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It’s time for the December edition of Flashback Friday where I share events from my own life during my kid and teen years.

One of the holiday traditions for me was participating in some sort of Nutcracker production. I took ballet for about 10 years until I was 16 — this is when I figured out that I didn’t have the body or the talent to be a prima ballerina.

One of my favorite memories was when I was 11 years old and our dance school had the prestigious honor of dancing with The Atlanta Ballet Company’s rendition of The Nutcracker.

Dear Diary:

So Becky wasn’t lying when she said that Ms. Leopald was going to cast us for roles today. Lisa got cast as a Rat. Perfect role for her. She’ll have to wear this awful furry costume and roll around on the floor. This is what she gets for being such a Grinch (and it’s not even Christmas yet). Donna got cast as a Solider — which was a little better but she won’t dance much and she can’t smile because Soliders Are Serious.

Sooo…guess what? Guess what I am???

Hint: I’m not a Rat and I’m not a Solider.

Give up yet?

I’m an ANGEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m the TALLEST in my class so I got moved with the HIGH SCHOOL girls. I get to actually dance in both acts and I get to rehearse with the Atlanta Ballet dancers.

And the best part? I get to wear GLITTER.

Yeah, let’s talk about that glitter for a second shall we? I had to put it in my hair on my face, shoulders — it was EVERYWHERE. By the end of it all, I was glitter-traumatized. Now when I see glitter, I kinda cringe.

I searched for an Angel picture but couldn’t find any, which is too bad because the costume was really beautiful as I remember it — glitter and all. I did find a picture that I took for a Nutcracker Suite production when I was 13 years old. I danced in The Waltz of the Flowers — to this day it is one of my favorite Tchaikovsky Nutcracker compositions. I remember our dance mistress decided to have each girl be a different color. Looks like I was the blue flower. :)