A Sparkling Good Time

Looking forward to spring, I have given up hope for any snow after a day like today, it was beautiful, sunny and warm. We threw open the windows to let in all that beautiful fresh warm air, it felt good and then...

I noticed my windows needed cleaning ( the downside of sun) when it's dark I can ignore that my windows need help, but today was not that day. And then like in the book When You Give A Mouse A Cookie... noticed that the cupboard needed organizing and while organizing the cupboards I noticed the floors needed cleaning...etc, it went on like that until the kitchen sparkled and I just have to say I LOVE SPRING CLEANING! It's better than any other kind of cleaning there is.

All Hail the Queen

Annette is sick this week, we are knee deep in the 'flu' that I had hoped to avoid with all the shots we had this fall. This will be a light blogging week but here are some things said by the same little gal.


I was helping Annette the other day she told me to do something. TOLD me.
My response was "You aren't the queen, you ask mommy and say please." to which she said. Yes I am. I'm the baby queen!"

While putting her to bed last night she asked for another book, I said "Sure, but just one." holding up one finger to show her I meant one book. She got really excited and said "hey I have one too!" she held up one finger and said, very proud of herself, : "See I have one and you have one, we can read two stories."

Yep, she just may be the baby queen.

That's My Baby: Anya

Oh,That's My Baby: Lila

Beautiful Smiles

While rummaging through our pictures I found some of Paul's Grandma Myrtle as a young girl, they reminded me of photos of my own girls, who like to hear stories of little girls past and what life was like. These pictures tell the story of how some things stay the same, little girls and their smiles, the special way they look at life and how they enhance ours for knowing them.

Back to You

I watch the Today show just about every morning. However after this afternoon I might be rethinking that or signing Lila up for junior journalism classes.

I usually record the show and then watch it a couple of hours after it starts, picking and choosing what I want to see. The kids know who Matt and Meredith are and notice when Al or Anne aren't there. Lila in particular asks me where they are, and what they're doing.

Like I would know, because we're all the best of friends.

Today we spent the day today at Papa and Mama's house, escaping the rain at our house in exchange for the blustery rain at theirs. The weather was worse but the company much more fun than just ourselves. We had cabin fever, and needed a change!

After lunch and chasing Papa around for an hour or so , Anya challenged Papa to a game of checkers while Lila found a magnifying glass that looks (to a five year old) like a microphone and started some reporting. It was going for at least twenty minutes when I heard snatches of 'hundreds of tigers were found in the park today in the port city of Baal...back to you Meredith,' and 'there was a fire today in the town of ___ and no one died, however the firemen did not make it... , there were killer caterpillars, what do you think Al?...'

In fact she is still at it now, while I type this, although I have now started to block it out a bit. Her imagination is on full blast and then she is interviewing the family as if they were at the scene.

You just never know what a rainy day might bring.

Cozy Time

I love lazy days, they're cozy.

Little Helpers

I was refilling the sugar canisters after a trip to Costco this week, and putting away all our other purchases when Lila asked to help, put a way the "donuts". I knew she meant the bagels and told her sure, but to wait for mommy to finish her job first.

She went on talking about how she was going to help and leave some in the bag for the downstairs freezer, and put some away in the kitchen. "OK, sure" I replied, distracted by work, which might have been a mistake You know it's always a good idea to keep track of busy five year olds.


She didn't wait.


"Mommy look, I helped put away the donuts" she very proudly told me.



Here are some other helping moments in the life of the zoo.

Anya as a baby "helping" Mommy with her hair.

Helping bring in the loot, from our last big pirate raid.

Helping keep a little sister busy while another sister's hair is being done.

And finally Annette's cookie after "Helping".

Can you find the cookie under there?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the crew at the Zoo

Changing the World, One Diaper at a Time

Hello, I have a new way to find my blog @ mybeautifulzoo.com. Paul, my husband and head Lion at the zoo, made the link with the intent to add it to his business web site: http://shinebydesign.com/.

A little info about my zoo: We are a family of five. Dad is as mentioned before the lion of the family, I am head zoo keeper, and all that entails. We have three beautiful little girls, Anya a giraffe, Lila the monkey, and our little koala bear Annette, all sweet, funny and very busy. Ages six, three, and 18 months.
This past year has been a fun one. I am a teacher who "retired" to start a family, and just downsize to a smaller class size of diverse age, and needs. My class goes everywhere with me. I mean that quite literally as most mothers can attest, how many of us have had an interrupted shower or bathroom break? We have classes in everything: from the basic three R's, to cooking classes for all ages, car detailing, art, gardening, child care, decorating, religion and politics. You get the idea. Our kids are our life, teaching them is what we do, with some very funny results... After talking about the stars one day, how to find the big dipper etc. Lila our three year old said: "Look mommy, I see the big diaper!".
It is so exciting to see them learn; I had a thrill when Anya read her first book to me, and with Lila learning her letter sounds we are well on our way to another reader. I look forward to the day they join me in our own Jane Austin book club. I already have them hooked on the movies.

More to come later, but the zoo calls.

Alisha