Story time

Stories at bedtime have always been a huge part of the boys regular bedtime routine.  We now usually look at 1 or 2 picture books that they read to us or we read to them but for the last year and a half they like to listen to a few chapters out of a "chapter book". 

All of my military friends will know what it's like to have their husbands away for extended periods of time and how it changes the routines that you do in your family.  I know we say we try to keep it as similar as possible but sometimes we have to make adjustments.  When Jason was first away I would put on a book on cd for the boys to listen to right before bed.  This was okay but not as great as Jason and I reading the chapters to them.  So a few months ago we decided to make another change to the routine.  We started using facetime most nights for Jason to read them a few chapters out of their books.  This has really helped the boys with this extended period of daddy being away by having their special "facetime storytime".  They follow along with one copy of the book and he reads from his own copy.  It has been huge help for our family and really made the adjustment in routine a little easier! 

What types of things do you fellow families with travelling parents do to ease the adjustment while one parent is away?