1 red maternity dress: $30
Parking: $5
Seeing the look on Erin's face when she saw these beautiful Russian dancers onstage alongside local kids, including one from her very own ballet school, and realized she could be up there herself someday: Absolutely priceless
Thak thought only rich people went to the ballet. I guess when you grow up in the middle of nowhere, that's the kind of idea you get. He wasn't sure about going, and honestly, when I bought our tickets for this show, three months ago, I was surprised when he told me to buy four. I thought I would just take Erin, and he and Orren would stay home and work in the garage or something (that's what he and Orren generally do when they're at home together). When Thak told me to buy four tickets, I was definitely surprised, but I bought them.
Yesterday, it seemed like a huge disaster as we were getting ready to go. Erin kept asking to wear this one summer dress, even though I'd already vetoed it 5 times, then she finally told me an hour before we had to leave, that she had gotten pasta on the dress I wanted her to wear. (How?!! She hadn't even worn it!) so Thak found it, brought it to me, and I washed the pasta sauce off it in the sink. Disaster averted. Then we realized Orren had outgrown all his good clothes. Thak managed to find some cordoroys and a polo shirt that still fit him, so he wore that, and looked very studly. Then there was Thak. I don't think it ever occurred to him that people don't wear jeans and t-shirts to the ballet. Thak has an aversion to nice clothes, and picked out some jeans with a giant hole in them. I said hell no, and he informed me (an hour before we had to leave) that his "good" jeans were dirty. Outstanding. So we washed them, and dried them, and he puts them on with this one button-up shirt.... not so bad. Then he rolled up the sleeves. Dude... you're killing me here. I got him to roll the sleeves down again, and he topped the whole outfit off with his hunting boots and his Vikings hat. Sometimes things are just beyond hope, so I let it go. Later, he thought better of it, exchanged his hunting boots for his ropers, and left the hat at home. Better.
I had been planning my outfit for weeks, because really, my maternity wardrobe sucks, I bought this red dress at Target that could be dressed down with leggings and boots for everyday, or dressed up with heels and bling for going out. I had planned to wear it with my super awesome Steve Maddens with their dark red heels and black with white polka dot uppers... it would have been so cool. Unfortunately, between Thak's promotion ceremony, and living in the desert for the past nearly two years, the rocks have killed my favorite shoes, so we had a bit of a shoe malfunction. I ended up wearing my far plainer and not half as awesome black BCBG's, but it was ok. Then other than the fact that somewhere between Georgia and Texas, the pins for my hot roller set got lost, everything else went off mostly without a hitch (minus the fact that I swear, someday I'll learn to do my hair like everyone else on the planet seems to know how to do theirs. I suck so bad at hair!) So anyhow, end result (oh, and 18 weeks!!)
When we finally got out the door, it was actually perfect timing, despite a traffic jam on 10. We got a great parking space in the garage just two blocks from the theater, and despite a super long line at the door, we got to our seats about five minutes before the show started. It was perfect timing.
The show itself was amazing. It was by far the best performance of The Nutcracker I have ever seen, and even though Thak did not know the story line, he managed to follow it well enough, and actually liked it! That surprised me. I was expecting him to say something like, "Well, that wasn't as good as I thought it would be." when we left, but no comment like that ever came. I was very surprised. Even Orren loved it. He switched places between me and Thak every so often, but mostly just watched what was going on down on the stage. He loved it. Erin, of course, loved it! She loved the costumes, and noticed that a lot of the dances include some of the same movements she practices now. She noticed the children's cast that had a role in many of the dances, and realized that most of them were not much older than her. She plans to try out for the children's cast in a few years. (They come here and do this show annually because it is such a success. Every year, there is this opportunity for young local dancers to be onstage with the Moscow Ballet!) I think in a few years we will see Erin up there! She loved it. She kept saying, "Mommy, this is the BEST day EVER!"
And this is what she looked like halfway home:
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