Willa's Blog

Broken Arm

2012-02-10T19:37:00.003-06:00

Ouch! I had my first big accident this week. I fell of the slide at school and broke my arm. I'm feeling a little better now and hope to go back to school next week.

Waiting in the ER at Children's Hospital

Just out of surgery and sleeping off the anesthesia

Awake in my room watching TV

Thanksgiving at Bapcia's

2012-01-20T18:38:00.002-06:00

David and I are the official cookie servers for most major holidays at Bapcia's house. Here we are, having cookie fun with Chip and his friends, after we finished handing out the treats.

I'm 7!

2011-12-17T09:17:00.002-06:00

Happy 7th birthday to me!

Making a wish.

Opening presents

Annual birthday dinner at Chimichanga - beef & cheese tacos, a birthday bowl of ice cream with lots of whipped topping, and the wearing of a really large sombrero.

More Fun at Bapcia's

2011-11-03T09:03:00.002-05:00

Having fun at Bapcia's!

2011-10-19T19:03:00.003-05:00

Having fun at Bapcia's!

No Front Teeth!

2011-09-27T20:20:00.003-05:00

Labor Day Festivities and Fashion Camp

2011-09-18T17:17:00.002-05:00

Labor Day Fun at Bandana's Fountain (McKnight @ Manchester)

Labor Day Fun Jumping Rope at Babcia's

Strutting My Original Designs from South Broadway Art Project's Fashion Camp at the Annual South Broadway Art Project Fashion Show

One Less Tooth in My Mouth (for now)!

2011-08-26T21:36:00.003-05:00

It was a big week for me. We started school on Tuesday. As you can see by my intro picture to the right, I am now in 1st grade at St. Margaret of Scotland School. With the HOT St. Louis weather, we also had our first "heat day" on Wednesday. That meant, no school! Gramma Debbie watched me (thanks, Gramma!) and while I was there I lost my first upper tooth! It's been wiggly forever but I was still surprised when it fell out. And, as if that wasn't all exciting stuff, practice began for my 4th season of soccer! I can't believe I've done this since I was 3! Hope that we have a good season.

Camp Soulard

2011-08-14T18:33:00.004-05:00

I spent a few weeks at Camp Soulard this summer. I did one week each of Urban Camping, Culinary Arts, and Wet and Wild. Camp was a lot of fun and I had a great time making some new friends and hanging with some old ones. These photos were taken by Miss Catherine, our camp leader during the Culinary Arts camp.

Missouri Botanical Garden

2011-08-14T17:57:00.002-05:00

Had a great day with my family at the Missouri Botanical Garden today!

Colorado!

2011-07-10T17:55:00.007-05:00

Here are a few photos from our vacation to Colorado. I had a blast! The best part was riding the mules at Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. Can't wait to do that again! I'll post some more later.

(Above) Daddy trying to teach me to swim (I'm not liking this too much!)

(Above) Much happier hanging onto the side!

(Above) Daddy and me at Rocky Mountain National Park.

(Above) There was still snow in the mountains...even in July!

(Above) Got to help in a magic show in Estes Park, CO

(Above) Daddy and me in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Fruita, CO

(Above) I'm helping Park Ranger with his program at Great Sand Dunes National Park near Mosca, CO

(Above) Riding on a mule at Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in Canon City, CO

(Above) Becoming a Junior Park Ranger at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Fruita, CO

SMOS Soccer Camp

2011-06-15T19:10:00.006-05:00

We had the opportunity to go to all girl, all SMOS soccer camp at St. Louis University (SLU). Our coaches were actually the coaches from the SLU Women's Soccer Team so it was kind of a big deal for us. We had 51 St. Margaret girls sign up! It was great exercise and lots of fun too, as you can see in the photos, and, we learned a lot from the coaches. I can't wait until soccer season!

2011 City Garden Season Begins!

2011-06-09T14:04:00.004-05:00

Gramma Debbie watched me for a few days last week. She knows that my favorite place to visit in the summer is the City Garden so she took me there. I had a great time! Thanks, Gramma Debbie!

Kindermusik Graduation

2011-06-02T17:11:00.002-05:00

Fun Painting a Bus

2011-05-03T19:28:00.005-05:00

I love art. And, my parents do too so sometimes I get to go and do some fun art projects. Like this one. I got to help paint a Metro Transit Bus. It was a lot of fun and I got to paint with my favorite color - blue!

Prom!

2011-04-28T20:02:00.002-05:00

For the 2nd year in a row I was able to go to the prom with my Mom (she chaperoned). I don't get to stay the whole time, just long enough to have some prom snacks and dance a little while with the big kids. Mom didn't bring her camera but here is a few photo of me at the beginning of the night. Can you tell how excited I was?

Celebrating Easter

2011-04-25T14:02:00.004-05:00

Showing off my new scooter, which was delivered by the Texas Easter Bunny.

Hunting egg with my friend, Sorena, at Lucy's Grandparent's House. My eyes are closed but I love this picture!

Eating Easter goodies at Bapcia's

I love spending time with my family and friends on Easter. I also love all the goodies that the Easter Bunny leaves for me. Thanks, Easter Bunny!

Kindergarten Parents Lunch at SMOS

2011-04-24T09:32:00.002-05:00

Mom and Dad came to my school for the annual parents' lunch. We had lunch and then watched a presentation of photos of all the fun things that we've done this year.

Suson Park

2011-04-23T13:20:00.004-05:00

My Mom and Dad took me to Suson Park recently. Suson Park is a St. Louis county park with several picnic areas, a fishing lake, and a playground. But, we mostly went to visit with the farm animals that lived there. It wasn't a petting farm but it was still a lot of fun!

If you're interested in reading about my first experience playing kickball, click here!

What I've Been Up To

2011-04-02T22:08:00.003-05:00

Hanging out in a big tree stump with Daddy (and Mommy) at the Missouri Botanical Garden in the Climatron. We were at the garden to see the Orchid Show.

Dressed up but not-sure-I'm-ready for tree climbing with Daddy.

