I suppose the excitement started the night before blizzard of 1977 hit our small, rural town.
With the moonlight shining in from the attic window I lay awake. I whisper to Joey, “Joey, you up?”
“Mhmm” he mumbles in a whisper.
  “Do you think we will have a snow day tomorrow?”
Rolling over the mountain top of blankets he answers quietly half asleep, “I hope!”
I get up and go towards the window noticing that the hill we play King of the Hill on is covered in snow looking like a gumdrop.
“Joey,” I shout quietly to get his attention, “we forgot the spoon!” 
Waking us up, we approach the stairs hearing loud voices that are familiar. It’s Monday.  Card night, a neighborhood tradition. Tiptoeing down the long narrow set of stairs, we try to stay unnoticed as Grandma, a small petite woman, recalls the rules to Poker for the hundredth time making sure no one cheats.
“Stop right there!” Mom announces making it known to everyone, “What are you two doing up? It’s long past nine.” Nudging Joey to explain, I stay still as the cloud of smoke hanging over the card table chokes my throat.
  “Well, we we’re just getting the spoon. Don’t you remember? We do it every night. We take the spoon from the freezer and put it under Michelle’s pillow.” he says quivering, “Remember?”
  “Do as you were, and then go to bed. Now!” Mom demands.
Running to the freezer we grab the spoon and sprint up the stairs. Avoiding the regular company’s eyes, our cheeks turn red in embarrassment.
I go to put the spoon under my purple pillow, suddenly I stop and turn to Joey.
“Joey?” I say.
“Yes?” He yawns.
“You put the spoon under your pillow tonight.” I insist handing him the cold spoon.
“Really?”
“Yes, it hasn’t been working for me lately. You give it a try.”
“Wow, thank you!” he answered as if he had received a winning lottery ticket.
***
I awake to the welcoming scent of breakfast. Pushing Joey out of the way I gallop down the stairs leading me to the sour, rose pink living room. I rush to the massive window, which peers out to the main road, to I see the outcome of the snowy day before. I soon become disappointed. I lean over to my sad little brother and hiss, “Well Joey, guess you aren’t so special after all.”
I walk over to the kitchen with my head down, pouting and sit at my designated seat facing the radio, which a newscaster discusses the main topic of the week: Jimmy Carter. Awaiting the Polish breakfast Grandma is making, I want this day to be done with already. Dad rushes through the backdoor announcing to the family that a storm is coming our way. As soon as Joey and I hear the news we look at each other with ear-to-ear smiles, hoping for the storm to bring us a snow day that’s desperately needed. Planning our snow day Grandpa sits quickly, unnoticed in his recliner reading the paper and peeks at us laughing from time to time.
While devouring our food, mom warns us not to linger on that idea, but Joey and I ignore.
Walking towards the door Grandma sneaks us each a cookie while saying her goodbyes and to have the best day ever to Joey and I sending us out the door. Opening up the deteriorating, white swinging door a gust of wind blows us a few steep back leaving us red kisses on our cheeks, but is ignored as we hear the rattling bus coming down the street. Racing down the long cobblestone driveway Dad comes out of his second home, the garage wearing his favorite tan, grease stained jacket, yelling to us the house phone number, which we forget in minutes every day.
   ***
The bus ride home was as normal as the rest. The daily ride consists of Caroline, my best friend, and me talking about the new Barbie’s we got for Christmas, our school day, and things that seemed important to us at the time while Joey sits behind us with his friends pulling our hair.
Suddenly, the bus comes to a stop knocking us all forward. We all stare at each other. Caroline and I lean forward to ease drop on the bus driver.
“Stay calm! We got a flat tire. Someone is coming to fix it. Please come up one by one and tell me your phone number so we can call your parents and tell them why you will be home late.” Ms. Rhan barks in her raspy voice over the speaker as she rolls off her seat. Joey and I worry not knowing what we are going to do; we forgot the house phone number. Caroline comes up with an ingenious plan that solves the problem Joey and I have. She will call her house and have her mother call our mom.
An hour later we arrived slowly to the house.
We walk into the still house welcomed by Dad who sits at the kitchen table, reading the Lancaster newspaper as he does ritually.
“You forgot the house number. I tell you every day and this is what I get!” he jokes with a smirk, peeking up from the paper.
“We’re sorry Dad. A long day of school makes us forget sometimes,” I explain laughing.
  ***
The house seemed especially quiet tonight. Grandma and Grandpa went to a company dinner leaving us by ourselves.
We sit in the living room with the radio on which provided white noise to everyone. We are oblivious to the event outside.
We each do our own thing: Dad reads-Mom sews my torn purple sweater-Joey plays with his GI Joe-I play with my Barbie’s.
