Last week Abby stumbled across this long forgotten blog. "Mom did you used to have a blog called Moneys at the zoo?" She spent the next few car trips to and from middle school reading the blogs aloud to me and laughing and laughing. While feigning teenage embarrassment that our lives were available for public perusal, she seemed to genuinely enjoy reading the stories about her and her siblings. It made me realize that I wish I had never stopped blogging. I also wish that magical fairies did laundry and cleaned my house. Obviously, some wishes are patently unrealistic and some I have a little control over.
I don't know how good I will be at this given the hectic pace of our lives, however, the kids have changed so much in the four years since I last blogged. Having Abby read the old posts to me, I was struck by how many little things I had forgotten, even though I had authored the posts. Although started basically as a way to keep family and friends updated on our adoption stories the blog turned into a family diary full of things I never want to forget. The adoptions now seem as far removed from us as childbirth. Life today is mostly about trying to stay ahead of the monkeys plots to stage a coup and overthrow the zoo keepers. They are all growing much too fast and changing every day. I know the little moments and funny family stories might be lost if not recorded somewhere. So I vow to try.
Our zoo recently became a traveling road show as we picked up and moved to Austin, Texas. Moving has not been without it's struggles but I am amazed most days at the resiliency the monkeys have shown through this. It's been hard to find a routine or normalcy as we are in temporary housing, our belongings are in storage and we are waiting for a permanent house. We are currently living in about 1000 square foot vacation rental. Some days we feel stacked on top of each other like cord wood. I often wonder how the kids will look back on this time. Will they remember it fondly and joke about the tiny lake house? Will they hate us for uprooting them from family and friends and ruining their lives? Probably some of both. Most days all I hope for is that I haven't done and won't do anything to screw them up permanently. I really can't afford therapy AND college.
