Bed-time Routine

Those of you who know me know that we have a bit of an unusual bedtime routine at our house. I start getting the kids ready for bed at 6:10pm. This gives me enough time to get everyone to the bathroom, teeth brushed, jammies on, and prayers said by 6:30. Then, I sit outside their rooms (on the HARD hallway floor) and read to them for 1/2 hour. We read some of the Book of Mormon, and then a non-picture book. We have read the entire Narnia series, the first four books of Anne of Green Gables, and various other books Joy brings home from the library. Let me state that this is our ideal. We usually hit something close to it 85% of the time. I also record some of the books I read, so on the nights I can't be there, I get them ready and they listen to a tape of me reading. Anyway, usually the kids are still awake when I quit reading at 7pm, which is actually their bedtime. I figure the reading gives them a chance to relax and calm down before they actually need to be asleep as well as exposing them to good literature. Well, the boys have been pretty worn out the past week or so, and they have been asleep by the time I am done reading. It is the sweetest thing you ever saw. I just love those little warts!