. I have a hard time thinking of him as a man because I will always remember the little blond four year old boy with the beautiful smile I first met.