Heat Wave!

It has been hot here these last few days.  Really hot.  So, so, so,  SO very hot.  Just look at Bailey: That panting tongue, those crazy eyes... clearly, it's hot.

It's so hot that there is an official 'heat wave,' complete with a scary sounding 'excessive heat warning.' Yikes!  So, we've been trying a couple of ways to cool off:  we fired up the air-conditioners, turned on the fans, and stuck our heads into the freezer for hours at a time.  After all that we finally realized: why not just jump in the pool??  

Perhaps you're thinking, "Hmmm, I'm pretty darn sure there is no pool at that house..."

Well friends, just scroll down the page and try not to feel too foolish when you see the latest addition to the abode...

Ta-Dah!!!!  Looks pretty inviting right?  Yep, there is nothing more refreshing then an inch deep puddle of water in brightly colored inflatable plastic.

Ok, so really it's a pool for Aiden.  We figured it was about time we blew the thing up and let Aiden "Mark Spitz" Jones show us what he could do.  As you see he is very pool savvy.  His cool looking jams, and floppy sun-hat are built for speed.  Its all about aerodynamics, and Aiden is nothing if not aerodynamic.

Here he is giving the pool an initial inspection.  Apparently he prefers an olympic size.

A glimpse into the strenuous pre-swim work out.

Ok, now he's poised for his first plunge.  The tension is palpable...

Uh-oh.   Not looking good.  It seems the temperature was not set to his exact specifications.  

There is not much worse than a grumpy swimmer.

At least it's nothing a little pep talk from Coach/ Mom can't take care of.

Not the most successful work-out.  Maybe next time champ.

Cooling down...

And finally, no swim is complete without a strict session of laying around watching TV in an air-conditioner induced stupor.  Ahhhhhh.....

I've been BITTEN

Ok, so I know this is absolutely shocking that Jen is writing a blog post.  I have avoided doing so mostly because Rob is much more creative and entertaining.  But I think I use that more as an excuse so that I don't have to do it.  But I discovered something today that I find to be extremely blog-worthy to inform everyone of.  You may or may not have heard of Sarah Jessica Parker's clothing line, "Bitten".  I have heard of it for quite some time now- however I was pregnant for 10 months- ( they say 9, but it is really 10 ) and then it took me a few months to get back to my normal size.  So it hasn't been until the past couple weeks that I have had any desire to even try on clothes, let alone buy them.  I am always looking for great deals, and I rarely spend a lot of money on clothes.  My friend Rhianwen tells me that my mom probably prayed for me to be a good shopper because I always get great deals.  So the other day I decided to look up "Bitten" online.  I was excited when I saw that everything was $8.98 or less, but I wasn't convinced that the clothes were great quality or that I would even like them.  "Bitten" is sold exclusively at "Steve and Barry's Department Store".  I went on their website, did some research and found out that there is one in King of Prussia- 15 mins. away.  I was super excited about this because for some reason I didn't think there was one near here.   I was very skeptical about going, thinking that it would be poor quality, or that they would only have 2 racks of clothes, none in my size.  Even when I pulled up to the store, from the outside, it doesn't look that impressive.  There was a huge sign in the window that said "Everything in the store $8.98 0r less".  Well, when I walked through the doors, I was extremely impressed with how big it was, how many walls and racks of great clothing there was, and how organized and clean it was.  It exceeded all my expectations.  The "Bitten" line was huge, they had a ton of stuff, all of which I loved.  And it was true- everything (jeans, dresses, pants, shirts, loungewear, etc) was $8.98 or less.  I perused my way through and found a ton of stuff to try on.  It took me a little while to figure out my size, stuff seems to run a little small, but once I did, it was hard to hold back.  I have not even really scratched the surface of the whole "Steve and Barry's" experience.  And if I hadn't accidentally dropped a hanger on Aiden's head which startled him (not hurt him- don't worry) and caused him to cry as loud as he can- I would have been there for hours.  They have kids clothes, shoes, mens clothes....it goes on and on.  They probably would have had to tear me away.  I think the thing that is most shocking is the quality of these clothes.  Usually with such a low price, you are getting poor quality- not the case my friend!  So, as you can see, I am extremely excited about this and suggest that you check it out!! 

 Get Bitten!!

  

All these clothes cost $75

And just to prove that Aiden is uninjured and ok from his clumsy mother....
 

Ode to the BBQ

For me, its not truly summer until the delicate scent of lighter fluid is wafting through the air, and there is a giant fireball in the charcoal grill.  So, good news- after today we can consider summer officially underway.  

We picked up this "BBQ Pro" just the other day, so our first cookout of the summer was also our grill's inaugural firing.  Don't be alarmed if it looks like I over dosed on the lighter fluid, the fire station is right next door to our house.  Seriously, it is really right next door- they could just aim their hoses at us without even moving the trucks and we'd be all set.

Sorry- no pictures of Aiden at this big event.  He was there though, I promise.

Lazy Summer Days

Sometimes on these warm summer afternoons it's all you can do just to stay awake.  And as you can see, certain members of our household have a hard time managing even that.

Jungle Noises

It may sound like the mating call of a wild Baboon, but no, it's just the first tentative steps of our child into the world of speech.

90 years and counting...

This past weekend was a special one for Jones' near and far.   As a family, we'll take any opportunity to rustle up a get-together, but this occasion was unique.  Great-Uncle Max, the current elder statesmen of our family, reached a major life milestone: 90 years.

90 years is a long time, but Max's memory seems to span the full breadth of his life experiences.  He was happy to provide anecdotes from his past- which was perfect as much of our weekend centered around that natural reminiscing that occurs whenever families congregate.

I took a lot of pictures of our time together- mostly just of all of us relaxing in the beautiful Inn where the party was held.  One additional, and extra special thing, that you'll notice in these pictures is a baby even tinier and more baby-like then our baby.  Our cousin Megan and her husband Gabe welcomed their daughter Chloe into the world just two weeks ago!  And there they were- ready to party!

It was a great weekend with family, and a great celebration for our special Great Uncle.  Happy Birthday Uncle Max!

Holiday Weekend

We hope everyone out there had a great Memorial Day weekend.  For us this weekend was full of picnicking, and miniature golfing, and gardening, and lots and lots of sun.  Here are the pictures to prove it.

Here is Aiden celebrating Memorial Day- baby style.

Toby stayed with us for a few days while Mom and Dad were out in California.  You can tell he is exhausted from chasing/being chased by Bailey.

Aiden is all geared up for his first Memorial Day picnic.  He's feeling like one cool dude.

Aiden has never shown a whole lot of interest in regular food.  Yesterday, however, something changed.  He was literally hypnotized by this piece of cake.  In the video you can see that he is actually foaming at the mouth as he desperately tries to get a taste- while we all callously laugh at his efforts.