Au Pair Chatter

Due to the severe weather from Hurricane Irene that is anticipated on Saturday, the event will be be canceled.

If you created a time capsule to take part, please contact me (contact info. below) to arrange to receive your goody bag.

In honor of the 25^th Anniversary of Au Pair in America, we are sponsoring a time capsule fair. Families are invited to create a family time capsule and participate. Guests are also welcome to come see the time capsules on display, vote for their favorite and participate in the other family activities.

This will be a Fun Family Event featuring…

• Time Capsule Fair
• Story Times
• Back to School Organization Tips for Parents
• Temporary Tattoos
• Coloring & Crafts
• Door Prize Drawings

A Time Capsule is a container that includes items and information that share what it was like to live in a particular period of time. After the time capsule fair, you can seal up your capsule and mark it “Not to be opened until 2036.” It could be buried or just tucked away in your attic. It will be a lot of fun looking back at the items 25 years from now!

Download a Complete Time Capsule Activity Plan HERE

Time Capsule Fair Rules:

• Register HERE online (preferred) or the day of the event.
• You may use any container and include whatever items you choose.
• You may work together as a family to create one family time capsule or each child may create and enter their own.
• Each entry will have a 2’ x 2 1/2’ table space to display their time capsule and it’s contents.
• Backboards are allowed, but not required.
• Each family who enters the time capsule will receive a gift bag.
• Time capsules should be checked in and set-up between 1:00 and 2:00 PM to be included.
• Judging will take place at 2:30 PM.
• Award presentations and prize drawings will be held at 2:45 PM.
• If you want to take your time capsule home, it needs to be picked up by 3:30 PM.

For more information, please call Christine Connally at 301-860-1314 or email at cicaupair @ gmail.com (without the spaces.)

What is a Fair?

According to Wikipedia:
A fair (sometimes fayre) is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. Activities at fairs vary widely.

Fairs are also known by many different names around the world, such as agricultural show, carnival, fete or fête, county fair, exhibition or state fair, festival, market and show. Flea markets and auto shows are sometimes incorporated into a fair.

Howard County Fair
August 6 – 13, 2011. Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Rd. W., Friendship, Maryland. (410) 442-1022. Carnival rides, live music, farm animals, food.

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
August 12 – 20, 2011. Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 16 Chestnut St., Gaithersburg, Maryland. (301) 926-3100. Livestock competitions and displays, monster trucks, lots of entertainment and food.

Maryland State Fair
August 26-September 5, 2011. Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road Timonium, Maryland. (410)252-0200. The Maryland State Fair was named one of the top 50 fairs in North America. This year’s 11-day festival will feature swifty swine racing pigs, live thoroughbred horse racing, bull riding and barrell racing, concerts, agricultural fair tours, games, rides and more.

Prince George’s County Fair
September 8 – 11, 2011. Prince George’s County Equestrian Center and the Showplace Arena, Water St., Upper Marlboro, Maryland. (301) 579-2598. Carnival rides, live animals displays, family circus, fireworks, live entertainment, food.

Anne Arundel County Fair
September 14 – 18, 2011. Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, Generals Highway, Crownsville, Maryland. (410) 923-3400. Monster truck rides, carnival rides and games, farm animals and exhibits, pig races, antique saw mill, pie eating contest, talent show and much more.

It changes all of the time, but here is a word cloud showing the countries currently represented in our cluster.

I have been working on lots of things in preparation for our 25th Anniversary Cultural Fair (coming up this Saturday.)  I made this word cloud for a display board representing our cluster.

 In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Au Pair in America and the beginning of legal au pair programs in America, we will be hosting a Cultural Fair on April 9th, 2011 from 1:00 to 3:00 at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. All of the clusters in the DC/MD/VA area will be participating. We expect to have au pairs representing over 25 different countries. 

This is a family event and open to the public. Anyone interested in learning about other cultures and the Au Pair in America program are invited.

This event will take place at the beautiful, historic Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park.

We Bring the World Together.

Here is another video that has been a long time in the making. This is a video of au pairs participating in our Central & Southern Maryland Cultural Fair on February 7, 2009.