When the weather dips below freezing, or a big storm is imminent, people flock to the grocery store to buy up all the bread, milk, and batteries to survive in case of an internet outage. But for me, the answer to my doomsday planning is all contained inside my “mom car.”
I don’t fear the next big disaster because everything I need is safely in the confines of my over-sized SUV.
Food
My children view my vehicle as a place to store their discarded snack bags and half-eaten breakfast waffles, so there is no end to the culinary possibilities to be had on the floor of my car. There are at least five half-eaten packages of the crackers left over from the last car trip two years ago and some delightful variations of aged cheese fermenting inside the lid of a discarded sippy cup.
Water
Don’t worry about catching rain water or finding a stream, because the dozen or so half-empty water bottles rolling around under the car seats will keep you hydrated for days.
Clothing
You won’t have to worry about packing a bag when the time comes to prepare for a disaster because there is a plethora of jackets, sweatshirts and socks to choose from. You can pick something from the “I forgot where I put it” collection, or the “I’m not cold” assortment. There is also a subset of this wardrobe that includes clothing for baby dolls and Barbies.
Entertainment
The long hours of waiting to be rescued will go by quickly because the entertainment options available inside my rolling safe house are infinite. There are books with sticky pages, broken crayons and dried up markers, dolls with one leg, cars with no wheels, crumpled school papers, and beads with no string.
So, the next time the weatherman predicts Armageddon, forget the underground shelter. Hop into my SUV and you’ll be covered.
Jessa is the Editor-in-Chief of Hooray for Family and the mom of three energetic children. She has a BA in Mass Communication/Journalism from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and is a long-time resident of Central Texas. When she isn't writing and editing, she enjoys playing board games with her kids, teaching Sunday school and channeling her creativity into craft projects.
