Tyler and Logan Shane

It's the Fever

2012-02-04T16:50:00.000-05:00

Of course the Bears didn't make it but how many times will the Super Bowl be held in a cold midwestern city? Exactly. And we're close so we had to check things out. We toured the Super Bowl Village -- sadly we were too small to do the 800' long zip line but there were plenty of other crazy things going on. We also got some Super Bowl gear supporting Uncle Matt's favorite team and favorite player, Tommy Brady. We'll be ready for game time tomorrow around 7pm ET and then we'll probably have to go to bed before the end of the 1st quarter. I guess the Super Bowl isn't really for us kids...

Competing with Clark

2011-12-10T11:02:00.001-05:00

We really went all out in decorating this year, you can hardly even recognize our house!

And we again succeeded in making sure there were no usable photos for a Christmas card. Taking turns being lunatics makes the job much easier. Once we knew the battle was over we of course rubbed it in by smiling like normal humans in this picture:

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T14:42:00.002-05:00

From pre-Halloween excitement all the way to posing with the jack-o-lantern on Halloween night, here is Halloween 2011 courtesy of Spiderman Logan and Pirate Tyler.

We were ready

2011-10-11T13:35:00.000-04:00

We don't need hillbilly Hank, we're always ready for football. Can't say the same for the Bears versus the Lions last night.

Refreshing

2011-09-05T20:45:00.002-04:00

Nothing better than a little watermelon on hot summer day. We keep eating em until someone makes us stop...

Monroe County Fair 2011

2011-08-16T09:50:00.000-04:00

We went on half-price rides night and I loved all the rides they would let me go on. Only problem is that I'm not quite 42" tall so I can't go on all of the rides yet. Logan wasn't sure about the rides but he had no problem with the life-sized lemonade shake-up. I also showed that I'm a natural 4-H dude with my poultry handling. I could get a ribbon next year...

Steamy

2011-07-18T18:12:00.000-04:00

The cold splash from the sprinkler is just what we need when it's almost 100 degrees in our backyard. Either that or some air conditioning and a couple cartoons...

Modified sandbox

2011-06-30T12:10:00.000-04:00

Mom and Dad don't like the idea of sand all over the house so Mom made us a different kind of sandbox. We can play in the sand without actually rolling around in the sand ourselves. Everybody is happy right?

Turns out that it only helps sand containment a little. Sand still has a way of getting everywhere. Mostly because Logan has a way of making sure sand doesn't stay in the box!

Time for bed

2011-06-08T20:01:00.000-04:00

Teeth brushed? yep.
Blankets in hand? yep.
Logan's thumb in mouth? yep.

That can only mean it's time for us to go to bed. Which means it will still be 45 minutes until we stop pressing alarm clock buttons and talking to stuffed animals and actually fall asleep.

We're Back and We Match!

2011-05-04T09:59:00.001-04:00

You weren't convinced that Mom cons us into wearing the same clothes? We have the proof:

How long does this Mom phase last? Will we have to walk around high school wearing the same stuff?

p.s. no worries about matching with the green shirts anymore, I took a permanent red marker to it.

Diaper winnings

2011-03-28T16:24:00.001-04:00

A note to all parents: If you buy $3 million worth of diapers, eventually you earn enough "points" to get back merchandise worth $50 or so dollars. Amazing. So here is our prize: a Radio Flyer Big Wheel!

For those still wondering about whether this is worthwhile, we haven't even mentioned that you have to enter a 216 digit code (only a slight exaggeration) for every package of diapers to get your "points". Quite the bright idea Mr. Pampers.

Snow and Ice

2011-02-26T14:19:00.000-05:00

We rarely get good packing snow down here so I took advantage of a batch of heavy, wet snow and made my first snowman. I've also been taking ice skating lessons so here is a shot of my last lesson of the season. It's not as easy as it looks on tv, that's for sure.

All or nothing

2011-02-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

Some days chocolate cookies, some days bread and water.

Monster Jam Indy

2011-02-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

I got to see a few of my favorite monster trucks up close at Monster Jam in Indy a few weeks ago. It was loud so I got to wear "headphones" and I enjoyed every minute.

In the News

2011-02-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

We figured you'd like an update from frigid Bloomington:

1) I (Tyler) started preschool earlier this month. Bouncing off the padded walls in the gym seems to be the early favorite activity along with the Lego station.

