Vespers

Our vespertine routine is as follows:

Put on a CD of liturgical chants
Bring in the laundry, if out on the drying racks outside
Put away toys and tidy the living room and boys' room
Sit down
Listen Expectantly, with the CD in the background

Our evening routine is much shorter in tasks, but generally lasts for about half an hour. Sometimes, putting away the toys takes most of the time. Sometimes, laundry dominates. Often, we only get five minutes to Listen, without time for the other duties. The whole point is to transition from day time routines and behaviors to the evening pattern. It's a time to quiet down the energy flow and provide and opportunity to listen to God. It's a time to listen to prayer, not to speak or think of it arising from ourselves.