The Jones Abode

Vacation Bound

2009-07-10T22:40:00.001-04:00

We are heading off to Maine for the next week. Please keep us in your prayers this weekend as we are making the journey with 5 people, 2 cars, 1 baby, and 1 dog. Should be fun!

See you in a week!

Pool Boy

2009-07-04T14:09:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we had the chance to enjoy the pool in the community where Jen's cousin Adrienne and her husband Scott live. It was a perfect day for some pool relaxation, and it was made even better by the fact that Jen's other cousin Lauren was visiting with her son's Andrew and Conner.

There was a baby pool there, and it gave Aiden his first chance to really play in a pool that wasn't just his little kiddy pool. Lauren did a great job of easing Aiden into the experience (she's got three boys of her own, so she's an expert) and pretty soon he was splashing and playing like he'd been doing it his whole life.

After a full afternoon of pool action Aiden had some dinner and headed home for a very sound nights sleep. Ahhh, what a life...

Aiden's Weekend Getaway

2009-06-28T08:25:00.008-04:00

Last weekend while we were on our anniversary beach trip, Aiden went on a little trip of his own- to Grandma and Grandpa's house! Aside from getting lots of love and attention (which is always a given when visiting the grandparents) Aiden got to run around in their huge yard, read lots of books, snuggle with Aunt Gwyn, and even play with the computer!

Here he is arriving at the grandparent's house after the long trek from Phoenixville.

Hanging out with Grandpa.

Auntie Carol teaching Aiden the finer points of word processing.

Strolling in the grass.

Sitting in the grass.

Rolling in the grass.

And of course there was lots of food and eating throughout the weekend. Aiden got to enjoy eating inside...

And outside.

Thanks to Grams, Gramps, Aunt Gwyn, Auntie Carol, and Cousin Kaitlin for taking such good care of Aiden while we were away!

Back From the Beach

2009-06-23T08:23:00.007-04:00

After a short but sweet trip to Ocean City Maryland we returned home yesterday, rested and refreshed. Although our two days did not consist of what you might call "ideal beach weather" we still were able to get in lots of relaxation. We relaxed by the pool, we relaxed in the hot tub, we relaxed on our balcony, and yep, we even even relaxed on the beach. It was a really nice getaway, and even though we missed Aiden (and Bailey) it was good to have some time to ourselves.

Thanks to all of the family who carefully watched over our child and dog while we were away! (We'll have to post some pictures soon of Aiden's getaway to Grandma and Grandpa's house.)

This first picture is actually of the morning before we left. Aiden is clearly being very helpful by taking over the map-reading/ navigation duties.

This is the view that greeted us when we arrived to our hotel room. Pretty much perfect...

Blue sky overhead with sand and water as far as you can see.

Enjoying a refreshing beverage.

Here are some pictures of us posing as we ponder our first four years of marraige... Or maybe we're just pondering how good it feels to get to sleep in as late as we want! Either way we were feeling pretty good.

A Virtual Postcard

2009-06-20T07:15:00.003-04:00

We are heading off today on a (child-less) two day vacation to Ocean City Maryland in celebration of our four year wedding anniversary. Woo hoo!

See you when we get back!

Outdoor Adventures

2009-06-19T15:44:00.004-04:00

I think it's safe to say that summer is finally here. With the recent warm, sunny weather Aiden has been spending more and more time out in the yard. He's really taken to the outdoors and has been enoying everything from taking a stroll in the garden, to playing with toys on the patio, to running up and down the sidewalk again, and again, and again...

We've been taking lots of videos and such but haven't posted too much of it to the blog. Well here is a video of Aiden on a variety of different outdoor adventures, and enjoying every minute of it.

Outdoor Adventures from Robert Jones on Vimeo.

Playing Catch

2009-06-14T07:44:00.005-04:00

This is hopefully the first of many games of catch we'll play out in the back yard.

Play Dates

2009-06-07T21:51:00.019-04:00

Over the last week Aiden has had the opportunity to get together with a few of his friends for some play dates. Earlier in the week his cousins Anna and Olivia came over for a visit. And then during the weekend Aiden's friend Lucy came over to play.

