Christmas Traditions--there are so many in my family but one of our (Nat & I) favorites is the Nutcracker! My mom started taking me to the Ballet West Nutcracker at the Capitol Theatre in SLC when I was 3 or 4 and we did it every year for at least 10 years, then we went every other or so year and the last time was the Christmas before I got married. These are some of my sweetest memories--we'd always be dressed 'fancy' (as Brielle would say), usually Nat and I matched-- we'd go up to SLC and make the day of it...shopping & eating downtown! This year my mom and I decided it was time to start this tradition with Brielle....my dad & Chris thought it would be fun to come too...but I'm pretty sure this was their last time because Chris thought it was time to go at intermission and he said he was dying for someone to just 'talk' the whole time...and lets just say my dad brought his book!On the other hand, I loved it! The music of the Nutcracker is so powerful to me and it stirs up a lot of emotion! I think because it is linked to this precious tradition with my mom & sis, and now I get to share it with my little girl! As soon as the lights went down and the Overture began I started getting tears in my eyes and I looked over at Di she had tears in her eyes too! Brielle has been looking forward to this for weeks, she was enthralled the first half...she absolutely LOVED it! She kept humming along to the music (thanks to Nutcracker Barbie she knows the music by heart) and I kept 'shhhing' her because I'm not sure the people around us thought it was as cute as I did!
Toward the end of the second half she started getting tired and hot and about 15 minutes before it ended she lost it and started whining...so Chris took her out and spent the last 15 minutes in the lobby with Brielle begging and crying to go back in because she was missing the rest of "the show". She did pretty good for a 4 year old...two hours is a long time to sit still, especially considering she's had a big day...Polar Express Day at Preschool, dinner at Market Street Grill & then the Nutcracker!
She is so disappointed that she missed the end, we told her on the way home 'hopefully next year you will stay quiet and you can see the end'--lesson learned (I hope)! I think next year I'll follow my gut impression and we'll go to the matinee--like we should have this year! She was dead asleep by the time we got home...we carried her in, undressed her and put her in bed...all while she slept!
Sweet dreams my little Sugar Plum Princess!
4 comments:
Ohhh. So sad I missed out. Sounds like it was a blast. She looks so adorable, wish I could have been there. How typical is it that Dad brought his book....too funny.
She's adorable. I love the nutcracker! Sounds like so much fun!
How sweet. It reminds me of me! When my fist child (a girl as well!) was three we took her to see the same thing. I know we were in SLC. I think we are just anxious to share with our children everything that is good and lovely and praiseworthy. She was too young as well and kept saying:"Do their moms and dads know what they are doing? Where are their moms and dads? While we treated Elise to this experience, grandma and grandpa Rueckert or was it aunt Maryann, was watching baby Christopher. He was taking a nap.
Actually I did not mean "anxious" I meant EAGER!
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