The Jones Abode

Lately, at the Abode.

2012-01-25T14:52:00.001-05:00

The post-holiday lull is still in full effect here at the Jones Abode, and we've all been enjoying the relative peace and quiet that has (so far) accompanied the new year. We've been kept somewhat busy of course with all the usual stuff- plus Aiden started two new classes at the Phoenixvlle YMCA: a swim class and a sports class. Despite not having any major events to report we did want to share some pictures, and a couple videos, of what's been going on 'round here.

We introduced Brady to the baby jumper last week. Following in the foot steps of his older brother, he has quickly become a bouncing fool. Observe.

January did recently actually feel like winter when the first snow storm of the year arrived last weekend. Aiden's snow-related enthusiasm was infectious and before long we found ourselves at Mom and Dad Jones' house, sleds in hand. Aiden had a blast and (had all the the snow not already melted) would probably still be out there on the hill.

2012. So far, so good.

Moment for Music - 2011

2012-01-18T16:28:00.000-05:00

In an alternate universe somewhere I listen to and review new music for a living. In this universe, however, I do it once a year on this blog (for free!) So here we go: Rob's top albums of the year 2011 version, better late than never.

Quick note, instead of providing website links or audio files this year I have one link, found below. Clicking on it will take you to a Spotify playlist where you can listen to every single song that I am going to mention here (plus the rest of my 2011 playlist) in their entirety, completely free. If you don't have Spotify the link will take you to a download page. Download it now, it's free and awesome.

The full playlist can be found here------> Best Of 2011

Honorable Mention- The Antlers- Burst Apart

I came to this album pretty late. So late in fact that I stumbled across it while reading an actual music blogger's "best albums of 2011" post back in mid December. Since then however, I have been almost completely helpless to get this music off of my iPod and out of my brain. I just can't stop listening- which led me to feel equally unable to leave this one off of any "year end" list of my own. The last time I remember feeling this obsessive (and compulsive) about an album was The National's "Boxer" in 2007. And just like "Boxer" "Burst Apart" is a long, slow, simmering burn of a record. Despite being handicapped by a short listening period, this album has made a lasting impression- and had it been a little bit longer since we first met "Burst Apart" could have landed much (much) higher up on this list. It's that good. Favorite songs: I Don't Want Love, Hounds.

#5 M83- Hurry Up, Were Dreaming

M83 is all over the map. In a good way. At times throughout "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming" you'll think you are listening to a Ferris Bueller era 1980s mix tape, other times to a previously unheard musical genre beamed directly into your brain from outer space. Try and keep up. The "songs" here often feel more like sound vignettes, starting small, swelling to epic levels before quickly fading- leaving behind a space where you can't help but want more. Ultimately, the best way that I can describe this album is to say that it sounds like a yet-to-be-written science fiction, outer space, rock-opera. If that sounds like your kind of thing give this a listen, if not -try it anyway (you'll probably like it.) Favorite Songs: Midnight City, Year One, One UFO.

#4- Bon Iver- Bon Iver

It's no big surprise to find a Bon Iver recording amongst my favorites of the year. If anything, it may be a surprise that this album is not my runaway number one. Sorry Justin V, there was just too much other really exceptional music this year. In this recording Bon Iver retains the trademark hushed falsetto, while adding a richer, lusher "full band" sound. The result is something that is both clearly within the distinct Bon Iver style while deliberately moving away from the low-fi, stripped down vibe that they've used to such great effect in past recordings. "For Emma Forever Ago: Part 2" this is not, which to my ear may always limit how much I can truly fall for this (or any future Bon Iver) record. "For Emma," was so exquisite, that anything else that comes along may always pale just a little bit in comparison. Favorite Songs: Washington, Holocene.

#3 The Decemberists- The King is Dead

The Decemberists have been around for a while, making some mighty fine music all the while. It wasn't until this year, and this album however, that any of their songs really grabbed me by the shoulders and shook. I fell hard for this album, enough that when I was listening to it back in January it was pretty much a sure thing that it would be in my end-of-the-year top five albums. This particular bunch of songs has a loose, plucky, rambling-storyteller vibe that makes you imagine the album being pieced together in some run-down Oregon barn (it was). The lyrics here are particularly crisp and compelling, and (perhaps most tellingly) the songs still sound just as good to me now as they did twelve months ago. Favorite songs: January Hymn, June Hymn.

#2 James Blake- James Blake

When it comes to James Blake I can say for certain that I have never heard a musician do so much with so little. Spare to the point of being nearly minimal, Blake's simple electronic beats and haunting vocals merge together to become something much more powerful than the sum of their individual parts. Songs are ruthlessly stripped down too their most essential pieces (some consisting of a single phrase uttered in repetition) but you hardly notice, and certainly don't mind. Getting lost in the gentle drone, song after song, is almost an inevitability-but one that I certainly wish would go on and on. Favorite Songs: Limit to Your Love, Lindisfarne 1 & 2.

#1 Adele -21

There may be some "pop" music whose popularity is derived from the fact that it casts the widest possible net, appealing to the lowest common denominator. It is slick and manufactured- catchy, but ultimately forgettable. This is not that pop music. During this year Adele's 21 has dominated the radio airwaves, the album sales charts, and (soon) every single music award show. The reason? This music is just crazy good. That's basically all there is to it, and why bother complicating something that is pretty darn simple. The songs? Soaring and soulful, without ever approaching melodramatic. The voice? Absolutely electric, and completely unforgettable. I can say with complete honesty and very little hyperbole that I think that "21" will be remembered as a classic of it's time, and when people look back and think about music in the year 2011- they'll think of Adele. Favorite Songs: Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You.

Songs of the Year:
5- Limit to Your Love- James Blake
4- Cruel- St. Vincent
3- Midnight City- M83
2- Hounds -The Antlers
1- Someone Like You- Adele

Christmas Lookback 2011

2011-12-22T21:54:00.000-05:00

Well, it's January. Which means, in our house at least, that the Christmas tree has been taken down- it's ornaments and accompanying household decorations packed away carefully into boxes until next year. The last of the somewhat stale Christmas cookies got tossed the other day, and finally the local radio station that had been playing Christmas songs since November is back to it's typical top 40 lineup.

Indeed perhaps the final remnant of the Christmas season before we solidly turn our attention to the coming year is for us to share all the pictures and videos that we've been too busy to post during the rush of holiday activities these last few weeks. We've got a lot, that's for sure. I'll be somewhat discriminate about how mnay pictures I simply dump into this post, but the truth is we probably didn't take enough- as some events were well documented and others recieved hardly a shutter click.

The very first Christmas event for us this year was the tradition (4 years can be called a tradition, right?) of our yearly holiday trip into Philadelphia. There were some familiar things this year, and some fun new stuff as well. We went to the Macy's light show at the old Wannamaker buiding (of course), and also visited the Charles Dickens village which included a visit to Santa. Aiden was particularly excited this year about the hotel where we were staying, and mostly seemed to want to hang out in our room and look out the window (also there was an indoor pool, which was a huge hit).

We also for the first time this year included a trip to nearby Camden to check out the Adventure Aquarium. It was great fun for Aiden, and pretty cool for us too. Highly recommended!

Christmas morning at the Jones Abode was pretty short, but definitely very sweet. This is the first year that Aiden has been old enough to really display lots of enthusiasm and interest in opening gifts, and boy was he enthusiastic. In fact, once he got rolling he was hard to stop- which may have been why the whole morning seemed to pass in a blur of flying wrapping paper. I did manage to snap a few pictures of gifts being opened and played with, and even included a couple of fun videos of all the Christmas morning action.

The days following Christmas were somewhat of a whirlwind as we spent significant time with the Jones family, then the Weidner family, and then the Jones extended family. It probably goes without saying but lots of gifts were opened, lots of tasty food was eaten, and lots of parents (us) collapsed on the couch after it was all done, desperate for a nap. It was a busy, but great couple of days. Most of the pictures that I have here are of the Jones house, with a couple at the end of cousins visiting (and even a baby v. baby action video!) Lots of great pictures, and a great way to wrap up Christmas 2011!

