I know I say this all the time, but what a weekend!!
Yesterday was the girls' first performance at the Warner. It was a very special performance. The sets were amazing and the dancing was beautiful. The girls did great, as always!!!
The day was even more special because thanks to Nana and Grampy's generosity, a big group of the girls' friends were there, including M's teacher, and we got a backstage tour of the stage during intermission. We even got the see the girls there in their costumes!! It was a very special experience for all of us. Grandma D and Grandpa R came down from NY for the weekend and they were able to share in the whole thing.
I spoke to Septime Webre, the head of the whole ballet company, who choreographed the Nutcracker. He said that he knows who M and A are, that they are "great performers", and that the bumblebees are his favorite part because they get to shake their hips, just like they do in his native Cuba. He couldn't have been nicer.
We all had a blast. Here are some pics:
Backstage with friends:
More of the tour:
Maddie with her teacher:
Girls watching the last 15 minutes of the ballet from the lobby:
I am so proud of them and grateful for the friends who came out to see them, and to Nana and Grampy for the tickets.
The rest of our weekend was great too. We had a very nice Hanukah celebration with Grandma D and Grandpa R. We lit candles and opened presents last night. The girls got great loot from R & D: new kids' dictionaries, some dolls from Ireland, an animal wall hanging from the Galapagos, and some beautiful books. AND some ballet sweaters, which they will wear for all for their performances.
From us they got… a small plastic bottle of some weird chemical, and some heater thing, and a bag of gravel. M tried to put a positive spin on it – "This is great, Mommy!" – even though she was not very excited. THEN we gave them the big gift – an aquarium! All of the other stuff goes WITH the aquarium. Then they were more excited!
Today, the girls had Sunday School. They had a secret Santa-type thing in their class. We made blondies for the two boys that the girls got assigned. One of the boys forgot about the whole thing, so A came home empty-handed. M got a Hello Kitty doll, which she liked. We did get a call tonight from the mom of the boy who forgot and she said that she was SO sorry and that he has already picked out something for A. I told A we would tell this story at her rehearsal dinner when they get married (I love the little boy), and A said, "Well, you better write it down so you don't forget!!"
After Sunday School, we took M, A, Jessie and Lolly to see "Tangled", which they liked, thought it made M a little upset.
I did two more things today that were really fun – I wrapped books for a few hours at Politics and Prose, which raises money for the Washington LIteracy Council, and which I love doing. And I had a very fun birthday dinner tonight with some very close DC friends.
Thank you, Daddy and friends. What a perfect cap to a great weekend.
More photos from the weekend tomorrow.
