Sweet Potata stood at the living room window, stretching to her chubby tiptoes. She had seen her brother stand at the window, too. Waving and saying hi to the neighbors. He said a loud "hi" several times to make sure they heard him. He spoke with a confidence not often found in his personality out in the world, where he might cling to Mommy's leg, stare back into the eyes of just behind the ear of the person talking to him, or give a tiny, indirect wave at Mommy's urging, "If you don't feel like talking today, how about a wave? C'mon Lil Buddy give a wave."
Now Sweet Potata stood there, her hands clutching the windowsill, and she watched the neighbors pass below. "Hiyh," she said in her tiniest voice, "Iye!" she said again, searching for a consonant. She picked up her right hand and opened and closed the palm, "hi!"
Lil Buddy rested on the couch. "Mommy, how old I am?"
"Sweetie, you are five today!"
"It's my birthday today?" asked Lil buddy, sparkling with happiness. He knew that it was.
"Yes, honey. Happy Birthday!"
"I was four yesterday."
"that's right"
"But now I'm five years old!"
"Now you are five!"
"THere's gonna be a celevration?" he asked. Mommy loved how he still mixed his "b's" and "v's"
"Yes baby. At school they will sing to you?"
"Do you know why I'm talking in a different voice today? Do you know why?"
Mommy's head was buried in work.
"Do you know why-do you know why-do you know why?"
"Why what, baby?"
"Do you know why I'm talking in a new voice? Do you know?"
"No, why are you talking in a different voice?" He wasn't, by the way.
"Because I'm five today!" said Lil Buddy. Mommy had to smile at this. He thought of himself as older and changed. Why wouldn't he? He knew that five was a big deal. It sure felt big to Mommy. She sighed and then Sweet Potata, from the window, let out a big, one year old sigh in her tiny, 19 pound body voice.
"haaahhhhh"
Lil buddy and Mommy laughed at this.
"come here five year old," said Mommy, "and give me a big squeeze."
"Just a minute," said Lil Buddy, "I'm working on something. I'm very busy at the moment."
