I need help with bedtime- badly!!!

Okay, so here's the long story!
I have 3 kids: 6, 41/2, and 3yrs old. They all share the same room. There is no way to split them up- we only have 2 bedrooms.

We were bad parents, and have been giving them milk to fall asleep with. We just stopped that 2 weeks ago.

Now, bedtimes have always been a crazy, tantrum producing time. They don't settle- they play, talk, get up... I often am yelling at them many times before they fall asleep.

Now that we don't do milk, it's even crazier. They are not falling asleep until 11 or later, and having to get up early to get the oldest to school is killing them. They are soooo grumpy all day because they are tired.

So, now they have a mom who yells and is grumpy at bedtime, and then a no-fun day because everyone is grumpy.

Help!! Any good bedtime techniques that work for you? I'm at my rope's end!

Park day!

"Mom?" Whines the 3yr old. "I wanna go to the park!" She demands over and over.

So, after 30 minutes of redressing the boys (who like to go almost-commando), getting shoes on, and deciding who gets to ride which bikes, we are off!

Luckily we are within walking distance of a good park. The weather is nice today, with a breeze, so we make it there without any complaints.

The boys run off to play Pirates on the tall tower. I push McKenzie in the swing. It all seems nice and relaxing until... dun dun dun...McKenzie remembers that there is another park we can walk to!

"MOM! Let's go to other park" Let the whining/screaming/tantrum ensue.

Now, normally we would go to the other one. But the boys decide that they are done. So, we gather our rocks, leaves, flowers, and all other mother nature items that they decide belong in our house, and take off towards home...

With McKenzie throwing a tantrum the whole way home.

If Child Services shows up at my door today...you know why.

So..take a gander at the poll over to the right. What kind of Park Mom are you?
Do you welcome the time when all your kids are playing and read your favorite book?
Do you run and climb and slide with your kids?
Do you sit and only get up if they INSIST on going on the swing?
No wrong answers! I've been guilty of all of them!