When Life Hands Ya Markers...

It's called self-expression, darn it! And I think I look fabulous!

Hiya, Friends!  Well, have you ever found yourself in the possession of a pack of really rad markers, and so you take off the caps and draw on your own face with 'em?

...Oh, come on, now.  You don't have to be all like "I'm way too grown-up to draw on my own face with a marker!" with me. This is me.  Your pal Zoe.  You can be honest.  And besides, here I am, with marker all over MY face that I drew, all by myself.  Think back to when you were a Little Kid.  Or a not-so-little kid.  I don't judge.

Are ya back?  It IS fun, isn't it?  It's FUN as all get-out to draw all over your face when life hands ya a pack of markers.  In fact, as I was creating this artistic creation on my face just now, I realized that I felt quite alive.  I mean in the way where I'd shout to the Heavens and to anyone who'll listen that I feel ALIVE!  It's great to feel that way, isn't it, Friends?

You know what you oughtta do... grab up a pack of markers right now, and draw on your face.  You probably don't hafta be at work today, anyhow, and if you've got a bottle of make-up remover or even rubbing alcohol if ya grabbed a box of Sharpies, nobody at work has to be any the wiser that you drew on your face with markers today.

I, for one, however, refuse to be embarrassed by this.  I might make drawing on my face with markers a whole Thing for me.  I might just do that!

I love ya, Friends!  And I'll be seein' ya tomorrow!  Muah!

Snack Attack!

It's nutritious AND delicious!

Friends!  Happy Saturday! 

Have I ever told you about one of my favorite snacks?  It isn't just any snack.  It's nutritious AND so delicious, it's easy to forget that it's nutritious!

Unless you're allergic to peanuts.  If you're allergic to peanuts, this would be an Allergy Attack for you, and not a Snack Attack.

But if you aren't allergic to peanuts, lemme tell ya all about Peanut Butter Balls.  You can even whip 'em up yourself, if you've got peanuts, powdered milk, oats, honey, and raisins, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, Rice Krispy cereal... anything, really!

You mix all that stuff together, roll it into balls, refrigerate it, and then you have little delicious bite-size pieces of Peanut Butter Ball to eat and enjoy!  Delicious, nutritious, AND portable as all get out!

Friends, I hope you have a favorite snack as wonderful as my favorite snack is!  And if you're allergic to peanut butter, again, I sure hope your favorite snack doesn't have peanuts in it!  I sure hope it doesn't!

I love ya lots, anyway, Friends!  And I'll be seein' ya tomorrow!  Muah!

Hot Topics!

You mean all this time, I've been orderin' Hot Topics, but they're really called Hot Topics?

Hiya, Friends!  Greetings, Big People!  Happy Friday to you!

Friends, have you ever misread or misheard something?  I sure as heck have.  In fact, if you go exploring through this very weblog, you will probably see healthy documentation of me mis-hearing things.  You definitely would, over on my picture show on The Facebook.

Sometimes, my mistakes really embarrass me because other people think they're so funny.

What I'm specifically talking about here, Big People, is that down in the cafeteria of my office building, all this time, I've been orderin' Hot Topics for lunch.  And the people at the counter swipe my identification credential to charge my lunch account, and then they give me a pocket of breadish stuff with food inside.  They also laugh, every time I order a Hot Topic. 

Well, the other day, my pal Rhoda the Little Giraffe happened to be behind me in line in the cafeteria, and I ordered my Hot Topic, and she waited until we got to our table before she told me that my hot, pocket-shaped sandwiches are not, in fact, 'Hot Topics,' but are called 'Hot Pockets.'

I suppose that makes sense.  They are a hot sandwich, and they are pockets.  But I'm sad that they're not called 'Hot Topics,' first of all, because I hate being wrong, and second of all, I really thought they were Hot Topics, because whenever I eat one of these in the cafeteria, lively discussion whips up at whichever lunch table I'm sitting at.

I thought there was magic in my hot sandwich that made the lively discussion -the Hot Topics, if you will- start up.  I really thought that was what was going on. 

I guess what I'm saying is the theme of my year of being Two is that I'm wiser but sadder. 

And now I'm hungry for not only a Hot Pocket sandwich, but also I'm hungry for some Hot Topics around the lunchtable, so I'm gonna go.  I love ya lots, Friends, and I'll see ya tomorrow!  Muah!

You Don't Hafta Be A Dancer In Order To Dance!

There's no wrong way to dance your dance!

Well, hiya, Big People! You know what?  I love to dance, and if you've been keepin' up with me all this time, that isn't news to you at all.  I've been a dancer from the time I was a really little kid! 

Not a dancer like 'oooooh!  you're a ballerina!' dancer, but I mean, I've loved to dance, and I have danced ever since I was a baby and my dancing was me laying on my play-mat and kicking my legs up to the hangy-down things from my play-gym.  It's moving!  That's dancing!

So my message today is that you don't hafta be a Dancer in order to dance.  Dancing is good for the soul.  You don't hafta take it or yourself so seriously.  Just hop up and move to the music, whether the music is coming from speakers or from inside your head.  There's no judging here!

