Kessia and Joshua

Josh and Kessia's favourite game is playing Daddy and Baby --- Josh is the dad, and Kessia the baby girl. They played this game constantly in Vanuatu, with Kessia crawling about the place and us hearing snatches like "Not now baby. I have to go to work."

Kessia and Joshua are a bit of a package --- you usually don't get one without the other. It's been heartwrenchingly beautiful watching Joshua care for Kessia, giving her the most gentle kisses in hospital, stroking her sweetly and asking if she's OK in a voice we rarely hear him use, soft and full of concern.

Something I've noticed which has been particularly touching are the recent times when Geoff and I haven't been able to understand Kessia's speech, due to the effects of her tumour, and it's been Joshua who interprets for her. I think it's really special that they understand each other so well.

Kessia has always been very protective of Josh. We have numerous photos of her with her arms wrapt tightly around him, almost in a strangle hold. Their mutual affection for each other started immediately. From when Josh was 5 months old, the two of them would lie in Kessia's bed together before their afternoon nap and just look at each other and laugh. By 10 months old, Josh would try to make Kessia laugh at mealtimes by blowing raspberries with his food.

Of course their relationship isn't always wonderful and cuddly. The two of them are a bit like chalk and cheese. Kessia is quiet. Josh is LOUD. Kessia is finding Josh a bit difficult at the moment because he is always talking over the top of her and is currently obsessed with toilet-type humour.

On that note, Kessia showed me just how well she understands her brother's sense of humour on our first day at Sydney Children's Hospital. I was trying to think of something fun to do, so we had a "meeting", and I wrote up our meeting notes as follows:

Date and venue:

19 September 2002, 1.30pm Bed 1, Ward C1 North Sydney Children's Hospital

Present: Kessia, Denise, Ted McConnell (Kessia's teddy bear)

What we're doing: Writing jokes for Joshua and eating lunch (Kessia's lunch notes: Potato, meat and gravy, thick orange juice. It was yummy. Good service.)

Topic for discussion: Joshua McConnell's Book of Rude Jokes

Kessia's ideas for Joshua's first page of rude jokes:

Joke Number One ------------------- Joshua: Knock, knock Kessia: Who's there? Joshua: Bare Kessia: Bare who? Joshua: Bare bottom! Joke Number Two ------------------- Joshua: Knock, knock Kessia: Who's there? Joshua: Bare Kessia: Bare who? Joshua: Bare BUM! Joke Number Three ------------------- Joshua: Knock, knock Kessia: Who's there? Joshua: Bare Kessia: Bare who? Joshua: Bare willy! Joke Number Four ------------------- Q: What do you call a parrot without a bottom? A: Nothing! Joke Number Five ------------------- Q: What do you call a kangaroo without a pouch? A: A bare mother.