2) Logan finally decided crawling anywhere was for babies and is walking full time. Actually, he mostly skipped walking and tries to run like me. He has the bumps and bruises to prove it.

3) We propose a study to understand why moms insist on dressing their close-in-age children in the same clothes. Exhibit A below. And we have more where this came from.

Frank It Is

2011-01-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

Frank the combine, a Bears jersey, a Blackhawks jersey...I was a lucky boy at Christmas.

Favorites

2011-01-12T12:29:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite shirts (and probably the 7th straight day of wearing it, don't try to tell me it's dirty) and Logan's favorite activity.

Bells will be ringing

2010-12-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

Just a few outtakes from the xmas picture process. At least we think they were outtakes...we don't have final editing decisions.

Making use of the bib

2010-11-19T16:29:00.000-05:00

There were many successful attempts at getting pears to mouth but then I get distracted and well, nobody is perfect.

Logan turns 1

2010-11-16T10:56:00.000-05:00

On turning 1: I wasn't sure about the cupcake at first, but eventually the frosting won me over. Tyler promised he would share my own presents with me...quite generous of him really. I thought so much of my time at Bloomington Hospital just over a year ago that I've paid them a couple visits in recent months. I'm fine of course but Mom's minivan dreams are looking about like my cupcake in the after picture below.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-10T09:53:00.001-05:00

Logan didn't feel like dressing up so I think this picture along with the obligatory jack-o-lantern shot covers Halloween 2010. I got to go up and down our street this year (even after dark!), a huge improvement over the lame mall (the mall was especially lame since Mom and Dad got the day wrong for mall trick-or-treating this year...oops)

Let's get moving!

2010-10-18T13:25:00.000-04:00

C'mon, one of you parents get to pulling. The Radio Flyer is pretty cool but it won't pull itself around the neighborhood yet.

Before I Turn 4

2010-10-04T15:31:00.001-04:00

As promised, a few pictures from that time I turned 3. It's all about the cake! I was very explicit about my cake preferences (chocolate cake with chocolate frosting) and it was very good so I want to make sure the cake gets its due.

The cake in waiting

Can't wait...hurry up the singing

A bath awaits

You had to be there

And you thought I didn't read the cards...

Many ways to be lazy

2010-09-21T10:38:00.001-04:00

Logan leads off by showing that it really is possible to drink a bottle while expending almost no energy.

Then, Logan explains how nice it is to be chauffeured around in a Radio Flyer (with added pillow).

After that, I decided I had to join Logan's lazy parade in the pack-n-play.

Finally, this last photo has nothing to do with laziness but I decided to post it anyway. I'm explaining to Mom the importance of turning over your soil at the beginning AND end of every growing season.

Coming soon: pictures from me turning 3! (yeah, yeah so we're a little behind...)

It's the County Fair!

2010-08-05T12:19:00.000-04:00

Time to haul out the double-wide and have some lemonade shake-ups. Last year I was still mostly stroller-bound like poor Logan this year, but this year I got to walk around and ride the rides! The carousel, the huge Ferris wheel, the revolving helicopters, and the big slide! Not to mention all the tractors to climb on. And still plenty of goats, roosters, horses, and cows to hear, see, and smell...can't wait til next year.

Many faces and attitudes

2010-07-15T16:25:00.000-04:00

All in a day's work:

Calm Logan

Angry Logan with Not Paying Attention Tyler

Surprised Logan with Laughing Tyler

Sleepy Logan

Worried Logan

Just plain hot

2010-07-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

We're trying to stay cool during our sweltering heat wave any way we can. This pre-swimming picture shows that although Logan might look cuddly, don't get too close because he likes to squeeze, grab, and pinch anything within his reach.

What happened to June?

2010-07-03T15:32:00.000-04:00

Looks like we missed a month but never fear we do have some evidence from our June trip to Peoria. I hung out with some cows and put some construction equipment to the test in the dirt. Logan kept himself busy indoors where it was cool instead.

Happy 4th of July!

Fear the scissors

2010-05-22T10:22:00.000-04:00

First, Tyler got his hair chopped. Then Mom came after me with her scissors. With results decidedly mixed, if I were Dad I'd sleep with one eye open.

Sneaky Logan

2010-05-10T14:57:00.001-04:00

First I noticed Logan was finding all my old cool stuff that I thought I'd lost. Then I caught him in my new room during naptime. What's next with this sneaky 6 month old?

