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This all started when he was showing off a painting he had done at school and brought home. It was the letter C, and when Kim asked him what letter it was, he knew it was a C with no hesitation. He went on during the meal and afterwords to point out the letters N, O and Z. He probably could have rattled off more, but handy teaching materials aren't terribly available at our dinner table.

Seeing his recognition of several letters, I decided that it was perfectly feasable to start teaching him left and right. So I asked him to raise his left hand, and he shook his head at me. "Because you don't know how?" I asked him. He stopped chewing his PB&J sandwich and thrust his left hand into the air, straight up.

That's a Wicker for you, tell him he can't do something and he'll go right off and do it.

I asked him about the right hand, and he threw it up as well. I let it slide for a bit, thinking that he had a 50/50 shot, right? So I asked him for his right hand later, and then his left. He still got them right. Kim and I looked at each other, both of us a little surprised. We quizzed him even later, and he still nailed it. He even knew how to turn to his left or right.

By now, Kim and I were both grinning ear to ear. Our kid had yet again proven how smart he was. We've never even broached the topic with him and he's already mastered it.

Oh, and after dinner he was able to point out all the Z's in several words. So feel free to go be jealous now, all of you other parents. My kid has inherited his daddy's brains and his mommy's good looks. Or something like that :-)