No Mom-of-the-Year Award for Me! or "How I Forgot the Baby and Saved the Camera"

David McMahon from authorblog asked What Is Your Worst Camera Nightmare? One moment - recorded accidentally - popped into my mind. [other camera nightmares notwithstanding] It's rather embarrassing but it's time to 'fess up.

When Harrison was 9 months old, we went to South Dakota for a visit with relatives. I took him to my grandparents home on a crisp December afternoon; while there, I wanted to get some pictures of him in the snow. At one point I propped Harrison up near a branch because, even though he could easily sit on his own, this day he was dressed in a snow suit that made him look like a green plaid version of the Micheline Tire Man. And while he wasn't talking yet, I'm sure that during this little excursion, he was probably channeling Ralphie's little brother from A Christmas Story through his cries... "I can't put my arms down!"

But I had to try to get the shot, Harrison was indeed warm enough, he just couldn't stay upright in the snow suit and he was DONE.

Then it happened, I dropped the camera in the snow. Enough snow for it to sink. A NEW camera - not even a month old at the time. Not good. I had no idea that I had hit video record earlier and that my silly verbal attempts to get Harrison's attention as well as the camera's slip from my fingers was all recorded for posterity. (thanks Cerulean Bill for that spelling correction!)

I laughed to the point of tears when I discovered it much later... because of the comment that I made to my child as he slid down into the snow while protesting his predicament. I'm such a great mom.

Go ahead check it out. I actually edited it down a little bit - you only need to see so much cleaning the camera and bada-bada-bada sounds mixed with crying to get the idea. If the video doesn't work try this link.

Yah, you heard it here, folks, "Hold on Honey, got to save the camera!" Not one of my better mommy moments, eh? Forget that my baby is laying face down in the snow! Got to save the brand new camera from near disaster! (Okay the video proved that he never ended up face down in the snow - how bad of mom do you think I am?)

The camera still works to this day and I wear the nice little strap provided with the camera around my wrist. Here is a shot from that day in the snow. This was before he was DONE but still unable to stay upright.