On my way up the tree! What a fun day.

St. Patty's Day

2011-03-27T22:56:00.003-05:00

On St. Patrick's Day, we went to Bapcia's for her annual St. Patrick's Day meal. There was so much great food to choose from - corned beef, sauerkraut, potatoes, pasta salad, and, of course, St. Patty Day cookies. After our scrumptious meal, David and I went in search of the hidden leprechaun. This year, I was lucky enough to find it!

Kindermusik with Lori

2011-03-25T12:06:00.003-05:00

I started Kindermusik when I was 9 weeks old. I've been with Miss Lori's Kindermusik school since I was 2 or 3. Now, I am 6 years old and, sadly, I'm in my last semester of Kindermusik! Can you believe it? I can't! Here are some fun pictures from last semester.

Painting Like Pollock

2011-02-17T19:31:00.002-06:00

Mommy and I went to ArtMart on January 28th to "Paint Like Pollock!" I liked being able to choose the paint colors that I liked and drip and drizzle them on to the canvas. It was hard to get the paint just like I wanted it but painting like Pollock was still a lot of fun!

Ready for Spring!

2011-02-13T09:25:00.001-06:00

Trying out my spring look. Whatcha think?

So Much Snow!

2011-02-06T21:03:00.005-06:00

I love all this snowy weather that we've been having in St. Louis! My two favorite snow activities have been sledding and anything relating to snowballs - throwing them, kicking them, karate chopping them ... you get the idea!

Playing in the snow at my house. (above)

Playing in the snow at the St. Louis Zoo. (above)

Sledding at Compton Heights Reservoir. (above)

Daddy Daughter Dance

2011-01-15T21:48:00.003-06:00

Tonight was the 1st Annual Daddy Daughter Dance at my school. Since it was a black tie affair, I got to pick out a brand new party dress and Mommy straightened my hair for me as a special treat. I had such a great time with my Daddy and my friends!

Daddy and Me

Scarlett, Ava, and Me

VIP Day at St. Margaret of Scotland

2011-01-05T13:08:00.003-06:00

Every year, we invite our grandparents (or other Very Important People) to school to celebrate mass with us as well as see some of the work that we've been doing. We also get to entertain them with songs that we've spent the beginning of the year learning. Here are a few photos from VIP day with Gramma Debbie. Thanks for spending the day with me, Gramma!

Merry Christmas

2011-01-01T21:40:00.003-06:00

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Bapcia's. I hope that your holiday was super too!

More Photos from My 6th Birthday

2010-12-09T21:45:00.002-06:00

Here are some photos that Bapcia took at my 6th birthday party.

Happy 6th Birthday to Me!

2010-12-08T11:46:00.004-06:00

It's my birthday! Yay! After all the celebrating that I've been doing for the past few days, today, December 8th, is actually my ACTUAL birthday.

These pictures are from the birthday party that I had with my friend Ava. Her birthday is December 1st so we decided to celebrate together this year! We hosted a gymnastics party at Barron's Gymnastics. Don't you just love the Ava and Willa cupcakes that her mom ordered? In case you didn't know, I'm the vanilla cupcake with the blond hair and Ava is the chocolate cupcake with brown hair.

On Sunday, we had my family birthday party at my house. This picture is of my birthday cake. Thanks to everyone that came to celebrate the day with me. And, thanks for all my nice gifts, too!

Yesterday, I took chocolate chunk cookies to school for my classroom friends so that they could help me celebrate too. Then, today, my ACTUAL birthday, is a school holiday so I am with my Gramma and Grandpa who are taking me to lunch and to see a movie. Whew! It's been such a whirlwind of festivities!

My Parents Blog Upkeeping Skills Are Lacking, Part II

2010-11-25T09:14:00.012-06:00

Another update! Woo Hoo! Here are some more photos from the last two months.

It's Fall. I love Fall...and Winter and Spring and Summer. This is me at the pumpkin patch in Webster Groves. I picked out 2 big pumpkins and a few small pumpkins and gourds.

One of my most favorite musicals of all time is Cats. Bapcia gave me a VHS copy of it a few years ago and I have probably watched it a hundred times. So, this year I wanted to be a cat for Halloween. But, not just any old cat. No, I wanted to be Cassandra from Cats. Don't feel bad if you don't know which cat is Cassandra. My Mommy didn't either. She had to spend a LONG, LONG time, going through lots and lots of internet sites, to even find out the name of the cat that matched the description that I gave her. She even found a Cassandra make-up tutorial on youtube. Unfortunately, after all the time and effort that went into finding the inspiration for my costume, I ended up going as any old black cat. Poor Mommy!

Finally! We went back out to the family farm. Lucy and her mom, Tina, met me, Mommy, and Daddy and we stayed the night. It was a lot of fun. Here is a picture of Daddy and me in the loft of the barn.

Fall means the start of soccer season at St. Margaret. I played again this year (my third season!). This year, I spent a lot of time, almost half of each game, playing goalie. I liked playing goalie because I didn't have to run as much and because Daddy got to coach me when I was in goal. But, it was boring after awhile and I wanted to be on the field, running around with my friends.

Last Sunday, Mommy and I met Lucy and her mom, Tina, at Laumeier Sculpture Park. This is absolutely one of my all time favorite places to play. Lucy and I had a lot of fun.

I think that this update catches us up to today, Thanksgiving. Mommy will post some Maine vacation photos soon and, of course, photos from my upcoming 6th birthday party!

My Parents Blog Upkeeping Skills Are Lacking

2010-11-23T12:34:00.018-06:00

Here are a few not-necessarily recent photos from the last couple of months. Actually, they're all from this past summer.

Toward the end of my summer vacation, Mommy and I went shopping for new school uniforms. This headband was the new design this year and it is made with plaid SMOS colors. Then, we had lunch at McDonald's.

The sea lion show at the St Louis Zoo is always one of my favorite things to see when we visit the zoo.

Having fun dressed as a dinosaur at the Dinoquest exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I also love getting wet in the fountain while I'm there. Daddy is a good sport and runs through it with me so that I don't have to do it by myself.

