Mini Playschool

This Thursday, I decided to sign up for a wonderful Bible study program called, Walking With Purpse. I took part in the study last year and really enjoyed it. This year I decided to do the morning session and take full advantage of the free daycare which is run by two sweet college girls. I have to say I was a bit nervous about it. I've never had any type of babysitter for Carter who is now 21 months old. WWP is a two hour study. Would Carter be okay without me? How would I do? When it was time to pick her up she was grinning from ear to ear and flirting with a little boy who looked like her cousin, Caz. The two girls said that she was a lot of fun and that she colored a little. I was also informed that she liked brown and yellow crayons. She didn't miss me at all. As it turned out, we both benefitted from this Thursday morning adventure. I needed the wisdom of the Bible in a small study group, and Carter liked playing and coloring with new friends. We had a truly blessed day.

Horses at the Library

Me, Carter and a white horse

Last Wednesday, before we left for Saint Simon's Island, we decided to go to the Cumming library to check out a few books and CDs for the trip. When we got out of the car we got a lovely surprise, five horses in a field by the library parking lot. I walked my daughter to the field to take a look at the horses. She wasn't frightened, but she didn't know what to think about these majestic creatures.

Dead Phone

Yesterday while my Klaus took Carter to go shopping my phone died. Quel Domage! My phone, the device that we must have with us at all times, dead. I kept thinking what I am I going to do? All of my contacts and data are in this phone, not to mention over 200 photos of my sweet little Carter. Gone. Did I cry? Of course. Not because of the phone, but because of the pictures. This was quite a lesson to me. Make sure you back up all your photos from your phone in case it dies on you.

Little Miss

Little Miss trying to read Mama's book

My sweet little girl is only two days away from being 20 months old and already she is a lover of books. As a former librarian, I cannot tell you how much this pleases me. It seems since I brought her home I have been reading to her, and not just picture and board books. I have read a few classics to her as well, they include Alice in Wonderland, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and The Wizard of Oz. Each of these I have read over several months while she and I ate breakfast. It has worked well. At the end of each book, Carter claps as if she is anxious for another book. This is definately one of my favorite parts of being a mom.We are currently reading one of my personal favorites for fall, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 

Bottled Coke Revenge

Come check out my short story on Amazon entitled Bottled Coke Revenge. It will be released on 8/30/2015 for $0.99. It is a Southern noir tale that proves some of the most twisted moral compasses can point to true north.

Toddler Meltdowns

Before I had my daughter I was never really a little kid person. Toddlers to me were so annoying and the meltdowns were unbearable. I was that childless person that would look at a screaming toddler and then at the parents and mentally say, "can't you control that kid?" I gave this lookon a regular basis.

When I was pregnant and working at a library, I encountered many toddler meltdowns and I kept saying to myself, not my child, not my child. My daughter was born with the sweetest personality and indeed I patted myself on the back for making all the right descisions. At a year, she was walking, could drink from a regular straw cup, and had an amazing outgoing personality. Her meltdowns were few and far between, in fact she really only had them when she was tired. That changed when she turned 19 months old. Now she is highly independant, she knows exactly what she wants, and she screams at the drop of a hat. The best part is she seems to only do this when we are out in public. Lucky me. At times I find myself asking God, why? Then I realize that watching your child have a massive meltdown and then having to deal with it as best you can is a right of passage for any mom. Now when I see a toddler have a meltdown, instead of turning my nose up at the parents I smile and think at least I'm not alone.

A Big Fish in a Little Pond

About two weeks ago, my wife and I watched The Judge, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall. Downey’s character is a high-profile criminal defense lawyer. Duvall plays Downey’s father, a small-town judge. The two men are estranged. Duvall is a pillar of the community who dispenses rough justice from the bench. Downey is an almost amorally slick big-city attorney.

            A family tragedy brings Downey back home and forces him to ply his trade on behalf of an unexpected client.

            The Judge convincingly depicts the out-sized status of a leader of a close-knit community without resorting to stereotypes. While the film is set in rural Indiana, a few changes accent, scenery, and climate could place it in south Georgia.

            Duvall and Downey’s performances are delicious. Fans of Big Love will find Grace Zabriskie’s ornery performance a treat. The Judge is a solid film and well worth watching.

            The Judge is available on Blue-Ray and DVD.

- Klaus Buck