Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Six Months

In just six short little months, our lives have become almost unrecognizable. As you already know, we had a beautiful, chubby, baby boy in March.  In July we packed up and moved the fam from Portland to our dream location.  My husband found an amazing new job in his field, and we were extremely fortunate to find a rental house right away. I should mention that finding a rental or even a house to buy in this very desirable tourist town is like an episode of Survivor. People will straight up cut you to be the first one in line at an open house!  Unfortunately our two oldest kids (who are technically grown now but they'll always be kids to me), decided to stay back in Portland, so we're now a teeny tiny little family of six. You're probably thinking that means we're going to have more kids, but I can assure you that there will definitely be no more kids in the Peanut Layne household. My husband finally got fixed a few months ago (I know, I know, took him long enough, right?) but that will be in a separate post called, "Bringing four kids to my husband's vasectomy" so keep an eye out for that one.
 
Goodbye Concrete Jungle
Hello Beautiful Desert!

My boys are no longer home-schooled. That's right ya'll! I retired my role as a teacher and sent my boys off to public school in September.

First Day of School
 And you know what? They absolutely love it! I had so many fears, panic attacks leading up to the first day of school such as:

Will my youngest be able to wipe his own butt?
Will they get lost heading from the bus to classroom?
Will they say something off the wall and crazy that only home-schooled kids would say?

Okay who am I kidding?

Will they repeat things that they heard their dear old mom say?

But so far they adore their new school and are already making friends. And I adore the fact that from 8:30-3:30 pm, my house is strangely quiet and i'm getting lots of one on one time with Seanie Mac. Speaking of Seanie Mac, he recently cut two new baby teeth, is recovering from his first cold, is eating baby food twice a day, and weighs more than a baby elephant. No, seriously, this kid is HUGE! He's 21 pounds and about 28 inches long, wearing a size 5 diaper and 12-18-24 month clothes. And my arms totally look like Popeye arms from carrying him around the house, but muscles are in so that's good, right?

My Big Bald Cutie Patootie 
 It's funny but I never realized just how unhappy I was until we moved and I was forced to make some major changes in my life.  Before we moved I was in a rut. I was lonely, bored, and miserable, but after nearly seven years in the city, I began to think that my life was as good as it was going to get.  But, I was so very wrong.

It's incredible how a simple change in scenery, putting the boys in school, forcing myself to get out of the house and make some friends, and finally returning to my blog and writing again, is helping me slowly find my way back to myself.  

And boy oh boy, do we have some amazing scenery here! It really does take some effort to be unhappy here.  People are so ridiculously friendly and one simply cannot go anywhere without having a conversation with someone. The cashier will definitely ask you questions about your day, and then proceed to give you a brief synopsis of their entire life story (sometimes complete with medical history).  I found this a little odd at first as I was rarely spoken to in Portland except a quick and forced, "Hi, did you find everything okay?" My big city attitude is slowly disappearing, along with the heavy traffic anxiety induced road rage. I think i've only flipped the bird once in the three months that we've lived here (okay twice) and that's a big improvement from my previous finger flipping numbers.

It's Easy to Love Where You Live
When You Live Here



And before you roll your eyes and think i'm living a Pinterest perfect life or something, i'm still not, nor will I ever be. This morning I woke up to my middle son screaming, "MOM, HELP" at the top of his lungs. As I dashed out of bed, nearly breaking a toe on the door frame in the process, I entered the bathroom just in time to see the clogged, poopy filled toilet, cascade out of the toilet bowl and all over my used to be clean floor.  So yeah, you're very welcome for that mental picture (I apologize if you were eating a sandwich or something). Instead of getting my boys picture ready for picture day (insert groan here), I was lecturing them on their excessive use of toilet paper, throwing towels down all over the floor to absorb the poop water, and Febreezing my bathroom.  Yes, some things will never change my friends.

20 comments:

  1. Love this. Just discovered your blog via Jen Mann. Love. just moved across the country myself, and i completely relate to your struggles, and new joys. Keep writing. i can't wait to read.

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  2. Thank you for sharing this story! We ALL need to do better at sending our responses! RSVP (Répondez s'il vous plaît) means "Respond if you please." That means a response is expected, whether it be a yes or a no. I think somehow people think it only means to respond if you're coming, but it clearly asks for a response either way. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of making sure I RSVP! And a card will be coming from Ohio! What a remarkable young man you're raising!

