The Nutcracker 2007

Today, Leia Rose and I went to our first-ever performance of The Nutcracker!!! We have been reading some children's books in preparation, and this one is our favorite. The pictures are so detailed, and the faces are so full of expression! Most importantly, though, the story is fairly abbreviated and can be read easily in one sitting.
We were so lucky to get to go to the ballet with the Faulkners! Here are Karin, Kevin, and Steve walking as a family to the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.

First we posed in front of a pretty Christmas tree in the lobby for some pictures, and the children looked on their best behavior . . .
. . . or were they? . . .
. . . oh my!!! (This is my absolute favorite picture of the evening, and something funny happened right after as well. Leia Rose ran up to me and asked, "Have you ever heard of a silly thing like that Mamma? A girl kissing a boy? Ha!" I laughed so hard! Later I would ask her what made her say that, and she said, "Because sometimes I do that, . . . kiss boys. Especially at school." Oh my.) ; )
And this one reminds me of two teenagers just kidding around. : )

Isn't this a beautiful picture of all of us? How I wish Brian and Annie could have come too, but Annie is just too young (and it would have been Carnival of Animals all over again) and someone had to stay home and watch her. : )

A couple of funny things: Karin and I both made a few minor mistakes in regards to the show. Okay, I made two and Karin only made one: she forgot coats for the family (it was quite cold and windy) BUT I forgot money for parking AND WORSE I forgot to forewarn Leia Rose that we wouldn't be sitting with Kevin. (See, I reserved the tickets a day or two after the Faulkners and, as a result, we weren't in the exact same place.) So I had a crying little girl while we were filing into our seat. And there was more than one usher that asked, "Gee, is your little girl crying?!?"

Here's one of the dances in the Land of Sweets. You can just see the tops of the North Carolina Symphony playing live in front of the stage, and you can just see Clara watching atop the pedestal in the middle and the dancers (I think they were the flowers) up front. Oh how I wish I took a picture at the beginning!!! The first part of the show, all taking place in the Stahlbahm drawing room, was fantastic in regards to scenery and costumes. The tree actually "grew" all the way up to the top of the stage! And I'm excited to say that we were close enough to even hear the sound of the dancers feet hitting the floor!!!

Leia Rose was so very well behaved! But there were a few funny exceptions where Leia Rose made a loud proclamation or two during the show. There were many scenes in the beginning when the boy cousins were taunting the girl cousins, to which Leia Rose would always loudly proclaim, "Those boys!!!" And as I talked to her about the NC Symphony up front, I commented, "Maybe you'll play in the orchestra someday?" "As long as I'm playing the piccolo!" : ) The only time Leia Rose got a little bit squirmy was during the pas de deux, which is the last dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It's the very end of the show and there's not much to watch (no dancing sweets or children or anything), so she did quite a few long sighs during that part. : )
And here is Leia Rose afterwards, showing off some of her ballet moves for Kevin. Perhaps Leia will want to audition next year? Of course, when I asked her what part she wanted to have, she immediately said, "I want to be the Sugar Plum Fairy!" I told her that she definitely could be, . . . someday. ; ) Next year, it's more likely she'll be a chocolate sundae or a gingerbread cookie or maybe, if she's really lucky, one of Clara's tiniest cousins. : )

And who needs to buy expensive souvenirs? Here are two paper nutcrackers they were handing out at the end of the show. Kevin and Leia Rose treasured them like gold! : )

And here I have to mention how impressed I was with little Kevin Faulkner. He was always reaching to either hold Leia's hand, or open the door for her, or put her arm around her while walking, etc. What a chivalrous boy Kevin is! I can just imagine how this will translate, someday, into fabulous husband-like behavior!!! Leia knows that Kevin is one of only four boys who already have my "okay." : ) And I'll admit that NONE of them take better care of their ladies as Kevin does. : ) [Although later that night, Leia Rose did say in regards to being old enough for marriage, "Well, Colin is almost ready." Ha! He turned 9 today. Man enough already, huh Leia? : ) ]