Seven

Dearest Mia,
Tomorrow is your seventh birthday! You have grown up so much this past year. (I say that every year, but it's true!) You are old enough now to read this blog, and we want you to know we are so proud of you. You continue to spread joy wherever you go, but also you have shown some maturity in the way you handle challenges in your life. We see in your relationships how compassionate and loyal you are. And you are also turning out to be very practical, like your mother, who just happens to love making lists:) 

So without further ado, here are 10 fun facts about you at seven:

• When you grow up, you still want to be an artist.

• You favorite color has changed from blue to black (but blue is still a close second).

• You are very determined when you want something. For example, you worked hard and after many falls, you learned to roller skate this year.

• Your love of music and musicals continues to grow. You were in your first school play, "Aladdin," and you loved the experience. You saw "The Sound of Music" for the first time, and you were also in the musical "Mulan" at your drama camp this summer. 

• You have a great imagination. You can still spend an entire afternoon playing with a cardboard box.

• You love performing. Last spring, you learned how to memorize and recite a poem, and courageously volunteered to do so in front of the whole school. 

• You had your first taste of coffee this summer. (What?!)

• You are a good traveler, and have mastered the "art" of the road trip. You had your first visit to Disney World last spring, and it blew your mind.

• You still love reading. You love the thrill of getting wrapped up in a story and are content to spend an entire day finishing a book. Laura Ingalls Wilder is still one of your biggest heroes.

• You love to try new things. You have a natural curiosity about the world, and you love learning, at home, at school and in nature. 

Feliz cumpleanos, miamor. We are enjoying rediscovering the world with you. We look forward to many more joyous turns around the sun with you in this Spaceship Earth :)

Love you always,
Mami and Papi

Six

Dearest Mia,

Next week you start Kindergarten and you are SO ready! As if that weren't exciting enough, you also have your 6th birthday next week. We are all very excited for this next stage. You have grown up a lot this year, and you've had a lot of firsts. Your enthusiasm, curiosity and joie de vivre are infectious. People are always commenting on how you never stop smiling. We are so very proud of you. Here are some fun facts about you at almost-six:

• You lost your first tooth this year (actually, you lost two). Mami is going to miss those baby teeth.
• You don't seem to need Canela (the stuffed bear) quite as much anymore. In fact, you specified that we leave her behind on a recent vacation to Florida! 
• You learned how to tell a joke, and about the importance of delivery and comedic timing. 
• You learned to ride your bike without training wheels! Hurray!

• You learned to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for yourself.
• You made friends playing little league soccer, your first team sport! And you even scored a couple goals.
• Daddy taught you how to grow vegetables in our garden.

• You had your first pen pal (Mimi). 
• Lately you seem to have an inner struggle about doing and liking "big girl" things, but you have unequivocally decided that "Dora the Explorer is for babies."
• Your favorite book series is "The Magic Tree House." 
• You are still an EARLY riser.
• A couple of weeks ago you went to New York with daddy and saw "Annie," your first BROADWAY musical. It blew you away. You are playing the soundtrack and singing along, NONSTOP. More NY photos here.

Feliz cumpleanos, miamor! Thank you for making our lives brighter. We love you.

Trees on Fire

People said autumn in Asheville would be pretty, but we had no idea how spectacular it actually would be. I find myself gasping repeatedly during my commute or being compelled to pull over to photograph a tree that will be bare in a couple weeks. It's hard to show the intense color in pictures, but some trees look almost neon. Thanks for the eye candy, Mother Nature!

Pioneer Girl

Dearest Mia,
Last week you turned FIVE years old! We can hardly believe it. We celebrated your birthday with new friends this year, and you had a blast. (Photos here.) The past eight months have been a roller coaster ride, and you handled it amazingly well. You had a lot of goodbyes with friends and family, first in Portland, then in Miami. That was the hardest part, but through it all, you never stopped smiling.