These first pictures are of moms Jen and Alice trying to get one good posed picture of Anna, and Olivia and Aiden together. Definitely not an easy task.

These pictures are from when Lucy and her parents Steph and Bill came over for a cookout during the weekend. As you'll see, Lucy is about the cutest blue-eyed baby girl around, and she and Aiden seemed to be having loads of fun together. Even though Lucy is a few months younger she had no problem keeping up with Aiden, and (as later pictures will testify) she was right in the mix in the battle for toy possession.

Small Pleasures

2009-06-06T20:17:00.008-04:00

Aiden was playing outside the other day when he discovered the watering can. Instantly this new toy became a source of endless entertainment. It's always the little things that bring the most excitement...

Surf Shop Sweats

2009-06-01T08:19:00.008-04:00

I took these pictures solely for the reason that Aiden looks stinkin cute in his "Ron Jon's Surf Shop" sweatshirt.

And, if you're wondering what is out of the picture that is holding his attention so completely...?

Sports Center was on. Yep, he's my son for sure.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-28T20:12:00.025-04:00

While looking at the pictures from our Memorial Day I thought it'd be interesting to look back at last Memorial Day to see how much Aiden has changed.

Needless to say, he's changed a lot...

The differences between 'then' and 'now' are pretty apparent (and it's not just the fact that his head is no longer perfectly round.) Although it's only been a year, it's hard to remember him being so small. He isn't a little baby anymore- he's a little boy.

So anyway, here are some pictures of our little boy enjoying this year's Memorial Day picnic. We had a beautiful day to spend with family at Mom and Dad's house. Aiden enjoyed running around the yard and being goofy.

Well, hello there!

2009-05-26T16:30:00.002-04:00

We hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day holiday. Ours was very nice, and included (as every Memorial Day should) some good food, sunshine, and time with family.

Posting has been pretty sparse around here lately, but we'll post some updates and pictures later in the week!

A May Morning

2009-05-20T15:13:00.012-04:00

Looking back over old posts I realized that we used to take a lot more pictures of Aiden just doing nothing. I guess back then 'nothing' was pretty much all he did... But still, it seemed like we were good about having the camera handy for all the little moments of the day, and not just the big events. In that spirit, I dug out the trusty ol' camera when Aiden and I got up this morning.

One thing that I noticed right away was that he's a lot harder to get a good picture of these days. If he is not zooming gleefully across the living room floor, then he is fully engrosed in whatever book or toy has his attention in that moment. He is certainly not one to stop and pose for pictures, thats for sure. Anyway, these were the best ones I got...

Zoobilee Zoo

2009-05-12T19:41:00.003-04:00

Zoobilee Zoo is the name of one of my favorite childhood TV shows. It is also the name of the video that we took when we went to the zoo on Monday. Check it out.

Zoobilee Zooo from Robert Jones on Vimeo.

To the Zoo!

2009-05-12T09:02:00.024-04:00

On Monday he drove down to the Philadelphia Zoo to take advantage of our new "Zoo Membership" (thanks Mom and Dad!) We had a beautiful, not too hot, day to wander the paths and check out the animals. One thing we discovered is that zoo animals, like us, enjoy a nice afternoon nap. So lots of the animals were either lounging, dozing, or actually snoring, but they were still fun to look at! Here are some pictures from the day:

Hippos

Yaks

Tortoises

Penguins

Lions

Pumas

Tigers

Flamingoes

A very sleepy bear

Zebras

Giraffes

The last animal we saw was Aiden's favorite, and one of our's too. The Polar Bears! Unlike with some of the others, Aiden really watched the Polar Bear and seemed interested in him.

So we had a great first trip to the Zoo, even though we didn't get to do some of the fun things like the bird building and the monkey house. Maybe next time!

2009-05-10T19:49:00.002-04:00

Assuming the weather holds up, we are planning on spending tomorrow amidst the herds of exotic animals and school children at the Philadelphia Zoo! We'll report back soon with all the details.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T17:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Especially to my beautiful wife (and Aiden's awesome Mom) Jen.

