Obviously when you lose the power, you lose your lights, television and all the other great things we have learned to be very cranky without. But, try explaining that to a three-year-old. Yeah, not so easy, and really not so much fun. Like millions of people along the East coast, we lost our power during Hurricane Sandy. It was one of those things we knew was going to happen, it was just a matter of time. Luckily, I was able to cook dinner so we didn’t have to resort to peanut butter or brownies for food, because that would have just been so horrible. Anyway, we were sitting at the table when the lights flickered a couple of times. What a tease. Let’s just get this over with Sandy. Anyway, within minutes, we were sitting in the dark. My youngest daughter could care less, but my oldest first stated the obvious, “It’s dark.” That’s my girl. Then we told her that the storm knocked out the power and turned the lights off. She preceded to tell us she didn’t like the storm and that it was bad. I had to laugh at that one.

   So, I lit a few candles and we had our flashlights as we moved to the couch. My little one was waddling around in the dark like it was no one’s business. Meanwhile, my oldest asked if she could watch “Caillou”. That’s her favorite cartoon show. For those of you who have never made the bald little annoying Canadian…”He’s just a boy who’s four and each day he grows some more…Caillou, Caillou,Caillou…that’s me.” Yeah, the theme song is the equivalent to “Call Me Maybe” to a tween. Anyhow, I told her that having no power meant no television, which meant no Caillou. So, she said “later Mommy.” Yeah, still not getting it. My husband and I knew we would be in the dark well past the morning. Not to get her hopes it, I told her I doubted it because it would take awhile for the power to come back on.

   Ladies and gentlemen, we have lift off.
   “I have no power.”
   “No honey, no power.”
   “I don’t have Caillou.”
   “No honey, no power, no Caillou.”
    She then remembered an episode where little Caillou lost his power in a storm. Then, she asked me, “just like Caillou?”
   Yep, I answered, just like him. From that point on, she seemed to have grasped the concept of not having power. Who knew Caillou would come in handy!