Mia was four. She had curly hair and a big grin. She also had a small notebook with a blue cover.
On the cover she had drawn a banana with feet.
“This is my Giggle Book,” Mia said. “I will write down the funny things.”
Her big brother Leo was building a tall block tower on the rug. Her baby sister Ruby was in her high chair, kicking her feet.
Kick-kick-kick.
Mia sat close, pencil ready. “Okay,” she whispered. “First gag, please.”
Leo said, “No gags. Only tower.”
Mia nodded very seriously. “I can document tower.”
Leo stacked one more block. It wobbled.
Wobble… wobble…
Mia held her breath. “Woooo…”
Plop! The tower fell like a sleepy giraffe.
Leo blinked. “Hey!”
Ruby clapped. “BA!”
Mia wrote fast. Her tongue stuck out a little. “Plop. Tower did a belly flop.”
Leo tried to look grumpy, but a tiny smile popped out. “It wasn't a belly flop.”
“It was a BOOM-belly flop,” Mia said.
Ruby kicked harder. Kick-kick! “BA-BOOM!”
Mia giggled and wrote: “Ruby says BA-BOOM.”
Leo started again. “This time it will be the tallest.”
Mia scooted closer. “I will be the Official Tower Watcher.”
Leo said, “Don't breathe on it.”
Mia put a hand on her chest. “I will do quiet breathing.” She made a tiny sound anyway. “Hee.”
Leo stacked. Ruby watched with wide eyes.
Then Ruby dropped her spoon.
Clink!
The spoon bounced and rolled under the rug like it was hiding.
Ruby gasped. “Oh!”
Mia gasped too. “Second gag! The spoon is a sneaky mouse!”
Leo peeked under the rug. “It's not a mouse.”
From under the rug came a little “ting!”
Mia whispered, “It answered.”
Leo laughed. “Okay. That was funny.”
Mia wrote: “Spoon went on an adventure. Ting!”
They all looked at Ruby. Ruby looked back, very pleased. She banged her hands on the tray.
Bap-bap-bap!
Mia said, “Ruby is the Drum Boss.”
Leo said, “I am the Block Boss.”
Mia pointed at herself. “And I am the Giggle Boss.”
They nodded like it was a serious meeting.
Leo built. Ruby drummed. Mia watched.
Then Mia's pencil slipped out of her fingers.
Boop!
It landed right on Leo's block tower.
Freeze.
Leo's eyes went huge. “Mia!”
Mia's mouth made a small “oh.” “My pencil did a boop.”
The tower leaned.
Lean… lean…
Mia reached out like a slow turtle. “I will save it.”
Leo reached out too. “No, I will—”
Their hands bumped.
Bump!
The tower fell again.
Plop-plop-plop!
For one tiny second, it was quiet. Mia's cheeks got warm.
“I didn't mean to,” she said softly.
Leo took a breath. Then he saw Ruby's face.
Ruby had a block on her head like a hat. She blinked. Then she grinned.
“Hat!” Ruby said.
Mia stared. Leo stared.
Then Leo burst out laughing. “Ruby is wearing the tower!”
Mia laughed so hard her tummy shook. “Hat-tower! Hat-tower!”
Ruby wiggled with the block-hat and made a proud sound. “Ta-da!”
Mia wrote quickly, letters bouncing like happy frogs. “Block hat. Ta-da. Very fancy.”
Leo picked up a block and put it on his own head. “Now I'm Fancy Leo.”
Mia grabbed two blocks and stacked them on her head. “Now I'm Fancy Mia.”
Ruby squealed and kicked. Kick-kick-kick!
They all marched around the rug.
“Clomp, clomp,” said Leo.
“Tip-top,” said Mia.
“Eee!” said Ruby.
Then Leo stopped and pointed at Mia's notebook. “Write this part.”
Mia held it up. “I am documenting. Look: ‘The Fancy Parade.'”
Leo said, “Add: ‘No towers were harmed.'”
Mia nodded. “Good idea.”
They sat back down. Leo built a smaller tower.
Mia asked, “Can I breathe?”
Leo smiled. “Yes. Normal breathing allowed.”
Mia breathed in and out. “Whooo. Haaa.”
Ruby copied her. “Haaa!”
Mia patted Ruby's hand. “Good breathing.”
Leo made the last block go on top very slowly.
Click.
It stood. It was not the tallest, but it was proud.
Mia clapped softly. “Yay, tower.”
Ruby clapped loudly. “YAY!”
Leo bowed to the tower like it was a king. “Thank you, thank you.”
Mia opened her Giggle Book and read her notes out loud.
“Plop belly flop. Spoon mouse, ting. Pencil boop. Hat-tower. Fancy Parade.”
Leo leaned in. “Tomorrow we make more gags.”
Mia's eyes shone. “Yes. Every day.”
Ruby yawned a big yawn. “Ahhh.”
Mia whispered, “Last note: Ruby did a yawn-giggle.”
Leo whispered, “And we all stayed together.”
Mia closed the notebook with a gentle pat. “Good job, Giggle Book.”
The blocks sat in a happy pile. The spoon came back from under the rug. The room felt warm and calm.
Mia snuggled close to Leo and Ruby and said, “Goodnight, funny day.”
And the giggles, very quietly, went to sleep too.
