Trip to the Boston Ballet

Today, the Rowes took the train into Boston together so that we ladies could attend the Boston Ballet "Nutcracker" near Ethan's work.  The girls were all dressed up and excited to see the show:

As we rode the train, Julia engaged us in a family game of "I'm Thinking of Something."

We had a few stumpers along the way:

JULIA: Okay, I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "T," and none of us like it.
ME: Tornadoes?
JULIA: No, not tornadoes.
ETHAN: Tarantulas?
JULIA: No.
ME: Traveling for a long time.
JULIA: Nope.
ETHAN: Terrible toys.
JULIA: No.  Here, I'll give you a hint.  The SECOND letter is "r."
ME: Trouble?
JULIA: No.
ETHAN: It's something that none of us like?
JULIA: It's something that none of us like.  I think NOBODY likes this thing.
ETHAN: And it begins with "tr?"
JULIA: Yup.
MADELEINE: Asparagus??
ETHAN: Treacherous trickery?
JULIA: No.
ETHAN AND I: (stumped, sitting in silent contemplation)
MADELEINE: Traffic??
JULIA: Yes!  Madeleine got it!


Of course the kid who guessed "asparagus" as a "tr" word also wound up being the one to get the correct answer when her parents couldn't figure it out.


Next up, Madeleine had a turn.

MADELEINE: I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "D," and nobody likes it.
ME: Dying?
MADELEINE: No.
ETHAN: Destruction?
MADELEINE: No.
JULIA: Dysentery?
MADELEINE: No.
ME: Danger?  Damage?
MADELEINE: Uh, ACTUALLY, it begins with the letter "M."
ME: Oh.  Not "D"??
MADELEINE: Here, I'll just TELL you what it is.  Mud!

I don't really think she gave us a fair chance to guess once we knew what the correct starting letter was.  But since "D" and "M" are practically the same thing, anyway, we should have known the answer to a thing nobody likes beginning with "d" was "mud."

Julia took another turn soon after.

JULIA: Okay, I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "H" and it's a candy AND a place.
ME: Wait, it's a candy and also the name of a place?  Heaven?
JULIA: Yes.
ME: Yes?  I didn't know-
JULIA: Wait!  (bursting into laughter) Heaven isn't a CANDY!!
ME: I know.  But the answer is Heaven even though it's not a candy?
JULIA: No!  I was saying "yes" to your FIRST question!
ME: I didn't think "Heaven" was a candy, but I just took a random guess and I was confused when you said "yes!"

For some reason, this conversation CRACKED MADELEINE UP.  She could NOT stop giggling about it for the next few rounds of "I'm Thinking of Something."  And then this really fun, not annoying, not at ALL predictable pattern started when Madeleine was thinking of something.

MADELEINE: I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "B" and it comes on Easter!
ME: Bunny?
MADELEINE: Wait, BUNNY ISN'T A CANDY!!


MADELEINE: I'm thinking of something that we're going to see.
ETHAN: The Nutcracker?
MADELEINE: Wait, THE NUTCRACKER ISN'T A CANDY!!


MADELEINE: I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "J" and Mommy's wearing one.
ETHAN: Jacket?
MADELEINE: Wait, JACKET ISN'T A CANDY!!

It was a loooong train ride into Boston from that point forward.

Once we got to the opera house, however, Madeleine was over the candy joke and the girls were in full-out Nutcracker mode.

Both kids were really well-behaved and quiet throughout the entire performance, although Madeleine couldn't help herself from doing some port-de-bras ballet arms along with the ballerinas as we sat in our audience seats.  And Julia felt it urgent to lean over and whisper to me, after the Nutcracker fist came out to dance, "Mommy, his tights are so light that you can see his whole BUTT through them!"  (Fair enough point, however; I had been thinking the same thing.)

During intermission, as we went to the bathroom, Madeleine decided to demonstrate just how much of an impression the classical ballet music was making on her by singing Drake's "Started From the Bottom" while she washed her hands.  That's okay, though, because she did, somewhat loudly, sing some of the ballet music on the crowded train ride home so I guess it just took both acts of the show to get the music stuck in her head!

Tonight we are headed to church for the Christmas pageant, and the girls are so excited to go that Madeleine has been asking since before 3pm if it's time to leave yet.  I suspect that what she's most excited for is just getting this day over with so that she can wake up to Christmas surprises!

Merry Christmas Eve, all!