Pure Joy: Back Again--Anika's Educational Regimen

The disgruntled fan mail has been pouring in over the last two months:

"get off your lazy butt and give us more Anika"
you're just like every other blogger on the planet; over-promising and under-delivering"
we're strongly considering deleting Pure Joy from our favorites and going back to watching" You Tube videos of shells named Marcel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9-sEbqDvU)"

The fans have been heard and are in for an extra dose or two of Anika this week. The following is a smattering of recent Anika sightings as she nurtures her inner child prodigy.

Dad and Anika at the Minnesota Zoo together for the first time. Anika is such a frequent guest (family pass!) that the poparazzi slink around at the Zoo hoping to see her.

They are most likely to see Anika inspecting the tropical fish. The fish are Anika's favorite because she can get so close to them (and because Alicia has been taking her to the local fish store since she was born). She's already asking for scuba gear and tickets to the Great Barrier Reef for Christmas.

Anika was really mesmerized by the penguins and their jumping, and swimming, and squeaking. Unfortunately, she was terrified by all of the running, laughing, and squealing little kids who were equally energized by the penguins.

Can you believe all of these crazy and wild kids at the zoo?! Who are these kids' parents and what are they feeding them?! Is this where they make you go if you don't learn how to use an inside voice?

When Anika isn't at the zoo studying to be a zoologist, she's back at home tickling the ivories. There's no rest if you're a nine-month old under Mrs. Freeman's watch.


Getting after it Ludwig-van-Beethoven style. Clearly, Alicia has her playing tarantella in preparation for the pre-teen division Minnesota State Fair talent show.