Hi! It's Zoe. Do you have a dog? As you probably already know, I have three dogs. All of them pound puppies. That means we adopted them from the pound. Liberty, is our first adoption and the youngest and smartest in the group. I don't say that in front of Molly and Sophia because I don't want to hurt their feelings. (Just kidding.) Liberty has just learned a new trick. It was pretty easy for her to learn since she was trained as a puppy to do tricks. As her owner, I had to have the right tactics to teach her. I'll share some of my tactics with you.

If you'd like to teach your dog a trick, you always have to have a small treat ready, such as a piece of cheese, a baby carrot, or a part of a dog biscuit to give the dog when she successfully performs the trick. The food is used to reward the dog. You also want to praise her for completing the task. This will guarantee success. It does for Liberty.

When I first show Liberty a new trick it may take her a couple of tries before she understands what I want her to do. If your dog does not get it on the first try or even on several tries, don't get mad. This is the number one rule. If you get mad, your dog might not want to do the trick anymore because he or she is afraid of you getting upset. Making your dog afraid won't get you anywhere and trying to continue teaching would be an upsetting experience and no fun for anyone.

I have found one of the best ways to teach a new trick is using a hand sign and saying a short word like, "Speak!" or "Sit!" If you'd like your dog to sit, pointing downwards and saying "Sit!" clearly and loudly will help your dog to remember what to do. To have your dog understand what you want them to do, firmly push (not too hard) their hind legs down until they are in a sitting position. Then give them a small treat. Doing this repeatedly will help them understand their task. Don't forget to show them a lot of affection during the teaching session. Dogs love to petted and praised.

There you have it. If you'd like to see Liberty's newest tricks, click on the video below. Bye!

Hi, it's Zoe. A few days ago, I performed in my school's choir at a high school auditorium. We had been practicing for nearly four months for this performance and nothing could stop our voices from projecting off the stage. Guess what? Practice makes perfect...again.

In my previous blog, I talked about practicing tennis, I thought it would be a great idea to share how I practiced choir and my solo parts too. At first, Mrs. Martinez (our choir teacher) gave us a few songs to learn. These were "Seasons of Love", "Fly! I Believe I Can", and "Viva La Vida". We practiced these for the first month and then she introduced us to some other songs; "Island in the Sun", "Just the Way You Are", "Man In the Mirror", and "Survivor, I Will Survive". We had plenty of fun with these songs and practiced them for another month. "Survivor! I Will Survive" is my favorite song. And when my teacher announced there would be tryouts for the solo parts in the song, I was ecstatic. I practiced everyday for several weeks preparing for the tryouts. It paid off. I got the part! I was so happy.

In the end, we (the entire choir, about 45 kids) practiced everything together, over and over again for another two months. We also had to practice some dance moves. When it was time to perform we rocked the stage. I sang and danced. I was given a lot of good feedback about my solo part. You can see me singing and dancing in the videos below. (The videos are bit bumpy at first but they calm down.) 

I love to perform and I enjoy trying out for parts in my school productions. I know I get nervous before I tryout and before I perform, but I just try to turn those "butterflies" in the tummy into focused energy on the performance. It usually works. But the best medicine for being nervous is to practice a lot, long before you have to perform. The more practice you give something the easier it becomes to perform it. Well, that's my news for this blog entry. Hope you enjoy the videos. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe, today my daddy and I went to the University's Wellness and Recreation Center to practice my tennis techniques. First, we played a little bit to see where I can make improvements. My front hand swing was fine, but my serve and backhand swing went all over the place. We needed to find out what was happening.

We focused on the serve first. I learned it was critical to throw the ball straight in the air without it going forwards, backwards, or to the sides. Then I learned how to hit it. The wrist needs to be straight and you have the racquet facing down so you'll get the ball nice and low over the net. After this quick lesson, my serves really improved.

Next, the backhand. I learned to run up to the ball, but without getting too close, then holding my racquet with two hands, swing level and make contact with the ball nice and hard. This hit will make your opponent speechless!

I hit the ball around a few more times with my daddy, feeling really proud because of my serves and backhand returns were better. I think the lesson today is that practicing improved my game a lot. Practicing and my daddy's wonderful coaching helped me get better at tennis.

Do you do an activity such as sports? I like to play tennis, volleyball, badminton, rock climbing, rollerblading, swimming and the list goes on and on. I love to be active. And remember, if you practice you'll become extremely good over time at those things you practice a lot doing. Remember, practice makes perfect. Want to tell me something you improved on? Just post it online. I can't wait to hear about your improvement. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. I've been writing poems for the past month to enter one in a contest. You might think that all poems rhyme, but many, called free verse, don't. Here's a few ways we can write great poems.

Sometimes poems can be descriptive and meaningful, usually these are in free verse. I've written many poems and I have picked one to show to you. Here it is.



     Life
Life is the shimmer of hope,
That lives in everyone's souls,
Life is the force of peace,
That turns the Earth,
Life is the warm, gentle rays of the sun,
That wakes you from fantasy dreams,
And life encourages us to love,
And hug and kiss and smile,
And life is the reason for all our hearts to beat,
And all our brains to think,
Because life is a force that nothing can stop,
And nothing can regenerate.
But life is something you only live once,
Live it well,
Live life.

