The day after Hurricane Irene hit we had no electricity (we had no electricity for days, actually, but we shall not speak of that). It turned out that a downed transformer just around the corner was culprit.  Other than that, there was minimal damage to our neighborhood, and since school was not yet in session, it was a pretty typical summer day.  For my three oldest, a typical summer day includes the new-found freedom to travel short distances to neighbors’ houses.  We moms have a comfortable system in place that allows our little ones to experience that freedom without giving us premature grays. So that day, my kids spent the afternoon down the street playing with their friends.  It was an uneventful afternoon – or so I thought. [Read More...]