Cranney Classic: I Always ALWAYS Get My Way

It's rare to get a children's book that the parent enjoys reading as much as the child, but this one certainly makes the cut.  It made our whole family laugh out loud.

Cranney Classic: Anh's Anger

It's been a while since I've posted a Cranney Classic.  Believe it or not, with a house full of boys, or perhaps because my boys are well my boys and are full of passion there is perhaps a little more anger than we would like in our home.  I've struggled to know how to deal with it, but the best treatment in a book for kids that I've seen was in Anh's Anger:

In the story, Anh is sent to his room and he sees his anger personified.  His anger explains what he makes him do, but he also has fun with his anger and takes care of it.  As he takes care of it, it gets smaller and goes away. It's a simple story, but I enjoyed it because it is accepting of the angry feelings while not basking in them.  

I'll admit though, the monster that is anger is a little scary for younger kids and we will be replacing our library's addition due to Simeon having fought the anger which included ripping every single page out (such vandalism of library books we thought was over for this kid, but apparently the fight was of utmost necessity).  

sleeping postions

I don't have much to complain about with Stephen, but if I were to complain about something, it'd be that he is not a cuddler.   But what I may be missing in Stephen I have gained a hundred fold in my Joshua Lev who is the epitome of cuddly. This kid can hardly clothes his eyes if he has not flung his body of one of us to make sure we don't move after he falls asleep without him knowing. The "neck scarf" is Joshua's favorite.  The most accurate depiction of him would be this:

Pictures from Halloween I never posted  

Christian-- CTR 5

Simeon--Sunbeam

Joshua--Nursery 

Cranney Christmas letter 2014

Merry Christmas from the Cranneys!

and if you’d like an update . . .

You may have a child with an invisible friend, but Christian (5) has an invisible army. This patriotic aspiring general/king/president has another year before kindergarten and is determined to get as much soldiering in as possible with what precious little time remains.

Simeon (3), our graffiti artist whose work graces our entire home (and perhaps a few others), is our wild one with a tender heart.  Always game for cuddles which usually turn into wrestling matches, he’s got a passion for life that can probably be heard several apartments over.  He eagerly joins his brother in epic battles against the British, Barbarians, Confederates, No Noggin, or when no enemy is to be found, each other.

.  

Our gentle giant, Joshua Lev (17 mo.) is his brothers’ biggest fan. He can’t sleep if he hears them dashing by the door for fear that he will be left out of some parade or pirate attack.  Still heartbroken that I weaned him at 13 months, he insists on constant human touch when sleeping lest I take advantage of the time he’s asleep to get something done.

Stephen (27), is in the fourth year of his Demography and Sociology PhD program at UPenn and is publishing away, with three articles accepted this year, and a fourth that a top journal has shown some interest in possibly publishing.  He’s “all but dissertation” now, which means that his schedule is much more flexible, which in practical terms means some very odd work hours---perfect for the needs of a young family. He’s been taking advantage of our recent discovery of the local YMCA, is now something of a regular at the gym, and would like me to add that he can bench more than he could in high school.

I, Rachel (30!), have adored watching each of our kids blossom a little more into their own people this year, and have enjoyed my work in the primary at church. We’re going on four years as a car-free family, and recently invested in cargo bike to hold the kids, groceries, and random “treasures” that the kids find at the park and insist on bringing home (though I put my foot down on cigarette butts and items found on the streets of Philly that one should not mention in Christmas cards).

Wishing you all the best this Christmas,

Rachel, Stephen, Christian, Simeon, and Joshua Lev

Old City with my oldest

admiring some pieces by shushana rucker

george washington's pew

beauty and the beast---he loved every minute

cheetos while waiting for the train