Bobbie...sounds identical to my DS5! He also taught himself to sight-read at 2, and I got more criticism than praise as being "too pushy" despite the the fact we never taught him! We do have tons of flashcards that DS asked for whenever we went shopping. He loved to sort them and studied them for fun. Flashcards are not inherently evil. For visual learners they can be a blast. Now my DD2 has inherited the flashcard pile and also adores them. Sometimes she counts them and she loves to name the pictures. For us, flashcards are favorite toy. I guess you could say I "hothoused" my DS with "normal toys (action figures, superhero costumes, dragon castle). I even sent him on missions to play make-believe....but he is just not that kind of kid. It took me awhile to understand that.