Our kids' bedtime routine has long been my domain, as it were. My wife homeschools our three kids, so she doesn't get many breaks. When it's time for bed, I am in charge of getting the two older kids ready, including the tooth brushing, stories, prayers, and tucking them in. Sometimes, it involves keeping them in their rooms, or getting a snack or drink for my daughter, who seems to require less sleep than the rest of us.
We had gone through a period when they didn't want me to read to them, but then they suddenly showed renewed interest in having "story time" again. Recently, I decided to forgo reading a book to them - instead, I told them a story from my own childhood.
THEY ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!
Now, when it's getting close to their bedtime, my seven-year-old daughter starts jumping around frenetically, while saying, "I want stories from your life! Stories from your life!"
Who knew that my life was so entertaining? I am considering writing a book about my life now, if for no other reason than the fact that my kids love these stories so much.
Last night, we talked about the fact that I used to listen to records all the time when I was their age.
Yes, records.
Vinyl records.
I feel ancient thinking about it now. At any rate, I explained to them about how the smaller records were 45's and the bigger ones were 33 1/3's because of the rotational speed per minute of each one. I am not old enough to have listened to 78rpm records. I put that last sentence in because I know that someone will mention the fact that I am young compared to them, and that they remember the days before television or shoes, or something. :)
If you're interested, I even wrote a post once on AR about my record collection from when I was 7 or 8 years old:
Transported by Song - A Look Back on My Collection of Records from 1977-1978
Truth be told, I still have at least 200-300 records here in the house, and a functional turntable, although it doesn't get a lot of use these days.
One night a couple of weeks ago, I taught my kids the "Fishheads" song from the late 1970's, which I used to hear while roller skating with my friends. Does that make me a bad father, or a fun dad? Either way, we had a good time. I can actually hear my son singing it RIGHT NOW downstairs!
I have shared a lot of funny and interesting stories with them lately, along with a few that are a little scary or gross (like the reasons for some of the scars that I now have).
I guess it keeps me on my toes each day, since I am forced to be creative about what we talk about and share at night. Today, they have both requested that we listen to some records, so I think that's on the agenda for later.
Now, it's time to start on that book.
Well Jason, you know that I certainly KNOW what 45's and 33's are!! I can't say that I remember the 78's though but, I DO remember the records and I DO still have a turntable! It needs a new 'needle' though but, I have tons of great albums still--Grand Funk Railroad!, Led Zepplin, Billy Joel, Van Halen, Elton John... The list goes on (can you believe Grand Funk--that was my LAST 8-track too!) and I have no idea what the quality of the records is anymore but, I'm anxious to hear how yours sound. Thanks for the trip down memory lane--I know your children LOVE to hear these stories. 
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