Christmas Concert 2011

2011-12-15T07:27:00.001-05:00

Christmas is less than two weeks away! Among other things this means that it is once again the time of year where parents of pre-schoolers travel from far and wide (video cameras in hand) to witness the amazing spectacle that is the annual pre-school Christmas concert.

This is Aiden's second year of pre-school so he was feeling loose and confident the morning before the big performance. As usual, the families turned out in droves to make for a very eager and enthusiastic audience. The kids, of course, did not disappoint. Songs were sung, bells were rung, and pictures were taken- all with great gusto. As with any self respecting Christmas concert this one ended in a chaotic room filled with cookies, juice and sky rocketing sugar highs. Whew!

Not one to shirk my parental responsibilities I of course have the whole performance on video which will make a blog appearance at a later date...

Crumbly Christmas

2011-12-09T08:32:00.001-05:00

With December 25th fast approaching we would be near negligent to delay any longer one of the great holiday baking traditions. It's Christmas Cookie time! With Aiden at an age where he wants to help with everything (yes, everything) he was eager to jump into cookie baking with great gusto.

Jen exercised the patience of a saint, helping Aiden roll, cut and place. I observed from a distance (snapping pictures and quality checking dough samples.)

With a fresh batch of Christmas cookies (literally) under our belts it is feeling even more like the holiday season. This week we are looking ahead to even more holiday merriment as we prepare for our annual center city Christmas trip- reports from the field to follow!

This is only a test...

2011-12-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

In an effort to stay better up to date with blogging activities I downloaded the app to post to the blog from my phone. This post is my test to see how well it works. Plus, I like this picture of Brady!

Most wonderful time...

2011-12-03T06:55:00.001-05:00

With Thanksgiving leftovers slowly dwindling in the refrigerator, and the calender officially flipped over to December this week brought on the first major rush of Christmas season activities. Jen had been diligently decorating the house all week, turning it into it's usual wonderland of Christmas cheer, and on Friday we acquired the Christmas decoration to end all Christmas decorations: the tree.

Though Aiden didn't participate in tree acquisition morning since he was at school, when he came home his enthusiasm was through the roof about the new and improved state of our living room! We were eager to get the tree looking festive so we threw some Christmas music on the record player, cracked open the boxes of ornaments and got going!

He was a very active participant in the tree decoration though, as he (almost) literally dove headlong into his assignment of placing the shiny silver ball decorations. At times Jen and I had to hold our tongue as his tendency to place multiple ornaments on a single branch grated against our more refined tree-decorating sensibilities. Aiden was having so much fun that we just let him do his thing (knowing, of course, that nap time would provide the opportunity for much ornament rearrangement.)

Aiden was focused. Very, very focused.

Teamwork.

Another year, another fine looking coniferous specimen decked out in our living room. Now we just have to get some presents under that thing. Also, I just realized that this a Brady free picture post. I'll have to take some pictures of him with the tree soon so that we can rectify that gross oversight!

Fall Phone Fun

2011-11-19T07:16:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post to share some of the fun pictures I've been taking recentley with our swanky new iPhones!

Treat or Treat

2011-11-05T07:26:00.000-04:00

On Monday we had the opportunity to experience a Halloween night of truly epic proportions. One of the parents from Aiden's pre-school volunteered their home (with little thought for their own sanity, or potential property damage) for a chaotic but fun pre-trick-or-treat party. Packing that many costumed 3 year olds under one roof may not be advisable, but it certainly did make for a memorable evening.

After fueling up with some pizza and juice the gang struck out into the night to collect some tasty Halloween loot. The kids had a great time running up to a door, grabbing as much candy as they thought they could get away with, and then moving onto the next one. The parents mostly just tried to half-heartedly wrangle the chaos into some semblance of an organized group, all the while making jokes about stealing their kid's candy. Everyone was happy.

Brady (sock-monkey hat included) looked pretty much like this all night. He too, was happy.

A very happy superhero and cowgirl.

Bros

2011-11-02T08:57:00.000-04:00

The brotherly relationship between son A and son B is still (very literally) in it's infant stages. Given that though, it's been interesting to watch over these initial months how the first essential brotherly bonds have already begun to form.

Aiden is pretty into Brady. He likes to look at him, talk to him, pat and/or poke him, and above all- keep a watchful older-brother eye on him at all times. Brady typically spends his waking hours in one of the many baby specific devices that we have scattered about the house. These include (but are not limited to) a bassinet, swing, highchair, and more often than not- the arms of Mom & Dad.

So, when recentley we started letting Brady spend some time daily laying loose and free on the living room floor (he loves this) Aiden has taken full advantage of this new opportunity for brother snuggle time.

Aiden clearly thinks that this is the best thing that has ever happened in the world. Brady, while not easily convinced, certainly tolerates Aiden's antics. As far as Jen and I are concerned, we think it's pretty darn cute.

Pre-School Parade

2011-10-29T08:23:00.002-04:00

It's that time again! Another year, another Halloween costume. This year Aiden opted for a somewhat generic (but still super-cool) superhero costume. Very dark and mysterious...

Even Superheros need a little motherly attention now and then.

Ready for action!

Showing off that million dollar smile.

Parading!

Quite a menagerie of costumes. Sharks, cowgirls, princessess, puppies and superheroes (of course)- you name it and we saw it!

All warmed up for the real deal on Monday night. He can't wait!

1 Month

2011-10-21T17:30:00.001-04:00

Perfect

2011-10-04T07:06:00.002-04:00

While we were at the hospital there was a professional photographer that came around to take pictures of the babies and their families. We just got the pictures back and they look great! Here are a couple of my favorites...

Settling In

2011-09-27T07:53:00.000-04:00

I (almost) wish there was more excitement to report after our first weekend at home. Brady has been living up to the reputation set by ultra-mellow second childen gone before, sleeping well each night with almost no excessive crying or fussiness to speak of. No complaints here!

Aiden has spent the last few days firmly establishing his role as a doting older brother. Between taking pictures of Brady, holding Brady, looking at Brady, and telling us what Brady is doing he certainly seems to have a big heart for his little bro.

Overall it has been a good couple of days, and a good transition back to life at home. We were thankful to have Mom Weidner come stay for a few nights with Jen while I went back to work. And now we looking ahead towards our first week at home as a family of four!

It's Brady Time

2011-09-23T15:33:00.013-04:00

Well, the Jones Abode has officially entered the two child era! We departed from the hospital this morning with new-baby Brady in tow, and have thus far enjoyed a quiet and (dare I say) relaxing return to the home front.

The generally peaceful vibe owes much to the fact that Aiden has been napping all afternoon, and Brady (similarly sleepy) has only opened his eyes for a total of 15 minutes all day. So far so good, but we are keeping our expectations realistic. There will likely be a long night in our near future, but we are enjoying the calm before the storm.

As for pictures, we've got lots. I sifted through our suddenly bloated iPhoto folders and found some of my favorites from the last few days to share here on the blog. The best of the best. The ones I picked won't provide a complete representation of the experience of the last four days (obviously), but they are pretty darn cute. So that's good.

Enjoy the pictures, and believe me there is lots (LOTS) more where that came from...

School Days

2011-09-15T20:52:00.009-04:00

We'll readily admit that most of the hooplah around here is pretty focused on our soon-to-arrive son #2. Lest we forget however that son #1 is having quite a week of his own as he heads back for his second year of pre-school!

It's been a great summer, but Aiden (and us) are eagerly anticipating his return to the world of 3 year old academia. It took some coaxing, but we did manage to snap a few pictures before he headed out for his first day.

The Final Countown!

