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, 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, 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!