Speaking of the Botanical Garden, I also went to their annual Japanese Festival this year too. Notice my brand new Japanese dress? I got that at this year's Festival of Nations.

And speaking of the Festival of Nations, here is a photo from this year's festival in Tower Grove Park. We went with my friend Evan and his family. We were acting really silly while Mommy was trying to take a picture of us! Notice anything different about the way that I look? I've always wanted straight hair so Mommy straightened mine for the festival. I LOVED it! The Japanese (or is it Chinese?) dress that I'm wearing here was a gift from my Aunt Andrea. We visited her this summer in Maine. Mommy will post those pictures soon.

My friend Isabella and I (and our families of course!) went bowling at Tropicana Lanes in Clayton. I bowled really well especially considering it was only my second time! My Mommy LOVES this picture!

My cousins, Haleigh, Hannah, and Hayes, came to visit us in St Louis this summer and we drove to Belleville, Illinois to Eckert's where we picked apples. Aren't you just lovin' my Gramma Debbie's sunglasses?

Fun at Rock Eddy Bluff Farm

2010-10-15T22:12:00.002-05:00

Daddy and Mommy and me took a quick little vacation last weekend to a place called Rock Eddy Bluff Farm. We had a great time! I can't wait to go back.

First Day of Kindergarten!

2010-08-27T23:01:00.003-05:00

Gramma Debbie took me to my first day of Kindergarten on Tuesday. I was a little nervous about meeting some of the new kids but it ended up being a really great day! Ms. Evans, my teacher, made me feel right at home. The new kids were very nice and I also enjoyed seeing my old friends from pres-school last year. I think that it's going to be a good year.

Hip Tots at COCA

2010-08-21T22:25:00.003-05:00

I took a semester away from taking ballet at COCA. Instead, I took a dance class there called Hip Tots. Miss Sarah was still my teacher and she taught us a lot of really cool dance steps. Mommy and Grandma Debbie loved the final performance at the last class. My favorite step was a sit and spin move. Next semester, I'm back to taking ballet and I am actually starting REAL ballet! Yay! I am so excited for Ballet 1!

Humans and Machines at Camp SCOSAG

2010-08-15T13:26:00.006-05:00

I loved Camp SCOSAG so much the first time that I went back for another session in July called Humans and Machines. Here are some photos from those two fun-filled weeks.

All photographs of Willa and her SCOSAG friends are from Session III, Humans and Machines and are courtesy of SCOSAG. You can see the photos and read more about Willa's fun at their blog.

Catsup Bottle Festival 2010

2010-07-20T11:27:00.004-05:00

Along with Evan and his family, we made another visit to the annual Catsup Bottle Festival in Collinsville, IL. While I'm not too much into the games and booths, I do like surprises! And, I got two this year. First, I got the meet the St. Louis Ram and a couple of Rams cheerleaders. I didn't even know that we had a football team! And, I'm not even sure that I know what football is! Then, and this was even better, I got to meet Buckley, Jr -- also known s Bucky J (the nephew of the original Buckley) -- and two of his cousins from the Collinsville Insta-Credit Auto Mall. Hometown celebrities! Oh, and that lady from the commercials was there too. I think that her name might be Jeannie. But she didn't get into the dog pen.

I Love Gramma Debbie

2010-07-13T19:41:00.004-05:00

My Daddy and Mommy had to work last week and this week so Gramma Debbie was nice enough to volunteer to watch me. This week, I'm back for another session of SCOSAG camp, called Humans and Machines, so Gramma is only watching me before and after camp. But, last week I was able to spend the ENTIRE week, ALL day with Gramma! We had so much fun! Gramma knows the location of all the cool places that I like to frequent so we made the rounds: Missouri Botanical Garden, City Garden, and the Zoo. I also went to the hospital to visit my Great Grandma Midge. The nurses let me push her in a wheelchair! And, you know what else I did? I learned to ride a big girl bike with training wheels! I'm still in the early stages but it was quite an adventure learning to hop on, pedal, and ride around. Thanks, Gramma Debbie!

Happy Birthday, America!

2010-07-12T21:46:00.006-05:00

Working a Lemonade Stand that I was not affiliated with at the Benton Park concert. (above)

Having a blast at the Benton Park concert. (above and below)

Self portrait with Daddy at the Benton Park concert. I cut Daddy's head off. (above)

4th of July barbecue at Bapcia's. Bapcia and me in our matching outfits (above). Selecting holiday cookies with David (below).

Webster Groves Carnival and Fireworks with Lucy. (above and below)

Having fun with my buddy Lucy at the carnival!

During the 4th of July holiday weekend, we packed in a lot of stuff. On Saturday, we started the morning at the Tower Grove Farmers Market and Wading Pool. Later that evening, we went to Benton Park to watch the bands play in their concert series. I ran into a few friends and we played all night long. I also has my first 3/4 full Diet Coke! I was caffeinated all night long! On Sunday, the 4th, we went to Bapcia's house for a 4th of July barbecue. We stayed all day until it was time to go home and check on Grover. After that, we left again for Webster Groves to meet Lucy for the Webster Groves Carnival and fireworks. By the time that I got home, which wasn't until 10:30 or so, I was pooped out! But, as you can see, I had a great weekend.

Mommy and Me!

2010-07-03T22:38:00.006-05:00

(top) Beauty and the Beast photo from the Muny website. (bottom) At the Muny for the Beauty and the Beast

Daddy was out of town for a few days this week so Mommy and I tried not to miss him too much by keeping ourselves really busy. So every morning this week Mommy took me to Camp Joey at the St. Louis Zoo. I had a blast! I LOVE Camp Joey sooo much and cannot wait to sign up again next year. After camp on Tuesday, we went to see Toy Story 3 at the AMC Theater at Crestwood Mall. Although I never got to see Toy Story or Toy Story 2, I really, really enjoyed the third one. I liked it so much that I want to take my Daddy to see it too. Then, on Wednesday night, Mommy had tickets for us to see the Muny production of the Beauty and the Beast. I was very excited! We planned to go early and have a picnic dinner. By the time that we got to the Muny and sat down for our picnic, I wasn't feeling too well and I was very tired. But I really wanted to see the show so we stayed. I'm glad that we did because the show was good. I especially liked when the cast did the song "Be Our Guest" right before intermission. But, during the break, the crummies in tummy came rumbling back full force so we had to leave. Maybe I'll get to see the the rest another time! On Thursday, I was feeling well enough in the morning for my last day of Zoo Camp. Later in the day, I had dance class. And, later, while was getting ready for bed, guess who came home? Yep, my Daddy! I love my Daddy!