2011-09-14T16:00:00.003-04:00

<a href="http://www.7is7.com/otto/countdown.html?year=2011&month=9&date=20&hrs=10&ts=12&tz=local&min=0&sec=0&lang=en&show=dhms&mode=r&cdir=down&bgcolor=%23CCFFFF&fgcolor=%23000000&title=Countdown%20To%20Brady">Countdown To Brady</a>

For those who hadn't heard, we are having a baby. Soon actually, in less then one week! Jen has a scheduled C-Section date for next Tuesday, so we even know the day that the newest Jones will be making his arrival. It's nice, but a little odd to know the exact date that your child will be born. It certainly allows for an extra dose of preparation. Jen is pretty on top of things- she has the week's activities meticulously mapped out, her hospital bag is packed and ready, and she is in full house cleaning mode (right now actually- should I be helping with that?) We are very excited to be entering the final stretch of this pregnancy, and even more excited to meet the babe.

Cue awesome 80's music, and let the countdown begin!

Europe - Final Countdown by angelconnor

The passing of the (mountain lion) torch

2011-09-08T08:05:00.010-04:00

Events unfolded this week at the Abode like an emotional subplot straight out of Toy Story 3.5. While Jen and I were cleaning out closets and drawers in the boy's room we came across a blast from my past in the form of my childhood stuffed-animal mountain lion friend. This particular mountain lion (Pouncer is his name) hadn't seen the light of day in far too long, so I plopped him on the dresser in our room until we could determine a storage location fitting for a feline of his stature.

On the dresser is where he was perched (ready to pounce at any moment) days later when Aiden noticed him. I took Aiden's innocent, "What's that?" inquiry as an opportunity to describe at length Pouncer's extensive personal history, impressive physical abilities, and overall good friend qualifications.

Well, that's all it took. During the last few days Aiden and Pouncer have become fast friends. At sleep or play Pouncer has been a constant sidekick and companion (a perfect Hobbes to Aiden's Calvin if you will). Check it out.

Now, you may be concerned that Brady will be feeling left out that he is not recieving a priceless, heirloom stuffed-animal toy of his own. Let me stop you right there, and introduce you to another friend of mine: Racoonie. Brady, you're welcome.

Housekeeping

2011-08-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

In addition to recently sprucing up the general appearance of the ol' blog. I wanted to point out that there have also been some new links added that could be interesting to investigate for anyone who finds this particular blog to be a scintillating read. If you'll check out the "blog links" section in the far right column you'll see a couple of new items.

"Coming and Going" is a new blog written by Gwyn, who is planing to use the blog format to chronicle her last year of living in Uganda and her transition to the first year of living back in the US. "Life in the Sweet Spot" is Jen's new blog which continues to document her various home-related plans and projects, but also delves more into the kids 'n family side of things.

Additionally, make sure not miss out on the newly linked Phillies blogs "The Fightins," and "I Want to go to the zoo with Roy Halladay." The quality of their information is matched only by the depth of their hilarity.

Thats all folks!

Shore 2011

2011-08-14T09:08:00.028-04:00

I mentioned in the last post that we are pretty close to being in full-blown baby prep mode around here. While this remains true, we did manage to sneak in one last summer hurrah in the form of a week long shore trip with the Weidner fam. Ocean City did not disappoint as were greeted with a full week of sun, sun and more sun.

Aiden was loving the life of the beach bum this year. Whether swimming in the water, or digging in the sand he was pretty much in 3 year old heaven for the duration of the week.

We got in lots of good swimming at the beach time, plenty of good playing (and eating) on the boardwalk time, and even some fun fishing in the bay time. In addition, I was able to enjoy some sitting in the air conditioning reading a book time. (Which is my personal favorite.)

"The Balloons" were Aiden's favorite boardwalk ride (by far).

Looking forward (but not before looking back)

2011-08-05T08:12:00.028-04:00

Change is in the air at the Jones abode. Within the span of the next 8 weeks we'll be welcoming a new son (and brother) into our house and into our lives. Given the momentous nature of this pending arrival it is probably understandable that much of our time these days is spent looking forward to the changes ahead. There is a certain quality of quiet frenzied energy which exists in a household that knows it will grow by one very needy member in the near future. The calm before the storm? I think we are in it.

However, before we plow headlong into the month of August and all of it's excited baby preparations- it's probably fitting to take one quick look back at a July that included (among other things) a sweet little trip to a sweet little cabin in Maine. I've got some pictures to show you. You'll find no captions here though, because really, what is there to explain? Eat, sleep, read, swim- there, I just summarized the entirety of the Maine cabin experience. Although, hang on till the end of the pictures and you can see a video of Aiden demonstrating his casting skill. Fish of West Grand Lake, be on notice: next year we may actually put a hook on the end of his line!

Summer Fun

2011-07-01T06:51:00.010-04:00

Here we are raising a glass with our new neighbors and old friends Kyle and Rachel.

They just moved into a new place that is only a few doors down from us!

This picture is already out of date as this big empty room is now totally painted and moved into and looking awesome.

We also went on a recent trip up to see a Reading Phillies game with the whole family. It was a beautiful night.

There is the best view of all.

Aiden was pretty into the game (as long as we let him munch on a constant supply of ballpark treats.) It was a phenomenal night of watching baseball, eating hotdogs and relaxing. Perfect.

Refrigerator Updates

2011-06-15T07:10:00.008-04:00

We're trying something new here on the blog today. It's called:

We just don't have enough hours in the day to keep the blog fully up to date with the latest goings-on here. So we've decided to delegate.

Take it away Refrigerator....

Well, first of all, it's

so that is good. There has been lots of outside playing, eating and lounging going on- so yeah it's definitely summer. No big surprise there though.

More interestingly, it is now only a few weeks until the family's yearly pilgrimage to the cabin in

which is very exciting for everyone!

This may not be news to many but we are expecting the arrival of a new baby in a few months, and we were thrilled to find out that the new baby is a

And (hows this for an update?) after much debate and discussion we have finally come up with the perfect name for boy #2. Yahoo!

And the name is....

Whoops! That's not right. Hmmmm, let me fix that.

And the name is...

(seriously)

And that's all for this round of refrigerator updates! See you next time!

It's a picnic!

2011-06-08T20:47:00.019-04:00

Memorial Day this year found us celebrating picnic style at Mom and Dad Jones' new house. There was a full compliment of family members as Mom and Dad Jones, Mom and Dad Weidner, Bethany, Aaron, Gwyn and we three (four?) were all in attendence. It was a great day with lots of grilled food, kiddy pool time, and tons of horseshoe playing action. Fun and sweat were in plentiful supply.

yum.

Spring Sing: The Video

2011-05-21T08:23:00.006-04:00

As a followup to yesterdays picture post, here is the video of Aiden's spring preschool concert. It's about nine minutes of preschool singing goodness, so sit back and enjoy!

Spring Sing

2011-05-20T07:18:00.009-04:00

Well, this week was an exciting one in Aiden's young academic career. Not only was it the last week of his first year of preschool, it was also the week of his spring concert! Expectations for adorableness were quite high, and we were certainly not dissapointed.

Heading out the door in his concert duds.

These pictures jump right to the concert "after party" in Aiden's classroom, but I will be posting video footage as soon as I can load it.

A proud mom.

Everyone was taking pictures. Even Aiden's classmate Leah was getting in on the action.

Aiden's wonderful teachers: Teacher Melissa and Teacher Lois.

And finally here is the after after party which involved lots of cake eating and general mayhem.

Phew! Another great concert, and a great year of pre-school coming to a close. We are all looking forward to next year!

L.A.

2011-05-12T07:14:00.005-04:00

Here are some seriously overdue pictures from our recent trip to sunny southern CA.

On our first full day we got to see our good friends Dan and Laura. It had been a long time (too long) since our last visit together, but we made the most of this one! They gave us a tour of their town and the school (Loma Linda University) they have been attending for graduate school. Our time together was amazing, but unfortunately ended all too soon.

The next day gave us the opportunity to visit with Jen's Uncle Bob and Aunt Val who also live nearby. They took on us a coastal excursion to the beautiful Balboa Island/ Penninsula. The weather and scenery were spectacular, and we had a great day together.

Throughout the week we had the extreme pleasure of visiting with and being hosted by our amazing friends Mike and Rhianwen. Although we were only in town for a few days we had a great time seeing their neighborhood, catching up on new stories, meeting some of their friends, and just hanging out in their cool new apartment. Thanks Mike and Rhi for taking us in! You were great hosts!

