This picture was Papa and Grandma’s favorite of the Petti series so I thought I would paint it also.?? I love painting!!!!?? Today I had a long list of chores that I made myself get done before I was “allowed” any play time.?? (By the way – Heidi Jo – I haven’t forgotten yours – I have been mulling over background thoughts.?? Not sure if I want to keep the lullaby picture on black or change it over to something soft and cloudy neutrals.?? Leaning towards soft damasky for Seth).

My favorite portion to paint is the face and I love to add all the highlights and shadows at the very end. That is the trick to really making the painting come alive I think.

Here is a close up:

I have to get really good at this so that this can be a “product” that I offer when I start “business” sometime next year.?? This might very well be my all time favorite past time.

Here was the original version unpainted:

Update on my kids:

Ty – would you believe that Ty had hives again today?????? On his feet and a little on his back.?? I did not treat with Benadryl.?? I put socks on him and just watched it to see how bad it would get before continuing to medicate.?? I really haven’t needed to medicate him much at all because they come and go pretty randomly and don’t get anything near like what Tanner experienced.?? He is past the flu part of the virus but I don’t know what to make of the hives.?? I read somewhere online that when kids have a hive response in reaction to a virus that the hives can linger a long time so I guess that is what we are dealing with.?? By late afternoon I wanted to bang my head against the wall because Ty suddenly sounded stuffy.?? Keep reading…it gets better.

Tori – as of yesterday she seemed to be past her stomach flu virus.?? In the last hour though she has started coughing in her sleep and has hardly quit.?? AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Note to Nicole:?? Looks like you better not bring baby over this week.?? 🙁

Note to Kristi:?? Want to reschedule AGAIN??? GRRRRRRRR!!!

Note to Sweetie:?? Postponing our anniversary date AGAIN!!!?? GRRRRRR!!!!

We have pretty much been housebound for close to a month now and there is simply no end in sight.?? The stomach flu and the cold virus just keep beating us up over here.?? I think we all need a vacation from EACH OTHER.?? :)?? The boys were at each others throats all day – constant nit picking.?? Jim came home and was antagonizing me endlessly.?? I threatened to line every male in my household on the back porch and spray them all viciously with my garden hose as a way to vent my frustrations.???? I thought this day would just never end.?? By dinner, Ty wouldn’t eat the meat (made Steak in the Pot) so I made him a corn dog (Susie – shhhhhh – I know what you are going to say;), Jim and Tanner said that it didn’t taste the same and why do I have to experiment on perfectly good meals, and then they all dumped my dinner and ate fruit loops.

I am following Alexander to Australia.

(But…working on that picture of Tori DID improve my mood considerably.?? 🙂 )