Kayla's FIRST Nutcracker ---2015----

Though, Kayla and I enjoyed watching last year's Nutcracker performance, I was hesitant to say yes when Kayla came home from ballet class in September talking about Nutcracker tryouts.  I didn't know the whole of it, but I knew it would mean a lot of extra time and money, two things that we don't have a whole lot of around here to spare.  But I also saw that look in her eyes (if you are a parent, you know the look I mean) that said silently, "Please, please, please, can I try this??"  So we adjusted our budget and our schedules accordingly and began her first ever Nutcracker journey. 

(Euna, Claire, Sasha, Lauren, Kayla, and Sofia)

Fairly early on, I naively raised my hand to help organize the mouse parents to watch the kids backstage during the shows.  Well, it turns out it was a bit more work than that.  But it was also a lot (I mean, a lot!) of fun.  I met many other ballet parents in the process and made some new friends in the process.  I learned a lot more about the hard work and dedication that these girls put in (and of course their awesome instructors!) to make the show a success.  And though I'm no expert, I can finally do a ballet bun confidently.  

I still have a long way to go before I'm truly any good at it. 

Chris and I watched the opening show on Thursday night, and I was once again awed and wowed by the talents of all the incredible students who dance at Laguna Dance Theatre.  All ages, all sizes, ALL SMILES; these kids are hard-working, amazing, dedicated, and a lot of fun to watch.  

 
    with the Rat Queen

I was particularly taken with the lovely "snow" dancers, 

the Spanish number in the Land of Sweets, and (SWOON!) the Sugar Plum fairy's dance 

with the Cavalier (a professional that the studio brings in).  

(angels with the the Sugar Plum fairy that we saw perform)

My heart grew a little more when the little mice popped out of their boxes; Kayla was first and woke all the other mice up and led them dancing around Clara.  And as I continued to watch their silly and adorable little antics on stage, I shook with silent laughter until I cried.  They were just. so. cute!  After the curtain lifted for the second act, Kayla again made Mommy and Daddy glow with pride as she danced her angel number.  

It's truly a little glimpse of heaven, I think, to watch the pure, sweet, smiling little ones dance like holy angels around the stage.  If you want to be holy, be like a child.  If you want to be humble, be like a child.  If you want to love fully and live life to the full, be like a child.  

After the show, we found our little sweetie pie and her face said it all.  She was SO joyful!

The next three days, Daddy spent a lot of time with our other 3 little ones at home, and I spent a lot of time with Kayla at the theatre.  Again, I'm no expert, but over the span of the next (and last) 5 performances (1 on Friday, 2 on Saturday, and 2 on Sunday), I became a much more confident backstage ballet mom.  I did make-up, painted on mouse eyes, nose, and whiskers, learned the art of changing the girls in and out of mouse and angel costumes, brought books and coloring sheets and books for the kids to entertain themselves with in their free time, and met some really wonderful people.  Kayla, too, made many new friends.  She and some of the other little gals played trains with the boys, danced and chatted with some of the older girls, and just had a blast with the other little mouse girls in our "black box" (the room where we were). 

 

applying mouse make-up               /        Kayla with one of her

    on little Claire                                    backstage buddies, Jessica

 

with the other Sugar Plum fairy          /       with her buddy Marisa
                                                           (in her Spanish dance number costume)

coloring with some little mice and Jessica and Ellie

with some Candy Cane dolls 

little mice with a big mouse (Ellie)

I could go on and on about many of the lovely dancers that Kayla and I got to know over the course of the week, but I will just mention the very biggest stand-outs.  Kayla is enthralled with Clara and the Sugar Plum fairy.  There were two of each since they alternated shows, and she loved them all.  She was a little partial to the Clara and Sugar Plum fairy that she met at the studio's Sugar Plum Fairy Tea, so those ones got special coloring pages from her, but she just adored them all.  Even when we weren't at the theatre, she was dancing around the living room pretending to be either Clara or Sugar Plum or both.  She even allowed her sisters to take a turn being one or the other.  

