Au Pair Chatter

From About.com

Screen on the Green is a favorite Washington, DC summer tradition. Bring a blanket to the National Mall on a warm night and watch a classic film on a gigantic movie screen. Films are shown on Monday nights beginning at dusk, around 8:30-9:00 p.m. People start to claim their spots on the lawn as early as 5 p.m. Movies play except in extreme weather and there are no rain days.

Screen on the Green 2011

Mondays, July 25 – August 15

Movie Schedule

• July 25 – In the Heat of the Night
• August 1 – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
• August 8 – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
• August 15 – Cool Hand Luke

Location
National Mall between 8th and 14th Streets, Washington DC.

Transportation and Parking
The best way to get to the National Mall is by Metro. The closest stations are Archives/Navy Memorial, Smithsonian and L’Enfant Plaza. Public parking is very limited in this part of the city. On-street parking in Washington, DC is restricted during the evening rush hour. Read more about parking near the National Mall.

Screen on the Green Hotline: 1-877-262-5866

The Folklife Festival will take place June 30-July 4 and July 7-11.

The Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage.  Attracting more than one million visitors yearly, the two-week long celebration is the largest annual cultural event in the United States.

This year’s festival will celebrate Rhythm & Blues Music in the U.S., the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps and the traditions of Colombia.

The Festival is held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the Smithsonian museums. There is no admission charge. Visitors should dress for hot and humid weather. Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so visitors are advised to use Metrorail. The Smithsonian station (Mall exit) is at the Festival site. Federal Triangle and National Archives stations are close by. For general Smithsonian visitor information, call 202.633.1000.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with special events taking place most evenings.

I highly recommend that you visit their website to plan your visit http://www.festival.si.edu/

Click here to view the full program

I was excited to take part in a very special celebration yesterday at the U.S. State Department. It was a reception honoring the 25th anniversary of the legal au pair program in the U.S. and Au Pair in America, the first au pair agency.

In 1986, The American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) received designation from the State Department to sponsor a two year pilot au pair program and Au Pair in America was born.

Twenty-five years later and we have placed more than 87,000 au pairs from more than 60 countries worldwide with host families in 43 states.

APIA Director, Ruth Ferry (Asst. Sec. of State, Anne Stock & AIFS CEO, Bill Gertz)

Alexandra with her host mom, Donna.  Teresa with her host mom, Julie & I. I was very pleased theses au pairs and host moms from our cluster were able to attend this special event.

Asst. Secretary of State, Anne Stock (Sen. Chris Dodd & AIFS CEO, Bill Gertz)

Yesterday, we had a cluster meeting where au pairs gave their time to prepare sandwiches for the homeless.  We were joined by a few moms and cub scouts from Pack 403.  Thank you to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for allowing us to use the parish hall.  Together, we were able to make almost 600 sandwiches!!! These sandwiches are going to the DC Central Kitchen to feed homeless people in Washington, DC.

I want to thank everyone who showed up, brought bread, made sandwiches and helped us surpass my initial goal of 400 sandwiches.

Here are a few photos.

First two au pairs to arrive getting right to work.

Sandwich assembly line

Having fun making sandwiches

Many hands make light work.

Striking a fun pose after all that hard work.

Group Photo with our Finished Sandwiches

At least once per year, we have a cluster meeting that is a service project.  Some of our past volunteer/community service events include:

• DC Help the Homeless Walk
• Bowie International Festival
• Preparing lunches for Habitat for Humanity
• Donating items to children affected by Hurricane Katrina
• Working at Silver Diner to raise money for Tsunami Relief
• Wrapping gifts for needy children