OUR FAMILY OF FIVE: Two Nutcrackers, TDAD dancers at both!

I know, I know this post is from around Christmas time, but when I am on a blogging run, you just have to go with it:)

Thanksgiving weekend the girls performed The Nutcracker! Or this year we dance parents called it the 'mini nutcracker' since so many of the older girls have moved on. It was for sure not like the past performances, but it was excellent. Performance weekends are always very busy and exhausting for me. Derek is the lucky guy and just goes to one (at the most two) performances, but I have to do all of the 'mommy' duties. By the end us girls are beat. We do have a good time though. We always find a great place to eat. The concession table is always fun and a great way to get last minute gifts, the girls have so much fun on stage and playing with friends backstage. Of course, they get flowers and big hugs from everyone that comes to see them. This time only Grandma came, she is very supportive. But the best part of dance weekend is the MAKEUP! Emma enjoys that very much. Daddy, not so much.

We get the girls these and then for days they linger around the house and scare the heck out of me. Yet, I keep buying them.

Our babies did such a great job. They are such beautiful ballerinas.

----------------------------------------------------

Then after one of my 5k's Emma and I hit the road to VEGAS! Love the open road and I swear each time we go their the distance/time gets shorter. Then there is The Nutcracker performed at The Smith Center by the NBT, watching that is worth the miles!

Once we got there and checked in we went to a very fancy dinner...name of it I can not remember, but it was yummy, Emma liked her $22 side of Mac&Cheese, and me the view of Downtown. Yep we stayed on Fairmont Street. I doubt I will do it again, unless Derek is with me. It was a little scary. It was very strange how good and nice that restaurant was for the location. Oh well, live and learn.

Then for the reason for our yearly trip. The Nutcracker! It was a Christmas present from my dear friend and I appreciated it so much. So unexpected. As many of you know that from reading our blog we go to Vegas a few times a year to watch the NBT perform. In the past we go to support the dance studio our girls dance at, the owner's daughter Krista dances there. But now we have another reason to go. Madison dances there now! She signed a contract at the age of 15. Amazing. The show was great! Probably the best I had seen so far. Then again I am partial:)

*Em and Madi

*Em and Mr. Jerry

*Em with Krista & Madison

*Em with Ms. Tracy

Then we went to Fairmont St with Ms Brenda. That was an experience. Crazy people, crazy lights, more crazy people, loud music and more crazy people. Of course me, Em and Ms. Brenda were not part of those crazy people. I had no idea that it was so late by the time we got back to the hotel. It was around 2am I think! Vegas does that to people. BTW, Em was just fine and so excited.

We met a lot of cowboys that weekend. This couple was from Canada I think.

Before we left we had to go to the MOB Museum. Taking a child was probably not the best love because it was a lot of reading and I could not really do any of that because she wanted to 'go fast' and look at all of the cooler stuff. There was even an entire floor that was not suitable for children. We went anyways and I held her eyes shut. I wish I could blog more pictures, but Picasa is being a pill and I can't figure out how to make collages another place. Sorry! What is not shown are pictures of Emma shooting a Tommy gun, electrocuting me, many of the famous gangsters wardrobe, and the outside of the old courthouse which is where the museum is located.