Nutcracker ballet

Since Grace was 3 we have spent each year kicking off our Advent season with the Nutcracker ballet together. It has become a tradition that the girls and I look forward to each year. There are few things more magical than watching their faces light up as the snowflakes dance at the end of the first Act and the snow magically flutters from the ceiling over top of them. On the way to the theatre today they took bets that the Rat King would be a Rat Queen this year and I love that they know the performance well enough to have favorite parts. Emma loves the snowflakes. Grace loves the Arabian dancers. And Norah...well, she doesn't want to miss the Sugar Plum fairy.

During intermission we stretched our legs and snapped our annual photo in front of the Christmas tree. Act II opens up with the Sugar Plum fairy and Norah was not happy about being out of our seats in fear that she would miss her favorite part. :)

The tradition continues

For the past 8 years the girls and I have kicked off our advent with a trip to see the Nutcracker. It is one of my more anticipated evenings of the winter as I love the ballet and the looks on the girls faces when it starts snowing on the snowflake fairies. It's pure magic. This year, we met some friends downtown for dinner before the show to get as much out of our girls night together as possible. 

These three. When did they get so grown up?