Seriously, This is Getting Old

I know you're all tired of my posts being pleas for advice, but I appreciate the insights and ideas from those who have gone before.  Today's issue is not new and I'm sure I've posted about it before.  But I am at the end of my rope again!  I am SO sick of this that I think I just might scream.  We've been battling this problem for literally 3 years. 

I hate, with the deepest passion, HATE bedtime in our home.  Let me describe our day:

6:45 am-All the girls get up
7:15 am-Out the door to take Keara to school
8:05 am-Back home with T and A to get ready, have our adventure, etc.
11 am-Lunch
11:30 am-Naps/Quiet Time
1:45 pm-In the car to get Keara from school
2:30 pm-Home again for snacks
3-3:30 pm-Rest time (no sleeping, just alone time so Keara can unwind from school)
3:30-4 pm- Individual Chores/play time
4-4:30 pm-Mommy and me time/play time
4:30-4:45 pm-Scriptures
4:45-5:30 pm-play time while dinner is made
5:30 pm-Dinner time
6:00-6:15 pm-Dinner chores, pajamas on, teeth brushed, etc.
6:15-6:30 pm- Reading time
6:30 pm-Bedtime routine

Between 6:30 and 7 pm, we read either stories or, lately, a chapter or two from a classic.  While we read, I have soft music playing.  After reading, lately I've laid down with T & K and scratched their backs, talked about the day, or just snuggled for about 10 minutes each.  Then I kiss them goodnight and leave. 

Sounds like a good day and a good bedtime routine, right?

WRONG.  After I leave, it's like they think it's party time.  They get out of their beds, come down to go potty AGAIN, get in each others beds, run around the room, laugh, play...And the thing that really gets me is when Keara has this delight in her eyes that she's frustrating me.  It drives me crazy and really makes me mad.

We've tried everything:
*Letting them just enjoy being sisters and not worrying about how long it takes for them to go down.  But with our early schedule, if they're not getting enough sleep, they are monsters!  Keara loses her ability to function around 6:15 every night.
*Discussing the natural and logical consequences of their choosing to not go to sleep: being tired, needing extra rest time instead of play time the next day, having a hard time getting up in the morning.
*Deciding on ways to help them go to sleep.  Their suggestion was lay with them and scratch their backs.  Obviously, that's not working.
*Getting upset.  Obviously it doesn't work very well, but often times it at least gets them to stop their behavior long enough to shift and actually go to sleep.
*Enforcing completely illogical consequences: lose your blanket, for example.  This one was very effective because it shocked them into wanting to earn it back, but it always rubbed me wrong because it made no sense.
*Separating them and letting them fall asleep in different rooms and then moving them after they were asleep.  Yes, this worked really well.  But I don't believe it is the answer.  They need to learn to go to sleep together and to make the choice.  We can't have every girl in a separate room forever and they need to figure this out.
*Earlier bedtime or later bedtime.  But now with Keara in school, they can't go to bed any later than they are because they are so exhausted by 6:30 they can hardly function and otherwise Keara can't function the next day.
*Telling them they can have mommy/daddy time but if they don't go to bed well while the other has their personal time, then they lose their next turn.
*Bribery: If you go to bed well for 20 days, we can earn a trip to grandma's (that worked well, but after the trip, they completely regressed).  If you go to bed well two nights in a row, you can earn one PBS show.  That worked for 2 nights. 
*Laying with them until they fall asleep.  But I honestly cannot spend an hour every night laying with them waiting for them to fall asleep.  While this may be effective, it is not practical.  Plus, there have been several nights where they simply won't fall asleep with me there.

Once they are asleep, they are stars.  They rarely, if ever, get up in the night.  And if they do start on that habit, it lasts a day or two and then they're back to sleeping perfectly all night.  So it is truly only going to bed.  You could say we need to help them calm down, but they are completely calm by the time we leave their room.  And then they go wild.  Tonight, it has been 2 hours since I left their room and they are finally asleep. 

We'll come up with an idea and it'll work for a day or two and then it'll stop working.  I need a permanent solution.  Something that truly works.  I feel like there isn't a soul in the world who has this problem.  I know of plenty of people whose kids won't stay asleep or who wake up too early or wake up too often, but I feel completely lost in this problem. 

I know a big part of the problem is that Taryn is hyperactive and takes a really long time to fall asleep.  When she sleeps alone, she does great.  But having someone else in the room is really hard for her.  Lately, though, Keara has been just as big of a problem.  So I can't blame Taryn completely, though I know that Keara probably feeds off Taryn's energy. 

So, if you have a great answer, something that has truly worked for you, please suggest it.  Or email me at bradenandcheri at gmail dot com.  I am at a complete loss.  Ask around, get advice, whatever.  I need help.