Writing's on the wall...

I've been blogging with three fabulous women for over two years and have been enjoying all the fun topics we come up with week after week. If you want to see what we've discussed in the past, check out our posts here.

This week, Froggie wants to know: Are you superstitious? If so, tell us about one of your superstitions. If not talk about why.

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

Whenever I hear the word "superstition," I immediately get the classic Stevie Wonder song in my head. I just needed to put that out there.

I consider myself to be somewhat superstitious. I wouldn't say that I avoid stepping on cracks or black cats in my path (given I had a black cat when I was in high school, I'm not too worried). However, if salt spills, I immediately have to throw some over my shoulder. Not sure why either. I also get nervous about broken mirrors leading to seven years of bad luck and worry about the potential of one breaking in my presence.

When I was pregnant, I'd say "b'shaah tovah" all the time. I still say it for other people who are pregnant, but I said it obsessively for myself whenever I talked about the babies' arrivals. I also believe in the Jewish superstition about not buying anything for babies before they are born. And if I did buy things, I kept the tags on them or pretended they were gifts for other people's babies, just to make myself feel better. Prior to my first child being born, I had bought a take home outfit and told my friend to keep it at her house and not wash it until the baby was born. I found out a few days later that she had washed it while I was still pregnant. I had a little freak-out over that. She helped me feel better about things, but that's how superstitious I get in regards to pregnancy.

In general, I'm obsessive about stuff like making sure all the doors are locked at night and checking them each several times because the first time I checked, there's some chance it would have magically unlocked afterward. (When we had a garage at our house in Illinois, I'd drive around the circle again just to make sure I really closed it.) I also check on my kids when they're sleeping and count their breathing rhythms up to 10 to make sure I'm not imagining them breathing. Maybe that's just a paranoia on my end. I also say "no kaynehores" (kay-na-hor-ahs) a lot as to not jinx myself. When I was a kid, I thought "kaynehore" was a swear word because my late maternal grandma said it so often. I would use it as a swear word when I played Barbies. Later, I found out what it meant: "It shouldn't happen to you." Also, I prepare myself for the worst so that I'll give myself a reverse "kaynehore." I probably drive myself crazy doing so, but I find it helpful.