Nutcracker with Boppy

Last year, Grandma and I introduced Caroline to our decades-long Nutcracker tradition.  This year, she's a little more mature and a little more focused and so we bought tickets again.  Unfortunately, Grandma ended up being double-booked and would be somewhere floating around the Caribbean at the same time as the opening strains of the overture. And so Boppy was drafted to join us.  

As we walked over to the Opera House, I asked him when the last time he'd attended the Nutcracker had been.  His response?  "I think you were probably about this age."  Hmm...so about a 37 year gap.

It was a family performance, meaning there were gifts for the first bunch of kids in attendance - Caroline got a white bear in a little blue scarf and hat - so cute! 

Boppy, Caroline, and the new toy!

In the main lobby, we wandered around looking at the displays of gingerbread houses, Christmas trees, and nutcrackers.  There was a line of kids waiting to have their picture taken with characters from the show and Caroline insisted she wanted to get her picture taken with the "mousey", so we got in the very end of the line - and good thing, because they cut the line off just a few folks later.

When we finally got to the head of the line, Boppy and I were held behind a velvet rope to snap the photos while Caroline was led over to greet the ballerina and mouse, who both kneeled down to be nearer her level for the shot.  Hilariously, Caroline was so excited that she literally ran right out of her shoe.  I thought this was very appropriate as in many versions of the Nutcracker story (including the one I grew up watching), Clara removes her shoe to hit the Mouse King and save the Nutcracker Prince.  Things were really rushed and everything is out of focus, but it's cute, so no worries.

We had amazing seats in the back row of the Dress Circle on the aisle, so Caroline could move back and forth and we wouldn't upset folks behind us.  Caroline took time sitting on Boppy's lap and sitting on mine and sitting on her own chair (which provided some challenges seeing around the adults in front of us).  As we waited in our seats, Caroline began to whine about being hungry and tired, but the minute the music began, she was engrossed.

Pretending to be tired

Caroline was engaged throughout the whole thing.  She asked questions and pointed out where people were and what was happening.  At intermission, we went out to the lobby area for milk and cookies and then down to the shop to see all the pretty things (Caroline chose a ballerina fairy tree ornament).  

At the close of the second act, she yelped with glee and clapped instantly.  All the way home she chattered about what we'd seen and weeks later when she saw a bus ad for the Nutcracker she squealed, "Mommy! That's the Nutcracker! I went to that with Boppy.  And you!  I went to that with you and Boppy!"