The Nutcracker Ballet

I love the Nutcracker Ballet! Amber and I went to the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago to see it. I've taken the kids to see the Nutcracker various times over the years. We've seen professional ballet companies and we've seen local high school performances. We've watched different versions of it on dvd when we couldn't get out to see an actual performance. They're all beautiful! Although, the McCauley Caulkin version was a little hard to watch. lol I have two cd's of the music. One is in the car. And I listen to it whenever I get the chance.

I made the mistake of taking Andrew when he was very small. And he's still afraid of the Mouse King. Any time he hears any of the music, even in commercials, he sticks his fingers in his ears and says "na, na, na, na, na, na!" to drown out the sound. So, I guess it's a tradition I'll keep with my daughter.

One year, the year I took Andrew, there were 4 families in our neighborhood that went to see an afternoon showing together. All home-school moms and all our little kids. That was an experience in itself! Another time, I took Amber and two of her friends. They got all dressed up and thought they were sooo big! I think they were 12 years old at the time.

So, I guess my fondness for the Nutcracker is as much about the memories as the actual show itself.

This year, we went with my friend, Becky and her 4 year old daughter, Riley. It was so much fun listening to her little gasps of delight at the beautiful ballerinas. You see, she's a ballerina herself. And who knows, one day I may be watching her perform the Nutcracker Ballet!