Another type of poem would be to write a silly storyline one. Have you ever read, "Where the Sidewalk Ends", by Shel Silverstien? In this book, there are many funny and witty poems. It was one of my brother's most favorite books when he was younger. I like it very much and I recommend reading it. I have written two silly poems myself. Here they are.

    I'll Greet You With A Sneeze
I am sick.
So, I'll greet you with a sneeze.

Don't try to greet me first,
Don't try to shake my hand,
Don't try to shout.
No matter how much you pout,
Cause I'll greet you with a sneeze.

Don't try to say hello,
Don't try to wave,
No matter  the time of day.
Cause I'll greet you with a sneeze.

So, now you know,
Better stay away,
Cause I'll greet you with a sneeze.
And you should a...a...achoooo!
Believe what I say.


    Birthday Troubles
I came with a present,
I even said, "Happy Birthday!"
But still I get no cake!
Why? I"ll tell you why.
You smushed your face, yes you
Smushed your face
In that cake!
And now it's covered in FACE germs!
Ooooh, what's that?
A Pinata!
Hey! Who cares about cake?
It's candy time!

Do you know how to write a poem? Remember to always capitalize the first letter in a line, no matter if it is the beginning of a sentence or not. And, good titles always catch people's attention. So, remember to add that in too. Rhyming poems are good to do, but once in a while writing some meaningful poetry is a good way to improve your writing. So, I write all kinds of poems.

Would you like to be a poet? Remember, if you practice you'll get better. If you have written a poem share it with me. I'd love to see it. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. Easter just happened. Did you have an egg hunt? And do you have a sibling you shared it with? I had a Easter egg hunt with my brother, and I found the most eggs. We had a hard time sharing and getting an equal amount of eggs each. We argued a little bit over them. I think we shouldn't have squabbled. In the end, we shared them. Sharing is the best thing to do.

First, by sharing we are being fair to other people. We are letting them enjoy equally in something we have. Sharing helps others feel good. I believe sharing is a great characteristic that we always want to show.

There is another thing about sharing that's important to remember. If someone asks us if they can have a bit of something, and we share it with them, we cannot turn around and say that they owe us something in return. Remember, when we share that means we're being kind and friendly. It's not really sharing if we tell someone they owe us after we decided to share with them.

Sometimes, if you share again and again someone may take advantage of you. I'm thinking of my brother. Sometimes, he has the same amount of something as I do, but he wants more and asks me to share mine with him. We bargain a lot with each other. It's up to me to decide whether I want to continue sharing with him. We always work it out in the end. It evens out. But we talk it over.

Do you bargain with your sibling or friend. At times, I do. Maybe with this blog we can improve our sharing techniques. Share with me your ideas. I'm all ears.  Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. Yesterday I went to a ceremony for "Million Word Readers". To achieve this award, someone has to have read at least a million words from books while they are in school. I was the first in my school this year to reach a million words. It's kind of a competition among students about who will have read a million words first.  I'm happy to be a millionaire!

Reading is one of the best things you can do to become successful. It helps your writing skills greatly and keeps your imagination going. My parents also encourage reading a lot, so I'm used to sitting down with a book. When I was younger my parents would read to me every night. And when I learned how to read, I made sure to keep reading. I like it more when I'm the one reading. It's one of my most favorite things to do.

I enjoy some books more than others. But, right now I'm reading a lot because I'm reading an excellent book from one of my favorite authors, Rick Riodon. He writes exciting books about modern teenagers called demigods that fight monsters from Greek and Roman mythology. I've learned a lot about mythology from his books. Whenever I read them I get lost in the pages and time flies by. I love to read!

Sometimes when I finish a really good book or series, such as the Harry Potter book series, I don't know what to do next. I feel at a lost, like I'm going to miss reading about the story and I want more of it. So, I have to look for new stories to read. It's good to try out new books. Like the old saying goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover." If I had done that for the Rick Riodon books, I wouldn't have read them. Open a book and give it a try first. Reading is the best! 

How about you, do you know how to read? Do you like to read? What's your favorite book? Maybe you like Rick Riodon too. Read whatever you like to read. Tell me some of your favorite books. I'm interested to know. I'm always on the search for good books to read. Bye! 

HI! It's Zoe. Sunday was a special day. My mother calls it "Cook Fest". It is a day that happens about every four months in my family. My mommy calls it that because it's very hard to cook a dinner everyday. So, on Cook Fest day we make multiple dinners and freeze them to eat later. But, there is more to it!

First, mommy and I do the shopping. We buy lots of stuff. Then we have to prepare for everything. Do we have all the ingredients? Is there space to do the cooking? Has room been made in the freezer to store the dinners? It's very important to know these things or else the food may not come out the way we want it to or we may not be able to store all that we make in the freezer.

