I hate bedtime

I have gone through seasons before of loathing bedtime, and other times it isn't so bad.  Other than with my kids when they were newborns, I have never LOVED bedtime...  And I get all kinds of frustrated at myself that I don't LOVE it.  I wish bedtime was a sweet, calm, full of great memories kind of time around here... but right now, we are so far from that!  You see for 7 weeks Mr. Steady has been unable to help with bedtime {since he herniated his a disc in his back}.  I had been used to the amazing tag-team we had going on for bedtime, each of us pitching in, each of us getting a little 1 on 1 time with one or two of the kids.  But doing it all by myself for weeks on end, has been hard, tiring, and testing of my patience.

Tonight I was struck by how many times I told my kids, "hurry up!"  What, is my deal?  It is not like we have anything pressing that we are going to be late for!  Other than, the more dilly-dallying and disobedience for sure dwindles my patience!

I wish I could say my sweet man was doing better and that starting tomorrow, he would be tag-teaming bedtime with me.  But that is not our reality right now.  Poor guy is struggling walking, sitting, even sleeping... and by doctor's orders he is not allowed to pick up any of our kids.  So that leaves me, which is fine, I know there are lots of families where dad doesn't help with bedtime at all {heaven help you sweet ladies enduring this}, and there there are single-moms who have no choice but to care for every need of their little ones-- and somehow their kiddos make it to bed each and every night.   Or a military wife, doing this for months on end... how did my sweet mother-in-law do it???

Here is my new game plan of surviving this time of day
1.  Get over myself and my selfishness and get over the expectations that this will take only 15 minutes.
2.  Start earlier
3.  have chart/ cards for big kids to follow for the parts of getting ready for bed that they can do on their own {I will post more on this later}
4.  Ban myself from saying "hurry up!!!"  I can give other reminders, but overall they don't have to hurry and rush, they just need to stay on task!
5.  And once a week, I'm hoping for a bedtime break... that we can get a babysitter for a few hours.  (sounds bad to say out-loud... but just keepin' it real)

Do you have any bedtime tips??  Am I the only mom that longs for bedtime to be sweet and memorable, but is often frustrated and rushing??  What works for you??

Okay, and when you are tucking your little peeps in at night, will you say a little prayer for me to be patient and to find enjoyment in this time with my littles?