No Wonder He's Tired

This weekend he went to 2 birthday parties for kids from his German school. I thought 2 might be too much for one day, but I really want him to get to know the kids better. The hubster took him to the first and I took him to the second, so that neither of us was too out-birthday-ed. The kiddo was quite anxious when I took him to the second party. He insisted on sitting away from the group and not talking to anyone. But eventually he warmed up and enjoyed playing a German party game "Wer hat den Thaler?" (who's got the coin), asked for a piece of cake with pink frosting and a pink cup (the little hostess insisted that the rainbow cups were for boys - he was the only boy there), and enjoyed a game of muscial chairs (which oddly is called "Trip to Jerusalem" in German). He also went up to the little girl's room with the other kids when the little girl wanted to show off her new bed with a tent-like top, and he instigated a game of "Monster."
Although he is extremely slow to warm up, he is not painfully shy. Anyone have any good suggestions on making him feel more comfortable about new situations?
Anyways, the fun continued Sunday. He went to the model train museum with his dad (apparently he asked how the earth stays in the sky and now knows about opposing forces). Then our neighbor came by and invited us to go to the movies. So JT saw his first movie in the theater - Horton Hears a Who. Since we had checked the book out of the library a few months ago, he knew what the movie was about, was interested, and watched the whole thing. I am not sure if he really was old enough to see a movie at the theater, so it won't be a regular thing, but it was kind of a fun mom-son and neighbor bonding thing.
Friday I also got out of the house for an adult evening - the German school parents have a "Stammtisch" once a month and gather at someone's house and have snacks, drinks, and chat. It was quite fun, and the moms, dads, and grandpa I talked to were interesting and pleasant. It is a bit of shock, however, to see where some of the parents live. The house we went to was a large, beautiful early 20th century house, with views to the bay, the airport, and downtown. The furniture was all antique, a beautiful Tiffany lamp hung over the table, and the kitchen, while small, was beautifully updated with new appliances, marble counters, and hammered brass sinks. The birthday party I went to on Saturday was at a million-dollar-plus newer home in a neighborhood of other "estates." It was spacious and had a swimming pool in the tiny backyard, and although it was tastefully done, I felt that it lacked the character of the older home. Another family has talked about inviting us over to their house - they have a house in La Jolla, a few blocks from the beach, with a pool. Wow.
I am so used to parents who scrape by as grad students that it was a shock to think about all the money these people have. Or spend on their houses. It seems almost impossible to imagine living like these do. How do they get so wealthy?
It seems wierd, since we are not poor by any standards, but suddenly we are almost ashamed to have people over. Well, not really. I like our house and the people were all nice. It will just take a little getting used to!

P.S. About the bread - the slightly-sweet bread is fairly firm, good for slathering with jam or egg-salad, the anise flavor is not overpowering (although if you use really fresh anise, you could use a bit less), and the recipe seems really fail-safe if you aren't an expert bread-maker. I also use the oven to proof the dough - usually 100 degrees F and I pop a bowl of water in there as well. Still, my bread dough rises slowly. Maybe I need to store my yeast better?