Caden and Finn's Blog: 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.”