In general, you done good - but you ask some specific questions.
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We should of called police sooner?
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Yes. At the first set of pops, you should have been on the phone. "I hear what I believe is gunfire outside. I'm afraid for my and my familys lives. Reporting "gunfire" will get a faster response than reporting a "skateboard". Stating that you're in fear of your life sets the stage if you DO need to do anything.
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Was I right that at no point in this I felt any need to go for a firearm?
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If I hear what I believe is gunfire around my house, I WILL arm myself immediately. Doesn't mean I have to shoot, just that I am ready to do so. If you THINK you need a gun, then you DO need a gun.
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Am I right to assume that I felt that we were all safe and secure enough out of immediate danger to need a weapon in hand?
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No. Most wooden private-residence doors will yield to a couple of well-placed kicks, and a sliding glass door is even easier, especially with a baseball bat. If the hall is central in your house, it's a reasonable "bunker" area, but a better place would be a room that can be kept dark with only one lighted access. For example, a bedroom at the end of a hall.
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Was me feeling the fact that my sons we about to be experiencing something out of the normal a possible motive for me not instinctively reaching for a firearm when I got out of bed to save them from any further confusion or fear when we ran our practiced drill in a real situation?
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If you've run the drill enough, you (and their) reactions will be instant and instinctive. For example, you yell "COVER - INTRUDER". Your wife grabs the phone and kids and bunkers down. You grab a firearm and bunker with them. While you're watching the entry point, she's calling the LEOs. NEVER go looking to see what's going on if it means leaving your secure area. NEVER attempt to clear the house if you believe there is an intruder. This is a job even professionals don't like to do, and is VERY dangerous for them, much less an untrained civilian. EVERYTHING in your house is replaceable - your lives aren't.