And you just dance!  You don't hafta impress anybody.  You don't hafta starve yourself so you can be a twig in a tutu.  Just dance.  It doesn't matter what kind of shoes you're wearing.  It doesn't matter whether you're wearin' a leotard or a pair of jeans (stretchy jeans are the best for dancin' in, though, Friends... Just sayin')

Dance, and you'll find that all of a sudden, you can't help but smile.  That's the magical thing about dancing.  You can be all grouchy about things, and then all of a sudden, when you're dancing, you just have a big smile on your face.  Try it out, Friends!  Thursdays are EXCELLENT days to be dancers and just dance because you wanna!

I love ya lots, Big People!  See ya tomorrow!  Muah!

It's a New Day!

Gettin' older is all about shiftin' your perspective and realizin' you're gettin' more fabulous!

Hiya, Friends!  Happy Wednesday to you!

You know, after yesterday's post, I decided I don't wanna spend my Last Week of Bein' Two, bein' all sad-sack. Two and I have had a great run.  A whole year.  I've learned a lot! 

And it isn't like I actually LEAVE Two.  Two always gets to be with me. 

What really happens is that I get to be Three after next Tuesday.  What really happens is I get just a little more fabulous after I turn Three, and that's something I just can't see as a bad thing, you know?

And all that other stuff I talked about bein' worried about... well, I guess I'll just take it One Day At A Time.  That's all I can do, Friends.  That's all any of us can do. 

So I'm off to make the most of this new day!  I'm really gonna whoop it up, this last week of me bein' Two!  That's right, Friends!  Whoop it up with me!  Let's all have a Toddler Moment in honor of this, Friends!  Go ahead!  You've earned it!  Muah!

My Official Final Week as a Two-Year-Old

This is the week where I say tooda-loo to Two.

Hiya, Friends! Today is kind of a bittersweet, special day for me, and I'll tell ya why. 

Today marks the beginning of my final week as a Two-Year-Old.  I've really enjoyed bein' Two, you know, Friends?  Two has been really fun.  Two-and-a-Half was really, extra, super-duper fun!  I've gotten to do so many new things as a Two-Year-Old.  Two has kind of gotten to be my friend over the last year, and it makes me sad to hafta say good-bye and move on.

I just don't know what to expect from Three, Friends.  I know a lot more will be expected of me, once I turn Three.  I have a feeling this whole potty thing is gonna become a much bigger issue for me, once I'm Three.  I'm not lookin' forward to all that.  I mean, it was an issue ever since I turned Two, but I've heard from other Little Kids that now that I'm Three, the potty thing is gonna be pushed on me, because Mommies and Daddies don't think it's so cute to have a Three-Year-Old who doesn't use the potty.  I'm kinda panicking, really.  I mean, I feel like stuff is about to get REAL with me and the potty, and I'm terrified of havin' an accident.  As a Two-Year-Old, it was okay.  I don't think Big People think it's okay for a Three-Year-Old.

And I bet you thought it was an act of defiance, all this time, me stickin' with my dideys. 

That's just one reason I'm kinda sad about leavin' Two behind.  See, I can't help but notice I'm outgrowin' some of my favorite clothes.  Some of my favorite shoes don't fit me at all, anymore.  And that makes me sad.  New things are nice, but I my favorite clothes are... well, my favorites.  They're like old friends, and seein' them come off their hangers and go into the plastic bin makes me sad.

It makes me wonder what'll happen when I outgrow my wonderful, simple Toddler Life, you know?  I know every birthday is one birthday closer to the day when I'm not a Toddler anymore, when I'm not a Preschooler anymore, but a Kindergartener.  Three more years, and I'll be in school.  I'm halfway through my Preschoolhood, and I know I'm lucky, because I get another extra year, on accounta bein' late on bein' born, but time's ticking away on me, nonetheless.  I just don't know what to expect outta that stage of my life, and it gives me a little anxiety.

I know I need to pull myself together, Friends.  But for right now, I'm gonna be a little sad about this bein' my Last Week of Bein' Two.

I love ya lots, Friends!  I'll see ya tomorrow!  Muah!

What the What?! It's September Already?!

Well, bowl me over... it's September already!!!

Hiya, Big People!  Holy smokes, did you know that in addition to being September First, it's Labor Day?  The official 'See Ya!' to Summer.  I feel like Summer just got here!  Remember how, back in the Spring, when it seemed like Summer was having a hard time deciding to show up, I told us all to be really nice to the warm weather, so Summer would stick around longer?  Remember?  It seems like yesterday.

Also, I think somebody must have given Summer the stink-eye. I'm just sayin'.  I'm not pointing fingers, but I think it was my Mommy.  My Mommy hates hot weather, even though everybody else loves it. 

Somebody scared off the warm. 

But anyway, here we are at September the First.  And I don't know aboutchyoo, but this news is just bowling me over.  I'm not actually sure I can process it right now.

I'd better go to a picnic.  That'll probably help.  Maybe you oughtta go to a picnic, too, Friends.  We'll meet up again tomorrow.  I love ya lots, Friends!  I sure do!  Enjoy the holiday!  Enjoy the September First!  Muah!