Not even close

2010-05-03T14:25:00.000-04:00

I know there are far better "real food" options than rice cereal. Let's not play games and pretend this stuff is edible.

All gone!

2010-04-27T10:02:00.001-04:00

On Easter, lots of hair. Now, I'm ready for the summer weather that we've had all April but of course has disappeared for the moment.

Leftovers

2010-04-20T10:40:00.001-04:00

Our parents haven't been doing much picture taking recently, so these are from a few weeks ago. The grass is much greener and my hair is much shorter. Logan, he just does a lot of babbling and rolling over.

Must be raining

2010-04-07T10:34:00.002-04:00

We needed entertainment so I did my best Home Alone pose. Logan is just wondering what in the world these people are doing and why aren't they feeding me. Patience is not in Logan's vocabulary quite yet.

Time for a tooth?

2010-03-30T11:56:00.001-04:00

The drool has started and so has the constant need to gnaw on whatever hand or object is nearby. If Tyler's experience is any indication, I may have a few teeth coming soon.

I'm watching

2010-03-17T10:54:00.002-04:00

I've got to keep a constant watch on this Tyler character. He's always running, jumping, or crashing through the house and making lots of noise. Although I can't keep up quite yet I'm making progress. I recently taught myself to roll over to get a better view of the chaos around me.

Time to stretch

2010-03-04T09:58:00.001-05:00

Alright, lemme hear ya, good and loud. A one, a two, a three, Take me out to the ballgame...

Who needs clippers?

2010-03-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Just a few more months of rubbing the hair off the sides and I'll have my own mohawk. No barber necessary.

Photos of the artist as a young boy

2010-02-27T12:28:00.000-05:00

Hey, can I get a little privacy? I've got a masterpiece started here.

Time to eat

2010-02-19T15:28:00.001-05:00

I've been nice about this so far but if I don't get some goodies soon I'll be forced to scream and/or eat my hand. Your choice, the countdown starts now.

Side note: I think this was my official 3-month picture attire.

No contest

2010-01-31T16:34:00.001-05:00

Hands down the best section of our local paper, the full color Sunday comics! The rest of the paper is useful for catching crumbs or mopping up coffee spills.

No defense, no W's

2010-01-27T12:16:00.001-05:00

It's tough to stay positive with the Illini this year. The next time they play tough defense will be the first. I wouldn't bet a used diaper that they can win at Penn State tonight but we'll probably turn it on and curse just like we always do.

Arctic boredom

2010-01-05T15:50:00.001-05:00

With temps in the teens or lower, the chances for outdoor activity are zero around here. And let me tell you, the walls are closing in around us. Someone take these parents off our hands for awhile!

Ready or not...

2010-01-03T11:55:00.000-05:00

Here we come in our double-wide stroller. Bet you didn't think double-wide had more than one meaning in southern Indiana!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

No tears or fears from either of us this year on Santa's lap. No chance he'll get that lucky next year.

Must be that time of year

2009-12-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

In the first picture, Dad and I are waiting not very patiently for the lights to be turned on at the city lights festival so we can hurry up and get some pizza. Way too much mayor blather for wind chills in the 20's. In the other picture I'm reminding everyone that no matter what the gift, the box always wins.

Photo session

2009-12-07T14:22:00.003-05:00

We did our best to make sure there were no decent pictures for Christmas cards this year, but we may have let our guard down on one or two. Can't let it happen again...

Baby faces

2009-12-05T12:32:00.002-05:00

Still not sure

2009-12-04T10:20:00.001-05:00

Here I am with big brother Tyler, I'm still not sure about this guy. I was plotting my escape until one of my parents scooped me back up. It's pretty obvious (and unacceptable) that I'm getting nothing but hand-me-down clothes from him. Everything I wear is pre-stained.

It's Logan!

2009-11-15T20:50:00.002-05:00

Here is my new baby brother Logan Fitzgerald Shane. He was born on November 10th at 3:34am and weighed 7lbs 8oz. I was sound asleep in my own bed while he was born but it seems that everyone else has lost some sleep during Logan's first week. Dad says we're in a recession so Logan and I have to share the blog. So you'll be seeing and hearing from both of us from now on.

-tyler

New room!

