Ramblings of A Labradoodle Owner

Who needs to watch TV reality shows when you have teenagers and puppies? I am a survivor so far, I sing to my dogs and they are okay with it, we have real life death defying acts of craziness daily with no broken bones, furniture or hearts, I am not getting a million dollars for choosing Max as my canine companion, sometimes my dogs do jackass things just like my teenagers, I am not letting anyone other than my dog redecorate my home nor will I swap Dave for any other man for a week, I have my hands full as it is. Who needs a complete stranger to come here and tell me how to run things? Life is grand here and as they say, “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it”. I have come to learn “better late than never” does have its place with raising teenagers and puppies while adjusting to having a caring, kind fiancé of the male species which can think opposite of the female species. There are moments I think he may have come from Mars but I am not Venus, nor from Venus. So I say we get along just fine with a sense of humor applied at all times.

Why would I want to watch other people struggle on TV when I can just look at my own life every day? Good things in life though are worth struggling to have. Hence, no pain, no gain comes into play too. There are days I question my own motives and think I really am hedonistic deep down. Laugh Annmarie, laugh! My teenagers who box inside their bedrooms with boxing gloves on, knock a lamp over that has a glass shade. When I enter their room, they hide their gloved hands behind their backs with Cheshire cat smiles which are a dead giveaway to a mom! I look for the item that made a breaking sound and see a lamp that is devoid of a chunk of glass. My teenagers say almost in unison, “See mom it isn’t broken, it still works. Let me show you”, and they’re right. They turn on the lamp and it shines brightly.  I have to laugh as even though they really did break something their male logic is correct. Or I love when I hear the dreaded, “Mom help, Max has something and he won’t give it back”. I no longer wonder what it is that Max is holding hostage in his mouth, rather I prefer to challenge my state of mind and sense of humor. In a way, one can consider this to be a method of check and balance. Besides isn’t life’s experiences are supposed to round out one’s character? If true then I must be a plump circle by now. Instead of asking Dave do my jeans make my rear end look fat, maybe I should be asking him how rounded out I appear?

After analyzing my present daily life I now know I am living my own reality show. I am not being paid nor going public with it either. Why should I or is it I am scared of developing other people’s sense of humor at my own cost? Or is the real reason I would be committed by Dave and my teenagers and family? I think I’ll keep my reasons to myself for now and let you all have your own opinions. It is more fun that way. And while you’re at it, can anyone define what a normal life really means or really does exist? For me, I like the little things that happen and element of surprise my daily life provides as I never get bored. In fact what does bored mean as the last time I must have used that word was when I was about 17 years old? Genetic traits carry over as to this day I can hear my teenagers use that very same word but when I tell them I can help them out they seem to disappear like the invisible man.

Reality kicks in when you pay a mortgage, mow the lawn, work 40 hours, live with teenagers and 3 dogs, do wash, dishes, play the part of maid, chauffeur, cook, tailor, receptionist for ringing phones, landscaper, dog walker and trainer. I am sure I left out a few more jobs. However, when you add it all up reality shows you how to laugh and love life even if your dogs (and kids) give a good reason to say “poop happens”.  Saturday night live exists here weekly. Though I may not always have a crowd applauding I have earned the right to call my house Nutcracker Suite. And so have my good friends that are allowed to drop in whenever they see my truck in the driveway. My Dad sent us a sign we proudly hung in our house that says, “another day in PARADISE”.  Dad not only knows reality but has lived it and can now get a good laugh that is well deserved. Oh, he also gave us another sign, which is hung in my dining room; I now call Mom’s 11th commandment. It says, “Thou Shalt Not Whine”. My Dad’s humor has taught me reality and wisdom which is now proudly displayed on my walls along with fingerprints and paw prints.

Reality: real life, real people, real dogs, real laughs! Reality TV shows: something I don’t have time for as reality shows itself here 24/7 and it isn’t on TV.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.