We also have to plan Cook Fest. In fact, this Cook Fest my mommy wanted to save time and energy and she said we needed to chop all the vegetables first, instead of the stuff as it was needed. It took us both almost two hours to chop all the vegetables! We make everything from scratch. That means we don't use pre-made ingredients. Mommy says it's healthier that way because there is less salt and sugar in our food.

As we cooked the meals, we had to be very hygienic and orderly. This means we had to clean our hands regularly and wash the dishes so that they did not pile up. Mommy says a good chef cleans as she works.

Last but not least, I learned lots of things on Cook Fest. My mommy told me that water and cornstarch is a thickener for stews and mixtures. I also learned never to add dry cornstarch to a sauce because it makes it lumpy. I learned how to make many delicious dishes like, lasagna, Sheppard's pie, tuna casserole, chicken and vegetable soup and much more. Cook Fest was a great experience and I love cooking.

How about you? Do you like to cook with your parents? Maybe you can have a Cook Fest of your own. If you do, tell me about it. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. Today is Brother Day (March 10th). When my big brother, Gage, went to the 8th grade he had lots of work to do and we couldn't spend as much time together. So I wanted to do something for him we would both enjoy. Here's what I thought to do for Brother Day. 

A week before Brother Day, I decided to celebrate it with a surprise party. My daddy said it was a great idea and that he'll take Gage on errands while I get the party set up. My mommy also thought it was a great idea and secretly bought brownie mix to make brownies for the party. I couldn't wait!

When it was time, my daddy took Gage on some errands and my mommy hurriedly helped make the brownies with me. While the brownies baked and cooled, I decorated my brother's room with party paper and balloons. On a little table, I set the brownies and some corn chips. Gage and daddy got home, and just on time! When my brother walked into his room, I yelled surprise! Gage almost touched the ceiling (not really) because he jumped so high in surprise. Watching him react was fun.

We gobbled up the brownies and scarfed up the chips. But I had one more surprise up my sleeve; a treasure hunt!

I placed hints around the house. The first one at Gage's doorway, then under the table. at a chair, then under some cups, and finally, the prize was found. I gave him a big hug and a card with a pizza coupon for a free large pizza. Gage thanked me many times and gave me lots of hugs. I can't wait for Sister Day on June 1.

What about you? Do you have an older or younger brother or sister? Maybe you can have your own Brother and Sister Day.  It's great fun. That's all! Thanks for reading. If you have a brother or sister give them lots of hugs. Tell me about them. I'm all ears.

Hi! It's Zoe. Today, I'd like to talk about not quitting. I know from experience that it's hard not to say, "I give up!" and walk away. Let's think of ways how we can stop quitting.

I know it's hard to not quit when I'm doing my homework or even writing this blog. I might feel stressed and want to stop right away, but a great way to stop giving up is to take a short break, eat a snack, and drink some water. Before I know it,  I start to feel refreshed in no time, ready to keep going.

Another way I stop myself from quitting is I think of the consequences of letting myself down by quitting. Like, "Should I quit learning to read? No!" That would be a bad idea because knowing how to read can help you become very successful because it helps you in many ways. It helps you build a big vocabulary, write better, and understand information more. I think to myself, if I don't quit I'll be more successful and happier. The same about school. If I don't give up on school, I can get a good job doing something fun that I like to do when I grow up. Just think of all the things that can happen if people don't give up trying to solve problems.

However, sometimes it's good to quit some things. In my last blog, I wrote that quitting bad habits would be a great thing to do. But, today I'm not talking about bad habits, I'm talking about good ones and not quitting on those.  Happy and successful is what we're aiming for! So, don't forget. If you get tired and feel like giving up, take a break and remember what would happen if you quit. Let's have fun and keep on going!  If you have anything to share, I'll be online and I'm always listening. Bye! 

Hi! It's Zoe. When I grow up I want to be a writer and an architect. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Cuate, writes chapter books. When I found out she was going to be my teacher, I was excited. I wanted to learn how to be a good writer. Throughout this school year, I have been influenced by my teacher to write many good stories.

What about you? Do you know anyone that does anything you want to do when you grow up? Maybe you could ask them advice on how to do well in their job, like I did with my teacher. Let's learn how to be successful!

You can be influenced by people with nice personalities too. Do you get influenced by your parents because they are so kind and they take good care of you? I know I do. And are you influenced by your grandparents? Both of my grandmothers are generous and donate to charities. They influence me to be generous to causes. I work hard to help raise money for charities, like Leukemia, for my school.

Are you friends with someone because they're nice to other people and they let anyone join in their games? For me, there's no doubt about it, I like people who are nice to others. You see, there are so many people that influence us.

You can influence people too. Try to be someone your little brother or sister looks up to. If you are responsible and you show respect to others, maybe, you will have a few admirers.

Let's look over today's blog. We learned that if there's someone that influences us in a good way, such as a job that they do, don't be afraid to ask them how to do it well. In life, also stick with people, such as a friend, who influences you because of their nice personality. Last, but not least, influence people yourself. Show everyone how good a person you can be by thinking of others and being kind to them.

Well, that's all. Don't forget I'm all ears for what you have to say. Bye!