Playdate with Isa

Isabella is one of Clio's daycare friends, and her mom, Alexa, is probably the most like-minded of all the parents we have encountered there. We've met for lunch in Soho (midway between our jobs) to commiserate over the bad food and poor communication we endure for the sake of inexpensive, local, and loving daycare. When our schedules align, we ride the subway together, commiserating about the overcrowding at the place, the fact that we are both expecting number 2 sooner than later, and the dilemma this may pose.

We are also neighbors. In fact, you can see their living room window from our bedroom window, looking diagonally east across the alley.

This weekend, after much talk, we finally got together for a playdate. Sometimes when Clio's two main worlds collide (e.g., Alex from the day care comes over to babysit), Clio kind of freaks out, so I wondered how she would respond to seeing Isabella in another environment. I needn't have worried. Isa was so excited to have Clio visit, she was shrieking at the front door by the time we mounted the last of the stairs. And Clio, like any toddler, was so thrilled to have a completely new arsenal of toys, books, and costumes to explore, she could not have been happier. There were a few tense moments around the concept of sharing, but for the most part we tried to let them work it out, with a minimum of parental stress. Alexa is calm and sure in a way that I could learn from (I'm not sure I have ever been termed "laid back," but I think it suits her in all the right ways.)

Isabella had an amazing array of real dolls and doll paraphernalia, like this cradle,

a double-swing, and various strollers, so right there, Clio was in heaven. She also pulled Isa's tutu on right over her skirt, and wore it for most of the visit.

Isa also knows how to use the camera, and attempted some portraits of Clio.


Here's Alexa, showing them the results. (I'll see if I can get my hands on those!)


All in all, it's fabulous to have playdate options so close to home.

Incidentally, here are the girls last summer, at a day care party, with Marco, one of the after-schoolers. It's amazing how little they look there. Alexa said that her husband, Frankie, came home the other day and remarked that Clio was getting so big, "She asked me a question." Indeed. Where does the time go?