I had an obsessive personality even as a wee tot, and being a Nutcracker-performing ballerina who always loved photography, it only makes sense that I become emotionally invested in this photobook called A Very Young Dancer, which followed the story of a young ballerina in George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet and her role of Marie in The Nutcracker.

I used to steal the book from my mom’s library and lie on my stomach on my bed, in my full ballet getup—including full tutu skirt, turning page after page and daydreamed that I *was* Stephanie. My obsession was of Center Stage proportions, really.

I hadn’t thought of the book until recently, when I was offered tickets to take my girls to see The Toronto International Ballet Theatre’s 6th annual performance of The Nutcracker. The timing was less than ideal. We were leaving for two weeks in Atlanta at 7am the next morning, and of course, no one was even close to being packed yet. And we were worried about a possible impending ice storm.

But my girls had never seen The Nutcracker. Ever.

How had this once Nutcracker-performing ballerina allowed her girls to age to almost 13 and 8 before taking them to THE BIG SHOW?

There was really no excuse for this, so I obviously  jumped at the chance to rectify this obvious parenting flaw, and even took Emily’s bff in tow.

The girls knew the story, they even knew almost all of the music. But they had no idea what they were about to experience. Isabella sat at the edge of her seat with her DISNEY FACE on. You know, the I-can’t-even-believe-this-is-real-life face. The only time she wasn’t agape was when she was giggling. The white tights-accentuated muscular, um, buttocks was a bit of a distraction for her.

But buttocks aside, it’s safe to say my children are now obsessed.

Now if only I could find them a copy of the book for less than $75…