It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

My little ballerinas

Well, not in our house, yet. I've been reminding M to bring up the tree from storage for more than a week, but go figure- the Christian can't be bothered.

That said, Christmas is seeping in around here. SI is VERY disappointed it didn't start the day after Channukah ended, but she admits that waiting another two weeks isn't that big a deal. The kids are thrilled that I've mounted our wreath on our door, and they've started receiving warnings from their father that Santa Claus is watching.

And most excitingly of all- my great aunt and great uncle took us to see "The Nutcracker" at the Joffrey Ballet this past weekend.

DD and SI eating popcorn with their great-great-aunt and uncle

There are some things about Christmas that, yes, even as a Jew, I love. The Nutcracker is one of them. Ever since my childhood best friend had a Nutcracker themed birthday party what feels like eons ago, I've been hooked.

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And the Joffrey Ballet is world class dancing. Truly. It was nearly as magical for me as it was for the kids. DD sat on the edge of her seat- staring wide eyed and gape jawed at the dancers. SI grabbed my shoulder and pointed wildly every time a familiar character or plot twist appeared, grinning and throwing herself into her great-great-uncle's arms.

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DD's favorite part was when the toy nutcracker turned into a dancer (I also LOVED that). SI's favorite part was the doll with all the children underneath. (Yeah, that was pretty spectacular too.)

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M's favorite part was the Arabian dance, and I'm on the verge with agreeing with him myself. It was, to put it mildly, stunning.

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But I think my favorite part was how completely, un-self-consciously ELATED my children were. How they floated on air from the moment they put on fancy dresses and learned some basic positions from M (who used to dance competitively), to the awe on their faces as they listened to the child choir caroling in the lobby, to their shock as we passed the Santa Shuffle 5K downtown, and they saw HORDES of rovings Santas on the street, to DD's shock at being "bitten" by the Nutcracker outside the show. (SI lifted the lever while DD's fingers were exploring his teeth.

"Mommy! The Nutcracker BIT me!"

Despite missing out on the actual show, even RH caught ballet fever for the day.



It was a magical day.

I'm sure none of us will ever forget it.


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And hey! Guess what? I'm guest posting over at Raised on the Radio today! Come check out my mix tape- Amazons of Rock!