Christmas Party and The Nutcracker

We took the kids to the Christmas Party at H's work. Surprisingly, it was really fun! I didn't want to go at first. It was a pain to get the kids out of school, drive downtown (where we don't know anyone at the party), then drive back in time to get the babysitter for the evening. It was worth it. It was a luau theme. The food was yummy.

Then there was an awesome Santa Clause.

What's a party without limbo?

And don't forget the hula hoops!

Then we had to run home to get the aforementioned babysitter.  So why did we need a babysitter?  To take L to The Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center!  Yea!  We ate dinner at a little place called Dish and Drinks.  The menu was "fancy" which scared L.  She didn't want to order anything so I told her she could share mine.  We ordered the "pre theatre" meal, which was salad (or soup), entree, and dessert.  We got the salad (meh), flat iron steak with red wine sauce (super yummy), and key lime tart and chocolate Lava cake - L's pick (wow, so good).  H said it was a good example of how he would rather pay a little more for less but better tasting food.  Then a quick walk back to the theatre and the gift shop. 

We got a beautiful ornament of Clara dancing with her Nutcracker.  L got a snowglobe/jewelry keeper and an ornament for her teacher.  So here comes the drama, because what's life without drama?  We go into the theatre where we had to move people out of our seats and I got in trouble for taking pictures. 

In my defense, I thought it was allowed before the production began - it was for Les Mes in the same theatre, but apparently not for the ballet, and the usher was more than a little put out that she had to tell me.  So, the overture starts and the usher that now hates me came and asked if we were there to see the Nutcracker.  Yes.  She asked for our seat numbers.  We gave them - 105, 106, and 107. (Our seats were PERFECT!) She says, "Not 103 and 104?"  There were 3 of us, so it would have been a tight fit.  No.  These are our seats.  "Well, someone is in the wrong theatre."  The woman next to me in 108 who had to move for us is pointedly glaring at us, sure that we were the problem.  H gets out the tickets.  There is a woman in 103 who the usher now starts yelling at.   She is yelling past us to be heard over the music and flicking her bright flashlight in the darkened room to look at us and 103 and a paper she is holding.  Then she spits out, "Fine!" and storms off.  We shrug and enjoy the first act.  During the intermission, the woman in seat 103 disappears and 2 new people appear in 103 and 104, which was unfortunate for H, because 104 was very loud throughout the 2nd act.  So with all of that how was it?  Fabulous.  Drama aside, which was funny if anything, it was such a nice evening.  It was my first time seeing The Nutcracker.  H saw it many times in elementary school but he said it was very different from what he remembers.  At the end of the finale, L sat up straight with a look of pure joy and wonder on her face and started clapping.  H and I looked at each other over her and I felt so grateful for my family and the opportunities I have been given.