Ssshhhh - Be Quit!

We're on teens number 4 and 5 around here, and - quite frankly - it's killing me.  Oh, they behave okay and no one is rude much and I generally know where each one is at any particular point of the day or night. But the driving requirements are staggering. Between after school rehearsals and Civil Air Patrol activities for Rachel and Brian's numerous social engagements, I'm on the road enough to make a traveling salesman look like a homebody.

Question: Are traveling salesmen a thing anymore? I'm thinking I may have to update my cultural references here.

Latest food fad in our house

So Rachel had a birthday party to go to last Saturday night, and then Brian made plans to meet friends for the evening and Larry was volunteering to drive them both, both ways, which goes against everything I stand for parenting-wise.

I mean, over the past 15 years or so, I have developed carpooling into a fine art. You've got an activity? A co-op class? A field trip? I've got a carpool for that. My carpooling peeps are on speed dial on my phone, and as soon as I get the faintest whiff of any plans, I'm calling the relevant parties and figuring out the logistics.

Besides, I hate to drive. Especially at night.

So when Larry told me he was planning to drive 2 teens to two separate activities, 20 minutes apart, AND pick them both up later, I automatically swung into action. "Who else is going?" I demanded of a startled Brian. "Anyone we owe rides to? Anyone who lives out our way?"

DEFCON 1 people - that's where I was at.

But Brian was iffy on who was going when, the clock was ticking down (I came late to this discussion), and Larry was all, "I don't mind driving. Really, I don't."

Which, what is wrong with that guy, anyway? Doesn't he realize he has 6 MORE YEARS of this ahead of him? I'm betting he doesn't realize how old and tired he is going to feel a few years from now, being a mere 50 years old at this point and not a haggard almost-55-year-old like myself.

So, uncharacteristically, I decided to stand down on the carpooling issue. I sure as heck didn't want to be tooling around in the dark at 10 PM when I could be home in my jammies, playing card games with Susie. If Larry wants to make driving his hobby, well, who am I to stand in his way?

I fell asleep at 9:30, if you must know. And Susie decided to go to bed then, too, but not before she left a sign for the rest of the family, night owls all:

We're working on the spelling thing, people,
but as you know...homeschooled

Must have worked, because I heard nary a thing as they came in. But the inefficiency of not having carpooled? THAT'S still bothering me...