This picture says it all. I'm just not sure what "it" is.

On Safari

2011-04-29T08:11:00.009-04:00

0730: Observing morning rituals of a three year old human male in his native habitat. Subject thus far has displayed an uncanny grazing ability as he seems to be dining continuously on a variety of local edibles.

0740: Very little activity. Subject may be sleeping with his eyes open.

0745: Creature of undetermined species has appeared near subject's nesting site. Possibly Meerkat or malnourished Prairie Dog.

0755: Subject is stirring. It appears as though he may have become aware of my presence.

0758: Oh yeah, he definitely sees me. Maybe if I stay very still he'll lose interest.

0800: Subject is now taking pictures of me. Position compromised. Signing off...

Easter

2011-04-28T07:44:00.012-04:00

We had a good Easter this year, Aiden in particular enjoyed himself as he is now really old enough to enjoy the numerous candy gathering activities that Easter provides. Between school, our house, his grandparent's house, and his aunt and auncle's house he searched for, found, and ate a lot of Easter candy. Easter morning (after finding his Easter basket) Aiden let me take some pictures of him while he showed off his sharp looking Easter duds.

Taking pictures of taking pictures.

In the afternoon there was a family gathering at the house of Aunt Nicloe and Uncle Richie. Aiden was near giddy with excitement to play with his cousins Anna and Olivia, and to raise the stakes even futher Richie and Nicole planned an amazing Easter egg hunt for the kids to participate in.

Egg hunting hats were provided.

Pre-hunt meeting.

Venturing out.

Looks like a pretty good haul so far.

The successful hunters, exhausted but happy, with their super-fun Aunt and Uncle.

Easter!

Birthday Getaway

2011-04-16T07:30:00.018-04:00

This week Jen and I had the chance to sneak in a one night get-away birthday celebration- just the two of us. Though in the past we've often checked into a hotel in downtown Philadelphia for these type of quick excursions, this time we decided to try something different and head north, instead of south. For a long time Jen (and more recently me) have made day trips with family and friends to the small Pocono town of Jim Thorpe, though until now we'd never stayed over night. So we decided to give it a try!

Being as removed as it is Jim Thorpe is a surprisingly vibrant town that is just about overflowing with inns, restaurants, shops, great architecture and interesting history. We didn't have much planned for our stay, but we certainly lucked out by getting some of the best weather of the spring so far. It was warm and sunny as we meandered through the streets, checking out cool shops (Jen) and cool buildings (Rob) all the while.

The town is nestled in a valley between two nearly sheer cliffs, and I was endlessly fascinated by the series of intricate stone walls that were built to literally hold back the mountain.

One of my favorite buildings was this amazing, old, and still totally functioning library. We couldn't resist poking around the inside, which was pretty impressive.

We stumbled upon the GIANT house for sale. When we looked up the information later we found out that it has 10 bedrooms, 4 baths and over 7000 square feet. Asking price: a cool 325K (seriously). So, if anyone wants to go in with us and start a Bed and Breakfast in Jim Thorpe...

Later we also hopped in the car and did a quick driving tour of the surrounding countryside. Notably, we stopped at nearby Mauch Chunk Lake to gaze reflectively out on the still, peaceful waters- until we got too cold and had to get back in the car.

And finally we just enjoyed the time that we had to lounge around at the Inn. There was a great balcony that we found to be a perfect place to sit back in rocking chairs and watch the town go by.

Assistant (to the) Pea Planter

2011-03-30T21:03:00.005-04:00

Aiden and I kick-started this year's garden yesterday by digging in and planting two different types of peas. Armed with his brand new garden tool set and a three-year-old's unbridled enthusiasm for getting dirty I can see Aiden being quite a force to be reckoned with in the garden this year.

Full pea planting report here.

A night in The Valley

2011-03-18T07:20:00.010-04:00

We were fortunate this week to enjoy a short but sweet overnight trip out to the Willow Valley resort in Lancaster with Mom and Dad Weidner. It's always nice to get away, even if it's just for a day or two, and this was no exception. We arrived Wednesday afternoon and after one breakfast smorgasbord, tons of snacking, and a whole lot of pool time it was Thursday morning and we were headed home with full bellys and the lingering scent of chlorine in our hair, just like we planned it.

Time Marches On

2011-03-10T06:58:00.007-05:00

The last week or so has finally brought the first blush of real spring-type weather to our blizzard battered area. As it is still early March I think that we are all holding our collective breath that we'll avoid the, always disheartening, late season snow storm. But with daylight savings around the corner, and spring bulbs poking up through bare dirt, the general consensus is that we are basically out of the woods of the harshest winter weather.

A few days last week were warm enough for Aiden and I to venture outside to play in the yard. Aiden enjoyed the extra space to run, kick and throw and I enjoyed the opportunity to be outside without a snow shovel in my hand. Ahhhhh, grass.

Despite having quite a stable of outdoor toys to choose from, at this stage in life Aiden pretty much just wants to throw stuff. So that's what we did. We threw frisbees, we threw (plastic) bowling pins, we threw sticks, and we even threw balls. I was reminded once again that the things that keep a 3 years old boy entertained and the things that keep a 29 year old boy entertained are not that much different.

Action shot:

The change in seasons is certainly one that we eagerly welcome in this house. We are looking forward to neighborhood walks, grilling (maybe for the first time this week), and I've even started working on this year's garden. Bring it on Spring, we are sooooooo ready.

Yep, there's a baby in there.

2011-03-01T22:07:00.007-05:00

We've got some good news and some really good news. After Jen had some concerning symptoms last Friday we made an unexpected detour to get an ultrasound to confirm that everything was a-ok with baby Jones. The good news is that it was a false alarm, and the really good news is that, in fact, the baby is healthy as-can-be and doing great.

We weren't expecting to have an ultrasound for another 10 weeks, so getting the opportunity to hear the baby's heartbeat and see it wiggle around was an unexpected, but much appeciated, blessing.

When we have the next ultrasound in a few months we'll be excited to (hopefully) answer the boy/girl question, but for now we are just thankful to have some concrete evidence and reassurance that baby J is indeed doing well. Yahoo!

Hide and Seek

2011-02-24T06:38:00.003-05:00

For some reason Aiden finds this video of himself endlessly hilarious. I field numerous requests from him everyday for another viewing. He calls it the, "I can watch it, cheeeeeeeeese" video. (It'll make sense when you watch it.) The end result is generally him dissolving into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

B-Day #3

2011-02-16T14:54:00.017-05:00

For reasons to be more fully explained later, we decided to keep Aiden's birthday party particularly low-key this year. On his big day we had family over to the house for lunch, gifts and birthday cupcakes. It was just enough excitement to send Aiden to bed tuckered out for a nice long nap, but not quite enough to completely overstimulate and overwhelm.

The birthday boy had a great time, and got tons of attention (and a sweet little haul of birthday presents.)

Here is the obligatory "eating the cake" video montage. In this case the cake is a cupcake, and true to form Aiden remains quite stoic throughout the ordeal. In fact, his facial expression and overall demeanor are remarkably similar to the same moment from his first birthday. Watch it for yourself and see.

One of the most anticipated moments of the day (by us) was when Aiden opened this present:

It's a shirt that says "Big Brother," meaning that in about seven months Aiden is going to be a big brother, and Jen and I are going to be a mommy and daddy (again!) It was an exciting moment to share with the family, and we were glad that they could all be a part of it.

As exciting as it has been to anticipate the new baby, it has also been a tough few weeks as Jen's pregnancy has been a difficult one thus far. Although she and the little one are both very healthy Jen has had daily, almost debilitating migraine headaches. This, coupled with the more expected nausea, aches, and pains of early pregnancy, have forced us to scale back on some of the things that we would normally want to do (like elaborate birthday parties.)

Thankfully we were able to have a wonderful time celebrating with Aiden, and with our family! And we are grateful, of course, for the joy that is ahead of us, and hopeful that daily life will settle back into it's normal equilibrium sometime very soon.

