Can I use a nested movie clip as a button?

Hey I am trying to design a menu system that pops up which I have just about managed. however nested in the menu movie clip are a number of other movie clips which I want to use as buttons but I am having problems getting the movie clips to load a swf once clicked. I tried putting a button in side the menu movie clip and it would not even recognize the mouse over which makes me think you can not nest buttons or movie clips in another movies clip???

would this be right if not how can i access them.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I am using AS2

Here is the code

import mx.transitions.Tween;
import mx.transitions.easing.*;
import flash.events.Event;

menuMC.flowerB.onRelease = function() {
loadMovie(“test.swf”, 1999);
}

if (menuMC._y ==778){

_root.menuMC.onPress = function() {

var fadeIt = new Tween(menuMC,"_y",Strong.easeIn, 778, 543, 0.5, true);

fadeIt.onMotionFinished = function() {
_root.menuMC._y = 543;
//delete _root.menuMC.onPress;
}

}
}

_root.menuMC.onRollOut = function() {
if (menuMC._y == 543){
var fadeDown = new Tween(menuMC,"_y",Strong.easeIn, 543, 778, 0.5, true);

}
}

if (menuMC._y < 778){

_root.menuMC.onRollOut = function() {

menumc._y = 778;

}
}

//effects buttons load up content