How Not to Feel Overwhelmed in the New Year!

One moment at a time, one day at a time, one thing at a time!

Well, hiya, Big People!  Can you believe it's the seventh of January already?  I sure can't!

Ya know, facing a fresh, New Year is both exciting and terrifying.  It's exciting because the New Year is stretched out in front of you, all clean and new and full of possibilities of all the things you're gonna do and see and learn and become over the next twelve months.  It's terrifying because there's just so much, especially when you're a Little Kid.

Okay.  Maybe not 'terrifying.'  Maybe that's an exaggeration for most of us here.  But it can certainly be overwhelming, especially for a Little Kid. 

For instance, I remember New Year's 2012.  I was just shy of four months old.  I'd already learned and accomplished so much in the short time I was around in 2011-getting people's attention when I was hungry or dirty,  how to hold my head up, how to hold my own bottle, smiling, how to navigate a busy upscale shopping mall on the Monday after Thanksgiving, how to make friends with Santa, rolling from my back to my belly, rolling from my belly to my back, walking along in my little Pink Jeep, Sabres Appreciation... I mean, there was a LOT of stuff I learned to do right off the bat, so as 2012 dawned, I thought for a moment that I'd get to enjoy some restin' on my laurels, so to speak.  Just gettin' some time to stretch out and enjoy bein' me.

Then I realized that wasn't how it was gonna go down at all, in 2012.  Not even a little.  In that year, I was gonna hafta learn how to drink out of a sippy cup, how to sit up on my own, how to crawl over distances and obstacles, how to speak actual words on purpose, eat solid foods, eat solid foods I'd hafta chew, grow teeth so I could chew in the first place, master my colorful stacking rings, get good at the Jumperoo, learn to go faster in my Little Pink Jeep, WALK, string together sentences, avoid a predicted Mayan apocalypse...

Friends, knowing I was gonna hafta do all that and more in 2012, it made me really overwhelmed and panicked that I wasn't gonna be able to accomplish it all, and that I'd let myself down in a big way, come 2013.

But then something happened.  Insteadda focusing on ALL those things I was gonna need to do in 2012, I just took things one day at a time.  One step at a time, if you will.  And one by one, moment by moment, by golly, I did 'em.  Easy-peasy.  And that's how I've approached all the bigness in my life, ever since.  One thing at a time.

So if you're lookin' at this New Year and feelin' overwhelmed, Friends, just remember to do like I do and slow down.  Don't let the bigness and newness and the sheer number of things get all up in your head and freak you the heck out.  That's not gonna do you any good at all!  Just take it one thing at a time, one day at a time, one step at a time.  Concentrate on bein' the best you you can be in each moment.  And then every so often, reflect on all the things you've gotten done and marvel!

I love ya lots, Big People!  I sure as heck do!  And I'll see ya tomorrow!  Muah!

Hittin' My Stride in the New Year!

2016 is gonna be a good one, I reckon!

Hiya, Big People!  Happy Wednesday to you!

Well, I don't know about you, but I had a little trouble gettin' started this week.  I know New Year's was on Friday, but with a weekend to start the year off right, Monday hit me like a ton of bricks running into a semi-truck.

That's okay, though.  Now I'm more or less at peace with the Holiday Season bein' over, and I'm ready to take on 2016 in style.

I guess you could say I'm finally hittin' my stride in this New Year!

You know, it really isn't that hard to do, to hit your stride in the New Year.  It's all about your mindset.  You decide that you're gonna crush it, and then you do.  Swing and follow-through.  That's all you gotta do, Friends!

So what if it's cold and dark outside?  It could always be worse.  You bet it could!  This is the time of year when I celebrate electric lights and readily-available heat!  And wooly socks and cuddly sweaters-n-blankets!

And.  Sled-riding!  I LOVE sled-riding!

See?  There's lotsa ways to assist you in stride-hitting in the New Year, Big People!  You just hafta choose yours. 

Hey.  I'm gonna go, but I'll be back tomorrow.  I sure do love ya lots, Big People!  Muah!

I Didn't Mean To Upsetchya!

Is this the face of a kid who's just up and quittin' her picture show and blog?  No!

Oopsie-doodles, Friends.  I guess I shoulda been a little more careful when I slapped a title on my post from yesterday. 
I shoulda thought it through a little better, what it looked like, sayin' "All Good Things Must Come to an End" because as it turns out, I ended up upsetting some people who looked at the title and thought I was quittin' and they didn't read all the way to the bottom.

That is completely my bad right there, Friends, and I do apologize for any strife.  I SWEAR I wasn't usin' clickbait to go fishin' for people to beg me not to leave my TDZBlog or my TDZ Facebook Picture Show. I know I'm appreciated in these capacities, and even if nobody looked in on me or read me, I'd still do what I do, because I LIKE it, friends! 

Although this kid's not gonna lie.  It felt kinda good for a minute there, to see that there were some people who got upset at the thought of me hangin' up my keyboard.  And then I realized I'd upset those people with an errant title for yesterday's post, and it didn't feel so good.

So if you were upset by my title yesterday, please accept my deepest apologies for the same.  It was not my intention, and I am not going anywheres.  I LOVE palaverin' with ya every day, Big People! 

Right now, though, I've gotta go.  But I PROMISE I'll be back tomorrow.  Same time, same place, different topic!  I love ya so much!  Muah!

All Good Things Must Come to an End

I have my mad face on 'cause there's no Valentine's Vacation.

Friends, your pal Zoe here, and I just wanna say that Christmas Vacation was so wonderful and I had sucha great time that today is just like gettin' hit upside the head with a frozen mackerel fish or something. 

