Kai and Shen have shared a bed together almost every night since they first met. When we were in China we pushed the two small beds in our hotel room together and all four of us slept together. When we got home, we had two little toddler beds in their bedroom, but we found that this made it hard for us to cuddle with them for stories and songs at bedtime. We ended up replacing our bed and giving them our old queen. This has worked out great as the bed is more than big enough for the two of them and has lots of room for us to cuddle with them both at bedtime.

We do so much better in terms of the bedtime routine with Kai and Shen than we did with Cam and Ben. Cameron suffered from being too much of a novelty for us as the first child and we would keep him up to play because we enjoyed him so much. Ben rolled right into this pattern, but in general was just fussy about almost everything including going to bed. Consequently they were often up till at least 9:00 pm or later. With Kai and Shen we have held to a strict routine - something they were both used to having - and bedtime is rarely later than 8:00 pm, and very often even earlier.

Our nightly routine usually begins with cleaning up toys, then brushing teeth and putting on pajamas. We pile in bed and Mommy gives everyone lots of kisses and hugs. I lay down in bed between the two boys and they have some time to look at books. After looking at books for a bit, we put them away and I read one or two aloud. Then I turn off the light and sing lullabies to them. The usual selection includes Hush Little Babies (Mockingbird), the "animal version" of Irene Goodnight, which goes like this:

Foxes sleep in the forest - lions sleep in their dens
Goats sleep on the mountainside and piggies sleep in pens
Irene Goodnight Irene Goodnight
Goodnight Irene Goodnight Irene I'll see you in my dreams

Whales sleep in the ocean - zebras sleep on land
Hippos sleep on the river bank and camels sleep in sand
Irene Goodnight Irene Goodnight
Goodnight Irene Goodnight Irene I'll see you in my dreams

Coyotes sleep in the canyon - birdies sleep in a tree
And when it's time for me to rest, my bed's the place for me
Irene Goodnight Irene Goodnight
Goodnight Irene Goodnight Irene I'll see you in my dreams

Of course, you substitute your child's name for Irene, so we sing "Kai Hui Goodnight, Shen Yu Heng Goodnight."

I usually end with the Peter Paul and Mary version of Stewball. I like the random inappropriate nature of this song (drinking, gambling, existential loss) which is actually quite a traditional form for lullabies...

Oh Stewball was a racehorse, and I wish he were mine.
He never drank water, he always drank wine.

His bridle was silver, his mane it was gold.
And the worth of his saddle has never been told.

Oh the fairgrounds were crowded, and Stewball was there
But the betting was heavy on the bay and the mare.

And a-way up yonder, ahead of them all,
Came a-prancin and a-dancin my noble stewball.

I bet on the grey mare, I bet on the bay
If I’d have bet on ol' Stewball, Id be a free man today.

Oh the hoot owl, she hollers, and the turtle dove moans.
I'm a poor boy in trouble, I’m a long way from home.

Oh Stewball was a racehorse, and I wish he were mine.
He never drank water, he always drank wine.

Other songs that enter the rotation include Puff the Magic Dragon, Simple Gifts, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Yellow Submarine.