Christmas Before Night The Twas

Periodically I have been testing this talking backwards "skill" that I referred to in a December post titled Secret Abilities. So far Daniel is at 100% accuracy. The latest examples are, the other night he was reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas". When he finished he put it back on his bookshelf, (I'm assuming between the exact two books that it was in between before) brushed his teeth and finished his exact routine that he does every single day of his life.

When he returned to his room I said the opening to the book up until "not even a mouse". (This happens to be a book that at about age 3 I used to recite. . . who says genetics aren't at play here?) I then said, "Daniel, can you do that backwards?" He then repeated the whole paragraph backwards like it was no problem at all.

I relayed this to my husband last night who was insisting that it would only be with certain books or poems he has read millions of times and could see visually then "simply read backwards". I am insisting that even if you could see it, it is still really difficult to read it backwards. This of course sparked a debate, even though we were close to saying the exact same thing. This, in my house, is not unusual. His room mates in college called us "the Bickersons". It's not really an argument, but we are both pretty sure we are ALWAYS right. I have no idea how this has turned into almost 20 years of successful marriage.

So to prove me wrong, of course, he went to Daniel's room and read a passage from the book "Curious George Flies a Kite". Daniel had just been reading it (I think). Todd then asked him to say it backwards. With which Daniel complied. Just to be pesky Todd said, "that was great, but you forgot two words". Then, much to Todd's amazement, Daniel went back, and corrected the spot where he had left off two words.

Pause for effect

This was not a book that my husband thought Daniel would be able to show this skill. So now we are wondering if it's basically anything he has seen, maybe even heard. Any thoughts internet? And Todd, if you read this, please don't point out to me what I got wrong in this story. I will just insist that my version is the correct one. Don't waste our time, we'll both insist we are in the right.

(By the way, just putting that title in I had to keep saying the phrase over and over to type each word, this is apparently not a gift that I have.)