Todd and I started dating shortly after I turned 19 years old. He had recently come home from serving a 2 year LDS mission in Taiwan. He had spent 2 years out of the country and out of the loop. I had spent the years he was gone still in high school and very aware of the “in” things. Shortly after we got together he became a fan of the song “Who let the dogs out”. I found the song, released in 2000 and performed by the Baha Men, incredibly obnoxious! If you haven’t heard it, which would make you luckier than I am, they literally bark in it. But wanting to give this new exciting relationship a chance, I tried desperately to ignore his constant singing and barking. There was lots and lots of barking. I remember one time in particular when we gathered with friends in Todd’s basement to play a board game. Todd, winning the game, started singing and barking in celebration. A friend of mine gave me a look that said it all. It was a look saying “Ha! Good luck with that one!” I was fairly certain at that point this guy was not the one for me.

Obviously I married him! The first rule in our new little apartment was there was to be NO singing that song and absolutely NO barking! EVER! The rule was as important to me as always putting the toilet seat down and not hanging bras over the shower curtain! And bless my new husband’s heart, he wanted to please his new wife enough that the song was never sung again.

Fast forward 14 1/2 years. Todd is out of college and working in his career, we have purchased a home and minivan, and are raising our 3 boys. Then one day, completely out of the blue, I hear that song once again. Coming out of the mouth of my 6 year old! “Where did you hear that?!” I demanded. His answer: SCHOOL! That’s right folks, the people I trust to educate my innocent little 1st grader had indeed taught him that banned song! My husband I might add thought this was incredibly hilarious! I tried with the patience I could muster out to tell my son that that song almost made his entire existence not happen! But like his daddy did all those years earlier, he just couldn’t help sing it!

At least once a day I hear that song now. And even worse he has taught it to our unsuspecting 4 year old. They love to sing it while jumping on the couch. They love to sing it in the bathtub. They especially love to sing it when we’re all trapped in the car together. The lesson here is you cannot escape fate! Where I understand it was impossible to know, I still shame myself for not realizing this then. I have birthed 3 little carbon copies of this man I married and because of that will forever hear “Who let the dogs out”.