Conversation with an unruly toe.

Observing one's children is ever a source of amusement, interest and insight. Of the many warming moments of our recent holiday in Bintan, during my father's trip here, was when Tiarnan, twenty-four months at the time, was wearing open toed, "thong" type slippers. He was having some trouble with shoes, since they kept slipping on him.

His troubles exacerbated when he was going down some steps, in the gardens of the resort. Having to lift the shoes into the air to reach the next step was problematic, with his toes slipping within the shoe.

Tiarnan stopped, then, having had an idea of how to deal with this problem. He bent down over his shoes and placed his little index finger on an unruly toe. With great earnestness and intensity, he then spoke to his toe, in a cajoling tone: "Don't move...OK? I want to walk!"

Having satisfied himself that his toe had got the message, he stood and walked on, a little more confidently, if not more effectively. Yet, he had done what he could do, to resolve the situation and was happier about his slipping shoes, thereafter.

Sweet.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and one month, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and seven months, and Tiarnan, two years exactly, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)