My Murphy!

I thought it would be nice to write about each of my kids - separately, not as one giant glob of children. Today, I start with my baby, my oldest, my clone, my Murphy! He truly is my Heaven-sent gift from God! When I was pregnant back in 1990, it was God's plan that that baby was supposed to be a gift for another family and God rewarded my obedience and my sacrifice with a precious gift, on my birthday, of Murphy.

He is quickly growing up to be a strong and confident young man. I am proud of the way that he makes friends with all sorts of different boys (and some girls) He doesn't limit himself to only befriending those kids that have similar interests. He is friends with kids that play sports and those that don't; he doesn't care about the color of their skin or the size of their houses; he doesn't care whether they are funny or more quiet. What I love about Murphy is the size of his heart. He would rather hang out with someone that likes a good giggle than someone who chooses to pick on someone to get a giggle. He is sensitive to the girls and doesn't mind including them in his activities. He may very well be on the verge of "liking" them and I'm not willing to see it yet but I still admire that he isn't afraid to be seen talking or playing with them. It could be that he's being raised by a single mother and I've stressed the point that it doesn't matter about the differences only about the size of the heart in the person. I may not have said that in so many words but he's seen that example at home.

I cannot believe that he is 5'5"! He is to the beginning of my shoulder and I firmly believe that he will be as tall as me by 8th grade! How does this happen? I know that it is such a cliche for parents to say that it's gone by so fast but it has! Although, there are days that I don't feel like the day will EVER end, it does and before I know it, Murphy is five.feet.five.inches! Repeat FIVE.FEET.FIVE.INCHES! This doesn't make me feel old, it just makes me excited to see what is coming around the corner.

I love my Murphy! He's the one of my children that is most like me! We like the same things - ND football, the Yankees, taco salads, being the first to put our seat belts on (it's all about the race, people!), a good joke, having people think we're funny, and so much more. I worry, sometimes, the effect it will have on Murphy by not having a father around but then he does something or says something that erases that fear. He is a great kid and I am privileged and blessed to call myself "Murphy's Mom!"