The Nutcracker Ballet

Is it just me? Or, did anyone else blink and Christmas came and went?

I'm usually well-prepared for Christmas, but this year, not so much. I'm usually anxiously waiting for the day it's appropriate to mail out Christmas cards (not before Thanksgiving, right?). Presents are all ordered on Cyber Monday or at least a month before the big day because I despise dealing with heavy traffic and Christmas crowds.

However, this year, I was at a loss. I was ordering custom jewelry less than a week before Christmas. Christmas cards went out the Saturday before Christmas. Chris and I were picking up last-minute gifts on Sunday, which is very much a Chris trait. And, I was still waiting on packages to arrive on Christmas Eve! I guess in my head, Christmas wouldn't come until I was ready. It's such a meaningful day, celebrating Christ's birth with the ones I love, so I disliked feeling unprepared.

Needless to say, in the whirlwind of the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, things fell to the wayside, like the old blog...along with rest and my sanity.

Be forwarned, my blog will be in the Christmas spirit over the next week or so while I catch up on posts.

Chloe and I reinstated a Christmas tradition of attending the Montgomery Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. We attended for the first time when Chloe was only 3 years old and she really enjoyed it. Last year, for one reason or another, it didn't make our Christmas to-do list. It wasn't until this year that I realized that since Chris is a student at Troy University Montgomery, and the University owns the Davis Theatre where the Montgomery Ballet performs, that he could purchase discounted tickets. So, it was added back to the Christmas to-do's:)

Unfortunately, the night we had purchased tickets to attend, Chloe was sick. Since Chloe and Evan woke up sick that morning, I asked Chris to go to the box office earlier in the day to see if he could exchange the tickets for the very last performance, which was a few days later. The lady at the box office was very understanding and even threw in a free Sugar Plum Fairy ticket, which allowed Chloe to go on stage after the performance for a meet and greet with the performers and to receive a special gift. The kindness that we've experienced over the holidays has been immeasurable.

Chloe and I took a picture before leaving the house for our mother-daughter date.

Don't worry. Chris and Evan had a father-son day planned. They went to Bass Pro and Target to window shop and pick out a gift for Chloe from Evan (more on that later).

Look at my handsome men. Evan was thrilled that Daddy let him wear his gold chain. My baby boy and his accessories...

This was the only decent photo that I was able to get of Chloe before the performance.

Afterwards, we met the dancers and Chloe got her program signed.

This last one was my favorite.

Since the crowd had died down by the time that we left the theatre, I was able to get this photo of Chloe under the marquee.

It was such a fun outing. The most enjoyable part of our day was when Chloe met the dancers, which wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for the kind lady working the box office. It's also nice to have one-on-one time with the littles. I think that this will be a Christmas tradition from now on.