Nutcracker Death March - Day 7

Wow! What a thrill to be able to sleep in a little this morning (7:30 - yippee!) and to actually have a few hours before we have report back to NOVA. I'm using the time to do laundry and try to apply the finishing touches to my holiday newsletter extravaganza so that Tony can do some printing while I'm gone for at least nine hours today.

Today's schedule is to leave here at 12:30 to have Claire at the theatre for a 1pm check in. The show is at 2 and this is the one I actually get to watch - I am pretty excited. She should be released around 4:30, when we'll go grab some dinner and then be back by 6, when I need to report for chaperone duty. Claire doesn't need to be there until 6:30, but she's sort of stuck with me, so she'll be coming along for the ride.

Last night was not too taxing, though the sitting around was driving me batty. After I dropped Claire off a bit after six, I wandered down Little River Turnpike in search of a noodle restaurant that I recall being in the vicinity. I found it, eventually, and plopped myself down on a chair and had a beer and bowl of noodles while I read my book. 

After having occupied a table in a busy restaurant as long as I dared, I drove back to the theatre and sat in a cold car and read for another half hour. After that, I went inside and tried to find a quiet corner in which to lurk. I found a great corner on the second floor, which just happened to be outside the entrance to the balcony of the theatre. 

Hmmm...as I sat there, the patrons filed out for intermission. Mightn't I just pop my head inside for the beginning of Act II to try to catch a glimpse of Claire? Another mom had the same idea and after a bit of reconnaisance, we determined that there were enough empty seats in the back of the balcony that we could sneak in. 

I'm so glad I did! It was an absolute thrill to be there to see Claire in her "Nutcracker debut." When she and the other dolls came on stage, the entire audience did a collective, "awwww!" Claire had a huge smile on her face the entire time and, as the smallest girl in the show, got the most points for cuteness. 

It happens every time - just when I'm ready to shoot myself for getting involved in something of this magnitude, you get the see the end product - your child having an opportunity to really shine - and suddenly all the hours melt away and you're just glad you did it. 

But I'm still counting down the remaining hours: about 27 to go!