Visions of Sugar Plums

Some thoughts on taking a 4 year old to see The Nutcracker Ballet for the first time...

• The 4 year old will be thrilled at the mere thought of going to the ballet with her older cousins and their friend... and NO BABY ANA.
• She will be a chatterbox the whole way to the ballet... especially asking "are we there yet?"
  
• It would be helpful to read the story BEFORE seeing the ballet.  Otherwise they feel the need to ask 90 gazillion questions in a full volume whisper.  (who are those children? who is that man? why are they at a party? why did she get that nutcracker? why did that boy stomp on that nutcracker? why is the party over? why is that nutcracker big now? why is that nutcracker a prince now? what do you mean the girl is dreaming? why are those rats there? why is that light flashing while those rats fight? and on and on and on).
  
• You should not be surprised when the 4 year old loudly says "Mommy, that man is nudie!" when the dancer doing the Arabian dance of the Coffee happens to be shirtless.
• The child will ask if the ballet is over at intermission and insist that it should be over.
• The child will want an overpriced box of raisinettes at intermission because she will refuse to remember or accept that she doesn't like raisins.
• You will HAVE to eat a very large box of raisinettes... because they were overpriced... and can't be wasted.
• The 4 year old will probably almost fall asleep during the 2nd half of the show since it is after bedtime.
• When the show is over she will want to know why they are done dancing... and when she gets to see it again.
  

• The 4 year old will be over the moon with excitement at being able to say "I GOT TO HOLD THE ACTUAL REAL NUTCRACKER!"