Every Monday I read to Nathan’s class. As usual, we were running late and I didn’t have a book picked out. Lucie volunteered to get a book from her room. I thought, oh no, she’s going to pick a baby book or something completely boring for a bunch of first graders.

Instead, she came back with the Usborne Book version of The Nutcracker. (Usborne has three different versions: 1) the picture book for younger children, the Young Reading series for older chldren, and The Nutcracker CD Pack.)

Perfect! (Lucie’s such a genius.) Not only is there a local production of The Nutcracker (the Boulder Ballet and the Longmont Symphony) but there are two productions happening in Denver next month. As usual, the Colorado Ballet is doing one. But the Moscow Ballet will be here in Colorado, too.

Paul and I have been thinking about taking Nathan and Lucie to see a production of The Nutcracker. I remember my mom taking my sister and me to see it in New York City at the Met. If memory serves me correctly, I was probably 10 or so, and a bit bored. I think the problem was that I didn’t know the story, and had no idea what was going on. To refresh your memory:

Clara’s adventure begins on Christmas Eve with an amazing present – a magic doll. Soon Clara is in a flying sleigh on her way to the mouth-watering Land of Sweets, where she finds an incredible castle and the dazzling Sugarplum Fairy.

And even though my children know the story, at 3 and 6, the kids are a too young to sit through a long ballet production. Instead, I may rent a DVD of The Nutcracker instead.

If you are planning to go see The Nutcracker, please read the story to your children before you go. Then make it a special event. Dress up. Go out for dessert and hot chocolate afterwards (even if it’s just Starbucks). Make it a grownup magical time for your children, and a memory they’ll cherish for years.

Sugar plums, anyone?

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