Growing up, my siblings and I learned most everything we knew about the world from National Geographic. I don't think I could get my kids today to sit and watch a single National Geographic video, but those things kept us entertained for hours. We dedicated so much time to watching animals in their natural habitats, my baby brother thought that walking on all fours was the norm...and I mean for years past his crawling days.
When we had seen all the cheetahs and hyenas that were to be seen in the Serengeti, we moved on to the 'Seconds from Disaster' series. Now those were something else! Those are the ones that we'd watch gleefully, while simultaneously shaking our heads in disapproval and instructing the people on the screen to make better decisions. After watching so many of these videos, it would be natural to assume that we'd have expertly honed skills in the "uh-oh-something-bad-is-about-to-happen-I-got-to-do-something-about-it-quick" department. So did I? It's complicated.
I think I'm good at figuring out when things are on the edge, about to head south. I think I'm great at jumping into action seconds before disaster strikes. Unfortunately, I think my go-to response is ingrained as grab for a camera. Nat-Geo Style, what can I say?
For example, these stills from my upcoming movie:
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| I saw the toy had wheels. I knew the toy had wheels. And yet... |
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| Note to self: toddlers-not-in-tiaras should not wear heels. |
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| "What goes in can come out," is really misleading. |
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| Could it be that I actually thought she would only look and not dive in? |
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| How could this possibly fail? |
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| When I look at this picture the only thing that really concerns me is that one of her shoes is missing. |
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| Alas, not one of my smartest moments. |
Yes, all of these pictures are of my second child. How astute of you to notice. In my defense, I think Seconds are born with Boy Scout worthy survival skills, so this what you might call dangerous, I consider to be adventurous.
Carry on Mamas and National Geographic fans. Have your cameras ready at all times, don't fear disaster, and keep your Arnica supply well stocked.
By the way, if you continue filming during the actual disaster? #ParentingFail. There's probably a blog for that.
