Hi! It's Zoe. A few days ago, my mommy's business partner, Hilda, brought to the office a Great Dane puppy. She called him Oreo. He is the runt of the litter and needed special attention. He was only a three weeks old! I learned how to take care of him and his special needs that day. Having to feed and burp him was work. (We took a lot of pictures and video!)

I fed Oreo a special baby formula for puppies from a bottle that looked just like a baby's bottle. It was so cute when he scrambled to get the milk. Sometimes he would suck on my finger accidentally. It tickled and made me giggle.

After feeding him, I needed to burp him. He was very full and I didn't want him to get a tummy ache because of all the gas in his stomach. I had to put him on my shoulder and gently tap him on the back to get the gas bubbles out of his tummy. Soon, he was tired and happy. 

Since Oreo was tired I had to put him to sleep, I sat on a rocking chair and rocked back and forth with him in my arms, lulling him to sleep. When he slept he kicked and growled! I guess he was having puppy dreams. It was too cute for words. 

I feel that taking care of Oreo must be similar to taking care of a baby. It also reminded me of the story in the book My New Puppy, where Lae Lae learns how to take care of her puppy. I loved caring for Oreo!

Hi! It's Zoe. During this summer, I have been on my electronics much more than I am supposed to be, so I decided to get creative. I have since made many fun things with my family and friends with the help of a book my grandmother gave me called, 365 Things to Make and Do. 

Scientists say that art triggers the creative part of our brain, causing us to become more original, or that's how I understand it. They also say that kids, like me and you, get better grades if they're exposed to art at an early age. 

Yesterday, I made a pinata with my friend, Isabella. We decided to save it for another day, but here's how we made it.

The Things Your Need:

• Balloon
• Newspaper
• Flour
• Water
• Scissors
• Decorating materials: paint, markers, stickers,
• Bowl
• String

We blew up the balloon. The we mixed flour and water together in the bowl until it looked like thick cream. We ripped the newspaper into strips and pulled each piece through the flour mixture to get it completely covered. And we spread these pieces across the balloon. It was really messy, but that's the fun part. Here's a tip: As you put the strips on the balloon to cover it up, don't overlap them too much because it will take longer to dry. Also, you want to leave a small space on the balloon that's not covered because when the paper dries you'll pop the balloon by pricking the uncovered area and filling the balloon with stuff. 

The really fun part comes when you get to decorate the balloon however you want. We added paint, stickers, ribbons. The brighter the balloon the more festive it looks.  And the last thing to add is the candy! Hang your pinata somewhere where it's safe to hit it with a stick. 

Like I said, I'm saving our pinata for later. Maybe, I'll have my friends over for a end-of-summer party and we will hit it then. Sounds like fun, right? 

This is just one fun activity you can do this summer. Remember, being creative can make you healthy and happy. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. Recently, I had a radio talk show interview! My first. Deborah Simpson, on Blog Talk Radio, interviewed my Mimi, mommy, and me about the Lae Lae book collection and my blog. I had an interesting experience being on the radio for the first time. (Actually, I have been on the radio one other time when I called into Kids Place Live on XM radio to request a song for my birthday. But this was different.)

First, I was nervous. Before Deborah talked to me, I had to take many deep breaths. Who knew how many people were listening to this radio talk show? Deborah was really interested in my blog. She was happy that I wrote about taking care of the earth. She said she recycled as well. After the interview got going, I was happy when suddenly my nerves disappeared. 

Deborah asked many questions about my blog. For instance, she asked me what I was hoping the blog would lead to. I told her that I hoped it would add up to a college scholarship at M.I.T. University, so I could become an exceptional architect. She was so impressed she couldn't believe I was only ten years old. After the interview, I was scared what people would think and I hoped the interview would advertise the Lae Lae books more. My mommy said I did a great job and she was proud of me. It had been a fun experience!

Doing the interview was awesome. It let me practice calming my nerves and the questions helped me think more about what I want to do in life. It was a terrific learning experience. Mommy videotaped me talking on camera. I think I look nervous, but I started having fun. You can watch the video below. Or you can check out the original recording on Blog Talk Radio. Bye!  

Hi! It's Zoe. Summer has now started and I'd like to talk about the dangers of the sun's rays. I don't want anybody getting hurt by sunburn or something even more serious. Here are some neat tips I found on a helpful website.

