Well, I do go through my own periods of denial/wondering, and then my child does something so different/advanced and I go, oh, yeah,...I guess maybe he does have some odd skills...hmmm...

you are not alone on that one, and yep- Nick's got these cognitive growth spurts, things will be kind of quiet and BOOM, all of the sudden he's got mad skills and is up till 10PM practicing whatever they happen to be... wink fun.