A spoon under the pillow

We are collectors of snow day superstitions.

When a snow storm is approaching the northeastern US, we perform as many superstitious acts as we can think of in hopes of having a snow day. It has become family tradition and we love it.

Yesterday, we learned of sleeping with a spoon under your pillow. And so we added this new superstition to our bedtime routine last night.

So now, at bedtime on the night before a possible snow storm we:

• Put our pajamas on inside out (even I participated in this one)
• Do the snow day dance (each child has their own self-choreographed dance, but daddy is not allowed because he would just shake his bootie and the boys find that a bit scarey)
• Put a spoon under our pillow before climbing into bed.

I must say, the dances are hilarious. I must grab my camera the next time we are expecting a snow day to capture these on file. Firstborn has an elaborate grouping of manic moves followed by break dancing klutz style.

Lastborn walks like an egyptian.

It would have been horrible if the schools were not closed this morning. But, keeping with family tradition, everyone piled into bed with DH and me and we watched the school closings scroll across the screen. Oh. There's Billerica! That's a good sign. And Lowell, they're right across the street from us! That's a good sign. Lastborn is a pretty good reader, but usually doesn't chant off the names with Firstborn and me because they go by too fast. However, he did read off No. Reading. Only, he read it as the verb to read and the word no.

"Oh! No reading! That's good. I hate to read."

An additional fun memory for our Valentine's day storm.

We've spent a quiet day at home with the fire burning in the fire place and the kids with their noses firmly stuffed into the screens of their game boys.

Firstborn did go out to play in the snow for a few minutes, but ended up with a shirtful of the powdery stuff and had to come in to warm up his swollen, red cheeks.

It's not your typical Boston area storm. Usually, it's warmer here for a storm. No snowmen or snowball fights with this stuff.