Return of The Nutcracker

If you've been around these parts for a while you already know that my girl is a serious fan of The Nutcracker, thanks to the unlikeliest of sources.

We spent the last holiday season watching the movie, play acting the details, scouting out Nutcracker ornaments, and dreaming of a day when we'd see The Nutcracker onstage.

Guess what? Yesterday, my little girl and her friend behaved like the most mature of three year olds as we watched a live performance The Nutcracker Ballet. 

Everything was lined up for a meltdown: the production was in the afternoon so there was no nap, we were right on time -- meaning we were late -- and had to sit on the front row, the Mouse King only appeared for half a minute (he's her favorite, you know), and people clapped throughout (not at the end ... so Bella was worried the entire time that it was over already).

But she didn't just make it through. She enjoyed it. She clapped and stared and danced in the aisles. She whispered, "She's beautiful!" and "That's amazing!" as she watched, eyes never leaving the stage.


Who would've thought that a $5 Barbie movie bought on a whim by a cringing parent would lead to such a magical afternoon? Welcome to the first year of our first mother-daughter tradition!

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The Nutcracker

I have a confession: The first time I ever watched The Nutcracker was seven long days ago. And it was a Barbie movie we bought for $5 to keep Bella quiet during grocery shopping. (Better than gummy bears, right? RIGHT?)

I am not a fan of Barbie in general. When I was kid, I begged my mom to buy me some Barbies. She did. I woke up Christmas morning with all six Barbie & The Rockers. I promptly cut and died their hair and then destroyed sock after sock "designing" outfits for them. They were in the trash less than a week later. Since then, I haven't understood the pull Barbie has on girls both young and old.

But the DVD was only $5 and I figured that if she didn't like it once we popped it in, I'd give it to the other little girl at her school (who is the current recipient of all of Bella's gently used things). Bella hugged it and squeezed it and screamed bloody murder if we dared take it away from her. When we got home, the first thing she wanted to do was watch "Bobby."

So we did. And three members of our household were hooked: Bella, Javi, and me. Firstly, why the hell has no one told me how adventurous and engaging the story of The Nutcracker is? There was sword fighting, mouse armies, time travel ... the whole shebang. And my big kid collects nutcrackers. Why didn't I ever consider exposing him to this story before now?

All I can say is we've watched it now. We've watched it so many times, I can recite it and both kids can act it out. "Bobby da nudcackah" is an official family favorite. I'm even on the lookout for a mouse king to add to our nutcracker collection. (And there are two very demanding children who have asked me 878 times if I've found one. "Where dat mouse king go, mama? Where he comin' from?" So if you know where to find a mouse king, spill it!)

Nutcrackers and mice kings aside, I'm now seriously considering a trip to the ballet with both children. I may or may not be waiting for Hoffman's original story to arrive. I may or may not be crafting a new family tradition in my mind -- one that involves a trip to an indie coffee shop for hot chocolate and pumpkin lattes and children dressed to impress, just like I used to see as a barista in Boston's theatre district.

Let me just say it out loud: I'm so glad we made that $5 purchase. And, yes, I was a little too excited when I woke up on Friday morning and discovered Javi watching what could become another family favorite: Barbie and The Three Muskateers.

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