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Weekend Check-in: August 27

What I'm Cooking
Gluten-free banana waffles. We do not eat gluten free -- not even a little bit -- but sporadically throughout the past year or two I've been convinced that we should try. (Silas in particular has an auto-immune condition that I suspect might be alleviated by going GF.) As a result, my pantry is filled with jars of random flours -- sorghum, potato, tapioca -- that don't get much use. We've made this specific recipe several times, though, and it always turns out well.

Chocolate chip granola bars. I needed a snack on hand to keep me from just eating straight-up chocolate chips all afternoon. :)

Parmesan-crusted chicken breasts. I usually keep a stash of these on hand in the freezer -- just flash freeze on a cookie sheet, then throw in a Ziploc bag. Thaw before baking.

What I'm Reading
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. A dear friend sent this to me last month in a care package. It's a quick, easy read, but the premise is unusual and therefore more interesting than most: it's written from the perspective of the imaginary friend of a kid with Asperger's.

I also finished up Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. I continued to be challenged and moved all the way to the end.

What the Boys are Reading
Levi
The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit.
Owen
Miss Rumphius. Town Mouse, Country Mouse. The Tiny Seed. I recently created an account for him at Book Adventure and printed a list (of my own making) from the site of books well within his reading level. Approximately three times a week, I have him pick a book from the list (an achievement in and of itself, for this child who does. not. make. decisions), read it, and then take a quiz on the site. It's an easy way to track his comprehension level, as well as forcing him to finish a book (he gets "distracted" easily, as he calls it).
Silas
Bob books (sight words collection and set 4), and the Moonbear books by Frank Asch. These are favorites from my childhood, and I love watching him sit down by himself and look for words he can read! [Actually, in searching for them on Amazon, I just found out that there are dozens of them. We only own four! Time to check the library! Except we can't, because some guy set fire to a stack of books in a chair last week and the library is closed indefinitely until they get the insurance sorted. Major bummer. Still, the smaller branch might have some things.]
Toby
Counting Kisses. Owly (another favorite from my childhood). The Doorbell Rang (again, and again, and again . . . ). My Little Animal Book (oh, how he loves this book, and has for his whole life!). Chicken Little (which he can now recite word-for-word).

Weekly Snapshots
A quiet moment around the table.

Silas, sans pants, reading a BOB book from the sight words collection.

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