i've been having trouble coming up with a blog post or sharing a picture that you haven't already seen before. just as seeing the snow fall for the seven(teen)th time gets a bit monotonous so are the days of our lives over here.

today, we woke to sunlight. the kind you can actually feel on your skin. it was wonderful. i once tried reading the book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective (or was it Successful) People. i stopped after habit 2 i think. it was good and all, made perfect sense but one habit went into not allowing the weather to dictate your life. giving an example to pick out your clothes for the week so that you'd wear that skirt with heels no matter if it rained or snowed. i like what it's implying, be or do your best no matter. i'll play victim though; i am so ruled by the sun.

i could have chased shadows and sun rays all day but there was painting to be done.

and so it wouldn't get out of hand we stuck to a color scheme of red, pink, white and purple .

wait a second. when did my brady become the neat one?! seriously. this kid has done the 4yo turnabout. (a stage i just coined. i'll have to go back on here and see if aiden did this too as i know four with aiden was definitely a stage). he is TOTALLY a big kid now and gosh darnit if it doesn't make me all gooey inside. when he was a baby baby he was my boyfriend. he was totally my favorite and i'm sorry but a happy go lucky 1yo who is always smiling and giggling and being cute all the time becomes my boyfriend over a 3yo testing his boundaries any day. well, he's my boyfriend again and we're both so happy about it. :) maybe a parenting faux pas but i'm going with it, "you know what mommy expects from you. be it and you can be my favorite too". boys are competitive right? i'm always trying to use that to my advantage... anyway, brady's being a lot nicer to colin than he has been lately, he's obeying the rules, he's articulating himself and his needs so much better, his schoolwork has vastly improved, he's coming up with stuff out of left field constantly, he's losing his babyfat, he can wash his hands at the sink without the step stool and something i never thought he would outgrow, he's neat!

move over, there's a new messmaker in town i guess. while brady currently holds the household record for quickest to go from paper to hands and while he did this morn too. it was only for a single self imposed handprint and then nicely (see?) requested i help him open the bathroom door so he could wash up and come back for more paintbrush to paper painting. (he didn't get lost in the bathroom either! see? see?)

i covered the table with costco bulked saran wrap since i couldn't find any leftover tablecloths. i felt wasteful as i was using more than i ever have at one sitting, but now think it may be more economical. and it's not like i'll be doing this for years and years right? besides by the time i finish this roll colin should be 10 and done finger painting.

colin could not have had a better morning. Painting then Bath?! woohoo. brady requested he and colin dress alike before we headed out.

the sun continued to shine all day and speaking of costco, i bought myself valentine flowers because i love their florist. i don't know why, but purple this time.