Sun + Son = Fun

2009-05-03T14:57:00.006-04:00

Just some more pictures of Aiden having a good time outside.

April Pools Day

2009-04-29T12:14:00.005-04:00

What do you do when it's 90 degrees in April? Why go for a swim of course!

Some people may remember Aiden's first pool experience from last summer. Entertaining? Yes. Successful? Ehh...maybe not.

So, with the sun beating down over the weekend (and with another year of wisdom and experiences under his belt) we thought it'd be a golden opportunity for Aiden to have another try.

How'd it go this time around? Well, between a happily splashing baby, and a cool place for parents to rest their feet, lets just say we may be seeing a lot more of this pool in the months to come...

Earth Day Adventure

2009-04-23T13:31:00.017-04:00

I don't know if anyone out there had big Earth Day plans, but we did not. In fact, I think that we were sitting around after lunch and Jen said, "Hey... today is Earth Day." And I said, "Hmmm... maybe we should do something earth-y." Then Aiden said, "Ba, ba, ba... blahgity hughhh!" And so it began.

In lieu of something more substantial like planting a tree, or saving baby seals we decided to keep things manageable and start some carrot seeds in the garden. I had been meaning to get the carrots planted anyway, but it was a fun project to do together. Hopefully later this summer we'll be munching on tasty carrots and reminiscing about the joys of our first Earth Day adventure.

Getting started:

First we had to get the soil ready for planting. As you can see Aiden has a firm grip on his trowel, and he's ready for action

Everyone got involved!

Next we put the seeds in and covered them with a thin layer of soil.

Things were getting pretty down and dirty by the end.

Bailey is not allowed in the garden, but he was standing by, showing his Earth Day solidarity.

All finished! The carrot seeds are planted and ready to grow.

And finally we enjoyed a little after-gardening swing session. A great way to end a great Earth Day!

Lesson Learned

2009-04-20T11:53:00.011-04:00

Parenthood, I'm finding, is full of surprises. And it seems to me that being a good parent is all about the lessons that you learn along the way. Here a few lessons that I learned recently:

1) Occasionally your child may have a blowout diaper of epic proportions, and if (when) that happens, you will have to improvise.

2) Sometimes, if you are mid-improvisation and find that your child's clean clothes are two long flights of stairs away, it may be necessary to allow said child to go about his morning with only a diaper on.

3) And finally, some children (and ours in particular) really, really enjoy running around clothes-less.

Kitchen Aide(n)

2009-04-20T09:17:00.005-04:00

Aiden always loves being right in the middle of all the action. Wherever we are, whatever we're doing, he wants to be right there with us.

The other day as we were in the kitchen getting dinner ready Aiden dove right in to help. Of course to him "help" really just involves toddling around the kitchen with a pot in his hand. It was pretty entertaining though, so that was kind of helpful.

Here he is, showing off his kitchen skills...

Spring has Sprung

2009-04-15T08:17:00.016-04:00

Even though the last few days around here have been cold and wet, over the weekend we enjoyed a taste of beautiful spring-like weather. With each passing day Aiden seems to be getting more and more comfortable with walking, and as things get nicer outdoors we are looking forward to him being able to take his toddler skills out into the yard.

The first, and so far the only, time that we've been able to give him a taste of walking in the great outdoors he did pretty well. The uneven ground and clumps of grass made for a few more spills than usual, but he's tumbling into the nice soft grass, so we say 'fall away!'

Here are some pictures showing his outdoor adventure. There is one about half way down that makes it look like he's out for a little jog...

Easter Morning

2009-04-14T12:58:00.014-04:00

On Sunday we enjoyed a quiet Easter morning at home, followed by a great church service, and a fun afternoon spent with family at the Weidner home. Aiden, of course, recieved more then his share of Easter basket goodies. And I, of course, filled my responsibility as a father and ate all the candy. Here is Aiden checking out the basket (his favorite item, naturally, was the green plastic grass.)

The lone family picture that we managed to squeeze in during the day.

Here's Aiden showing off his snazzy Easter duds.

Harry the K

2009-04-14T07:24:00.000-04:00