they grow up so fast!

Okay, I'm not quite ready to burst into a chorus of "Sunrise, sunset" just yet, but our kiddos have hit a couple of milestones this week.

Charlotte had her first school pictures.

Yeah, I goofed it with the dirty pink boots. If I'd known her feet were going to be in the picture, she'd be wearing her black patent leather Mary Janes. Oh well, I kinda like seeing the muddy boots since she wore them to school each day for months. The German Kindergarteners go out to play EVERY day- rain or shine, and these boots kept her feet dry and warm.

We recently had Charlotte's class over to play for a morning... 18 kids and 2 teachers! I was really impressed by how Charlotte behaved with her friends. I was most happy to see how kind and compassionate she is. There is one girl in her class with special needs, who doesn't speak, and Charlotte took extra care to make sure she had things to play with and had fun. Likewise there is one other non-German speaker in her class (from Poland,) that her teachers told me Charlotte has befriended. These two girls can't really talk to each other, but walked around holding hands, playing, and laughing together. I am extremely proud of my sweet girl. :)

And then there's Super-Tobs.

Toby has kept me very busy this week with potty training. He has given many indications that he was ready for this step, and I have been procrastinating because, oh I dunno... I'm pregnant and preparing to move back to the US?!? However, he would not be deterred and we have spent a lot of this week in the bathroom. He has done really, really well! He loves getting a happy face on his potty chart and earning rewards like stickers, chocolate, and balloons. He even got himself out of the tub one evening and peed in his potty independently. Looks like we'll be shopping for big boy underwear tomorrow! (And maybe I'll even get a break from diapers until the baby is born in August? I can't even describe my excitement at that thought.)