Visions of Sugarplums...

Sugarplum Fairies, that is.

A few years ago, I bought this Nutcracker Ballet Paper Dolls Book.

The illustrations and paper dolls are beautiful. Magical...and quite similar to images of my own memories of growing up attending the Nutcracker in Asheville, NC.

In preparation for our trip to the Nutcracker in Tulsa this year, I pulled out the Nutcracker book a few days early. We set up the triple stage book and the children got right to work playing.

Nathanael in the Land of the Sweets...
Madeleine in the enchanted forest with all those lovely snowflakes...

And Hadleigh, enjoying the party and battle scenes and characters.

They were all so excited about the performance...
(not the best picture...but the best I could do with the lens I had!)
Nathanael loved the Mouse King and toy soldiers the most. (Big surprise!)

Madeleine loved the pink ballerinas. (and she did quite well, up until the last 20 minutes. It was, after all, technically her naptime.)

And Hadleigh loved the waltz of the flowers the best.

I'm so thankful we were able to go as a family this year. What a special memory it will always be.