Justification

My facebook post tonight says "wine in hand, butt on sofa, headphones on ears to drown out the 6-month-old protesting her bedtime. I think headphones might be my second favorite invention. Next to wine." Obviously computer is on my lap as well for the first time all day. I should be making sausage balls for MOPS tomorrow (I've never made sausage balls. or sausage.) I should also be tying up loose ends for Mops childcare tomorrow. I could be cleaning the kitchen from the tornado that ensued after I began to prep for sausage ball making. I could be shaving my legs. Now that's just funny. Anyway- like I said to facebook, I can't do any of those things because I need to drown out my child. For any of you who have a hard time with the "crying it out" method, I recommend headphones, a good playlist, and of course, wine.

So I sit down to the computer for the first time today and started my blog catch-up. I started here. I have been praying for this family for such a long time, since before they got their 2nd child. They just brought their 4th child home from the hospital (note, they have had 3 children in one year, born one 3 different continents. Hellooo inspiring.) I about jumped out of my headphones when I saw that their little boy is home with them.  Next I went here. She should just consider me her stalker groupie. I was following her blog long before I knew that she was the dear friend of a dear friend and have been blessed by talking in real, non-cyber life. LOVE her. Next I went here to see if she finally updated us on the cliffhanger her husband left. She hasn't. Boo Betsy :)
Next I went here for my weekly pee in my pants laugh. Former sorority sister and now blog friend Sherri is like a Christian, not-crude Joy Behar. So funny. And I re-played this video of one of my dearest friends. And this time I just might have dribbled wine on my shirt laughing again. And finally, because those sausage balls aren't going to make themselves (my mops mom may prefer that...), I went here and here to see if there were any updates. Both a friend I love and a girl I so wish I knew are going through some things. Sweet Nicole has a new baby and has had her older twins under the weather. And Erika, who despite having a cult following on her design blog, could use some prayers.

The point of this isn't to give y'all a play by play of my evening, but to justify to myself how this blog world can really be wonderful. Yes, I have fallen into the traps of envying Darby's recipes, Natalie's new kitchen, Sherri's sense of humor, Kriya and Melissa's seemingly flawless transitions to child number 2, the blog world can also bring such goodness. For those of us at home, the honesty with which some gals write brings a solidarity, a sense that we are not alone under our piles of diapers. Other times, these blogs bring perspective. The blog I mentioned first, Adrienne's, was a reality check for me when I was pregnant and wanting baby girl out. I saw a picture of her pre-mature baby, same gestational age as MK, got a grip, and started thanking God for my healthy baby. Her posts have encouraged me time and again to step out of my own haze and pray for someone else. And many other blogs do that. So, yes, there is an element of peeking through someone else's windows. Maybe that's being nosy. But maybe it's finding comfort in another's similar struggles or joy in their successes. Or maybe you just wanted to make sausage balls and one of them had a 3 ingredient recipe that even an idiot like you could do :)