Ah yes, here we are, all spiffy and clean, off to see The Nutcracker, our 3rd year of this tradition. The girls in their Christmas dresses, me in a dress which does a poor job of concealing the fact I’ve ingested way too much Macadamian Caramel Corn this season.  Here we are, hair in place (I wish you could see Sara’s bun…perfection I tell you), bobby pins secured, fresh as Daisies. Before the show hit the 2 hour and 45 minute mark, when I can promise you, we looked nothing like this.  After our 2nd trip to the bathroom, and a trip to the snack bar which caused us to be late for the 2nd act, covered in Sprite and pretzel salt.  After Kelly had tugged and pulled on her hair, my hair, and probably Sara’s hair, while crying she needed a nap.  After I had been snuggled up to and wiggled upon for a full 2 hours and 45 minutes in the hottest theater the Midwest has ever seen.  Good thing I wore wool. After I played the world’s longest game of “20 Questions” during the 2nd intermission. After I asked the girls for the 200th time to stop tugging on and eating their pearls.  Yes, AFTER that, we practically crawled back the minivan, breathlessly calling Greg to tell him I’d be picking up carry-out for dinner.

As we walked out of the theater, I asked the girls if they’d like to go again next year, and they enthusiastically yelled, “Yes!” They have the show memorized.  They clap at all the right places and know exactly when their favorite scenes are coming.  So there you have it.  I have exactly one year to rest up and shower. Looks like this tradition is sticking. Literally.  I had to peel myself out of those clothes.  It wasn’t pretty.  But you want to know the weirdest part?  I had an absolute ball. Listening to them whisper about Masha’s dreamy nightgown and weren’t the Ballet De Corps’ costumes far more sparkly this year? And how do the French dancers move so fast and the Arabian dancers bend like that? And if Franz were their brother, they’d show him a thing or two. I think I need some more caramel corn, and maybe a nap…