SCOSAG - The Art of Noise

2010-06-29T23:25:00.009-05:00

Running after counselor/professional musician Celia during the Unshowcase on the last day of camp. I'm the blondie in the blue swimsuit.

Daddy and I listening during the song portion of the Unshowcase on the last day of camp.

Performing in the deep sea skit.

Playing the accordion.

Playing the guitar with Celia.

Performance art: Screaming into the toilet.

Mine is the one that says "Yes"

I'm in the background eating lunch on my beach towel.

Learning about the science of music with Celia.

My Mom and Dad had heard a lot of positive things about the summer camps at the South City Open Studio and Gallery (SCOSAG) in Tower Grove Park. Last year, I was too young to attend but now that I'm the ripe old age of 5, I could go this summer. The two-week session that I went to was called The Art of Noise. Basically, we did all things music -- from singing music, to playing instruments, to making art about music, to learning about the science of it all we covered everything. Plus, we had a lot of fun just exploring and being in the park. I had a great time! So great, in fact, that I'm going again in July for another session called Humans and Machines.

All photographs of Willa from The Art of Noise are courtesy of SCOSAG and can be found at their blog (you can click here to read the blog in it's entirety).

What I Did Today

2010-06-26T22:56:00.006-05:00

Saturday started off pretty lazily, which is SO my style! I ate some breakfast, watched a little Arthur on the tube (actually it was through Netflix on the Wii), then I took a bath, and ate some lunch. Then, showtime! We went to see Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players at Off Broadway with my friends Emme and Griffin. What a fantastic show! After the show, we came back home and I played a little outside while Daddy tended to the chickens and yard. Next thing I know, it was dinner time -- breakfast for dinner! Mommy made pancakes and bacon! Yay! After dinner? Dessert! I picked out a box of DoFu at Jay's International Grocery. It looked SO tasty on the box but was, well, terrible! So, I threw it out and asked to ride my scooter to the park. My parents said yes. Guess what? I found out that I'm just as impatient about riding it this year as I was last. At least I'm consistent. Since we were going to the park anyway, we stopped in at the new playground, which opened earlier this year. Then, home again for some family time, peanuts, and bed. As you can see, it was a great day!

I Love My Daddy!

2010-06-20T18:58:00.003-05:00

Giving Daddy some Father's Day love at the City Diner. June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day to Bill Henske, the best daddy ever! Love, Willa

City Garden

2010-06-12T11:34:00.004-05:00

My first trip of the season to the City Garden. I love this place!

Superhero Science at the St. Louis Zoo

2010-06-10T20:38:00.002-05:00

Even though my mom forgot to tell me that I was supposed to bring a superhero to class, I had a super fun time at the Superhero Science class at the St. Louis Zoo. One of the activities that we did was make this superhero parrot. It can fly faster than any other bird world in the world because super fast flight is it's, well you know, superpower. We also got to meet some superhero animals with superpowers of their own. My favorite was the long eared owl.

Summer Vacation Has Begun!

2010-06-09T20:03:00.004-05:00

(Ab0ve and Below) At the Tower Grove Wading Pool with friends Ava and Isabella (June 7, 2010)

(Above and Below) Front Yard Features showing of The Muppet Movie in Lindenwood Park with my friend Isabella. We're pretending to be zombies! Eew, scary! (June 4, 2010)

(Above) Mugging for the camera!

Although I miss my friends from school terribly, I do love summer vacation! Here are some of the things that I'll be doing this summer:

1. Dance: I'm taking the summer off from ballet, the first time since I was 3, and taking a new dance class called Hip Tots. It starts tomorrow night and I am so excited!
2. Camps: I love going to summer camp! Next week, I'm starting a camp called The Art of Noise at SCOSAG. I'm also enrolled in week of Camp Joey at the St. Louis Zoo. I'm trying to talk my parents into a week at Grants Farm and another session of SCOSAG. We'll see what happens.
3. Water: Time to get wet! My preferred splashing around places are City Garden and the Tower Grove Park Wading Pool but there are plenty of other parks that I might try this summer too.
4. Education: I'm taking several classes at the St. Louis Zoo too. You'll see those posts as I attend the classes. My first one was Nocturnal Neighbors (see last post). Next, I went to Super Hero Science on Monday (photos to come).
5. Vacation: I think that we're going to Maine. I have cousins there so it will be a fun trip.
6. Etc: Who knows? I'm sure that we'll find something fun to do.

Nocturnal Neighbors at the St. Louis Zoo

2010-06-05T14:32:00.004-05:00

(Above) Barred Owl

(Above) Firefly light/pen craft

The education classes that the St. Louis Zoo offers are always so much fun and you get to learn really cool stuff about animals! The last class that I attended, which was called Nocturnal Neighbors, taught us about some of the animals that live around us but are only (or mostly) active at night such as toads, bats, owls, fireflies, raccoons, opossums, and Luna moths. We started inside by making some nighttime animal crafts, reading a book about bats, meeting some nocturnal animals, and mimicking bat behavior by pretending to be bats in the rotunda. Then, we went outside and learned how to look for spiders and bats and signal fireflies. We also learned out to make owl calls. You can try this activity at home: Barred owls say, "Who cooks for you, all?" and Great Horned owls deeply say, "Hoot" six times. On our way home, we were given a bat house to build at home. We have built ours already and have applied the first coat of paint on. I'll post photos when it's ready to go outside.

