Our daughter, Layla, wanted a dog. Let me rephrase that, Layla begged for a dog!! She talked about it, played with fake dogs like they were real, wrote us the sweetest notes…. you know where this is going…. Layla got a dog.
If you know anything about Jeff or I (especially me) the LAST thing we ever wanted was a dog!! Fast forward two years…. I have a dog. She’s cute, but I didn’t expect for “Layla’s dog” to become MY shadow and weasel her way on my lap every second she could!! Sweet Lucy does things that continuously make me say “I didn’t sign up for this”!!!! But let’s be honest, the second I said yes, I signed up for whatever came my way. Just like much of life.
Truth be told, I say “I didn’t sign up for this” more than I want to admit!! Do you? When I decided to become a parent, I thought I was signing up for the cute outfits and perfectly staged Santa pictures!! NOT the colicky baby, or temper tantrums in target, teenage attitudes. Definitely not the kid who poured koolaid in the schools fish tank and especially not the kid caught underage drinking at the high school football game. We didn’t sign up for any of that, now did we??
Going into this whole parenting gig, we signed up for the “Facebook/Instagram worthy” life!! You know, the one full of giggling babies, bike rides on the greenway, Friday night game nights and healthy family dinners on real dinnerware- everyday!!
Sorry to bust your bubble guys, that’s all fake news!! The cute dog, she poops in our house some times. And Layla cries BIG tears, very loudly when asked to clean up after her dog (that has some how turned into my dog)…. I definitely didn’t sign up for that!!
The temper tantrums of toddlers and teenagers- nope, didn’t sign up for that either!! Suspensions from school for pranks and legal ramifications of underaged drinking and driving – can someone else please handle those. I taught my kids better than that!! Didn’t I? This cannot be my life!!!! How did I get here?
Ladies no matter how cute your babies are, they grow up and Unfortunately, they will disappoint you. They will do and say things you never imagined!!!! You will question everything. And it’s ok. Love them thru it. More importantly love yourself thru it. Pick up the poop, hug their neck and figure out the next step. Find a friend to talk about it with. Be the friend to someone else without judgement.
No, It’s not always easy…. it’s not always fun. Some days, it down right sucks!! Is it worth it? Yes. Even Knowing now what I didn’t know then, I would still do it all over again – 1,000 times!
Remember, all of this is bigger than us, and we are all part of a bigger plan…. one that has a greater good. At least that’s what I am learning every day as I tell God “I did not sign up for this (poop)”!! He responds by giving me strength to get thru the day and fueling my desire to keep going, encouraging me to love my kids where they are, for who they are… and the dog is growing on me.