First let me explain why I tell this tale which will turn into advise in three parts. It came to pass over a span of just over 19 years, when the penny finally dropped. So for you to really understand it fully I think the whole story needs to be

told.... So here's  Part 1.. 

Ok here's a bizzare sounding but I assure you very TRUE story. As it happened to me. If it had just been told to me I probably wouldn't have believed it. It all started a very long time ago. 1986 to be exact. I was a young mum. With 2 children Daniel who was 4yrs and Jessica who was just 2. I had meet another mum who's little 4 year old named Christopher (not sure of the spelling) went to Preschool (as it was called back then) with my boy Daniel. Chris was such a different little boy. Reading fluently and so knowledgeable about almost everything. He spoke like a tiny grown up. We, his mum Heather and I became great friends, as did the children. I always had  visitors and children over at my house.

Whenever there were a lot of children Chris wouldn't go out and play with the others. He certainly would climb on monkey bars or ride bikes with the other children. He would always state the consequences that could happen. Like," oh no if I fall off I might break a bone. Then my arm might be in a cast for six to eight weeks." etc.. It was quite sad really. But he loved to read and read. He also used to play in my kitchen with the many letters and number magnets that I had on the fridge. This was when I witnessed the first really amazing bit of maths from one, so young.

This particular day a few of the neighborhood children were playing out back, so as usual Chris was right there in my kitchen. He was asking questions from his mum. And then would proceed to spell out the answers on my fridge with the magnets. Then he said  to Heather give me another one Mother. His Mum said, Oh how old will you be in the year 2000. In my head I thought oh you Idiot or maybe even something a little less nice as I was only 22 myself. Within less than 1 minute Chris had put up on my fridge the letters that spelt

E I GH T E    N     and the numbers 18. He said in such an annoyed grown up voice." The wasn't enough E's to write the number Eighteen, so   I've put up the numeral. I'll be eighteen in the year 2000." Immediatley I thought to myself you drummed that in his head. After Heather went home I worked it out and they would turn eighteen that year. As I got to know Heather more I found out that as a baby he had spent a  lot of time with her parents. In fact from what I gathered he almost lived with them for a long time as a baby. Anyway, one day she let on that they had actually taught him to read when he was just a baby, and that they had taught him maths also. She didn't really explain it to me.

Over the next few years as I watched Chris grow I was so amazed at how bright he was. When I was helping out at school, when they were in grade 1, I remember this incident. The children were story writting. I think I was listening to different children with their reading. Just a page or so and I would change over the reading book for them. I loved helping at the school. Anyway Chris put up his hand and said to Mrs D. the teacher,

" Oh Mrs D (in an annoyed voice) I just can't seemed to find the right word to use in this sentance". She asked Chris if he knew what a thetharaus was. He didn't which amazed me, knowing just how cleaver he was. Anyway she explained and sent him to the library to get one. Now all the other grade ones would be lucky to write a page for their story. Chris's stories usually were 3 or 4 pages. 

A few years later Chris got a guest apperance on Hey Dad. A sitcom of the time, for those of you to young to remember it. Another young actor also had a guest spot. It was to decide which one of them would get a regular spot in the show. Unfortunatley for Chris the other boy got the job.

However he did get to do a few Ads on T.V. We lost contact with them as they moved away from the area.

I often would think of that clever little boy named Chris over the years. Especially the day I witnessed him  doing mental maths so quickly as a four year old.

It would be many years before I would see Chris again. In fact it was when he was all grown up. Ironically it was on a T.V game show in which he was a winning contestant. It brought back memories of that funny little different boy I knew all those years ago.