2009-11-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

I'm on my new bed in my new room in these pictures. Why the new room? Well, big changes coming but you'll just have to wait and see...

Happy Halloween '09

2009-11-01T10:49:00.008-05:00

Back from a long hiatus (don't blame me, I'm not allowed to mess with the camera or the computer) just in time for Halloween pictures. I took some candy from people at the mall but never said 'trick or treat' until I got home of course. Candy is ok but my favorite part was that my costume had muscles.

Jumping

2009-09-21T14:56:00.003-04:00

2 years old

2009-09-16T21:28:00.003-04:00

Same chair. Same Tyler. Two years apart. Happy Birthday to me (1 week late).

Forget the pool

2009-09-08T14:48:00.004-04:00

What happened to nice hot pool weather? Not to be found this summer in the Midwest. I only had my pool out one time all summer. Only 3 days over 90 all summer. Maybe next year.

Cable cars

2009-09-01T21:24:00.003-04:00

My parents completely whiffed on getting a picture of my favorite thing in San Francisco: the cable cars! These hearts from Union Square were at least in the top 5 though.

Weddings

2009-08-29T10:43:00.002-04:00

This sums up my feelings about sweater vests and also that I was up way past my bedtime at Aunt Jenny's wedding.

Beach weather?

2009-08-28T20:26:00.004-04:00

I thought it was supposed to be warm at the beach in the summer. Maybe everywhere else, but not in San Francisco.

Yup, it's Indiana

2009-08-16T13:14:00.004-04:00

To prove we live in Indiana, here I am at the County Fair. Cows and farm implements, shocking I know.

Shake 1, Mom 0

2009-07-27T15:46:00.003-04:00

Is Mom seriously expecting me to answer the quiz of the day when I've got a Potbelly shake in front of me?

At the zoo

2009-07-21T20:38:00.003-04:00

The camels were my favorite at the zoo. Long after moving on from the camel area I continued to ask if we were going to see more camels. Nope! Only 2 camels per zoo I guess. The zebras were ok too.

Can't beat public transit

2009-07-17T09:53:00.005-04:00

Another summer trip to Chicago and more rides on the el train. I had the added bonus of riding the bus this time around too. The best part is not having to be strapped down into my car seat...that thing should be banned!

Moon and baby

2009-07-01T17:10:00.002-04:00

Drive thru books

2009-06-23T13:50:00.002-04:00

Just a quick pit stop to pick up more books on my trip through the house.

Uh oh

2009-05-30T17:44:00.002-04:00

This wasn't what I had in mind at all.

All that grass

2009-05-29T13:23:00.004-04:00

I fixed my lawn mower but Dad wasn't so lucky with his. Since mine is the only working lawn mower in the house, I guess that means I've got a lot of mowing to do this weekend.

More teeth

2009-05-28T09:22:00.003-04:00

Two-year molars are starting to work their way in so drool and fingers in the mouth are what get me by.

Gimme

2009-05-06T14:12:00.004-04:00

It's my turn to play with the camera so hand it over...and if I don't get my way here's what happens.

Headbands

2009-04-28T09:14:00.003-04:00

I see basketball players wearing these on TV all the time. I don't get the point -- way up here this thing can't stop drool at all.

Radio Flyer

2009-04-23T09:51:00.003-04:00

I'm ready to go for a ride in my wagon, who's ready to pull?

Routine

2009-04-19T11:59:00.003-04:00

Most days, I have at least two things on my mind in the afternoon: moon and mail. It's my job to check for mail and to wonder if I'll be able to see the moon. I know if it's cloudy that there won't be any moon to see...no fun.

Easter

2009-04-14T10:11:00.003-04:00

Someone left a bunch of plastic eggs on the courthouse lawn. So I took a few. Turns out they had Hershey kisses inside! Then I sat on the lap of the man-size bunny at the mall downtown while people took pictures. That was my Easter Saturday.

Spring training

2009-03-26T17:21:00.003-04:00

The fastball is ok but I've got a ways to go before the slidepiece is biting. And I already got the uniform dirty -- my pants are muddied beyond recognition.

Can't decide

2009-03-18T09:02:00.002-04:00

I'm plotting my next move; either ordering a parent to read me a book or getting into something I'm not supposed to. Never an easy decision.

Questionable music, good dancing

2009-03-14T11:48:00.003-04:00

Local news

2009-02-18T13:26:00.003-05:00

Not sure why I waste my time with this rag. It makes the Journal Star look impressive...

