The Attic Rule

      I tell this story a lot, but several years ago when Elijah was maybe 4-years-old, he asked his dad if he could help him get the Christmas decorations out of the attic.  Kenny said no, and that he had to be 7-years-old to get up in the attic.  Now, of course there is no hard and fast rule about attics being off limits to those six and under.  There isn't a sign on the attic door that says you have to be a certain height to pass the threshold.  Kenny just threw out a number off-the-cuff to his over-anxious preschooler.  This was one of those moments where we realized that kids have fantastic memories and that our words can stick.  The following year, same time, same place, Elijah, now age five,  remembered and asked if he would be able to go up in the attic in two more years when he turned seven.   I recall hiding my smirk and catching Kenny's eye because who knew that small decision would hold such weight. 
     Now, fast forward four more years and Elijah, now a big 9-year-old with sisters who haven't yet reached the 7-year mark, loves to gloat that he can go up, but they can't.  He did reassure Lydia that next year would be HER year.  As much as I tell them that there's nothing interesting in our unfinished attic but pink installation and piles of boxes, the fact that the girls can't go all the way up there (because of that split second decision years ago) makes it so, so appealing.  Elijah did agree that they could go up the ladder as high as their age.  Nice, right?  There's some kind of psychology study in that, I'm sure. 
    After a couple of tries, I got this blurry pic of my stair-step kids.
    One day when we're forcing them to go in the hot attic to find something for us that we don't want to search for, I'll remind them of this anticipation as they held fast to the attic rule.