Au Pair Chatter

I want to thank the au pairs who gave their time on Saturday, October 5 to provide children’s activities at the Bowie International Festival. Here are some photos.

For the past several years our cluster has participated in the City of Bowie International Festival.  It is a wonderful event that brings thousands of people from all over the area who want to sample a variety of cultures from around the globe.  We provide free children’s activities.  Some years our  we have had over 700 children visit our booth!!!

It looks like we will have a nice fall day tomorrow and let’s hope the rain stays away.

Depending on when you stop by, you might join us to do one of the following:

• writing your name in Thai
• learning the colors in various languages
• map games
• flag games
• temporary tattoos
• getting your hand painted with the flag of Mexico, Italy, Peru, Colombia or Germany

The City of Bowie International Festival will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2012, 11 am-5pm at Allen Pond Park, Northview Drive, Bowie, MD 20716.

This event is FREE, Family-Friendly and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

Middle Child Day gives a little recognition to the unique middle child in the family. For au pairs and host parents of three children, you likely know the “Middle Child Syndrome” all too well. If you grew up the middle child with both older and younger siblings, you know the feeling from a very personal perspective. It has been suggested that the middle child tends to be more introverted, quieter, perhaps a bit of a loner.  Make today special for the middle child in your life.

When the kids are out of school for the summer, one place to cool off is at the movie theater. Below are three theaters in different parts of our cluster area that are offering $1 or free kid’s movies each week of the summer.

Tips to maximize your free movie enjoyment:

After the movie, do activities related to the movie:

BOWIE STADIUM 14

15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD, 301-262-9133

Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/12-6/13 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
6/19-6/20 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
7/3-7/4 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
7/10-7/11 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
7/17-7/18 – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
7/24-7/25 – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
7/31-8/1 – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
8/7-8/8 – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX

900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring MD, 301-565-8884

Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/19-6/20 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
6/26-6/27 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
7/3-7/4  – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
7/10-7/11  – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
7/17-7/18 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
7/24-7/25  – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
7/31-8/1  – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
8/7-8/8  – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
8/14-8/15  – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

Annapolis Harbour 9 (FREE)

2474 Solomons Island Rd, Annapolis, MD, 410-224-1145

Doors open at 9 am, Movie starts at 10 am

6/19-6/20 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE
6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS
7/3-7/4  -  YOGI BEAR
7/10-7/11  – HAPPY FEET TWO
7/17-7/18 – JOURNEY 2
7/24-7/25  – DOLPHIN TALE
7/31-8/1  – SHORTS
8/7-8/8  – INKHEART
8/14-8/15  – HAPPY FEET

Tired of shopping mall Santas? Looking for a unique family holiday experience?
On the banks of the Potomac River, the 26th Anniversary of this exciting, one of a kind Washington, D.C. tradition…

Waterskiing Santa

December 24, 1 pm Sharp
The show will go on in rain, snow or shine

National Harbor
100 American Way, National Harbor
http://www.waterskiingsanta.com/

I came across a great blog post on Kid Friendly DC with some local Hanukkah events. I suggest you “like” KidFriendlyDC on Facebook and get their updates with lots of great things to do in the MD/DC/VA area.

Check it out HERE

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.)

July 24 is Amelia Earhart Day

Amelia Earhart became the first person, man or woman, to fly solo across the pacific. Another famous flight was her nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932, the first for a woman.

College Park Aviation Museum is a great place to take the kids for hands-on learning about aviation. Visit their website for hours and upcoming events.

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 Regional Cultural Fair. 

When: April 9th, 2011, 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Where: Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park 
               7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, MD 

Who’s Invited: This is a free family event and open to the public.

All of the clusters in the DC/MD/VA area will be participating. We expect to have au pairs representing over 35 different countries. Anyone interested in learning about other cultures and the Au Pair in America program are invited. For more information, email me at cicaupair @ aol.com

 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.