Miss Margene's Nutcracker 2008

[Dia Minha]

I just had to tell somebody, well, everybody . . . My oldest, my ten year old, Isabel, is going to be Clara in Miss Margene's Nutcracker 2008.

She is an amazing dancer and I am so proud to be her mother. We, both of us, have been waiting for this for six years. I am so going to enjoy every minute of the next 6-7 weeks.

I will give everyone the date as soon as I know so you can come see her if you would like.

I am so happy and excited I feel like I'm going to bust into a million tiny pieces.

[natickgirl]

Congrats to you both!!! How fun for you. A mother definitely has the right to be proud of her children's accomplishments. Kind of makes you want to wear a button that says, "That's MY daughter (or son)."

I know my friend LOVES Miss Margene's Nutcracker. I'm sure her kids are in it again this year. (Joshua, Sheridan, TanaLyn, & Hollee...do you know them?)

[Dia Minha]

Natick, I don't recognize their names, but I probably know their faces.

Isn't your friend LaVon? My four year old is a puffoon this year and Miss LaVon is usually the Puffoon Mommy.

[natickgirl]

You're right, I think she is Mother Puffoon (or Buffoon, or whatever). How fun.

[Dia Minha]

I had to look it up, because we (as in my family) have always called them puffons, but I can't find anywhere else where they are called puffoons. I did find Buffons, Mirlitons, and Gingerbread children and basically they are all the little ones that come out from underneath the skirt of the mamma, who usually is called Mother Ginger, but I think she is called Mother Buffon at Miss Margene's.

[Meticulous madness]

How fun, Dia!!! That is just wonderful for both of you.

[Dia Minha]

It looks like Bobo will be dancing on the tenth. That is 7:00 December 10th at Hunter Highschool in West Valley. If anyone is interested in attending and needs more information please let me know.

[5ft Diva]

This is indeed good news. Tell us how your daughter found out she was the starring role and how she felt when she heard it. Were you w/ her? Was it posted on a bulletin board and she got to see her name next to 'Clara'? Did she or you try to keep it a secret for even a tiny little bit? Did you jump up and down? Did you want to say to all the other moms, "We're going out for ice cream now to celebrate because my daughter has the part of Clara. Have a nice evening, ladies."? (I'm just kidding on that last part - I know you'd never do that.) Do tell all!

[Dia Minha]

Diva, you are amazing. I didn't even know that I needed someone to ask me those question until you did.

Miss Margene starts watching her prespective Clara's years in advance. She looks for those magic moments that show her that a particular dancer has earned the right to be Clara. Clara is not always the best dancer. She really needs someone who can handle the responsibility and not start thinking she is better than all the other girls, just because she is Clara. I honestly think that Miss Margene has been watching Isabel since her very first Nutcracker. There was a magic moment when Isabel some how ended up on Miss Margene's lap while waiting to go out on stage for finale. Miss Margene said she looked up at her and simply said, "Miss Margene, I just love this". "This" meaning everything to do with performing the Nutcracker.

Fast forward to this year: Miss Margene pulled me aside the very first week of dance and asked me if I would be willing to do anything she needed me to do, including extra dance time. I told her of course I would. This was a concern for me. I thought that Isabel might miss her opportunity to be Clara, because Miss Margene would be worried about all the extra travel time. However, I didn't know which daughter she was needind me to plan for extra travel time. Her daughter that now teachers with her has fallen in love with my four year old and there is a big part for a child around that age as well. It was about four long weeks later that Miss Margene pulled the other Clara, her mom, Isabel and me aside to ask the girls if the would accept the part of Clara. We were all very excited. We did not have to keep it a secret for long. The teachers started announcing to the girl's classes the next week.

I actually am very nervous around the other moms. I know they are watching Isabel and me and wondering why her and not their own daughters, so that makes it really hard. I have tried to relax and not act any differently while at dance. Isabel has been doing the same. She struggles with accepting compliments with fear of coming across as bragging, but it has been a great opportunity to teach her how to accept a compliment or congratulations graciously. I have been very thankful that she has such wonderful friends here in Tooele. They are all so supportive of her. I can only imagine how hard it would be for her to be so excited and how hard it would be to share that with her friends if they had also been up for the part.

Thanks again for asking Diva. It was so nice to be able to share all this.

[Dia Minha]

and, we did go out for ice-cream to celebrate.

[runamyrun]

Thanks for sharing. That was fun to read. And congrats to both of you!

[5ft Diva]

That must have been a fun moment to experience. I ask because it's a moment I think any mother would want to re-live.....and one that we all would love to share w/ you. Thanks for recapturing the moment. I have fun looking forward to the moments I get to share w/ my own daughter. (That is so weird to say!)