Lunch Duty and German Level D2

Since Marty was in Seattle I was on pick up and lunch duty with Benjamin.  And since Marty has a way of spoiling the kids a bit the precedent was set that Marty picks up Benjamin each day and then they enjoy a school cafeteria lunch.  It definitely is MUCH better than Seattle schools lunch options but it is still a school cafeteria. Not the best food and a bit overpriced. 
Benjamin to his credit does mix it up a bit and chooses different things.  I had fun doing it but I think he still prefers Marty as I would't give in to buying him a daily treat.  How much sugar does this kid need anyway?

After lunch we would often go out to the playground and he would play a bit digging in the sand.

Josie came home from school on Wednesday with very big news.  She was moved up yet another level in her German class.  They have levels (D4= no previous German, D3b = a bit more than no previous German and this is where she was originally placed, D3a = you understand and can speak a little and this is where she was moved to shortly after school started, D2 = you can read, write, speak and understand but you are not at mother tongue or native speaker level yet, Double Mother Tongue is where kids are equal in their abilities in German and English.
A week or two ago Josie told me "I'm not sure what happened but I can all of a sudden read and understand what I'm reading in German"  The human brain is so amazing.  After studying language acquisition and teaching Spanish I know quite a bit about how one goes about learning another language but to see it played out is so so cool. 
On Wednesday she came home with the news that she has now been placed in D2!  This is quite a feat.  She is now reading a novel in German and is able to write it German as well.  We are so so proud of her.  I think all other subjects here are easier than in Seattle but maybe that is OK so she can focus her energy on learning German.  Something she would not be able to do in Seattle.
 It is funny because I would have never believed that some people are just gifted at learning another language until having my two children.  They could not be more different in how they have approached other languages.  They have both been exposed equally to German.  We had Julie live with us for a year when Benjamin was a baby and then Franziska for another year. They both spoke quite a bit of German to the kids.  When Josie was young, probably for her first year or two,  I spoke to her for a few hours a day in Spanish as well.  Unfortunately I stopped because the further away from teaching Spanish the more rusty and difficult it was for me to speak it.  And then Benjamin came along and I was just too tired to parent in a language that wasn't my first language.  Anyway, Josie has always been open and a natural at learning languages.  And Benjamin, well, he has always fought it. I remember when he was still pretty young he would put his fingers in his ears and yell "I hate German!!"  So, yeah.  It doesn't help that they don't start teaching German formally until grade 3 so the only instruction he gets in German is indirectly through songs and other things in class.  Actually, this probably helps him not feel so intimidated by it and just let it seep in. 
Having Marty be gone this past week has made me realize that I definitely need to learn German as well.  I'm planning on signing up for an intensive class very soon.  Stay tuned for my progress