Nutcracker with friends

Messiah one day, Nutcracker the next - can it be more Christmassy? We all went to the matinee except Boppa and Fiona. Fiona is so happy to go with H - her Mom says he could take her to a vacuum cleaner store and she'd be delighted!
This Pacific Northwest Ballet production has 1983 sets by Maurice Sendak - it's very charming and the kids liked it a lot this year. And there are snacks during intermission!
We try to do one Christmas show a year with kids...We were laughing, remembering 3 years ago when H and I took these 3 downtown to the then new Disney 3D film "Christmas Carol". (We just saw it a few nights ago on TV) Tatum would not enter the theater because she had some issue with big spaces and exits, so H and she went shopping at Nordstroms and tried on shoes and perfumes. Nik was just fine. 4 year Oskar was totally freaked out with the chains and ghosts and snow flying in our faces and sat on my lap with his head averted from the screen. It took him at least another year and a half, maybe 2, to set foot in another 3D movie! Oh dear. Maybe that's one reason his Mom likes to come along now....

A few more family, very candid! shots HERE on Flickr.