Not that I've ever been hit upside the head with a frozen mackerel fish or anything near it, but I bet if I ever did, it'd be a rude awakening.

And that's just what this day is for me.  A rude awakening.

Well, I got accustomed to gettin' up in the morning and either wakin' Daddy up or meetin' him down in the living room for early-morning movie mornings.  And today, he's gone back to work at the office.  No more early-morning movie mornings, which is too bad, because it's a tradition I got really fond of in the short time I got to enjoy it during Christmas Vacation.

The other thing that has me really outta sorts this morning is that the Christmas decorations came down over the weekend.  First, it was the spectacular blue and white starry fireworks outside, and then the Christmas tree and all the wonderful ornaments, and the Leg Lamp.  I LOVE the Leg Lamp because it reminds me of one of my new favorite Christmas movies of all time, and also because someday when I'm bigger, I'm gonna wear fishnet stockings and high heels, just like that Leg Lamp, no matter what Daddy says!  How the heck right about that, anyways?!

Friends, I know that all good things must come to an end, and Christmas Vacation is one of those good things, but that doesn't make it any easier of a pill for me to swallow, you know?

However, I like to think that The Daily Zoe Blog is a good thing as well, and as of yet, it isn't coming to an end.  Sometimes, Mommy and I have discussions about the future of TDZBlog and TDZ over on the Facebook, once I get to School, but so far, there are no plans for termination.  So I guess insteadda bein' all mad over Christmas Vacation havin' to come to an end, I really oughtta be celebrating because I'm still here on my weblog, and I'm still over on my Facebook Picture Show, and I will be, for quite a while to come.  One day at a time, I should take things. I know it.

Anyways, I'll see ya tomorrow, Friends.  I'm just havin' a little trouble gettin' through the at-grade intersection that is Monday in the manual transmission car of Life.  I'll be happy to see ya tomorrow!  I sure do love ya lots, and even though it's Monday after a wonderful vacation, I'm glad we're all here in it together!  Muah!

Ol' Sparky

Everybody ought to have a pal as good as ol' Sparky!

Hiya, Friends!  Happy Sunday to you!

Sometimes, the best way to spend a Sunday is to just saddle up and go for a ride on a horse. 

Sometimes, I ride the horse at the Mall, but other times, I take out my own horse Sparky. 

Ol' Sparky is a great horse. For one thing, he's right here at my house. And he's happy with an imaginary carrot or invisible sugar cube.  Ol' Sparky's always up for an adventure, but he's also good if I just wanna watch a movie with him on the couch.

Friends, did you know that real horses are too big to sit on the couch, or to even come inside the house?  It's true!  And I don't even hafta mention all the stable duties we don't hafta mess with, since Ol' Sparky's a self-cleaning little horse!

Anyways, Friends, Ol' Sparky and I are gonna go on a ride now.  I'm not sure where, but it's gonna be an adventure!  I love ya lots, Friends, and I'll see ya tomorrow!  Muah!

My Pal Rozzie

I'm a lucky little girl to have a pal as perfect as Rozzie!

Hiya, Friends!

Well, now that New Year's Day is over, and we're starting to shift from Holiday Mode to Back to Everyday Mode, I gotta tell ya my secret for stayin' exuberant.  My secret to stayin' exuberant is spendin' time with my best pal Rozzie.  I just love that dog!

Besides her soft fur and her authoritative bark, Rozzie helps me stay out of the doldrums in lotsa other ways.  Most importantly, Rozzie is a great example of how to be.  You know why? Because no matter what happens to Rozzie, she's a pretty sweet dog.  Sure, she barks a LOT, but she's the appointed Guardian Dog of our House, so of course she's gonna bark at any threat, perceived or actual.  But once Rozzie decides you're okay, you can't ask for a sweeter friend.

Rozzie shares her toys with me, and it's like she just knows when I need a big hug.  Sometimes, I get in a bad mood and don't wanna hang with Rozzie, and she understands.  She doesn't take it personally when I need my space.  She's always there for me when I don't need my space.

She's a great listener, my pal Rozzie.  When the world starts to gettin' me down, all I hafta do is talk to my pal Rozzie, and I feel lots better.  She usually makes sure I get a nice dog kiss on the face after I tell her all my troubles, and that makes 'em all go away.

I hope you have a great pal like my pal Rozzie, Friends.  Everybody oughtta have a great pal like that.

I love ya lots, Friends, and I'll see ya tomorrow. We're gonna shift into Everyday Mode again together.  It's all gonna be all right!  I love ya!   Muah!

Happy New Year!

I, for one, am gonna be extra-exuberant this year!

Hiya, Big People!  Happy New Year!

You know, it just hit me that I forgot to make my New Year's resolutions for this year, so I intend to do that now.

This year, in 2016, I've decided to be extra-exuberant!  How about that?!

I think makin' a resolution about the kind of attitude I'm gonna have this year is better than tryin' to say I'm gonna do something like grow two or three or more inches tall or something.  I mean, I'll grow as much as I'm gonna, and I have very little control over that.  I can't just say on this New Year's Day that I'm gonna do this or that this year, because I just don't know what this year holds for me.  But I CAN decide right now how I'm gonna handle the New Year! 

I'm gonna handle it with a smile and big excitement!

I'm not about to tell ya what to do, Friends, or how, but I will say that when I decide I'm gonna be Happy, it usually works out for me. 

So with that in mind, Big People, lemme wanna wishyoo a Happy New Year, from the very bottom of my heart!  I love ya lots!  I'll be seein' ya right here, tomorrow!  Muah!