The Magic Attic

We have an attic above our garage where we store, like everyone else, the stuff we don't need to get to very often. A few years ago we included in that assortment of stuff some boxes of toys: things the boys no longer played with and Sydney was too young for, and some toys that I had "back when I was a girl". It was nice to scale down a little.
Last year Sydney somehow learned that there was a wooden train set in the attic and she would ask her Daddy every night if he would go up in the attic and find the trains. After a week or so of this, after the kids were in bed, Steve was able to pull out the ladder and go up to find the trains. In the morning Sydney came downstairs to find a little round train track all set up for her to play with. She was overjoyed! It was like Christmas morning!
Next down from the attic came a few little stuffed animals the kids had been missing. And then Sydney started talking about her Barbie doll in the attic. It was true that I had a box of my old Barbies sitting up in the attic, but how she knew this I am not quite sure.
If you read our previous post you will see that Sydney and I made a trip to the American Girl Store, where Sydney (of course) fell in love with the dolls and the clothes and, while never asking for one straight out, commented a few times, "Oh, I wish I could have a doll like this." To which I remarked, "You know Sydney, I used to have a doll that looked this this. Her name is Kimberly and I think she is in a box up in the attic."
Well, needless to say, down came the box of dolls from the attic! The Barbies, the Kimberly doll and all the old clothes I used to play with. Sydney and I spent an afternoon having a little "Doll Spa" of our own where the dolls received deep conditioning treatments on their hair and facials (these facials consisted of Soft Scrub and a little elbow grease).
The story of the Attic doesn't end there. It has now become a magical place where dreams come true! Last weekend I came home from running a few errands to find Steve ready to ascend the ladder up into the attic. "Sydney says she wants her pink bike with stripes down from the attic, does Sydney have a bike like that?" Well, not that I have ever seen, but, you never know...