Attic17: a thursday hello and so many things!

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How is it already Thursday?

This week has moved fast and slow, at the same time and I'm aching for 4:30pm as it's when Sean returns home from work and our three day weekend begins! Sean's job is unique in that he has every other Friday off, in return for 9 hour work days, rather than 8. We really enjoy that schedule. It's how we are able to visit Disneyland with the kids, have an extra day to do chores around the house and just generally enjoy more family time. He also uses the time to maintain one of his other jobs as an online professor and as soccer coach {he's a hard worker, my guy!}

This is one such weekend and instead of the splendor of only family togetherness {I meant that to sound cheesy}, I have scheduled us rather tightly, this weekend. A rarity for me, but all very good and exciting things. Most of the time we will be together anyways, so that is always my end goal.

This week has been really nice-we haven't had much on the schedule other than school and home time. In the mornings, the girls are early risers so they play for a good hour before breakfast. They build roads for their trains and run up and down the stairs with their dolls. Noise begins promptly at 5:45am, so "Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory, Glory" is our morning motto. Also, I'm addicted to coffee and haven't slept past 6:30am in MONTHS. As an aside.

Over breakfast we have a little tradition that the ladies love. We read from our Jesus Storybook Bible {get one!} and then they watch Jelly Telly to catch up on the "news" with Buck Denver. He does a segment each morning where he takes letters from kids around the world and answers them. I love Jelly Telly and have always recommended it. All Biblical and funny. Not to mention VERY educational regarding theology. Kensington told me the other day facts about the Pentateuch. Go, check it out. At the very least, it buys you 15 minutes to have a little breakfast before the day truly begins and your kids are learning, too.

Tomorrow I get to meet a very special pen pal. Her and I went to high school together but never knew each other. We then "met" again on PINTREST {of all places} because we often enjoyed the websites, pictures, and projects that the other was posting. We are very similar but also different and I CAN'T.WAIT.TO.SEE.HER. It's like I have a person, across the country, that I know quite a bit about but also remains a mystery, to me. She lives in Connecticut and we started sharing letters around the time that the Newtown tragedy occurred. She was just married last weekend, to her fiance and sent me her gorgeous pictures and I started crying instantly. You'd think we had been friends for ages.

I am thrilled, truly. I'll tell you more about it, later.

Saturday Kensington is going to her first "official" birthday party. She's been to other parties but this is the first "drop off" birthday. Obviously I would think she's too young for this in any other occasion but it's for our neighbors daughter, who is turning 10 and it's across the street, so I think I can handle that, right? One thing I have noticed about home-schooled children is that they really don't look at things by "grade" and most times they include all people they are surrounded with, regardless of age. I really love this about the community. Lines aren't drawn as soon as you are enrolled in school-you learn to socialize and be around all ages and appreciate the learning AND teaching process. Kensington plays with the girls across the street quite a bit and they are all her senior by at least four years. They take her under their wing, ask her to play frequently and treat her as an equal. I love that and I love that they hand delivered the homemade invitations. It's so sweet and she is PRETTY excited that there will be a silly string fight and perhaps some cake!

Saturday night I'm having a GALentines soiree. Who says that St. Valentines has to be all about the couples out there? Not I! I am celebrating the females in my life with chocolate, music and festive decorations. Three cheers for the GALS!

Sunday will be filled with church and worship. Sunday is also the Chinese New Year! It's important for Sean and I that both of our girls know where they come from, their family history and experience whatever culture we can share! Regretfully, my mother in law is traveling to Taiwan {regretful for us, not her} to be with her family, so we are celebrating on our own, making dumplings, paper lanterns and small snakes. Did you know that 2013 is the year of the snake?

{Some Chinese cut-outs I found at an estate. They are from the 1940's.}

Attic 17 is such a source of happiness for me. I can't tell you how much I learn daily, simply by observing and collecting items from other people's homes and lives. I also love that some of the most modest and seemingly non-valuable items still sell in the shop! People love the past too and that buoys my spirit.

{A hospital bill I found, at an estate. It details a two day hospital stay and a routine surgery from this month, in 1951. Total cost? $91.00! Can you believe that?}

I feel like this post doesn't even scratch the surface of what goes on in our lives, but it's a snapshot. Sometimes, when I sit down to write out these things, these thoughts and remembrances, I wonder why I write here? It seems to me a little self-indulgent, at times. To assume that others care what I did on a Tuesday evening or about a recipe I intend to make. For some reason, however, I do it for me and for you, whoever you may be {and hello if you're new here!}. I have to think that sharing parts of ourselves with others makes each of us feel normal, more touchable and real. I have always loved the writings of others, when they share their life. Those are the posts I read over, I share with others and I learn the most from.

While I know this particular post isn't earth shattering in the slightest, I should hope that by writing out what we do, I will be able to look back and smile and also share a piece of me, with you.

Here are some pictures from this week:

{Sean finally insisted we take down the lights. But hey, I made it until February 5th!}

{We spend a lot of time at the post office and Frankie loves to play in this hallway as it echos!}

{My sweet girls-look how big they getting!}

{Kensington found these trolls at an estate sale for .10 cents. She is now in love with them. Anyone have a lot they would like to get rid of? Send them our way!}