  It's been a pretty good day. Last night Avram and I decided we had to change Stella's schedule, that her teenager hours of going to bed at 12:30 am and waking up after 9:00 am was making it hard for us to get anything done. Me? I love to sleep and have been relishing these late mornings in some respect, even though Stella often crowds me on the bed and I wake up feeling like we've already missed the party. For example, in warmer weather, by the time we get out to catch the playground scene, everyone--even the freelance stocking capped unshaven slackers--are wheeling their kiddies back inside for naps.
So this morning, we joined the rest of the toddler world and I literally dragged Stella out of bed at 7:30, kneeling first to change her diaper before she was conscious enough to protest. She dozed on couch until about 8:00, totally numb to getting kicked by Zoe who was watching "Arthur. " And she had an early nap, and we had time to chill in the park before getting Zoe. I will weep with joy if she goes to bed by 10:00.
So today I was on the west side with Stella at a toddler meeting run by this woman (who has her own 17-year-old Zoe) who taught our childbirth class when I was about to have our Zoe. She's a snacker, this woman, sits on a birth ball and snacks and talks. Very relaxed. It was an open forum.
I talked about work and money issues. Afterwards, I forced the plank-like screaming Stella into her stroller, pushed her up to 34th St., strolled into H&M and bought myself a skirt that reminded me of 1950's Sophia Loren. But thinking about it now maybe it's just Sarah Jessica Parker "Sex and the CIty. " If it is, if that's what it turns out to be for me .
. .
why then I'll have to take it back. 