Learning stuff outside (above and below)

(Below) Video of our class learning the Barred and Great Horned Owl calls

My Adventure to the Nail Salon

2010-06-03T20:09:00.005-05:00

When I went to my cousin Hayes's first birthday party last month, I noticed that his older sisters had their finger and toe nails painted especially for the occasion. What I especially liked was the little daisy that was painted on their big toe nails. I really wanted mine done like that too but I couldn't because my school has a dress code and nail polish is not allowed. Since school is now out for the summer my mom took me to the nail salon yesterday. I love how my nails turned out!

Bee have this summer!

2010-06-01T12:16:00.007-05:00

I got to help inspect the beehives at MRH today with my dad and Kay. As the first real day of summer vacation, there were not a too many middle schoolers up that early so I really had to help! I got to use the smoker to get the bees calm and the bee brush to move them out of the way.
I found the queen before anyone else! She has a white dot so you can tell her from the others.
The worst part was getting suited up in the humid St. Louis weather.

Brushing the bees.

Looking for drones.

Busy bees.

I'm smoking the bees to keep them calm for my dad.

Queen Linda

The most important thing about working with bees is that you move slowly and carefully.

Ballet Recital

2010-05-29T14:46:00.003-05:00

This is from my last ballet recital at COCA in May. I think that I have one more semester of Ballet II before I can go into the big girl ballet classes.

Finally Outta the House!

2010-05-24T06:52:00.002-05:00

Daddy and Mommy have been so busy with work that we haven't had a lot of adventures lately. With this being the last week of school, that should change (finally!). But, we did manage an outing yesterday with Evan and his family. First we went to the Darwin exhibit at the Science center. Then, we went to the playground in Forest Park. Good times.

Turtle Park

2010-04-21T21:38:00.006-05:00

This is a busy time of year for us so it's been a while with little free time. Just to try to get caught up since last time... what? pictures from Good Friday! Wow... it has been a while.
This was when I decided to take our day off and go to the Turtle Park, and so did everyone from every Catholic school in the area! There were lots of kids to play with and I had a great time with my dad who also got the day off!

What I've Been Doing Lately

2010-03-27T15:37:00.002-05:00

Playing at the Children's Zoo (above and below)

Visiting the World Bird Sanctuary

I did marker art on my legs and feet

Helping Daddy with planting the backyard garden.

Buk buk buk buk buk buk buk ... Please don't eat me! ... bawk-a bwak-a bwak-a ...

2010-03-21T15:17:00.003-05:00

I came home from school last Tuesday to find that my parents had bought 5 Buff Orpington chicks. Wow! I was so thrilled! Since then, it's been exciting getting to know them and take care of them. I even named them: Willa, Ava, Abby, Madison, and Scarlett. Willa is the bossy one! I'm still getting used to holding them (so is my Mom!) but I've gotten really good and feeding them and keeping their water fresh and clean.

First Tooth

2010-02-28T09:51:00.002-06:00

Wild Valentines

2010-02-14T22:29:00.004-06:00

My cricket tube is the one at the top decorated with hearts. (above)

Making my special valentine for the Amur Tigers. (above)

Big boxes filled with the stinky hay that we made. (above)

Some Zoo friends and me in front of the stinky hay boxes. (above)

The Amur Tigers investigate the stinky hay box that was dropped in from the bridge. (above)

Yesterday, I participated in the St Louis Zoo's Wild Valentines program where we made Valentines for some of the Zoo animals. First, we decorated old paper towel tubes with Valentine Day designs. We then filled the tubes with crickets as treats for the Fennec Foxes and Meerkats in the Children's Zoo. I also helped fill a heart-shaped pinata with seeds for Bonnie the Parrot who lives there too. We got to take a secret underground passageway to the Children's Zoo and watch as the keepers feed the goodies to the animals. The meerkats were very, very excited about their treats but the foxes and the parrot didn't seem too interested. The keepers told us that they would probably dig in later that night. Next, we made stinky hay by spraying it with smelly perfume and spices. The keepers told us that the big cats really love stinky smells. Then, we filled huge cardboard boxes with it as treats for the Amur Tigers. We walked up to Big Cat Country and watched as one of the stinky hay boxes was thrown off the bridge into the tigers exhibit. The tigers loved it! I also made a special Valentine for the tigers that was delivered to the Tigers keeper too. I wonder if they got it today?

Birthday Party Fun!

2010-02-13T19:14:00.003-06:00

Me at Hannah's Pinkalicious Party (above)

Me at Cooper's Party (above & below)

One thing that I've noticed since I've started Pre-K is that kids love to have birthday parties! Here are a few pictures from the most recent parties I've attended. On the 6th, we celebrated my cousin Hannah's 4th birthday in Bloomington, IL at a place called The Jump Spot. Then, on the 7th, my friend Cooper celebrated her 6th birthday at a place called Once Upon a Bash in Maplewood. We dressed up like fairies and put on make-up and played. At cake time, we ate fancy cake and had our drinks in fancy tea cups. Both of these parties were a lot of fun! Tomorrow, I'm going to my friend Jess' party. He's going to be 5 like me!

It's Fun Being a Junior Park Ranger!

2010-01-18T21:20:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, we went with Evan's family to the boyhood home of President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln City, IN. After completing all the required tasks, Evan and I were sworn in as official Junior Park Rangers! This was my 3rd Junior Ranger badge -- first the Arch, then Yellowstone, & now Lincoln's home. Next, we drove to Vincennes, IN where we visited the George Rogers Clark National Park. Here, too, Evan and I completed the Junior Ranger program. This was my 4th Junior Ranger badge! We had a lot of fun playing around in both places. And it wasn't even too cold -- 42 degrees! Who needs a coat anyway?

Loose ends!

2010-01-02T23:03:00.004-06:00

Where does the time go? Meant to post this photo from back during September Ken Burns National Park party at Evans. Our national park was not done in time and I just found the photos languishing in an unnamed folder :(

BTW- I penguins don't live in Montana

More Christmas Fun 2009

2010-01-01T13:19:00.003-06:00

Up-close fun in the bed tent that Santa gave me!

