Mice and Gifts

Freestone's face looks like how I feel!

Freestone has had a great time being a mouse this year.  He was bursting with excitement when Clytie told him his part, and he really hasn't come down off Cloud Nine.  Nutcracker season has absolutely flown by these last 11 weeks.  It was incredibly nice to have all 4 of our kids make it, as opposed to just some of them.  The scheduling worked out that we had 7 extra classes a week with Nutcracker, one for each day of the week!  Except Sunday; there must have been 2 on one of the days.  My Chinese class was on Monday nights.  I loved my 10 girls.  They were easy, quiet and cooperative, and they were wonderful dancers.  We had a good time.

Last fight scene rehearsal

Last Chinese rehearsal

Last finale, reaching for Clara as she leaves the Land of the Sugarplum Fairy.

Curtain calls

Araceli bought these in California for her fellow Ladies-in-Waiting.

Ruby chose strands of Christmas lights for the 30 Corps dancers.

Read Freestone's note to Sarah, his teacher.  He's funny.

Xanthe, the sugarplum, gave this gift - sadly modest - with a note that said, "Nutcracker has been just plummy!"  I wish we could give big gifts like some of the kids, but we're looking at 60 gifts here!  The dollar store is my best friend.

Freestone had to give a funny gift, given his personality.  I was thinking mouse poop when I bought the coal, but he didn't want to go that far.  So it was coal, because the mice are evil.  I love watching the fight scene with Freestone under one of those big mouse heads.  I sneaked into one of the rehearsals to watch and one of the mice gave me a high five.  I was guessing it was Annie, because she's just that friendly.  I was telling Freestone afterwards that Annie had given me a high five.  He said, "Mom, that was ME!"  We laughed so hard!  I guess I just never pegged Freestone for a high five kind of guy.  You never know what personality traits will come out when you're inside of a furry mouse furnace of a costume!