How old ARE you?

Ok. So. The current merge of L1 and L2 acquisition which I'm experiencing is... legit to say the least. I hear things repeated to the kids in enough settings that I can pick them up. Just don't ask me to translate because I'll only have a guess. Sometimes I look it up (when I can spell it) or ask (when I feel like it). Yes, I'm going to leave that one as a cliff hanger (but I'll give you a hint: it involves a surprising-or not so surprising-degree of accuracy). Other times I make someone try to give me a detailed explanation between things like stimmt and wahr (true) or tun and machen (make/do and I'm actually still wheedling away at this one).

Completely unrelated...
Today I was talking to an older man who knew two things about me. (1) I'm an au-pair. (2) I'm an American. The second actually has nothing to do with what happened other than it was his conversation starter and he spoke to me in English. After a minute or two he said. "How old ARE you? You look VERY young." (Note: This was said in surprise, not flattery) I told him I was 22, but he just shook his head in disbelief. "Really?! Tell me-what's your secret?" I said, "Um... young-looking parents, I guess." I would comment on this conversation, but I think it stands alone. Some things never change.

The only logical explanation is that he thought I was trying to sneak into the country underage on a work visa...
I'm not sayin'-I'm just sayin'.