After five years, we finally made it to our first Nutcracker performance. I thought long and hard about taking them last year, but the winter sickness and RSV ultimately solved that question for me. I am unsure we would have made it through this type of performance when they were four and glad we waited. It helps that the kindergarten class has attended a similar staged show and we’ve recently gone to a few movies.

This year a friend suggested a more kid friendly Nutcracker show in December, as opposed to the fancier Eugene Ballet performance that happens over Thanksgiving weekend, and we went for it. How could I say no to cheaper tickets AND ages two and up welcome.

Unsure how long attention spans would go and knowing there was an intermission and a second half, I chose seats in the very top of the balcony area and on the very back row. My concerns we’d be too far away to keep the girls interested were not warranted and the view was perfect from up top. The girls could also fidget and couldn’t bother anyone seated behind us. Also glad to not have picked the front row of the balcony; way too concerned they would have messed around and fallen over. The back served us perfectly and allowed the parents to relax for most of it, with the occasional shhhhh when they shrieked at the pretty costumes or the crown on the snow queen, you know, the exciting things.

As you would expect, dressing up was a given for the occasion. I pulled out the fancy dresses purchased from another triplet mom about a year ago, that are not Alaska practical at all (sleeveless!) and full of glitter. Yes, that glitter now covers the house and my car and us. Buckling into the car seats was also quite the endeavor, with all the red and green under garments, but we made it; and the enthusiasm was fantastic. All three were quite the matching spectacle walking around the Performing Art Center in those fancy things and boots and hair ribbons and it was sweet to watch some random people smile and their faces light up as they realized one, two, three. Everyone fully entertained mom throughout and took a few photos, inside and outside, and seemed to enjoy twirling around and being fancy. The effort was absolutely worth it!

We managed to arrive fifteen minutes before curtain, found our seats and then ran them across the entire building for a quick bathroom break before the start. This meant only five minutes of when is it going to start questions on repeat until the lights went down, same way they do at the movies. The first half fully entertained all three and produced only mild fidgeting, some questions, and interested little faces watching the lights, fancy outfits and dancing. All three observed the light beams from above us down to the stage and kept pointing that out, and excitedly commented on the colors of the dancer’s outfits. Reagan thought it was pretty funny that the mice (the youngest dancers that went onstage) kept stealing all the Christmas presents away from the Christmas tree through the beginning of the performance. Harper was in awe of the sparkly pink ballerina and I’m not sure what Emerie’s favorite part was, but she happily sat through it and held my hand.

At intermission everyone collected a sparkly snowflake wand and ran around the waiting area to burn a little energy. The poor, starving children each ate a fig bar and some apple juice, which prompted the start of the second half complaints of hunger and thirstiness. I did choose a 5:00 PM show time, knowing dinner hunger would hit part way through, but that was better than missing their morning dance class. The second half could have been worse and other than two bathroom breaks, fidgeting and the start of some grumpiness, we made it through without leaving early. Any longer and we wouldn’t have made it, with Craig and I exchanging the typical “should we go before sh*t hits the fan looks” a couple of times and the girls shifting around in their seats, laying against us, and a few Reagan complaints that she didn’t want to watch anymore (because I wouldn’t give her juice in the auditorium). If you ask her a day later, she claims she liked everything on the stage. Harper’s favorite part was the pink ballerina (shocking) and Emerie liked the opening scene with all the people attending the party. It felt wonderful going out on a Christmas activity with the whole family, one I have fond memories of growing up, and not to have any major public meltdowns or true chaos. Just a nice occasion with the family and we made it!

I will save all our other fun Christmas activities for another blog and keep this one to this cute and successful afternoon.

❤