"BEFORE BEDTIME"

Before bedtime every night the kids would clamour for a story. When they were toddlers they wanted stories read to them. Jake's favourite, as a toddler, was "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". We read it so often to him that he was convinced he could read because he knew every word off by heart!
When Sian was younger than 12 months old she loved a book called "Peek-a-Boo" which had two folding hands in it. These opened and closed to reveal the animal or the person hiding on the page. She just giggled every time they said, "Peek-a-Boo".
Then a bit later she loved the nursery rhyme books and one that Jake had called "This is the Way we Go to Bed" or something like that!
However, once they got to school age they would ask me to tell them a made-up story. I had originally made up a story about a dragon which Jake named 'FireSev'...(don't ask me why!) From then on every story had to have FireSev on an adventure with two children named Sian and Jake. There were some nights when my brain just could not come up with yet another new adventure!!  It was worse than Home and Away! But I'm so glad now that I am able to have that memory and to feel comfort in the fact that we had so many, many precious moments together!
'Before bedtime' didn't just involve me and the kids! John was always roped in to do what the kids called "The Teddy Bear thing".
After their stories they would hop into their own beds and wait for John to come in and say goodnight. In each room he would have to do this "Teddy Bear thing". This involved their teddy bears 'talking' (in a voice remarkably like Ted E Bear from the Straussman shows) and saying silly things to them. They would be in fits of laughter (after I had calmed them with a story) and it was always funny because the child who was waiting his or her turn would also be giggling in anticipation.
They were magic moments! Very precious memories!!