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  3. Sending our love and support and you are wonderful mother with an incredibly amazing kind-hearted great spirited son and family❤ From one mother to another I wish I could take the pain away from you because know it hurts as I wipe the tears out of my own eyes. Please remember he was not alone the most important people are around that table. Stay strong and do not be discouraged. Hold your head high keep attending birthday parties and set the bar high for other parents so they know that's unacceptable! Because courtesy cost 0.00 dollars.Att he end of the day all you have is your word and if you don't have your word then what do you have. The Morton Thorne Fam(ily)🌹

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  4. Hello!! Could I get your sons size shirt? My daughter has started a movement about bullying and self esteem and resiliency! We'd love to send him a shirt.

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  5. Hello, this broke my heart and as a mother I would probably have been more hurt than my child as something similar has happened to us. How old is M now and what state do y'all live in? I have a 12 and 10 year old who would love to write him is there a p.o box or address they can send some letters to?

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  6. I'm a 17 year old girl and I'm so sad with this story. I hope he will remember his 9th birthday as the day hundreds of people supported him, sent him gifts and made him feel great and more happy than he is (he's such a kind person). Happy (late) bday Mahlon 🎉🎂
    Lots of love from Spain ❤️

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  7. Mahlon, i'm brazilian and i'm thinking that your next party should be on line... USA is to dar for me, but the internet ia here... with a lot of nice people like you! ... there's some people not so nice too, like that people that doesn't show up... but they don't matther. Sorry about my English, Just trying tô sua HI from other side of the world

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  8. Dear Mahlon, happy birthday from Brazil! I am sure that you are a very special boy😊

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  9. Dear, Mahlon. Receive a happy Birthday from Brazil! I am sure that you are lovely boy😊🎈

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  10. Dear Mahlon! Receive happy birthday from Brazil. I am sure that you are a lovely boy 😊🎈

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  11. Hey all the way from Australia here I saw your story about your son on yahoo news and just wanted to say Happy Birthday to Mahlon. It's very rude what people did not showing up to the party but next year will be better for him. Hope you are felling better and Happy 9th Birthday Mahlon.

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  12. View this website / discussion board about your son's birthday party (Good luck to you and your family!):

    http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/1101610-Mother-left-heartbroken-as-no-one-shows-up-to-son-s-birthday-party?highlight=Harry

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  13. Happy birthday!!! Receive the affection of Brazil, my son is 10 years, I know how sad it is, therefore receives our love!

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  14. I m a french mother from paris and when i read what happend to your son, i was really sad for him ... I know that i cannot do something for him but i send you all my best whishes for his birthday and i hope that kids and all their parents Will be more sensitive in the futur... May your son Will be not sad anymore...
    Amicalement
    Marina Écureuil

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  15. This happened to me when I was the same age. My birthday is the same day as my sister and she got alot of friends in that party. I remember felling humiliated cause not a single friend of mine came. I tried to look happy to my family and not show my disappointment cause I knew that, like you, they were as sad as me. I thought there was something wrong with me. Thought that no one liked me. I never forgot that horrible day.
    I just wanna say to you, as a boy that has the same disappointment as yours: just make sure he knows that there's nothing wrong with him. That he is a wonderful kid and this thing's sometimes happen.

    lots of hugs and kisses for him and of course: Happy Birthday :)

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  16. My son Ryan Guerrero 11 years old would like to be his friend also we would like to send him a gif if you don't mind please provide any phone number that my son Ryan can speak with him . Thank you

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  17. Hi, I´m sorry my scrubby english. I´m from Finland. I saw headline in finnish newspaper today. Terrible! I would like to send him a present, little one. But if you could tell me which kind of thing he likes to? I was touched by this so this why I would like to remember him somehow.

    Marjaana Manninen from Finland.

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  18. Hi, I´m sorry my scrubby english. I´m from Finland. I saw headline in finnish newspaper so I think I write to you. I would like to send present to your son, little one. But if you could tell me which kind of things he likes? I was touched by this so this is why I would like to remember him somehow.

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  19. Hello. I know how this feels. The same thing has happened to us. My daughters read this online and wanted to reach out. PLEASE dm me on facebook or Google account. My name is Renee Pierpont

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