A huge gust of wind blows the house making a loud creaking sound. The creak got our attention making us stop what we’re doing; we all rushed to the window.
“Joey, look!” I shout with excitement.
You couldn’t see two feet in front of the window. As Joey and I jump in excitement, Mom and Dad seemed worried. Mom and Dad sit on the couch having a long and confusing talk that we couldn’t understand.
“What is going on?” Joey and I ask synchronized.
“Nothing to get scared about kids, it’s just your Grandma and Grandpa are still out and the radio just said that all the roads are closed until further notice.”
After a few minutes of thinking we came up with the plan: send Dad out on the snowmobile, we received for Christmas, to go get them at the restaurant, which is luckily right down the street.
Time passed slowly, making us anxious. We sat at the table in silence praying for a safe and quick trip home for Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa.
Suddenly, the door swung open with everyone. It felt like a family reunion. Hugging and kissing them, we thank god
Once everyone returns to their nightly rituals. Grandma busily cooked all the recipes in every cookbook in the house. Grandma demanded everyone out of the kitchen until the feast was ready, which ends up being the next morning.
  ***
“Guess you were right Michelle, school is out!” Mom sighed waking me up. I jump up running over to Joey’s bed I wake Joey up with the same news. Eager to start the day we rush into our plaid, puffy snow clothes and down the stairs.
“Stop right there!” Dad hollered in a serious voice, rarely used, to wait until he can come out because it is too dangerous for us. We groan, watching the clock waiting for the time to come fast.
Grandma and Mom talk in the back about how we won’t be able to help anyone until some of the snow melts. This means we’re left by ourselves for a little, but all Joey and I hear is more snow days!
Finally, we hear dad slowly coming down the stairs in full snow gear. Eagerly we run to him and grabbing him by both arms dragging him out the door. Opening the door we are welcomed by white, sparkling snow up to our chest and a bright, white morning sun beating down on the wonderland.
Smiling we grab the shovels kept in the basement. Quickly we dig a path to the driveway. Dad reminds us that we have to go to the willow trees, which are unrecognizable, all the way in the back of the yard. We sigh looking at what the day will bring us.
Hours passed by. The sun now sits behind the thick, heavy clouds about to set. We’ve been waiting for this moment that seemed to us that it would never arrive. Stopped by the brick wall of snow that sits in front of us our jaws drop. Joey and I turn to each other think the same thing, sleds!
Rushing into the house we grab the sleds that are waiting to be used. We hurry out to the Mountain and attempt to climb but led us nowhere.
“Dad!” we call over “What should we do?” He looks up at the pile of snow for a little and soon he tells us that we should make steps. Looking at each other we nod in agreement on the plan. We hurry trying to use the last light of the day.
Mom peers out the small window, from the kitchen, calling us in for dinner as the chilling wind hits us for the last time that night.
Coming to the house I stop and turn back at the progress we made, grinning I turn to Joey and yell to him, “Can’t wait for tomorrow!”
Walking into the house we could smell a five star meal waiting for us. Sitting at the table we arrive to a big cup of hot chocolate topped with whip cream that burned our throats, but still felt good. We played cards all night snacking away at the pile of chocolate covered cream puffs.
  ***
The next morning dawned cold as the last. Grandma served a meal for everyone to enjoy, as we did every day.  As soon as we finish, Joey and I go out to the wonderland to finish our steps, but Dad and Grandpa went the other way to shovel out a pathway to our neighbors houses making us all one again. 
Stopping, I take off my glove and put out my hand. I look up as big, fluffy snowflakes fall to the ground. One lands in my palm but soon melts. I leave my hand out welcoming more snowflakes, but it slowly becomes more and more time until they melt. I kept my hand out as long as I could until my hand was about to fall off from the crisp, chilling air also when mom yelled at me.
Approaching the mountain we noticed another two feet accumulated to the top. The two more feet makes us more eager to get to the top. Racing time we get to the top, warn out.  After bringing the sleds up we stand there for a minute appreciation our work. Once I turn to Joey and shout, “Ready?” He replies as quickly as the wind hits our faces, “Ready!”
We forget how much time it took for us to make our mountain because it is replaced with our fun. The day goes by quickly. We are awakened from our fun by Mom calling us in for dinner out of the same window as the night before. After dinner Joey and I are upstairs in bed, dreaming up what we could do tomorrow.
  ***
The next three days were filled with adventure, creating caves and secret pathways.
On the fourth day of our unexpected vacation Joey and I lay on top of the hill. Looking over at the house I see everyone one of our neighbors at our house playing cards, as they did every Monday. Making me smile, I think this couldn’t of been more perfect.
“Joey,” I turn over, “we really needed these snow days, didn’t we?”
  ***