Having fun in the tent bed and sleeping bag that Santa gave me!

Goofing around in the Santa hat on Christmas Eve at Bapcia's house.

Admiring Bapcia's Garfield Christmas town on Christmas Eve.

Playing with Bapcia's Garfield Christmas town on Christmas Eve.

St Margaret of Scotland School Annual Christmas Musical 2009

2009-12-30T09:17:00.004-06:00

This year's we performed a musical called Baa Baa Bethlehem. Like last year, the Montessori kids (that's me!) were angels. We wore specially made t-shirts and golden halos made out of garland. We sang Gloria - similar to the Gloria in the song Hark the Herald Angels Sing. As you can see by the photos, everybody was filled with excitement and motion as we waited in the church for the musical to begin. My friends and I couldn't even sit still for a photo op.

Christmas Snow Fun!

2009-12-28T10:00:00.002-06:00

Santa left me a lot of super great presents all over town -- my house, Bapcia's house, and Grandma Debbie's house. Thanks so very much Santa! And, as if that wasn't great terrific, it also snowed!

I Love Cupcakes!

2009-12-24T08:56:00.003-06:00

Photo courtesy of O.Perez

My friend Ava had a birthday party last weekend. Here I am enjoying my chocolate, butter creme frosted, from the Cupcakery cupcake. Yum!

Laumeier Sculpture Park Fun November 2009

2009-12-23T14:04:00.003-06:00

More Birthday Party Photos

2009-12-22T09:13:00.004-06:00

Photos Courtesy of Babcia and/or Grandma Debbie

Few Party Pictures

2009-12-07T21:13:00.004-06:00

I had a great time at my party. I am so thankful for everyone who came out to help me celebrate my 5th year. I really means a lot to me.

2009-12-01T16:18:00.001-06:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Grandparents Day at SMOS 2009

2009-11-29T15:58:00.003-06:00

Thanks to Grandma Debbie for the photos!

Every year at St. Margaret, we honor our grandparents or other the V.I.P. in our lives by inviting them to come to our school for a celebration. I invited my Grandma Debbie to spend the day with me. First, the grandparents come in the morning for a quick coffee and social hour. Then, they head to the classrooms for to meet our teachers and friends and see the work that we've been doing. I was in a different Montessori class last year with different teachers so Grandma Debbie really liked being able to see the new classroom that I am in this year and meeting all 4 of my new teachers. After we got settled in, my class treated the grandparents and V.I.P.'s to a few songs. This year we sang: Leaves Are Falling, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, and another song that I can't remember right now. Eventually, our grandparents went into the gym for a whole school performance. The best part was when we got to sing Do-Re-Mi from the Sound of Music. If you ever want me to sing it for you, I can do the chorus pretty well.

After the program was over, I went home with Grandma Debbie for the afternoon. We made Christmas tree ornaments from dough and then painted them after they hardened. It was a fun day and I especially liked making my own ornaments.

Another Fun Day with Bapcia!

2009-11-10T16:05:00.003-06:00

Fun with Stickers!

Outside Feeding the Birds

The Birds LOVE the Breadcrumbs that I Leave Them!

Fun with Prisms

On Friday, we had the day off due to parent-teacher conferences. I asked Daddy if he would arrange for me to spend the day with Bapcia. Lucky for me, he agreed! So, here are some of the things that I did while I was there. Please note that I'm wearing a very special, very beautiful new outfit from my Grandpa Mike. Thanks, Grandpa Mike!

Day of the Dead

2009-11-09T11:48:00.005-06:00

On Sunday, November 1st, I went to Evan's annual Day of the Dead celebration. First, we decorated sugar skulls and skull cookies. Then we made our own papel picado. Finally, we made altars. My altar was dedicated to my Daddy's Grandparents, Victor and Eugenia Panus. After sharing our altars with everyone in the group, we went outside for leaf pile and tag fun. By the way, my Mommy's camera was acting up so thanks to the Morton-Holdens for the photos above.

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T21:59:00.003-05:00

My pumpkin design is an original

Mommy's pumpkin - Design from online, Drawn and carved by Daddy

My Halloween Costume -- Little Orphan Annie

Halloween Family Portrait 2009, Little Orphan Annie, Daddy Warbucks, and Sandy

Your barn door's open

2009-10-20T19:45:00.005-05:00

Fall soccer is in full swing, along with what seems to be the Autumnal Birthday Season. Weekends are pretty busy during the school year so it got me to thinking about some less stressful times at the farm and the zoo with my family.

I'm Famous

2009-10-13T20:58:00.003-05:00

This was the piece of art that I made that was on display at the Shaw Art Festival. I hope tht you like it!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-11T08:23:00.002-05:00

On the way to Bapcia's I spotted a pumpkin patch at the corner of Berry and Lockwood streets in Webster Groves. Daddy told me that we couldn't stop in the morning but could come back another time. After ballet and a quick trip to the mall on Saturday, we drove back to the pumpkin patch. We picked out 3 big pumpkins - one for me, one for Daddy, and one for Mommy - and 3 little ones - for Grover, Bernice, and Man Man. Daddy says that we can carved them later today after soccer.

1st Day off of the School Year!

2009-10-10T18:00:00.002-05:00

On Friday, we were off school for a teacher meeting, so I got to spend the entire day with Bapcia! Yeah! One of the highlights was when Bapcia found a special costume in the attic. Naturally, I had to put it on. Costume and mask and~ voila~ I'm Garfield! Bapcia and I had so much fun that I didn't want to leave when it was time to go.

SMOS Soccer 2009

2009-09-22T21:20:00.005-05:00

Soccer season has started again and I am super excited! We have a bunch of new young players. Now I am one of the big kids! The uniforms are fancier than last year and I got a new number- 20- check it out. I still prefer going to practice over the games but that's just because we get to walk to the park and stop by the store afterward.

My games are Sunday. You can check out the schedule online from the league's website. Hope to see you there.

