i don't want to own a teenager....

my kids make me insane. daily. I make no bones about it. Love them, but they drive me insane. After spending 10 days with my brothers, I have a deep appreciation for my little chiclets. Why? Because they can't drive anywhere. And they don't stay out past my bedtime. Ever. My brothers have a very, very long leash. Compared to the very, very short leash that I wore at their age (more a choke collar, than a leash really) their leashes are relatively non-existent. I know, woe is me, I was the oldest child who was never allowed to do anything... blah, blah, blah. But really, I wasn't allowed out past 11 pm until I graduated High School, except for prom nights when I had to be home at midnight one year and 1 am on the other years. That's 11 pm, even on the weekends. Like I said, it was more a choke collar than a leash that I wore. I believe the reason for this was that my parents despised the boyfriend that I clung to during most of High School. With good reason. He was a loser but I didn't see that as clearly as my parents could. Now I do. Thanks for that, mom. Anyway...where was I? Oh, yes...my brothers have a lack of curfew. Meaning, basically, none at all. Not even on school nights. This is insanity to me, but they aren't my children. The problem for me is that, when I am filling in for my parents while they are off at a dog show or on a vacation, I have to deal with this ridiculous-ness. I have to lay awake worrying about them being off in a ditch somewhere until they decide to roll in the front door. Once this past week it was at 12:30 am. On a school night. Or how about 3:30 am? That one was on a weekend, but seriously? 3:30 am???? I whined to my mom about it at one point and she said, "well, they were skiing." OHHHH!!! Then it's OK that I got no sleep last night! Never mind.
And if I whine to my brothers about it, they stare blankly at me. They don't have a concept of curfews and if I start explaining the term to them in the manner I was accustomed to, they are either hearing the Charlie Brown teacher's voice (wah wah wah wah wah) or the old " in my day I had to walk 10 miles uphill each way in 30 ft of snow" speech. They tune out immediately.
So in essence what this was about:
1. teenagers suck.
1. a. they suck even worse when they aren't yours and you have to abide by someone else's rules.
1. b. especially when they are raised by the same people that put you in a choke collar.
2. a drivers license in the hand of a 17 yr old boy is the work of satan.
2. a. no really, when you are lying awake a 2 am wondering where the hell they are, satan is at work
3. cell phones are no good if they are ignored
3. a. cell phones are always ignored when a 17 yr old boy doesn't want to come home yet
3. b. same goes for the 18 yr old boy
4. appreciate your chiclets while they do not have the capability to make you insane in this manner. It's only a matter of time.