Twelve Makes A Dozen presents The Nutcracker

We love family traditions! I have struggled with finding a path that works for our family now that more are getting married and establishing homes of their own. Then something happened this year that seems totally unrelated... our ballet company didn't perform The Nutcracker.

Baby Doll as Clara and Curly as the Nutcracker Prince

So right after the dance recital, my kids were sitting around remembering how much they all missed The Nutcracker and they decided they wanted to have their own. My sweetie and I thought they were kidding at first, until Drama Queen pinned down a date and asked me to try to get time in the church so we could use the stage.

Bossy's Family in the Fight Scene as Curly defeats the Mouse King (Burrito)

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Her first choice was Christmas Adam, but the church was already booked and the kids wanted a real stage. That's when we discovered that the 22nd would work just fine. As her ideas grew and morphed, so did ours. We decided this was the perfect opportunity to make this a new tradition as our own family Christmas party.

Watching others perform

My sweetie ordered pizza and we set up tables in front of the stage. Baby Doll was assigned to be Clara and Curly was the Nutcracker. They did a fabulous job! Each dance was mostly unrehearsed (except for those super over-achievers... you know who you are...;). My sweetie and I were Clara's parents and we got to be in charge of the party scene.

Princess and The Frog doing Spanish

Sport was Drosselmeyer, Grandpa was the narrator, and Burrito was the Mouse King. Drama Queen even made programs for us! I loved all of the dances, but one of my very favorites was The Beast as Madame Ginger with Beauty being the Buffoon who came out from underneath his skirt.

Prima Donna as Arabian

Beauty and The Beast as the Buffoon and Madame Ginger

Teach and Twiz as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier

Honestly, it was all so fun!

After our show was over and everyone took their bows, we cleaned up dinner and had a shoot out for gifts selected by my sweetie. I want you to know that Grandpa, Twiz, and Scout were the 3 winners of the free throw contest.

The final bow

We played dodgeball, basketball, and opened gifts that included pajama pants from Beauty and The Beast and new blog shirts from Princess and The Frog. I'm thinking in the future we can have all of the individual families give their gifts at this party so that their families can spend Christmas at their own homes with their own kids and not have to worry about offending Mom and Dad.

Playing a little basketball after cleaning up.

Of course, they will likely all want to show up on Christmas Day anyway since Prime Rib is one of my sweetie's favorite Christmas traditions.

I still have so much wrapping and prepping to do. Are you all ready for Christmas?