My Nephew's Sister.

From the minute Kate came out she was a mystery wrapped in a riddle. She marches to her own beat, but that beat seems to be one only she can hear. Funny and smart and coordinated and clever and.....not interested in the spotlight one bit. I've watched her brother enter a social situation where not a single person in the room is the least bit interested in him yet somehow he can insert himself into whatever is taking place. He doesn't need or wait for that social queue that tells you that you are invited. He just likes people and can't imagine that they aren't going to like him back.

Not Kate. I've seen people approach her and fuss and gush all over her. She gets the deer in the head light look, and leans into her mom for comfort while staring back at the person as if she is deaf and didn't hear a word they said. I've seen times when impromptu jam sessions breakout where her brother is hopping around like the village idiot, happy as a clam. Kate is doing something really creative and controled (not just spaz dancing) and if she catches you watching her she freezes up. It isn't an attention thing. She just doesn't like the spot light.

On Saturday Colby hurt one of his fingers in his basketball game. Jami's been trying to decide the extent of his injuries. With her background in athletics and injuries she (and Jake) have tried to tell him that sometimes with a jam you just need to pull it and get it popped back in place. Mr. Histrionics wasn't convinced and has been content to live with the pain and an immobile finger. Until Kate fixed him. He wanted to play with something of hers and she bargained the toy away with the contingency that she could try popping his finger. He agreed. She pulled. It popped. The finger can now bend.

I have no idea what was going on in that little head of hers. While the finger drama is going on around her she just sits back, listens, assesses the situation and inserts herself at the right time. I suppose it could be selfish and ugly and just a way to inflict a little pain on her brother. It could be that she was just tired of the finger being an issue. But for now I'm going with the idea that she knew enough of what motivated Colby to know that he'd never pop that finger on his own but with the right leverage she might be able to help him. She has always been a gifted button pusher. She knows exactly what buttons to push to drive a person crazy. Jami and I have always thought that if she could harness her powers and use them for good and not evil the world would be a better place. Perhaps today she did just that. Or who knows. Maybe it was just the chance to make him cry. That, is the mystery of Kate. I love being her Aunt.