All of your comments have been tremendously helpful. Since posting my original question, I've read three books on giftedness, devoured many of threads on here and have thought a whole lot about these issues. It's funny how often these thoughts end up turning toward yourself; I think I understand myself (and my family members) in a slightly different light now. In fact, my mother's eccentricities makes a lot more sense!
I also really appreciate hearing about Grinity's 'home IQ test'. I'm constantly biting my tongue to prevent myself from blurting out all of the wonderful things my son has been doing. It's hard, but I feel like we would be judged harshly. I especially don't think it would help my son. I recall that when he was around 21 months, he was a bit of geography whiz. He loved spinning objects and has a phenomenal memory, and so the globe became a great game for spinning, pointing and remembering. I made a video of him identifying a bunch of random countries around the world and posted it online for some friends and family. The response to this video shocked me, as I had no idea how different my son was at this point. I've since felt quite badly about posting it. In fact, since this point, I've kept my mouth mostly shut about my son, with the exception of a handful of very close friends. He is more of an introverted kid, so his abilities aren't readily obvious. He's also in a play-based preschool, so I'd say he doesn't stand out among his peers (he just kind of does his own thing or reads quietly on the sofa). So, allow me to say that I am very grateful to have found this forum! I'm not sure where my son's skills will lead, but for this stage it's really nice to find other parents who have had similar experiences. Thank you!
