Two Become Three- A Joanne Story

She really is your child

5:30 am on the 25th of December could mean just one thing. Connie was awake, bouncing on the bed trying to wake her Dad up. She had on matching red flannel pyjamas on with him and was jumping as hard as she could to try and wake him up. This morning she had woken up at 5 and already turned the tree on in their room, gone on an adventure to the bathroom and tried to do a forward roll, all while Joe remained relatively asleep. One her journey back from the toilet she went into the spare room her Nanny was sleeping in and then into the one her Auntie was in, trying to see if anyone was awake. Of course no body was so that left her only one choice... wake up Daddy. Connie had no idea, but Joe had been up until 1am wrapping her Christmas presents and arranging them under the fire, separate to everyone else's, for her to find when she came downstairs. Connie wasn't even sure if Farver Trismas had been yet bust she had to wake Joe up, the excitement was too much to be alone.

Connie did one massive jump and landed on her bum. She for up again and started to try and do another when she heard someone.

"Connie Louise Sugg, stop jumping on the bed now," Joe said gruffly, reaching for her hand. Once he had found it he pulled her down.

"It's Trismas Daddy, it's really here," Connie said, flailing her legs everywhere, kicking him right in the stomach.

"Ouch, ow, you just kicked me, calm down please," Joe said, pulling an arm over her legs to stop her from moving.

"But it's Trismas, I too excited," Connie said loudly.

"Shh, everyone else is probably still asleep, what time is it?" He asked, passing her his phone, keeping his eyes shut. He hadn't had any nightmares in the 4 or so hours he'd been asleep, but he was completely exhausted from being up late and the previous 5 nights of crap sleep. A very awake four year old was not the Christmas present he had asked for.

"Five four one. Fourty-one past five in the morning," Joe sighed, he had hoped it would at least be half six when she woke up.

"It's too early can you try to fall back asleep please?" He asked, pulling the covers over her. He started rubbing her tummy hoping she would drift off by some miracle.

"I can't, I'm too awide wake. Can we call Dot, she will be up because its very afternoon in Straya?" Connie asked pushing her Dad's hand off of her, because, truth be told, it was starting to send her back to sleep and she did not want to be asleep.

"Erm, let me figure out, let's see, oh it's so early to work this out," he complained holding his hands up so he could count forward 7 hours. "she might be eating lunch baby. You can try if you want," he said, certain Dianne had told him her dad wasn't doing the barbie until the afternoon.

"Howd?" Connie asked, putting the very bright phone near Joe's closed eye.

"Okay, is it unlocked?" He asked, once he had put his thumb on it.

"Yep, what next?" She asked, holding her dad's phone with 2 hands, as it was so big.

"Here I'll do it, quickly with one eye," he said, forgetting in the early morning haze how to FaceTime Dianne. "There you go," he passed her the phone back with it ringing, and rolled over, yawning. Hoping he'd fall back asleep or be able to rest a bit more with Connie occupied by the phone.

"Dot! Hi it's me Connie Louise," she said excitedly when Dianne showed up on the screen.

"Hi Connie Lou, how are you?" Dianne asked, confused how the four year old had managed to call her.

"I'm excited and too wake. It's finally Trismas!" She said, sitting up against the headboard.

"Merry Christmas Gorgeous Girl, where's your Daddy gone?" She asked, taking her phone to her bedroom, not wanting to seem rude in front of her grandparents or extended family.