PJ day

2011-02-04T07:33:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, pajama day at Aiden's preschool, was coincidentally also the first day that I (Rob) was charged with the responsibility getting ready him for, and delivering him safely to school.

While easy at first glance (no clothes to pick out!) I realized quickly that Aiden may be somewhat suspicious about my qualifications when it comes to fashion-related decision making. Initially, no matter hard I insisted that today was PAJAMA DAY at school, and that all of his friends would be wearing their pajamas, he insisted back just as adamantly that, no Dad, we don't wear pajamas to school- we wear clothes.

Eventually my persistence won over his doubts (or maybe he was just humoring me) and we got loaded into the car in full pajama mode, sunglasses included. And thankfully, all reports indicate that pajama day was a roaring success, even for the most skeptical of little boys.

Bring on the snow, bring on the fun.

2011-01-28T08:02:00.013-05:00

Despite the somewhat stark, very snowy reality that this winter may simply be one blizzard after the next, we are forced (by our resident almost-three year old) to see the bright side of even the worst winter weather. It's hard to be too grumpy about the nearly endless shoveling when you have an assistant so willing to help that he jumps for joy at the mere thought of getting a shovel into his hot mitten-clad hand.

Take a look at these pictures documenting the thrills of toddler snow shoveling, but keep in mind that this was before part 2 of the most recent storm which brought an additional 10 inches of snow on top of what can be seen here. Yikes.

After the essential areas were adequately shoveled our attention turned to more ol' fashioned snow fun. Since our small yard is entirely slope-free we have to get a little creative when it comes to playing in the snow.

This time around we shoveled a big pile up on the deck to make a snow fort (which eventually morphed into more of a snow tunnel.) And also packed some snow off the side of the deck to make a snow slide. I took some video, because that's what we do around here:

I realized after the fact that it would have been cooler to combine the slide and the tunnel to create an amazing winter version of the Crocodile Mile. Well, there is always next time, and if we've learned anything so far this winter, it's that there will definitely be a next time.

White Winter Morning

2011-01-13T07:45:00.003-05:00

Another week, another snowstorm here in southeastern Pennsylvania. We are getting pretty used to the routine by now: shovel and salt the sidewalk, clean off the car and driveway, and then hunker down with some hot drinks and a movie. We've got it down to a science.

One change this winter is that with Aiden another year older he is that much more excited to head out and play in the white stuff. I know that it is a pretty universal thing for all kids, but he really likes it. A direct quote from him when looking out the window the morning after the storm: "It's SO snowy!" For this particular snowstorm we decided to take advantage of the close proximity of Mom and Dad's new house and head over for a morning sledding session. Aiden had a great time (if it was up to him we'd still be there) and for us it was great to just be outside on such a beautiful, cold and quiet morning.

A Moment for Music

2011-01-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Instead of doing the long-winded top five albums of the year post that I've done previously, this year I decided to keep things simple. At the beginning of each new year I start a new iTunes playlist named after that year (for example "2009", "2010", you get the idea.) Over the course of the following 12 months I drop in my favorite songs, and the result is an always developing, constantly evolving "best of" list. So this year I thought I'd just share my best of 2010 playlist. It was a good year for music, and if there is anything on this list that you haven't heard, please check it out. It'll be worth it. I promise.

You might notice that there are a couple of names that appear in the playlist over and over. Sufjan Stevens, the Tallest Man on Earth, Mumford and Sons, and Kanye West (yes, I know that he's crazy, but I think that he might also be a genius) all put out albums that IF I was going to make an album of the year list (which I'm not) would undoubtedly be featured. Here we go, listed as Song- Artist- Album:

Power- Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

The Cave- Mumford & Sons- Sigh No More

Heirloom- Sufjan Stevens- All Delighted People

See How Man Was Made- Josh Ritter- So Runs the World Away

Forget You- Cee Lo Green- Forget You

Burden of Tomorrow- The Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt

Runaway- The National- High Violet

Runaway- Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Excuses- The Morning Benders- Big Echo

Swim- Surfer Blood- Astro Coast

Ambling Alp- Yeasayer- Odd Blood

From the Mouth Of Gabriel- Sufjan Stevens- All Delighted People

I Think Ur a Contra- Vampire Weekend- Contra

Generator (Second Floor)- Freelance Whales- Weathervanes

The Drying of the Lawns- The Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt

Folk Bloodbath- Josh Ritter- So Runs the World Away

Zebra- Beach House- Teen Dream

Dog Days are Over- Florence + the Machine- Lungs

Too Much- Sufjan Stevens- The Age of Adz

Flume- Peter Gabriel- Flume/ Come Talk to Me

Lost in the World- Kanye West & Bon Iver- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

The Wild Hunt- The Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt

Roll Away your Stone- Mumford & Sons- Sigh No more

If I was absolutely forced to choose my favorite 5 songs from the list (stop twisting my arm!) it would probably go something like this:

1. Runaway- Kanye West

2. Burden of Tomorrow- The Tallest Man on Earth

3. The Cave- Mumford & Sons

4. Too Much- Sufjan Stevens

5. Dog Days are Over- Florenece + the Machine

OK, that's it. I'm done. No more unsolicited music suggestions. (until next year)

Holiday Highlights 2010

2011-01-06T08:07:00.020-05:00

2010 may have come and gone, but I still need one more posts worth of pictures to do justice to those last few heady holiday weeks that inevitably put an exclamation point on the end of our year. December does always seem to be the busiest month and this year was no exception. Thankfully our busyness was due to all the time that we were able to spend with family and friends during Christmas, New Years and all the days in between.

Our holiday activities started this year with a train trip into the city where we saw the Macy's light show, walked through the Charles Dickens village, and visited with Santa. Aiden was a big fan of the train ride, and while he didn't sit ON Santa's lap, he did sit next to him. So, that's a start.

Christmas eve found us all at Mom and Dad Jones' new house in Phoenixville. (It's right down the road!) Old traditions were carried over in a new setting, and we had a great time celebrating together and even got to spend time with Gwyn's friend Adeline who was visiting from Wheaton.

Christmas morning mainly consisted of some quiet hours at home for our little family. Jen made sticky buns, we sat around in our pajamas, gifts were unwrapped and played with, what could be better? Some notable gifts: Aiden got a super hero cape (modeled below), Rob got a beer making kit, and Jen got a new pair of Ugg slippers.

In the week between Christmas and New Years we made our yearly pilgrimage across the Pennsylvania Turnpike to State College PA, home of the Nittany Lions, Peachy Paterno Ice Cream, and the Penn State Jones family. For Aiden, State College means lots of cousin play time. In the picture below you can see cousin Claire in the adjacent swing, and in the background cousin Owen is cruising by in his off roading big-wheels Jeep. We had a great time catching up, sharing pictures, and watching all the kids run around together.

This picture may require a moment of explanation. What you see is cousin Chloe hugging Aiden, while Aiden pets a tiny, fuzzy baby chicken. The cutest picture ever? You be the judge.

There are plenty of other get-togethers that I wish we'd been better about documenting. We were able to spend time with the extended Weidner/ Hultslander family, and also had a great time celebrating with friends on New Years eve. Sometimes you are just having too much fun to reach for the camera!

That's all for 2010. Bring it on 2011!

A Joyful Noise

2010-12-16T15:44:00.004-05:00

Well, here it is folks: Aiden's first school concert. Fair warning, this video may not be for the casual blog reader. However, if you enjoy 10 minutes of shaky camera work, and poor sound quality with lots of background screaming to boot, well then today is your lucky day! After watching this video you will literally feel as if you were right there with us. (I even included some pre and post show pictures to flesh out the overall experience.) If you do check it out, one highlight to look for is how Aiden is holding hands with his friend Alyssa for the entire performance (and at one point attempts an unsuccessful escape.)

Behold the glorious chaos that is a pre-school Christmas concert!

Aiden's Christmas Concert from Robert Jones on Vimeo.

HE'S BACK!