Polish Fest

2009-09-15T17:57:00.008-05:00

I love festivals but there is so little time these days. We popped into the St. Louis Polish Festival long enough for some pirogi, sausage, and polka. Here are the action shots of the Dude and me. The Duck Game has been relegated to 12 ducks floating in a bucket but the food and music were great. Gotta love the name Honky Express for a polka band.

Now That Summer is Over

2009-09-04T20:46:00.003-05:00

On August 26th, I started my first day of my second year of Pre-K. Yes, I am a big kid now. And, since I am a big kid I get to be in the No-Nap class. Woo Hoo! So this is my morning routine. I go to school around 7am and Mrs. Chambers, the 6th grade teacher, watches me until it's time to go to my class at 7:50am. In the morning, I go to Enrichment class which, from what I can tell, is mostly art, music, sharing, and reading. Oh, and recess. My teachers are Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Jordan. I love going to Enrichment. After lunch and recess with my friends, I head off to do my work. My afternoon teachers are Miss Krausch and Sister Mary Jo. I like this class too but sometimes it hurts my head to think so much.

I don't have any pictures to post yet from the new school year so I am going to post more ballet pictures. These were taken two or three weeks ago on the last day of the summer session. My new session starts the Saturday after next. I'm also posting a picture of the funny plant that I made in Gotta Grow! camp the Missouri Botanical Garden. He's really sprouting some hair now!

What I Did This Summer, Entry V (#2) - Hanging with the Henskes, Part Deux (aka Call Me Flo)

2009-08-18T07:47:00.002-05:00

During my second vacation with Bapcia, I also played a really fun dress up game called Waitress. It was loads of fun! Here's how the game is played. You get dressed up in your waitress uniform. Then you have to find a pad of paper and a pencil. Oh, and you need a place for your diner. Next? Customers! After that, the fun begins!

What I Did This Summer, Entry V (#1) - Hanging with the Henskes, Part Deux

2009-08-16T18:43:00.004-05:00

Daddy and Mommy started back to work last week so I got to spend a second "vacation" with Bapcia. Bapcia took me to eat at McDonald's because she knows that I love those little Beanies that have been in the Happy Meals for a few weeks now. It was a great outing! And, I got a two flamingos (some really nice lady at the restaurant gave me hers) and a skunk. Bapcia also made me one of my favorite sandwiches for lunch -- peanut butter heart sandwiches! After lunch, we took the crust out in the backyard to feed the birds. Bapcia also introduced me to Alf! She practically had the whole TV series on DVD so we watched so many episodes! And, the best surprise was when she got out the Alf doll! He even talked. A lot.

What I Did This Summer, Entry IV - Meeting My New Cousin

2009-08-11T20:51:00.004-05:00

One of the most exciting things that I did this summer was meeting my new cousin, Hayes. He's three months old now and so, so cute! And, Aunt Tracy thought that I was old enough to feed him a bottle. I did a great job feeding lil' Hayes and I was so proud of myself for not dropping him or making him cry.

What I Did This Summer, Entry III - Hanging with the Henskes

2009-08-09T08:51:00.003-05:00

My Daddy and Mommy are usually off most of the summer but there was a week recently when both of them had to work. That was great for me because I got to spend the week with Bapcia! I always have so much fun with Bapcia. One day that week, Bapcia and I went to have lunch with my cousin David and his Grandma at McDonald's. Then, we went to the Dollar Store. That's my kind of day! But, I also got a nice surprise when Uncle John and Aunt Sarah came to pick me up for some adventures. The first adventure was to the Zoo (as you know, my favorite place). The second adventure was to Lafayette Park and their apartment. We had tons of fun! I can't wait to spend some more time with them. And, I might just get my chance this week because my Daddy and Mommy are returning to work and I'm spending the week at Bapcia's!

What I Did This Summer, Entry II - Cultural Institutions

2009-08-08T04:57:00.005-05:00

The Zoo - Above - Sea Lion Show and Below - The Carousel

Swimming in the Art at City Garden - Above

Having fun at Missouri Botanical Garden - Above and Below

I also spent my summer visiting fun places around the St Louis area. The St Louis Zoo is my favorite place to visit and I could go again and again and again. One of my new favorite places to visit is the City Garden. I love it! But I like going to the Missouri Botanical Garden and Laumeier Sculpture Park too. I also like going to the library (and I have my own library card now!). Our local branch is called Carpenter. And, I even like -- although not as much because you have to been quiet for a long time -- going to the St Louis Art Museum.

What I Did This Summer, Entry I - Summer Camps

2009-08-07T09:37:00.003-05:00

One thing that I did this summer was participate in a few summer camps. These are the ones that I attended:

St Louis Zoo's Camp Joey
Laumeier Sculpture Park's Art Tales
COCA's Under the Big Top
Missouri Botanical Garden's Gotta Grow

I had a great time at all of the camps but Camp Joey was my favorite one. I wish that I could have done that camp all summer long! I didn't get any pictures of my camp experiences except for the ones at COCA. The last day of camp, the camper always hold a performance to show the parents what we've been working on all week long. We showed our parents the tricks that we learned on the tightrope, trapeze, and big balancing ball. We also showed them our clowning skills.

University City Summer Band

2009-07-13T17:36:00.004-05:00

Miss Lori is wearing the yellow shirt and holding her sax.

Daddy and I read the program.

Last Tuesday, we went to listen to my Kindermusik teacher Lori Burkhardt play sax in the University City Summer Band. She was terrific! Miss Lori was even featured in a sax duet with another band member. It was so exciting to see Miss Lori in a different environment doing something that I've never see her do before. And, judging by the length of her hair, I predict that she's doing Locks of Love again....I'll have to ask her the next time I see her.

July 4th Fun

2009-07-04T23:06:00.003-05:00

It was a rainy Independence Day and I didn't think that we'd get to have any outside fun at Bapcia's today. But, the sky did clear so out we went. Hula hooping has become a favorite pastime at Bapcia's. David insists he is the champion and he's probably right since no one else can do it as long as he can. I can't do it at all yet so Daddy and I invented a game called Hula Hoop on the Jump Rope. The trick is to keep the hula hoop on the rope while you turn it. Trust me, it is a lot more fun than it sounds. Daddy and I also got into the creek looking for toads. We found a little one and brought it home to live near our pond.

