Sunday, December 14, 2003

Sugar Plum FairyThe Nutcracker/Xmas Tree
Erika's present to Vanessa this year was a pair of tickets for them both to see the National Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker at the O'Keefe Hummingbird Centre. So I had Annie pretty much to myself for the whole day. Considering that for the past 8 Sundays I've been frantically busy coming up with lesson plans for my next Open Source Web Development class, not having to do it this week while playing with my youngest daughter was a real treat.

Our one task was to acquire an Xmas tree. An accumulation of snow meant that I couldn't use the stroller, so after lunch I got Annie in her backpack-carrier and trudged off to the bank, then to Kew Beach park where the local Lions Club is selling Xmas trees. I gave Annie a choice of two medium-sized trees to choose from, and from her backback she waved a purple-mittened hand at one of them. I trudged back home carrying tree and baby, and promptly put her down for her nap, and lay down for a spell to rest my mildly aching back.

Vanessa and her mother returned just before dinnertime. Vanessa loved the performance of The Nutcracker this year. She went last year and she didn't seem to really "get it", but this year was all keen on watching the show. Erika remembers going to a show of The Nutcracker when she was about Vanessa's age and being mesmerized by it – this year seems to have been Vanessa's turn to become entranced by it all.

After dinner we decorated the tree, digging up all of the various ornaments from the basement. The kids did the initial decoration after we strung up the lights, so consequently all of the ornaments congregated around the bottom two-thirds of the tree. After the girls were satisfied with their work and were tucked into bed, Erika came back and judiciously re-arranged things so that the ornaments were spread out a little more.

I don't think Annie fully understands Xmas as yet, thought she seems to know that something is up. Vanessa is very keen on it of course, and is into all things Xmas-y.


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