2010-12-15T07:19:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas to us Philadelphia, Clifton Phifer Lee, the coolest pitcher on the planet is coming back home! I heard the news while at work on Monday night in a real life Paul Revere type scenario (one of the nurses was going from floor to floor saying, "Cliff Lee is coming! Cliff Lee is coming!") It was a crazy night, and afterwards I had to give myself a pinch to make sure it wasn't all just a wild Cliff-Lee-themed daydream.

Aside from the obvious fact that it is exciting to now have one of the greatest starting pitching staffs ever assembled, I am also looking forward to not hearing the various "big three" nicknames that sportswriters were throwing around last season. (H20? What does that even mean??) On the flipside we better get used to hearing a LOT about Philly's "Phantastic four" (or "phearsome four", or maybe even the "phour horseman") the possibilities are endless.

To steal a headline from the Daily News:

Merry Cliff-mas Philadelphia! (And a happy Halladay!)

The saga of the Tooth, the Pacifier & the Puzzle

2010-12-03T08:07:00.011-05:00

Lets just cut to the chase: on Saturday night Aiden tripped, fell, and hit his face. In fact, he hit his face hard enough to partially dislodge one of his two front teeth. He didn't knock it all the way out mind you, but he did rearrange it pretty good.

A visit to the dentist the following day determined that he'd be able to live with it as-is, but that we'd need to be careful with what he eats and MOST importantly- he wouldn't be able to use his pacifier for a while. A decision was made by the parental council that perhaps this was as good an opportunity as we were going to get to wean Aiden off of his pacifier for good. And that is how we got to this point:

In case it is not immediately clear, this is a picture of Aiden's pacifier sitting in a box on his desk, waiting for the pacifier fairy to come and take it away. Obviously.

Our initial attempts to convince Aiden that he didn't need his pac (pronounced 'pass' of course) were met with a lukewarm reception at best. It didn't take long for us to move to plan B. Plan B, as you may have already surmised, involved a story about the "Pac Fairy". The Pac Fairy (as the well-known children's story goes) comes in the night to take a child's pacifier and leave behind a beautifully wrapped new toy.

Luckily the Pac Fairy had already done some of her Christmas shopping, so it was no problem for her to quickly find and wrap a brand new numbers puzzle. The Pac Fairy likes educational toys.

The Pac Fairy's visit was met with much rejoicing the next morning. There was even a hand written note that we read with as much enthusiasm as we could muster in the seven o'clock hour.

It was an exciting time for everyone. Aiden was excited for his new toy. Parents were excited by the success of their genius plan. And Bailey was excited that actually got his fuzzy mug into a picture (look closely below.) It was a good morning.

The aftermath, while not bad necessarily, has not been as seamless a transition as we'd hoped for. On one hand, it's great that Aiden is actually playing with his puzzle on the floor right now as I type this. On the other hand, he is doing it at 6:30 in the morning because without the comfort of his pac he is waking up about an hour earlier every morning.

There have been a few other speed bumps along the way as well. Most significantly is the raging guilt that we feel every time that Aiden looks at us with watery eyes and says something like, "I can't find my pac" or "they (we hope 'they' means the mean Pac Fairy, and not his mean parents) took my pac!"

The path to pac independence is long and fraught with many pitfalls. But I am confident that our persistent efforts will be rewarded. Although the fact that Aiden just came over and saw a picture of his pac on the computer as I was writing this may have set us back a few days. Oh well...

Christmas came early

2010-11-24T12:33:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the UPS man for delivering the first great toy of this year's Christmas season: cardboard boxes. I suppose it's a good thing that the boxes on delivery actually contained items that we'd ordered as Christmas gifts, but at least for now, the cargo is secondary to the packaging. This is how Aiden and I spent the majority of our morning after these boxes arrived, and I'm not sure who had more fun.

In Thanksgiving-related news: I am thankful that my child is a boy because it gives me a good excuse to do things (like build large hot-wheels tracks out of cardboard boxes) which, lets be honest, I would want to do anyway.

Backyard Camping

2010-11-05T08:10:00.007-04:00

A little while back I thought it'd be fun to set up the tent out in the yard for Aiden to play with. He did like it, although he spent most fof his time running around it and opening and closing the zipper. To each his own.

It was a fun little morning activity and it makes me excited for when he gets a little bit older and we can take our sleeping bags out there, start a fire in the firepit, and do some real backyard camping.

The Parade

2010-10-29T07:53:00.009-04:00

With Halloween just around the corner Aiden's pre-school put on a mini costume parade for the kids. As it turns out, there are few pleasures greater then seeing a gaggle of costumed toddlers ambling in circles around a parking lot, waving at anything that moves. It was pretty great.

There were some pretty creative costumes on display. One of my personal favorites is Aiden's little friend Leah who dressed as a "nurse in training." (I took some pictures) Aiden's costume was a Phillies player, which is something that we'd picked out before the Phillie's disappointing fizzle. Although the wounds from their loss are still fresh I think that seeing our two year old proudly strut his stuff in Phillies garb was the first step in the healing process.

Anyway, it may not have been the "Phillies parade" that we were expecting, but I'll take this one any day of the week! Enjoy the pictures...

Falling for fall

2010-10-22T20:06:00.012-04:00

The weather has taken a turn for the cooler around here recently and I, for one, am loving it. The last few days Aiden and I have been taking advantage of the sunny, fall temperatures by hanging out in the backyard. I started a project a while back where I am using broken-up pieces of our old sidewalk as edging for some of our plant beds. Despite being far from completed, Aiden decided to claim the area as a new place for him to play and get dirty.

Post wall-walking we moved on to collecting leaves. Which, as you'll see, then transitioned nicely into collecting dirt.

A boy and his dog

2010-10-19T08:24:00.003-04:00

This video pretty much sums up the current state of Aiden and Bailey's relationship. Aiden just wants to play, and Bailey barely tolerates it all because he knows that Aiden is his primary gateway to all food-crumb related morsels.

My favorite parts of this video are when Aidens declares definitively "Its my rope!" (its not) And also when he chases Bailey around the room imploring him to participate while Bailey desperately eyes his escape route.

Untitled from Robert Jones on Vimeo.

UFO!!!!!! (Unidentified Flying bOy)

2010-10-15T16:38:00.008-04:00

...these pictures are classified as TOP SECRET as this quadrant of the living room is designated as a strict no-fly zone... you never saw this... it never happened...

Doctober Part 2

2010-10-07T09:16:00.004-04:00

For those not fortunate enough to live within reach of the airwaves of the Philadelphia radio broadcast here is the final out of last night's no-hitter as called by Scott Franzke:

Doctober

2010-10-06T20:29:00.004-04:00

Unlike the last two years there has been nary a blog post in the lead up to this season's baseball playoffs. What can I say? Maybe we've reached an era where making the postseason is just buisness as usual for our Fightin's.

I could hardly let tonight's game come and go, however, seeing as that it was (literally) one for the ages. I am excited to have game one in the bag, but beyond that, watching Doc deal the second postseason no-hitter in baseball history was just electrifying.

Thank goodness for Doc. And thank goodness for baseball.

Here we go again...

Pre-school begins

2010-09-25T20:45:00.004-04:00

Aiden started pre-school 2 weeks ago, and we've been meaning to share some pictures. Aiden is now a proud student of 'Pre-school in the Valley' 2 mornings a week. The pre-school is in the church where Rob grew up, and coincidentally, both of Aiden's grandmother's work there!

Here's some pictures from the first day before heading out the door.

Not quite ready to let go of my baby!!

Being silly with daddy

Here we go!

Aiden was teary the first day, but is now loving school and doesn't look back when I drop him off in the morning.

Zoo again

2010-09-14T18:50:00.004-04:00

We made another zoo trip last Friday. Mimi and Pop-Pop came along this time which was lots of fun! Unfortunately, we didn't take many pictures. But, we got some great ones of the new baby giraffe that was so cute, I (Jen) could barely contain myself!

With mama

Rob and Aiden checking out the baby giraffe

We also saw the otters again, which is one of our favorite exhibits. It was lunch time for them and they were all eating fish- they eat the whole thing- bones and all!

