October in Cambridge

October was another month of "firsts". First day for Lucia at her new school, first day of life after Ph.D. for Paul and first day of my new job as well.

Paul's job is the reason that we moved out here. He is working at Horn Point Laboratory, part of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Honestly, I can't tell you exactly what he does, but in a nutshell he is good at getting teeny-tiny marine organisms to grow in the lab so that he can do experiments on the poor little guys. He wants to understand how these organisms help maintain a hospitable planet for us to live on. That is an incredible oversimplification, and probably is a disservice to what he really does. He is a smarty-pants and I am soooooo glad that he is done with his Ph.D. 

Since I don't understand anything that Paul does, it is a good thing that I found a job that keeps me interested. My job is basically to support (through management of grant funds and projects) the preservation of the cultural and natural heritage of the area; Dorchester County. This is primarily accomplished through a state-funded grant program that aims to spur economic development through heritage tourism. Since, I am an outsider who knows very little about the area, this job is super exciting to me because I am getting paid to learn about my new hometown. Projects like this and this.

Starting any new job can be daunting and overwhelming at first, and Paul and I are both over-achieving, perfectionists when it comes to work, so we are trying to be patient with ourselves and allow ourselves to adjust to all this new stuff going on. 

But, more importantly than our jobs, Lucia started pre-school! It was so very difficult to say goodbye to her teachers and caregivers in Salem who have been with her every day since she was 5 months old. We loved our experience with them, and she loved all her teachers and the friends she had grown up with. Her new pre-school, is exactly that...school! Not daycare. So, she has homework, says the Pledge of Allegiance, and has lesson time. At first I was worried about whether she would resist the structure, considering she would be happy to play babydolls 24/7, but she adjusted really quickly and has made friends and seems happy.

First Day of School!

In addition to starting our jobs and school, October was filled with lots of fun: going to the farmer's market every week, U-pick apples and pumpkins, the Horn Point Open House, Cambridge Schooner Rendezvous, the Kite Festival and of course Halloween!

Apples from Emily's Produce, washed and ready

Sauced - Two ways. The small jars are the ancho chile applesauce.

Horn Point Open House

Papa's helper

Schooner Rendezvous - This is the Mystic Whaler

Lucia said, "Whales don't fly." In this case they do. Kite Festival 2013.

Love these two goofballs.

Our little mermaid

Unpacking & Settling In

Our first few weeks in Cambridge were spent unpacking, organizing, getting Lucia settled, and figuring out where things were in town. We wanted to be back to as close to normal as possible before Paul and I started our jobs. Here are a few photos of life during the first few weeks.

Sometimes you just need to take a break and do some art.

The finished pantry shelves. Can you spot the three cases of Rogue beer?

A lively discussion about whether this room should be the living room or dining room.

It's only child labor if you pay them, right? Lucia's dresser gets a fresh coat of pink.

Crabtoberfest 2013!