Bedtime stories, anyone?

OK,so my chores are all done, lights are out except the one in the kids room,every last minute whining, complaining, requests for water,candy and going on the see-saw(?!!) have been swiftly and duly dealt with...and you think I can call it a day?
Nope...not until the younger one has had a bedtime story read to him. Now, anyone with young kids knows a bedtime story is the most cherished time for the child..a time for bonding, if you will. Great..I get it, I really do.On those occasions when Iam feeling mighty lazy(which is more often than not),the thought of getting up and getting a book is killing. You see, with me it's not just about picking up any random storybook from the shelf..it almost inevitably ends with a bright-eyed child(who was suspiciously sleepy a while ago) excitedly jumping from one book to another,undecided and overwhelmed.That process of decision making takes another good half hour, so I skip the book part altogether. And announce rather pompously that I'll make up a special story!!
So, there we are all curled up in bed, and my kiddo looking all excitedly up at me as though Iam the next J.K Rowling(lady, you have made the rest of us look unimaginative and dumb!)..and my mind going around and around trying to think of a wow tale...o.k, what about the little blue birdie(oh,wait..I said that yesterday..I mean how many times can a kid listen to a story about the bird with blue eggs, flying up to the rainbow...of course I could always change a few details here and there such as the colour of the eggs maybe? Nah..he's too smart for that!).
So , for lack of ideas, I turn autobiographical and tell him about my routine that day..all accompanied by adequate 'oohs' and 'aahs'...and somehow it manages to lull (or force) him to sleep.
The worse part is when you hand this duty over to someone else..your hubby or a grandparent.Don't get me wrong, my husband is a great guy..but storytelling skills..negative!
It's not that he has a dearth of ideas..it's just that till today he has not been able to complete a single story without having fallen asleep first. All I hear is my son pleading"daddy, then..what happens?" , followed by...loud snoring!!
Once I overheard grandpa telling his grandson a "good"night story....the standard jungle theme, with all the usual suspects-the lion , elephant and a whole parade of animals. But the story was taking a nasty turn with animals being chased, hunted down, barbequed and finally extinction!
I might never know the effect that had on my son, going off to sleep dreaming of his beloved Simba-like lion gobbling up a baby bunny!
Oh well...we'll just have to do with stories lifted from popular movies, tweaked a bit here and there...atleast until they grow up and better sense prevails.
Grandpa better pray he doesn't get sued for emotional torture!!!
Gnite.....