 

with Sugar Plum                                                      with Clara

Claire and Kayla with Ellie

with Jessica 

Lauren, Kayla, Sasha, and Claire with Candy Cane doll Jessica

Jessica and Ellie were favorites with all the little mice.  They would come visit, chat, color, and dance with the little ones and though I doubt they know it, they made a wonderful impact on our littlest dancers.  It meant a lot to them to have the "big girls" take an interest in them and their dances, and I'm so grateful for these two in particular who literally came in the black box every chance they got and always had a smile, a "great job!", and a high five for the little girls when they'd see them in the hallways and wings.   

 

with Mikey and Marisa                           angels with Spanish dancer, Jessica

Marisa was Kayla's other buddy.  She, too, came to visit when she had a moment here and there between dances, and Kayla would light up as soon as she stepped into the black box.  The room had a big screen where we could watch the show (not good quality, so you couldn't always tell who was who, but you could see which dance it was), and Kayla liked to point out when her special buddies were on stage.  "Look, Mom, it's Marisa!  She's dancing now!"  Thank you, Marisa, for making my little girl feel so very special and for being a beautiful, poised young lady that she can look up to.  She is most assuredly in your fan club for life.  

 

Kayla, Sasha, & Euna                                     Kayla with Andrea (on one of her not
(final performance)                                          -the-Sugar-Plum-Fairy-days)

I didn't get pictures with all the other moms and dads who helped out backstage with the little mice/angels in our room, but we had a GREAT group.  Tim and Tisa were there almost every night with their boys (one was a mouse) and they brought legos and train sets for everyone to play with.  Rachael, Yoon Kyung, Kristina, and Chanell were my other little mice moms and I loved working with every one of them.  They were all kind, helpful, and the sort of parents who you are more than happy to be "stuck with" for several days in a fairly small room with a bunch of antsy, excited little kids.  Special shout-out to Rachael's sister-in-law who helped for one of the shows.  It was just her and I to do all the make-up and clothing changes that day and she rolled with it.  It was also fun to have Sofia's grandma help out one evening, and I know it was super fun for Sofia too.  :) And Lois, though you weren't able to be in the black box with us, it was a pleasure to meet you and realize that we've been in the same homeschooling group for months and simply hadn't crossed paths until now.  

Words can't express how grateful I am to all you other parents who made my job as "lead mouse mom" a breeze.  

 

with Clara                                                          with Miss Marisa!

And, of course, a huge thank you to Miss Marisa (and all the other ballet instructors)!  From the day she started ballet last year, she has loved you and loved your class.  My little angel thinks the world of you, and we are so grateful for an amazing ballet teacher like you to help our little one begin to spread her wings and fly.

And a big thank you to all the backstage moms and volunteers who made my first experience with Nutcracker backstage a wonderful time.  BIG shout-out to Melissa, who led the whole endeavor and did a fantastic job.  

We purchased the book, Tallulah's Nutcracker at the Sugar Plum Tea and Kayla had her mouse friends and some of the other dancers sign in to commemorate her first Nutcracker experience.

 Sadly, none of Kayla's little sisters attended the show this year.  Both are prone to VERY excited outbursts, so we are waiting for another year or so before taking them to a show of this kind, BUT Daddy brought them after the Sunday matinee to take pictures with their little mouse sis.  Their cousins (in the red dresses below) came to see the show that day with my sister (Kayla's godmother) and my parents.  Unfortunately most family members live far away and couldn't make the shows, but we are so excited to show them the DVD eventually!  

with Aunt Christine and some of her cousins!

Thank you for coming to the show.  It meant the world to Kayla to have her little fan club in the audience.  You guys are the best.  

add in Nana and Granddaddy

Nana and Granddaddy

our family with my parents

And, last but not least, we got a family shot from Kayla's first Nutcracker year.  

We love you, sweetie pie, and we are so proud of you.  You smiled brightly through every performance despite being very tired by the end.  If ballet is what you love and continue to want to do, I have no doubt that you will shine.  Your hard-work, concentration, positive attitude, and your JOYFUL SMILE will see you through.  And your fan club will be right there with you.  

Love, Mom, Dad, Elise, Ava, and Sophie