One way to protect your skin is not to be outside during the sun's peak hours, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. These times will burn your skin much faster. When you are in the sun always have a reasonable SPF (Sun Protection Factor) in your sunscreen. "To determine your sunscreen strength, multiply the amount of time it takes you to burn by the SPF number." So, if you get red in 10 minutes without protection, and you use a SPF of 30, 30 x 10 is 300 and that's the amount of time in minutes it would take to burn using a sunblock 30 SPF. Be aware of how much time you spend in the sun. My mom says to keep putting sun block on throughout the day and not just once.

You may not know it, but if you hung your arm out of the window of your car you could be burning right then and there. Never be in the sun unnecessarily without sun protection on.  

Another key way to keep healthy in the sun is to keep hydrated. That means drinking lots of water. Dehydration is very serious. It means you aren't getting enough water to replace the water you lose sweating and moving around. If you are going to play a sport outside in the sun, remember to keep a water bottle handy. Drink a lot while you're in the sun.

Sunburn isn't the only way the sun's rays can damage your body. It can also damage your eyes and cause cataracts. A cataract is when your eye clouds over and you lose your vision! That sounds awful, so protect your eyes now. Remember to wear sunglasses when you are out in the sun. And don't be fooled if you're in the car. Even tinted windows cannot block out all of the sun's rays. That includes being in water like a swimming pool. The sun's rays can travel three feet deep!

One of the most serious things sun can do to your skin is cause skin cancer. Skin cancer is very serious and unfortunately, more common now than ever. When you get older never try to tan your skin. Doing this can lead to skin cancer. Protect your skin, it's the largest organ in the body!

Now you know how to be safe and the importance of protecting yourself from the sun. Let's be sun safe this summer. Just for kicks, try saying that really fast three times. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. Have you and your family ever saved a wild animal? This week, my mother and I did!  We saved a bird called a Great Kiskadee. It is yellow bellied and it has black and white stripes on its head. We named hime Twinkie because of his bright yellow belly. 

My mommy found Twinkie after he hit our window and hurt himself. So, we got out an old tortoise tank and put him in it. Sadly after his accident, he kept falling forward, unable to stand on his feet. When he fell over he would kick with his claws into the air, and eventually he scratched himself under his beak. After that we wrapped him gently in tissue paper and set him upright so he wouldn't fall over. He calmed down and seemed much more comfortable. He started to get better. 

Feeding Twinkie wasn't a problem. He took food easily. (Watch the first video below to see us feeding him.) To feed him, my mommy used long metal tweezers made especially like a mommy bird's beak. We bought canned crickets and mealworms from a pet store and he loved them! (I didn't know they canned crickets and worms and grasshoppers.) 

I was too scared to hold him because of the tiny claws on his feet (until we wrapped him up and he wouldn't squirm in my hands), so I only helped feed and water him. He was doing great!

Even though Twinkie was getting better, taking care of him would be extremely hard because he had a serious injury. We decided to take him to our local Pet Smart. They told us about a rehabilitation center in our city that might be able to save Twinkie. When we went there we were met by a really nice woman named Valerie Ciomperlik who runs the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. 

She told us that it looked like Twinkie had some brain damage, but he might be able to get better. (watch the last two videos to see how she checks out Twinkie just like a doctor.) Then she told me an interesting fact about Twinkie being in the Flycatcher family because he has bristles on his beak. When he flies the bristles catch bugs. His beak must be sensitive because when we held him and stroked his beak he would calm right down and almost fall asleep. 

Valerie said she would try to get him well and then she took him in. Hopefully, Twinkie will be healed! In saving Twinkie, I learned a lot about taking care of injured birds and about the Great Kiskadee. 

If you ever save a bird or wild animal, be sure to go to a local pet store or vet and get advice. I'd like to give a shout out to Valerie and thank her for her generous help. She really knows a lot about the Great Kiskadee and she helped me feel better about Twinkie's future. Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. This week my classmates and I performed in a play, reenacting the Alamo. It was my school's 16th annual performance, and it was in honor of my teacher's book, Journey to the Alamo. It took lots of practice and patience, but we did awesome. I tried out for the role of Davy Crockett and I got it! I'm the second girl to get the role. The last girl to play Davy Crockett was 10 years ago. I beat out 20 boys trying out for the role. Go girl power! 