And even though this is not a great picture of us, it's the only one we have from the trip.

And sorry there are no pictures of Mimi and Pop-Pop, but they were there, I promise!

Overloaded!

2010-09-11T08:09:00.004-04:00

As another summer turns the corner into another fall there are some changes afoot at the Jones Abode. Nothing too crazy, of course, but significant enough to alter some of our daily activities for the foreseeable future. The first thing is that Aiden will start his first year of pre-school in just a few days! He will go two mornings a week, and he will be attending with some of the same kids that were in his "Mommy and Me" class last year. Jen and I went to the open house last week, where we met his teacher and saw his classroom. We've also been talking it up as much as possible and, let me tell you, the anticipation is building!

Another change is that I am actually getting in back to school-mode myself. Last week I started a program which will allow me to complete my bachelors degree and continue on to get my masters degree in nursing. The school that I am going to is called Excelsior College and it has a very unique, 100% online, (super flexible) curriculum. It's going to be a long, slow road, but after much prayer and consideration we decided that it is a worthwhile journey to take.

With the added time requirements for my school assignments the reality is that my posting here will probably continue to be quite infrequent. I used to try to get something up at least once a week, but I think now I may aim for twice monthly updates.

So thanks for checking in, and I hope that you continue to do so. If anything exciting happens, we'll let you know! (And if nothing much at all happens, we'll let you know that too...)

Ocean City 2010

2010-08-28T08:44:00.021-04:00

We've been a little lackadaisical on the blog posting front recently. Oops.

Lets be honest though, it's August, the height of summer, who has time for blog reading/posting this time of year? Not us, that's all I know.

As hard as it's been to keep things up to date around here, I couldn't put off any longer sharing pictures of our trip down to Ocean City with Jen's family. Our time down there was great. The sun was shining, the kites were flying, and the boardwalk was humming with activity.

As per usual, our activities for the week centered around of the "big three" of shore vacation life. The "big three" (as we all know) are:

1) Relaxin' at the house

2) Cruisin' at the boardwalk

And of course, the most important of all...

3) Chillin' at the beach

Maine 2010

2010-08-09T20:53:00.031-04:00

Hey, it's Maine!

I know we've been home for a few weeks now, but I promise that I've been working tirelessly (for the last hour) to allow these pictures to see the light of day.

What else is there to say? It was an amazing 10 days, and here are the pictures to prove it:

We're Back

2010-07-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

We returned yesterday from Maine. We are feeling rested, refreshed and ready to face the world (and the Pennsylvania humidity)!

More pictures to come...

We're off

2010-07-15T15:54:00.000-04:00

We are heading back here:

for a while. So we'll see ya when we see ya!

Back to the Zoo

2010-07-11T15:20:00.012-04:00

We took our first zoo trip of the year last week, and (despite it being a scorcher of a day) we had a fun morning checking out the monkeys, snakes, bears and the rest of the animal kingdom.

Aiden mostly just rode around in the wagon feeling like zoo royalty, although he did muster the energy to chase a few peacocks.

Happy (belated) 4th of July.

2010-07-05T20:50:00.007-04:00

Potty Trainers of the World Unite

2010-07-05T09:15:00.013-04:00

As I'm sure all of you parents of toddlers can understand, the road to the diaper-free holy grail of potty training is a long and arduous one. Unlike most early childhood milestones (walking and talking come to mind) potty training is hard work! Persistence and a keen eye for body language are absolutely essential, and a lackadaisical attitude will certainly buy you an accident and an extra load of laundry. It's not easy, and although lately we've lately been celebrating a string of small victories, we've had plenty of setbacks along the way

So, to all you parents battling through the daily struggles of potty training (or a different challenge of toddler rearing for that matter...) stay strong!

And in the meantime, here is an unintentionally funny Japanese TV potty training video to lift your spirits. (hilarious subtitles included)

Enjoy.

News and Notes from a busy week...

2010-06-25T18:45:00.011-04:00

We kicked off the week with a full family photo shoot at our parent's house. They'll be moving soon, so this was one of the last times we'll all be together at the old house.

We also enjoyed a great visit with the Benner's who were here for the week from Los Angeles. They win the award for best house guests ever.

Aiden enjoyed his newer, bigger, and better blow up pool.

Now, if I can make a general recommendation to anyone currently reading this post it is this: go out and buy/ download the album "Sigh No More" by the band "Mumford and Sons." Once you buy it, set your music player of choice to 'repeat', sit back and enjoy (and remember to thank me later.)

And lastly, I don't know if many people out there have been following the World Cup with as much anxiety ridden excitement as I have, but if you have then you'll understand why I feel like this:

was one of the best moments I have ever seen in sports. Period.

5 Years

2010-06-16T08:14:00.024-04:00

This month Jen and I celebrate our five year anniversary! That's five years of sweet, tender, loving marriage... oh, and also five years of learning to tolerate each others faults, struggling to make our way in the world of jobs, mortgages and taxes, and doing our best to raise an energetic baby boy.

Whew! So, it's been a busy five years. And so, to celebrate how far we've come, we decided to take a trip down to Florida's gulf coast for a little rest and relaxation- just the two of us. So, with luggage brimming with bathing suits, sunblock, and beach reading (and Aiden safely delivered to the grandparents) we hopped a flight down to Fort Myers Beach Florida for our celebratory weekend.

The beaches along the gulf coast are beautiful, and we took quite a few walks along the shore, but when it came time to relax we mostly settled in by the pool with books in hand.

Our hotel was one of the nicest we've stayed in. It was big, with ocean views from every room. And while I'm thinking of it, it was called the "Pink Shell Resort and Spa" and it was terrific in every way. I can't recommend it highly enough.

One evening we took a short side trip to nearby Sannibel Island. The beaches there are known for their shells, and in the short time we spent there Jen found a couple of good ones.

The sunsets every night were spectacular, and our hotel room balcony provided great front-row seats for the show.

What a great trip, and a great celebration of five years of marriage! Here's to five more years! (And also more beyond that...obviously.)

A Cool Pool

2010-06-05T21:32:00.016-04:00

Aiden's kiddie pool has become a regular fixture in our backyard during hot summer days. As you can tell from last summer, and the summer before, it has served us well these last few years. With temperatures reaching into the 90's this last week it has been tempting to just hunker down in a darkened room, air conditioner blasting. And though we have succumbed to that urge on a few occasions, when we have ventured out of doors we once again reached for the pool to deliver some welcome relief for parent and child alike.

Scenes of early summer (through the eyes of my blackberry)

2010-05-29T22:10:00.007-04:00

Boundaries

2010-05-24T20:16:00.011-04:00

Why is it that, for a two year old, the one place you don't want them to go is the one place they want to be more then anything else in the world?

Here is a recurring example in our house: We have sitting in our living room, posing convincingly as a coffee table, Aiden's toy chest. Aiden has been told in every way that it is possible to tell a toddler that:

"No, in fact, that toy chest is not for sitting on/ laying in/ climbing into, it is simply a place in which toys are to be stored..."

Of course, it is no sooner that those words leave our mouths and reach certain tiny ears that the toy chest becomes the only place to sit in/ lay on, etc. It is the ultimate place of rest, better then the softest lazy-boy (and certainly better then the large, empty couch sitting mere feet away.)

Is it practical? No. Comfortable? I can't imagine that it is. Ergonomically sound? Certainly not. And yet there we continue to find him, reclining amongst the Hot Wheels and building blocks, pretending for all the world like the toy chest is very own sleep number bed.

I know that this "problem" is not so much of a real problem as a way of life. And I also know that parents with older kids are chuckling quietly to themselves thinking, "they 'aint seen nothing yet."

True, true I am sure, oh wise parents. Sitting on toy chests is small potatoes when compared to cars, curfews and other perils of teenage parentdom. And yet we will continue on, I suppose, making boundaries and having them tested.. and sometimes even broken.

