Well, not much to report this week. Mark has been on the road pretty much every day in the 2nd half of January so it's just me and Savi and Jake all day with a dose of Audrey in the evenings. So we do our best to keep from boredom. Like putting the kids in the laundry sorter and racing around the house. They thought it was fun! And of course Jake pulling out the file cabinet, emptying it's contents and getting in for a spell. I mean really, what else is it for. He couldn't quite get his little leg back out though and needed some help. Savi's funny for the week is this: Apparently she hears me say "Oh crap" occasionally so she dropped one of her toys and said "Oh Cwap". I said, while not successfully hiding my laughter, that we shouldn't say crap. So she said it again..."Oh Cwap" I said Savi we shouldn't say Crap. She says..."I not sayin cwap mom, I sayin' OH cwap. They get smarter every day. So Audrey tells her she should say holy cow instead. Well she caught on to that but now we have holy cow, holy sheep , holy pig and what ever barn yard animal seems to fit the situation. Gotta love the 2 year olds! Have a great week!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JAKOB...
Starts around 6:30 in the morning. Wake, eat breakfast, have a bath, bug mom while she checks her email by stealing the mouse. Crawl to see what Savanna is up to and pick up a stapler on the way, try to staple something. Try like crazy to get on top of the table before mom catches me. Take morning nap. See that she left the fridge open while making lunch, crawl in and try to find an appetizer. get mad when mom makes me get out of fridge, go straight to the garbage can and take the lid off and try to find an appetizer there instead. Take afternoon nap and then decide there must be something I can get into under the guinea pig table where mom keeps his food and stuff. Practice walking, eating fallen scaps from lunch or dinner, play with daddy when he comes home. Try to steal Savanna's toy, but realize that she is still bigger and can move faster. Try to get onto the table again while mom isn't looking. Get mad when she moves you and go for the garbage again. Finally getting tired he decides to cuddle with the ever-thwarting mom and curl up for the good nights sleep that will enable him to have the energy to GO GO GO tomorrow. What a life huh??

I don't know why it seems Audrey is never around when I am taking pictures. It seems I am just putting up pics of Savi and Jake, but we love Audrey and I will be tracking her down for more pics. Savi was once again showing us her fashion sense with a toga Audrey made for her and her new princess shoes from Grandma and Grandpa Rainey. Then they were having fun in the tub. We have a bubblehawk, and the wonderful little bubble bum pic of Jake. Everyone needs a cute nakie bum picture to put in the highschool yearbook! Have a great week! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

WE had a really great Christmas! Our Christmas eve was spent with some of our good friends, eating fondue and playing cranium. The kids went to bed with suspense and visions of Santa. They all slept in, and we didn't get up and get moving until after 7:30!!! It was bliss! Then we opened up presents and ate mom's breakfast casserole and orange julius's. We had fun playing with toys and they we saw Alvin and the Chipmunk's in the afternoon. We had a really great holiday. We missed our family's, but when you surround yourselves with friends, it makes the absence of your family a little less pronounced! Hope you had a great Christmas too! Love, natalie

Ok all you mommys out there, I thought I would share the secret to my success as a nice, stress free mommy of two toddlers.... Periodically throughout the day I just cage them for about 30 minutes. This allows me to go and check my e-mail, catch a snippit of Oprah, or just go to the bathroom by myself. The only problem with this cage is that if they are really pesistent, they can just crawl over the top. Really it's only fit for a guinea pig, but you can't say I didn't try. And Jakers was looking especially cute in the tubby this morning, so I thought I would share. He is so close to walking. He will stand up from a squat all by hisself, and take a few steps unaided, but then he gets scared and sits down. He keeps knocking his head on stuff, and I am considering the baby helmet, especially outside. He might look like a dork, but I'll keep those brains intact! : ) Have a super day, and Christmas!

Ok, Grandpa Rainey said I had been slacking on putting new pictures up for all to see. So here are some new ones. I had a flat tire on my little neon, so Savanna was helping me pump it up, and she got all dirty. And then there is her wonderful sense of fashion. Don't you wish you could get away with wearing striped tights with polka dot shoes and a tutu on your bike with a crazy hat???? I don't know if ya'll ever made a choo choo train with the chairs while mom was sweeping and moping the floor? Well I used to, and Savi and Jake thought it was great fun! I kept making the chugga chugga choo choo noises for them, and they just kept laughing and having a great time.

Well, it's that time of the year for the infamous family portrait! I thought ours actually turned out pretty good this year! You can go ahead and rib us for the Rainey university shirts, yes, a tid bit dorky, but hey they made a cute picture. We didn't even goose Jake or anything. He does the "touchdown" pose all the time. Usually when he is eating. Then the food flies and he usually puts them on top of his head after this and gets food all over in his hair. Good thing he is cute, and I have a decent sprayer on the kitchen sink. He doesn't particularly like that part, but hey... Anyhow, we are just getting ready for this most excellent Christmas season and looking forward to all the celebrations! We have already been to two Christmas parties and have a few more lined up! Here's hoping that your holidays are wonderful! Love, us!