When I tried out, I was extremely nervous because I thought many of the boys would be better than me. Turns out I was wrong. 

I had lots of nerves before we performed the play, but when it was my part I just pretended everyone wasn't there and that it was just another practice. It really calmed my nerves down. (Check out the second video below to see how packed the auditorium was!) 

By participating in the play, I learned lots about Texas history, like how 189 Texans were up against 4,000 Mexican soliders. I also learned that seven Texans survived the battle, including Davy Crockett, but sadly they were executed by orders from Santa Anna after their capture. Later, Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna at the battle of San Jacinto, who was forced to sign a peace treaty agreeing that the Mexican army would leave the region. That lead to the creation of the Republic of Texas. Texas became its own country before joining the United States in 1845 as the 28th state! Just think, had this not happened Texas would still be a part of Mexico! 

Have you ever seen the real Alamo? It's an interesting place where you can learn many fascinating facts. I consider myself lucky to have seen it myself and to have participated in a play about it. I will never forget this performance and the facts I've learned about my state's history. Bye!. 

Hi! It's Zoe. From an earlier blog, I wrote that I was entering a poetry contest. After writing many poems, I entered the one I liked best called, "Life". Guess what? I, and fifteen other kids from my school, had our poems chosen. I guess there may have been about 200 entries, so I'm proud that I was among those picked.

The exciting part about entering contests, and being lucky enough to win, I build up successes over time and they contribute to my ability to get scholarships for college. A scholarship is where you are allowed to go to college for free or part of it for free based on your grades or some talent or both. I plan on going to college. Doing my best now, so I can get several scholarships, is important to me. That's because going to a good university can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars without scholarships. There are many ways to earn a scholarship.

One way to get a scholarship is by making A's all through high school. High school can be hard, so only really smart and hard working people can make it through their high school years with all A's. I believe if you really work hard it's almost guaranteed you will earn a scholarship. That's my plan anyway, and I'm starting now even though I'm only in the fourth grade. It's something my mother has talked about with me since I could remember. Remember the saying, "Practice makes perfect". Well, it's never too early to practice making good grades. It builds a strong education by the time you enter high school.

Another way to earn a scholarship is by doing well in sports. Men and women have earned scholarships this way. Are you a natural at a sport? Maybe if you try really hard and practice a lot you can get a scholarship this way.

Did you know, I have already won a small scholarship by writing an essay? Things like essays and art projects can help you win scholarships if they are chosen. Maybe your school has opportunities for you to enter and win a scholarship. Or, you can search online for competitions for kids that you can enter, and hopefully win!

Here's a tip. If you win competitions and scholarships along the way, be sure to put them in a folder so you don't forget to use them when you apply to college. They just may help you go to college for free! Bye!

Hi! It's Zoe. Even though it was a few weeks ago, I would like to write a blog on Mother Earth Day. When I was younger, around six years old, I made a special project with my brother, Mommy, and my Grandmother, Mimi. I would like to share our special idea. 

Mother Earth Day is like a birthday for Earth, and what's at every birthday party? A cake. We made earth cakes. Here's our special recipe: 
* Wet earth the consistency of thick mud. 
* Put a few handfuls of mud onto a paper plate and mold into the shape of a cake.
* Find twigs, leaves, acorns, empty snail shells, and any other natural stuff from your backyard to decorate the mud. If the mud is beginning to dry, wet the soil by dripping water onto the top to keep it moist while you apply the things you've collected. 
* Place your cake somewhere special in your yard and watch it crumble back into the ground. When it does, you'll know that's when Mother Earth has eaten her cake! 

Before you run outside and get your clothes dirty and have a great time making the cake, here's a few fun facts about Earth Day. The year 2013 makes the 43rd Earth Day celebration. This year more than a billion people in 192 countries participated in celebrating Earth Day. Did you know there are actually two Earth Day celebrations? One is on April 22 and one is on March 20th (the first day of spring). Who knew?

That's all. Be sure to have fun and make a terrific mess while you create your earth cake. I'm so inspired by writing this blog that I want to run outside right now and make another earth cake! Bye!

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!