Bears jersey

2009-02-12T16:31:00.005-05:00

Hey, football season or not, I only have so much time left before this jersey gets retired to the too small pile.

You'll also notice my preferred book arrangement in the background.

About that snow

2009-02-07T17:44:00.003-05:00

Snow looks soft enough to just dive right into. Turns out that isn't the case. I learned the hard way after a face first plunge.

Staying warm

2009-02-04T12:00:00.003-05:00

Blankets and sweatshirts are my only choice for staying warm in this house...I get yelled at if I get too close to the space heater.

Silliness

2009-02-01T15:44:00.003-05:00

I'm up for whatever it takes to get laughs. Even Cheerios boxes on my head.

Back from the no new pictures hiatus

2009-01-27T09:57:00.004-05:00

Just taking my alligator for a walk and carrying my horse. I have to have my hands full at all times. I also just had a checkup and I'm a 27 pounder now. It ain't easy lugging me around.

More cars

2009-01-07T12:49:00.002-05:00

My parents have been holding out on me. I had no idea about these little Matchbox cars...

Football

2009-01-05T13:53:00.003-05:00

Nobody left to watch on tv, so kitchen football is all that's left. But I think I'll stick with the nerf, this football is almost as big as I am.

Close encounter

2008-12-20T12:21:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure the cat is as interested in me as I am in him, but he had to be impressed with the uninterrupted line of drool going from my mouth all the way to the floor.

Who me?

2008-12-11T13:26:00.003-05:00

Nope, I'm not munching 7 goldfish at a time and tearing ornaments off the tree. Must have been someone else.

Unlimited fun

2008-12-07T15:11:00.001-05:00

This book plays "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" every time I press this button. And I can press this button as many times as I need to drive my parents crazy. And then I can press it again.

My chair

2008-12-05T12:47:00.004-05:00

This is my new reading chair; specifically built for me, not for parents and not for cats. But apparently if I stand up in it one more time my chair may end up serving only as decoration.

Not turkey

2008-12-03T15:02:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is really all about cookies!

Look out below

2008-11-11T09:47:00.003-05:00

There may be a few crashes at first but I'll get this walking thing down soon.

More work for me

2008-11-08T11:57:00.003-05:00

Why are my books back on the bookshelf? I just got done spreading them all over the floor!

Parents...can't train em.

70+ degrees in November

2008-11-07T11:05:00.002-05:00

Don't think about it, just head straight to the park.

A little late

2008-11-05T09:34:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!

What next?

2008-10-14T09:01:00.004-04:00

Just got my first haircut and some new pajamas. So now it's time to decide what to destroy next. Dump the cats water bowl? Nope, already took care of that 3 times today. Throw all my books off the shelf? Nope, took care of that too.

I need something new and preferably noisy.

Don't push me

2008-10-10T09:54:00.003-04:00

I push everything around now. Well, anything that willingly moves. Here I'm showing that I need no help in pushing the stroller through the grass. I also get mad when I run into an obstacle and can't push anymore.

Believe it or not

2008-09-29T23:57:00.004-04:00

You might think it would be hard to get a good night's sleep in this position but I find a way to get 11 solid hours of sleep every night in a variety of poses just like this. Whatever works.

No surprise

2008-09-29T23:53:00.003-04:00

The cardboard always wins out versus the actual gift.

1st birthday

2008-09-16T09:57:00.002-04:00

1st birthday, 1st cupcake...not sure what to make of it. I don't think I've developed a sweet tooth yet but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I think there is a family rule requiring me to like cookies and stuff.

Got it!

2008-09-04T11:51:00.002-04:00

It may have required some extra effort, a few contortions, and one or two knocks on the head, but I successfully rescued my Cubs ball from underneath the exersaucer.

Now, about finding my way back out of here...

They're tasty but...

2008-08-25T10:45:00.003-04:00

Recipe for a huge mess:

1 child
1 teething biscuit

Mix together, then sit back and be amazed.

Busted

2008-08-19T10:55:00.003-04:00

Every single day, I take it upon myself to redistribute the newspapers in the recycle bin to other areas of the house. I think the decor is more interesting that way, but my parents don't seem to agree.

Mom caught me red-handed today and put them all back in the bin. Order is no fun.