There's an ice storm upon us where I live, and there's been a power outage since Saturday on my street in Toronto. That means no electricity and no heat. Luckily, my spouse and I are in good health and we have a wood-burning fireplace (and we loaded up on wood not that long ago), so we are reasonably comfortable, though bored, through the evenings. I remind myself that when my house was built in 1912, this most certainly was exactly what the evenings were like, including the cold bedrooms and all. That's my husband and I. But we've got a little guy too, who we packed off to my mom's house where they have full power and heat. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have family nearby to take their kids, though. Here's what some of the moms I know are doing to make sure their kids are warm and safe and well-fed: 1. They're keeping the kids indoors. There is no playing in the backyards, the parks are deserted. It's not cold, but Toronto is full of old trees that are very heavy with frozen tree limbs that could fall. 2. Moms are at a friend's house, with power. Impromptu sleepovers are exciting when you're a kid. 3. They're splurging on a hotel room, like one of my coworkers. Moneywise, this is a terrible time to splash out on an unforeseen hotel bill, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do if you have that little bit of cash in the budget. Not everyone does though, of course. 4. Moms and dads are toughing it out, at home. One of my cousins is at home with her little baby, and they're ok if they stay under blankets. A friend is gathered round her fireplace with some neighbours and they're playing the piano for entertainment, and reading books. People like to slam Torontonians as weak, wimpy and all of that, but you'd be surprised how little everyone is complaining and how resourceful they are. But that's not a surprise…moms are a pretty resourceful bunch. -Helen (Image: By Douglas Knisely via Wikimedia Commons)