We have a reader, folks. A reluctant one, but the Piper is definitely reading. I’ve caught her a few times. She read the screen at the drive up ATM from the back seat. She read a sign out her car window today, too. And this afternoon she read me her favorite Dora the Explorer book from start to finish.

Every single word. I had to bribe Piper with a chocolate chip granola bar and a promise to reread the Junie B. Jones Halloween book out loud, but it was worth it. She was quite proud of herself. Smeared with chocolate and beaming. The plot is a total nail biter. Is the baby crab going to find his mami crab? Will he give her the shell necklace? How will we get over those snapping clams? The tension is almost too much.

Spoiler Alert: the baby crab makes it to Shell Island just fine and Dora is finally free of crabs.  Whew.