I a puzzlemaker!

Just before we left for California this summer, Dada found a set of eight 12-piece wooden jigsaw puzzles at the Magic Hat Thrift Shop in Marblehead. The puzzles each feature a different vehicle, and Caden loves them. Until a few weeks ago, Caden always wanted either Mama or Dada to help with the puzzles. However, on the 1st of September, Caden put his first one together by himself—a fire truck—and hasn’t looked back since. He will announce, “I a puzzlemaker!”, take each puzzle from its compartment, and put it together carefully. Right now, all eight of the puzzles are assembled on the train table in his play room.

We’ve had some fun events over the past few weeks. The month started with a Labor Day picnic at our house. Caden’s friends Summer, Mae Mae, Chelsea, and Savannah, and their parents (plus a few other lab folks) came by to enjoy good company, summertime foods, badminton, and homemade ice cream.

The following weekend, we drove to northwestern Maine, where we camped for two nights at beautiful Rangeley Lake. The water was swimmable, the bugs were much less fierce than we'd feared, and even the remnants of hurricane Hannah couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm. And one of the best parts about camping at Rangeley Lake State Park: free hot showers! Caden and Dada even took a shower together one evening. Other highlights of the trip included a fun hike along a stream and a meandering drive back along ridgelines, down river valleys, and through the Maine countryside.

Shortly after we returned from Maine, Dada flew west for a four-day trip to Santa Barbara. Dada came home early on the morning of the 13th, and we spent a day furiously making final preparations for Mama’s Cascade Lemonade booth at the Melrose Victorian fair. Caden had a great time at the fair on Sunday, playing with his toys, checking out the booths, and watching performances of local karate, dance, and music groups.

This past week, we’ve been settling into our routines, including teaching (Dada), data analysis (Mama), and playing at home and school (Caden). This Saturday was the annual Marine Science Center Open House, so the three of us spent most of the day at work. Caden even got to wear an official name tag with the title, “Future Marine Biologist.”

All eight puzzles

Making ice cream

Badminton antics

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Rangeley Lake sunset

Hiking in Maine

With Mama at Coos Canyon, Maine

Reading in camp

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Future marine biologist

All four grandparents at once!

We spent a wonderful week last month in Alaska! Ama and Adad flew up to join us at Nana and Boopa’s house in Petersburg. Caden loved his Alaska bedroom, the little table and stool where he ate his breakfast and lunch each day, the deer on the beach, and, perhaps most of all, being cuddled, played with, and entertained by four grandparents at once.

On August 7th, right after we landed in Petersburg, we headed down to Boopa’s boat so that Caden could say “hi.” Caden, who loves all things that go, was really excited to see both Boopa and the boat. He even got to go for a couple of boat rides later in the week, including a memorable one—he still talks about it—to visit the sea lions on the mid-channel buoy at the mouth of the narrows.

Dada’s Grammy and Grandpa—Caden also calls them Grammy and Grandpa—recently moved to Petersburg, and we visited them several times while we were there. Caden had so much fun playing with Grammy and Grandpa that he asked to go see them again and again.

On August 8th, Ama and Adad arrived. It was great fun to show them around Dada’s hometown and Miktof Island. Mama and Dada spent a memorable day on Boopa’s boat with them watching whales. Getting to watch (and listen to) group bubble-feeding by humpbacks was amazing! We all went “out the road” for an afternoon to go on a couple of hikes. And we ate lots of fresh, tasty fish.

Our last couple of weeks in California were a whirlwind! Mama had to wrap up her summer’s experiments, and Caden spent many hours in the lab, often playing on the floor of the lab while Mama counted tunicates and bryozoans. On the 26th, Caden said goodbye to Cherrise, Ruby, Scarlett, and Pup at his California school—he still talks about them virtually every day—and on the 27th we flew back to our “other” home in Massachusetts.





Four generations

Playing with Grammy and Grandpa

Nana loves Tuiui!

Caden leads the way

Whale watching

The viking ship

California school