1st official haircut

2010-05-19T20:12:00.004-04:00

Aiden has had a few little trims from his Mimi, but a few weeks ago I (Jen) decided that he needed to get an actual haircut. I thought about taking him to one of those children's haircut places just for the experience, but I knew that even sitting in an airplane would not make Aiden forget the fact that someone he doesn't know is touching his head. It's funny because Aiden is not a shy kid anymore (much to our surprise) but when it comes to the doctor, or in this case a hairdresser, he knows something is up, and he doesn't like it. I had a hair appointment scheduled for myself and I asked Julia, who has been doing my hair since college, if she would trim up Aiden's hair. I warned her that it may not be an easy task. My mom met us at the hair place so that she could take Aiden after he was done and I could finish my appointment. Luckily she had her camera (I know, I'm a bad mom forgetting mine) so she snapped a few pictures documenting the occasion.

Aiden refused to sit in the chair alone and wear the cape even though we tried to convince him it was like superman.

He agreed to sit in my lap, and a small bag of chips helped sweeten the deal of trying to sit still and not pull away.

LOVE the look he is giving me in this next one...

Lookin' good!!

Thanks mom/Mimi for getting these pictures and to Julia who was such a trooper with my difficult little boy!

Pictures Galore!

2010-05-10T07:23:00.026-04:00

We certainly do not shy away from taking pictures here at the Jones Abode. Just like any new parents, we tend to get a little camera happy whenever Aiden is doing, well, pretty much anything. But despite our sizeable archive of pictures of Aiden playing with stones and/or sticks, we have never had the opportunity to take any kind of professional shots of him during these first few years.

Well, last week we did finally have that opportunity. Christy Willard is a friend of ours from church, and addition to being a mother of two, and a fellow blogger, she also really knows her way around a camera. Jen won a photo session with Christy via her blog A Heartening Life, so this past friday we put on our finest duds and drove over to a nearby farm park to take us some pictures.

The pictures that I uploaded here are just the tip of the iceberg, but they are certainly some of our favorites. Enjoy!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T19:12:00.001-04:00

Nothing quite like a quality Mother's Day snuggle.

Happy Mother's day to Mothers everywhere.

Hello summer. Welcome back. We missed you.

2010-05-02T20:13:00.015-04:00

Ok, ok, ok... I know that the calender says that we are still firmly in spring territory, but with temperatures flirting with ninety degrees this past weekend we at the Jones Abode have been fully embracing the mid-summer vibe.

Let me set the scene for you: the lawn is lush and green, the patio furniture is set up for lounging, and the grill has had it's first official firing of the year- if it's not techincally summer it just might as well be.

On Saturday we were even inspired to break out the lawn sprinkler for a mid-summer experience that was a first for Aiden. It took just a little convincing from Mom, Dad and Grandpa, but it wasn't long before Aiden was fully on board with the joys of sprinkler-playing.

As with so many great summer activites this one ended with Aiden dripping wet and very happy. Thus the change of clothes before he chipped in to help Dad mow the lawn.

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-26T09:38:00.009-04:00

The weather round these parts has continued to impress during the last few weeks. Sure, we've had our share of rainy, spring days (today for example), but more often than not we've seen clear skies and lots o' sun.

These pictures were taken from a day recently when Jen must have had the broom out to sweep off the deck and patio. Aiden, ever the imitator, was not one to be left out. This exceptional work ethic did not last for long, however, as attentions shifted to more pressing matters. In this case: bothering Bailey, and playing with stones.

Aiden's new trick

2010-04-17T12:18:00.001-04:00

I don't think these need any explanation...

Play Date

2010-04-12T07:59:00.008-04:00

With the summer-like weather this past week, Aiden got lots of time outside. If Aiden has sticks, stones, and a bucket of water, he is happy for hours.

So, one morning this week, Steph and Lucy came over for a visit. Lucy is 6 mos younger than Aiden, and when they were babies that seemed like a big age gap. But, as they get older, it is nice to have them so close in age and they are learning to play well together.

We all always joke that they will get married some day, so here are some pictures to add to the emabarrassing slide show that we will play at their wedding.

And here's a couple ones of just Aiden. It seems like he gets bigger and bigger every day.

What a weekend!

2010-04-06T08:20:00.020-04:00

Last weekend we (Rob and Jen) had the chance to sneak away for a quick one night vacation down in center city. We got to celebrate Jen's birthday, eat some really good food, and enjoy some phenomenal weather- it was pretty perfect.

After returning home from our mini-trip we stayed the rest of the weekend at Jen's parent's houe in Blue Bell where we celebrated the Easter holiday with the family. Although we tried to limit his overall Easter candy intake Aiden did have a great time finding some Easter eggs and playing with his basket.

The weeked was capped off by a great Easter dinner with the family. The weather remained beautiful throughout and Aiden loved playing out in the yard with Grandpa, and Pop-Pop.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-01T22:32:00.005-04:00

Things have been busy around the Jonesabode here recently. Rob's been working some extra shifts because they are a little short at work and because he can use the extra money for some outside/garden projects. So, I (Jen) am stepping in and doing a post this week!

This past week I went with some other mom's from our 'Mommy and Me' group to the mall to see the Easter bunny. It...was...insane... There were so many people there because it is spring break, I was exhausted by the time we left.

I wasn't sure how Aiden was going to take to the Easter bunny. But he was surprisingly excited, and didn't hesitate to sit on his lap.

However, it didn't take long for him to realize that maybe this was strange.

So I quickly stepped in before he got too upset.

I love this picture because there was a fan blowing to keep the Easter bunny cool, and Aiden must have been right in the crosswind.

Thank-you to Janice for taking these pictures, documenting the whole experience so I didn't have to pay the $18 for the one picture of him and the bunny.

We ended our trip (after craziness on the indoor playground) at the food court, which made Aiden (and myself) a happy camper.

Hope everyone was a blessed and happy Easter!

Summer in March

2010-03-29T07:53:00.014-04:00

The weather recentley has been about what you would expect from late March: cool, cloudy, and lots of rain. About two weeks ago though we hit a patch of weather so sublime it felt like it was pulled right out of early June. Needless to say when the thermometer tops 70 degrees, it doesn't matter what month it is, we're heading outside.

For those few days we enjoyed just sitting out in the yard (we even pulled out the deck chairs) and watching Aiden keep himself entertained with whatever he could find to throw/ hit stuff with. Sadly, the deck chairs are now safely stowed back in the shed, and we haven't been able to play outside nearly as much- but that little taste of summer made us that much more excited for the real thing to arrive.

Summer... come soon please?

Dad Time

2010-03-22T15:47:00.013-04:00

During the last few weeks the weather around these parts has taken a turn for the better. With winter now safely in the rear view mirror (good riddance) we've had the opportunity to take advantage of some really pleasent, spring-like days.

Aiden is big enough now to really enjoy being outside, and loves the chance to run and climb without all of the restrictions that come from indoor playing. To give him a chance to run off some of his excess energy (and to give Jen a break from his excess energy) I've been trying to take him out on some Dad excursions.

We've had fun, although some activites have been recieved with greater enthusiasm then others. For example, on the first day I took Aiden to a local walking path thinking that we could go for a spin in the cool, new wagon that he got for Christmas.

Walking and running on the trail was loads of fun...

Pulling the wagon was even pretty exciting...

Riding in the wagon, however, less "fun" and more "traumatic." Hopefully next time around things might go a bit more smoothly.

On another day, going to the park was unquestionably a success. Both the slide and swings provided some serious fun.

And of course, sometimes you don't even need to leave home. These last few days especially we've spent some great hours out in the sun in our own backyard.

War of the Words

2010-03-15T11:30:00.003-04:00

Aiden has recentley added a new and strangely effective technique of parental manipulation to his (already extensive) repertoire.

A typical exchange goes something like this:

Aiden: (sweetly and with great innocence) "Watch Elmo video?"

Mom and/or Dad: (incredulous and with great sarcasm) "You want to watch your Elmo video?

Aiden: (sweetly again, and acting like none of this was his idea in the first place) "Ok."

Brilliant. And as I said before, quite effective.