The supermodel mom and wife of pop singer Seal took her kids Helene “Leni”, 4, Henry, 3, and Johan, 2, to the Color Me Mine ceramic painting store in Beverly Hills yesterday for some creative time.

Seal and Heidi both know that three children can be a handful. But while proud poppa wasn’t in attendance, Heidi’s mother Erna was.

The German-born Klum matrons smiled as they helped the little tykes paint a green dinosaur, a coffee mug…and even little Johan’s hand!

Heidi’s show Project Runway, in the meantime, is still in legal limbo. Runway‘s original cable network Bravo successfully sued in September to keep the series from moving to a new home on Lifetime.

However, by late November, Lifetime had counter-sued in a bid to keep Bravo from moving forward with their re-acquired program.

In an interview that ran last week in the Washington Blade, Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn stated, “We have this horrible, nasty court case. We have an angry Bravo/NBC. We have an angry Lifetime. We have, I’m sure, an angry [producer] Weinstein Company. We have Heidi and I despondent about the whole thing. We worry that season six will never be seen by anyone.”

Here’s hoping for an early resolution, for the sake of the show’s legion of fans!

After producers the Weinstein Co.’s contract was up at the cable channel this year, the company signed a deal with Lifetime to air the program.

But Bravo successfully sued in September to keep the Heidi Klum-hosted reality series from being moved to Lifetime.

The latest, E! Online notes, is that Lifetime went to Manhattan federal court on Tuesday to put the brakes on Bravo’s plan to move ahead with their re-gained assett.

“Lifetime asserts that the network holds the copyrights to the show and that any attempt by Bravo Media to hang onto it would be a violation of those rights,” says the site.

The Weinstein Co. is named in the suit, as well. They seem to have sold Runway to Lifetime for $20 million, despite the series not being “free and clear of any third-party obligations.”

The sixth season of Runway was set to air on Lifetime in January 2009; it will likely be pushed back till at least next summer while the legal battle is hashed out.

So where does this all leave 35-year-old Heidi Klum? Probably wishing she could sprout wings and fly away.

Yes, Project Runway looks to be sliding into a bin full of sticky legal red tape, but jumping ship when the going gets tough is so very un-fabelhaft of you.

Well, okay, it’s probably unfair to insinuate the good friend of John Mayer would be up to anything shady. She was actually just attending a Los Angeles Victoria’s Secret party celebrating The Heidi Klum Collection for Very Sexy Makeup.

Hey, Carrot Top might have learned a thing or two by attending this shindig!

Anyway, hang in there, Heidi; even though showbiz is a delicate song and dance, this whole Runway mess will surely get straightened out.

Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Tim Gunn swung into Bryant Park yesterday, along with contestants new and old, for the Project Runway Finalists Fashion Show Spring 2009 at The Promenade.

Something happy must be going on behind the scenes with Garcia, because this marks the second time in a month that the cranky Elle editor-at-large has actually smiled.

Maybe Tim Gunn was whispering scathing insults about the other celebs in attendance to make her giggle.

As for Joe Faris, he sure didn’t waste any time taking advantage of the fact that he’s the only straight male contestant left from Season 5.

Us reports that J.Lo was supposed to serve on the judging panel but dropped out due to a “foot injury.” What kind of foot injury prevents someone from judging a fashion show?

Surely the actress/dancer/triathlon aspirant can work through the pain of wise-cracking about hemlines from a fully-reclined position with the Runway gang of Nina Garcia, Heidi Klum and Michael Kors. 

Tearing further holes in her moth-eaten excuse, the J-Diva’s been seen all over Fashion Week, sans foot problems.

If the former Fly Girl was craftier, she would have come up with a better excuse like “exhaustion” from running after her newborn twins with husband Marc Anthony. Then again, the foot injury could be real; she has been kicking a lot of nannies out the door lately.

Luckily, Tim Gunn will step in for Jennie on the judging panel. Tim will make it work, people, even if he sometimes makes it hurt.

Unfortunately, it looks like newly-tatted host Heidi Klum got a little confused on the promotional circuit and put on her ABBA drag by mistake. No, Heidi, you’re not in Mamma Mia! Sorry, but you’re out.

Anyway, this season promises the crème de la crème of A-list celeb judges: RuPaul! Diane Von Furstenberg! Brooke Shields!

Christie Brinkley was probably just too swamped to shoot an episode.

And before you ask, yes, by the end of the episode, Tim Gunn told the contestants to “make it work.” After five seasons, that oft-used phrase still has all the zip and charm it did on day one, no? Anyone?