Here are some fun facts about Mia at five:

1.  You are as headstrong as ever, and you are proud to be able to do "big-girl" things such as tying your own shoes. But, Canela, your precious, still goes everywhere with us:

2.  You love pre-K, and you are making friends fast at your new school. You've started reading and writing! Your favorite classes are science and art.
3.  You have a penchant for drama. You LOVE to play pretend, but you are not big on improv. You prefer to write everyone's lines when you play. (We think what you really want to do is direct ;)
4.  Your favorite TV shows are "Phineas and Ferb," "Atencion Atencion" and "Sid the Science Kid."
5.  Although you have quite a few "fancy" toys, the allure of a cardboard box is still irresistible:

6.  Your favorite color is still blue... (and purple and pink and green...)
7.  You still love books, and for the past six months you were obsessed with the "Little House on the Prairie" series and pioneer life. You even went as far as to make us call you Mary Ingalls on a daily basis while Canela played the mischievious Laura. And you insisted on calling us "Ma" and "Pa." (Refer to #3.) I think the story resonated with you because the main character is a four-year-old girl whose family moves cross-country :)
8.  You started school about a month ago, and you've had a runny nose ever since (not-so-fun fact).
9.  You LOVE music, and you love to dance. You like salsa and reggae and rock! The other day you said, "I love any song with a guitar in it."
10.  You continue to crack us up with your great comedic timing. For example, recently you said: "Mommy, I am grateful for everything you do... Well, not so much the timeouts."

Happy birthday, Miamor! We love you!

La Odisea: Part 1

Media Alert! This blog is back "on the air" and reporting from beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, after a long hiatus and cross-country odyssey. Here is an update on what we've been up to. Links to photos throughout.

After 12 years, it was tougher than we imagined to leave Portland and our wonderful friends and family there. The last couple of months were a series of dinners and gatherings as our "peeps" came out to help us move and wish us well. We felt very fortunate and very loved :)

Our dear friend Kenji flew all the way from Osaka, Japan, to accompany Keenan on the "great American road trip," from Portland, OR, to Miami, FL, carrying with them very special canine cargo, our boxer Mona. Kenji, an excellent documentarian, took many photos of their trek across 16 states in 12 days with "layovers" in Asheville and New Orleans.

Then I got to be a tourist in the city I grew up in and show Kenji around Miami, which was a blast. We'll have more photos to share soon, but these should keep you busy for a while! :)

MUCH LOVE,
Team Bartscher

Feliz Cumple, Papi!

You're still my hero. Te quiero mucho y lo voy a cantar de las montanas :)

"Those schoolgirl days, of telling tales and biting nails are gone, 

But in my mind, 

I know they will still live on and on, 

But how do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume? 

It isn't easy, but I'll try,

If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky in letters, 

That would soar a thousand feet high, 

To Sir, with Love..."

Feelin' the Love in Florida

Team Bartscher together again. Everglades National Park, 11/11/11.

Howdy, partner

Lucky 13

Feliz aniversario, mi amor. Here's to our next adventure!

"I'm four yeeuhs ode"

Mia was very, very excited about her birthday party this year which we celebrated at the Portland Children's Museum. [I think it finally hit me that she was turning four, and I couldn't stop thinking (and laughing) about the Bill Cosby "Jeffrey" bit.]

Thank you kindly to Mimi and Breanne for taking such great pictures. Check out the slideshow here.

Maui Memories (videos)

We had a wonderful time in Maui with the family a few weeks ago. It was a very special and fun trip, and Mia had a lot of quality time with her cousin/hero Adam.

Every morning we rose to the sweet song of the island birds.

One day we went on a catamaran excursion to see wild dolphins. Mia (well-trained after watching many episodes of "Go, Diego, Go!") decided it was her duty to summon the dolphins with a high pitched squeal, which she proceeded to do the ENTIRE boat trip.

We all shared our photos in an online album here.

Aloha!

Ten Things We Love About You

Dearest Mia,

In a few weeks you'll have your fourth birthday. How time has flown! You have left behind a lot of baby things this year and are quickly becoming a "little kid." Here are some fun facts about you at four:

1. You are starting to read, and you've been practicing writing a lot at Nana's house. You can write a few words pretty well, including your name, and you are always asking us how to spell a word.
2. You've branched out from Dora the Explorer ;-). Your new favorites are the lovely Kipper and Blue's Clues.
3. You've been playing "mommy" a lot more lately. Your baby's name is Freddy, and oddly enough, she gets in trouble for many of the same things that you do. :-)
4. Your vocabulary in English has grown considerably; you love to sound out words. You've also started speaking a little "Spanglish."
5. You saw your first movie in the theater this year, Disney's "Tangled." When they first dimmed the lights you were a little scared, but once the movie started you thoroughly enjoyed it. Canela the bear came with us for moral support, of course.
6. You've been trying out the "Jedi mind trick" lately when we give you a warning about your behavior. For example: "Mia, if you don't put on your pajamas now, I will take away one book at bedtime." And to that you say very calmly, in a matter-of-fact tone, "No, you won't." (It's very hard for us to keep a straight face after that!)
7. You are a big fan of group hugs.
8. You went on your first roller coaster a few weeks ago. We had to wait in line a little while, and you were jumping up and down yelling "I'm so excited! I'm so excited!"
9. We went camping for the first time as a family a few weeks ago, and you absolutely loved it. You were obsessed with roasting marsmallows!
10. Recently, you've started asking for a sibling (gulp) to which we say "What about Canela and Freddy?!"

On Location in the Windy City

My brother Stefano is in Chicago covering the NBA finals for Noticiero Canal 23 (the main news show of the Univision network affiliate in Miami). One of his stories was posted on Univision.com, and I'm proud to share it here.

Great work, Stef! Nevermind the Heat, we're rooting for YOU! :-)

Mia with her Uncle Stef in Key Largo.

Easter Sunday

Last weekend we had a little brunch to celebrate Easter and (at long last) the arrival of Spring! See the full slideshow here. Best wishes to all!

Portland's Royal Contingent

We're all ready for William and Kate's wedding!

And Now for Something Completely Silly (Take 2)

So far 2011 has been a little tough on our families, so we thought everyone could use a little music to brighten our spirits. Get well soon: Nonno, Abi and G.G.!

We love you all! Wish you were here!

Untitled from Lucia Bartscher on Vimeo.

Editor's note: Sorry for the technical difficulties! Also, thanks to Sarah and Arlo for helping us prep!

Happy Halloween

Mia had a great time on her first trick-or-treat adventure. She said Junior Mints were her favorite candy (just like daddy)! Meow!

Big Girl Bed

Of the landmarks Mia has had at this age, the most exciting by far has been her big girl bed. Right after we got back from New York, we went to IKEA and picked it out. It converts into a bunk bed if you flip it upside down! Those clever Swedes :-)

We Left Our Hearts in NY

Over Labor Day week, we went to New York to visit Great Grandma Joan and Great Grandpop Bill. We stayed at their charming home in Long Island and had a wonderful time. It was sunny and hot (just as we hoped!). We got to visit with Great Gramps, Grampy Jack, and Uncle David and Aunt Laura. We got tours of the gorgeous surrounding estates, went to the beach and to the Big Apple, which was very exciting! (We even taught Mia how to talk with a New York accent :-)

See the full slideshow here.

Que Los Cumplas Feliz

Dearest Mia,
This week you turned three! We can hardly believe it. The past few months have been all about becoming a "big girl." You are so independent now! Here are a some fun facts about Mia at three years old:

1. Earlier this spring, you taught yourself to whistle and snap your fingers.
2. You are not afraid of the garbage truck anymore (well, most days).
   
3. Canela the Bear is still your #1 stuffed friend and has developed her own personality. Sometimes Canela gets too mischievous and has to be given a time-out. (Canela is also potty trained now!)
4. You are constantly making us laugh with your voices and impersonations, especially your impression of Mona.
   
5. Lately, you've been into lullabies. Your favorites are "Duermete mi nina" and "Hush Little Baby." Sometimes you ask mommy and daddy to sing a duet.
6. You are learning to write the letters of your name.
7. You love to dance and sing. Sometimes you do these funny little dance moves that remind us of Elaine from Seinfeld.
8. Your favorite books right now are "El Cuento de Ferdinando," "The Diggingest Dog," and the book of fairy tales from G.G. Joan.
   
9. If you are given the option to run or walk, you will choose "run" every time.
10. You still get the hiccups sometimes if you laugh too hard.

For your birthday you asked for Hello Kitty-themed birthday party, and you had a blast. We are looking forward to another year of rediscovering the world with you.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

(Click here to see a slideshow of Mia's birthday party photos.)