Friends and Fun at Hartford Coffee

2009-07-03T17:18:00.004-05:00

Willa, taken by Lauren or Payton (above)

Lauren, taken by Payton

Lauren, Me, and Payton

You may have noticed that I successfully completed my first year of pre-kindergarten at St Margaret of Scotland School. Woo Hoo! I learned so much and had so much fun. It was a great year! And, I'm very much looking forward to going back for my second year of pre-k.

My very first friend at St Margaret's was Lauren. We met the night of the new families ice cream social and realized that we actually knew each other from Kindercare. Since that night, we have been good friends. At the end of the year, Lauren told us that her family was moving to Las Vegas and would not be returning next year. I was so sad! Luckily, we had a chance to get together one last time before she left. So, Lauren and I splashed around at the fountain in Tower Grove Park for a bit. Then, we headed over to Hartford Coffee where we met up with Ava, Mia, Jack, Payton, Evey, Cate, and Griffin for a final goodbye to Lauren and her mommy, Stephanie. Here are some pictures from that night. Some of these were taken by my friends Lauren and Payton.

Willa on Vacation

2009-06-30T20:01:00.001-05:00

P1010931
Originally uploaded by henskechristine

Over look onto Yellowstone River. I think might be Artist's Point.

Easy Squeezy and Julius Squeezer

2009-06-24T18:44:00.003-05:00

Me and Julius Squeezer (above)

Me and Easy Squeezy (above)

For those of you who haven't seen my recent snake photos on Facebook, here they are. These are my two snakes, Easy Squeezy and Julius Squeezer. Well, Easy Squeezy actually belongs to a friend of Daddy's from school but Julius belongs to us. We got Julius from Aunt Jennifer and Cousin Andrew when he was a baby. Now, both snakes live at Daddy's school during the school year but I get to keep them at my house over the summer. It's been a lot of fun caring for the snakes. I'm going to miss them terribly when they leave in August.

Yellowstone and Teton Fun

2009-06-18T21:34:00.002-05:00

My family and I took a vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We just got back a couple of days ago. Here are some of my favorite photos of our trip.

Summer Adventure #1 St Louis Zoo

2009-06-03T08:13:00.002-05:00

I went to the St Louis Zoo yesterday with a few friends from St. Margaret of Scotland. I love going to the Zoo but it was even more fun going with my friends!

Swimming at Lucy's Grandparent's Pool

2009-06-02T16:05:00.002-05:00

Lucy's Mom, Tina, their dog, Bubba, and Me.

My friend Lucy invited me to swim at her grandparent's pool last Sunday afternoon. I'm not too confident in the water yet but I did have fun making everyone pull me around in a raft.

Why Yes, I Am a Junior Park Ranger!

2009-06-01T19:59:00.004-05:00

My friend Evan has be sworn in as a Junior Park Ranger (JPR) in several locations across the country. This just means that when he goes to a National Park or historic site or somewhere where there are park rangers (and they have the JPR program), he completes a series of tasks so that he can earn a Park Ranger badge. For his 6th birthday this year, Evan took his friends to the Arch so that they could become JPR's too. First, we made t-shirts to mark the occasion. Then, we rode the Metrolink to the Arch, which was a lot of fun. Then, we got our JPR booklets and set out to earn our badges. As you can see, we all completed the program and were sworn in as official Rangers.

Snakes!

2009-05-27T21:15:00.003-05:00

My friend Eva's Dad breeds Ball Pythons so he brought in a few to school today. It was very interesting and I liked seeing the snakes teeth. I forgot to tell Eva's Dad that my Dad has Ball Pythons at school too! If you can't see me, I'm in the back row on the right. Mrs. Gentsch, my teacher, is the grown-up in the back row on the left. Eva is in front of Mrs. Gentsch and her Dad is the one holding the snake.

Memorial Day Fun

2009-05-26T21:14:00.003-05:00

We spent Memorial Day at Bapcia's house. One of my favorite holiday activities at Bapcia's is serving the Clayton's cookies to everyone after dinner. It's a lot of fun and the cookies are delicious! I ate two flag cookies on Monday. Yummy stuff!

Kids Day at Cahokia Mounds

2009-05-17T21:48:00.002-05:00

My Daddy, Mommy, and I went to Kids Day at Cahokia Mounds today. We started off in the interpretative center, which I really liked a lot. Then, we headed outside to touch animal skins, pinch clay pots, grind corn, and get my face painted. Afterward, we hiked along the mound trail, eventually making our way up to Monk's Mound (150 stairs!). When we were done, we walked back, watched Indian dancers, and ate kettle corn. It was lot of fun!

Peter Rabbit

2009-05-14T20:15:00.004-05:00

My classmates and I put on a performance of Peter Rabbit for our parents. Some of the older kids, who were five, got speaking parts while the rest of us were part of the chorus. It was a lot of fun singing -- "Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit, You bet-ter mind your mother......"

Ribbon Dancing Fun

2009-05-10T20:51:00.001-05:00

Perfect weather to practice my ribbon dancing. Maybe my Daddy will post the video of my ribbon dancing too.

Stingrays at Caribbean Cove

2009-05-09T10:31:00.007-05:00

Last night, we went to the Zoo to pet the stingrays in the new attraction called Stingrays at Caribbean Cove. I was so excited at first but then I got afraid when I saw how big and fast some of those stingrays were. In the end, I did pet a few and it was so much fun!

Science Center Fun

2009-05-02T20:20:00.004-05:00

Evan and I went to the Science Center last Sunday for DNA Day 2009. We isolated our DNA in a test tube and made DNA bracelets. We also had some chemistry fun and got to wear lab goggles. Since my Mom and Dad's photos are still on the camera, I borrowed these from Evan's Mom and Dad's Flickr site. Thanks!