Yearly Archives: 2014

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

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Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states then others followed. It is now celebrated on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays).

Americans honor those who have lost their lives for their country by visiting cemeteries, placing flags and flowers on graves, flying the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon and attending parades. Children can be a part of Memorial Day too.  Here are some links to children’s activities:

http://sunniebunniezz.com/puzzles/memdykws.htm

http://sunniebunniezz.com/puzzles/memdymcr.htm

http://www.usmemorialday.org/activities/flag/index.htm

http://sunniebunniezz.com/memdyjbc.htm

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”  ~Maya Angelou


Piney Orchard Street Festival a huge Success!

The Piney Orchard Street Festival in Odenton, Maryland on May 17th was a huge success!  The weather was picture perfect, the sun was out and the breeze was blowing.  There was a tremendous amount of great food, good drink, a large moon bounce for the children and three live bands to keep everyone happy and entertained!  My au pairs did an amazing job tirelessly painting the faces of little children for six hours straight.  They all told me they had a wonderful time and that it was a true experience.  Hopefully you will join us next year!  DSC_0450 (800x593)DSC_0421 DSC_0431DSC_0434DSC_0443DSC_0437DSC_0442DSC_0446DSC_0433DSC_0440DSC_0441 (800x480)

Piney Orchard Street Festival May 17th from 11 am until 7pm

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Come out and join the fun at the 5th Annual Street Festival at Piney Orchard on May 17, 2014 from 11 am to 7pm located at 2400 Stream Valley Drive, Odenton, MD 21113.  There will be lots of food, activities for kids, face painting, children’s entertainment, about 90 local business vendors and outdoor entertainment.  This event is open to the public and is FREE.   Stop by at the Au Pair in America table, the leading provider for intercultural live-in child care in the US, to find out about hosting an au pair in your home!   Affordable and flexible, live-in childcare averaging $361/wk regardless of the number of children.  Au Pairs not only care for children but can do other child-related laundry, meal prep, cleaning!

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Au Pairs will be on hand to answer any questions you may have! Here are some photos from the au pairs at last years event.  It was so much fun!  Enter your name in our raffle basket for the chance to win a $1,200 coupon towards hosting your first au pair!  Last year over 8,000 people came to this event!  So mark your calendars now and come on out to join in on a fun day for the entire family!

Health Insurance app now available

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Cultural Insurance Services International now has a mobile app for the iPhone and Android. The app provides instant access to your CISI insurance coverage information wherever you are. It includes an onscreen display of your CISI insurance ID card, ability to view your travel insurance documents and locate medical providers. If you have not yet downloaded the app, take some time to you never know when you will need this important information at your fingertips!

http://www.culturalinsurance.com/marketplace/#app

Activites to do with children this Spring!

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openwalls.com

The days are starting to grow longer and warmer. Children are able to spend more time outdoors. When you can, go out and help them discover the wonders of spring.

  • Put some string or yarn outside. Watch to see if it gets carried away to become part of a bird’s nest. If you see a nest don’t touch it because it will scare the mother bird away, but you might be able to see young birds after they are hatched.
  • Watch for sprouts of early bulbs and look for buds on trees and bushes that are starting to swell. Cut small branches and put them in a vase of water in the house. Watch as the flowers or leaves start to unfold.
  • If you live near a pond look for frogs’ eggs. You can bring some home by putting pond water and a small clump of frog eggs in a container. Take some weeds from the pond too. About a week after they hatch feed them fish food. When their back legs have grown put them back in the pond. It would also be fun to go ponding with a long handled net. Sweep the net through the water and then empty your “catch” into a pan with some pond water in it. Examine what you’ve caught with a magnifying glass. Always put whatever you have caught back into the pond.
  • Take advantage of the spring breezes and blow bubbles, fly a kite or make a homemade pin- wheel. Draw an X on a square piece of paper from corner to corner. Cut halfway along each line and fold alternate corners into the center. Overlap the points and connect it to a stick with a pin. A bead behind the head of the pin may help it to spin better.
  • Collect early spring flowers and press them between sheets of newspaper weighted down with heavy books for a week or two. Once they are dry, arrange them on paper and glue them down – make greeting cards, book marks, or a picture.
  • Soak a dried bean in water overnight then place it in a jar with a damp paper towel or cotton balls. Put the bean next to the glass so you can watch it change. After a few days it will start to grow roots, and then leaves. If you wish, you can plant it in soil in a flowerpot so that it will grow longer.

Healthy Kids Day April 26th ~ FREE event sponsored by the YMCA of Central Maryland

The YMCA of Central Maryland is sponsoring a FREE Healthy Kids Day event for all families and their children on April 26th from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM in Arnold, Maryland off of Route 2.  The community is encouraged to come out and put a little healthy fun and activity in their day.  There will be moon bounces, healthy snacks, face painting, games and prizes, crafts and much more!  This event is to help families and their children to establish healthy habits, play, have fun and just get moving!  For more information click on their website at:  http://ymaryland.org/y-healthy-kids-day-2014-0.

Free Workshop for Parents to plan for college tuition for your children

While you still may have young children it is never too early to plan for their college tuition. The cost of a Bachelor’s Degree starts at $80,000, and can rise to over $250,000 for 4 years at some private colleges. This is a major investment, and having expert advice can make an enormous difference financially and emotionally. A  great seminar to educate parents is being held on Tuesday, April 29th from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm at the Ports of Call at the Double Tree Hotel located at 210 Holiday Court Annapolis, MD 21401 .  The event is free and lunch will be provided.  This event is presented by Cori Dykman, Annapolis College Consulting (www.AnnapolisCollegeConsulting.com) and Pablo Alvarado, a financial advisor.  If you are interested please RSVP on this evite link so that the organizers know how to plan accordingly.  http://www.evite.com/event/03D0TWVUZV3YBYNDWEPDX2O4V7JJAU?gid=03D02UBKVR6IDEG44EPDYTIGRVSYLQ

Passover begins at sundown today Monday April 14th.

Happy PassoverPassover is an eight day celebration. It commemorates the freedom of Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. Families celebrate Passover by having a Seder. With special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Seder means order, and the Passover story is read in order from a book called a haggadah.

The Story:

Fearing that Jews were becoming too strong, a Pharaoh decreed that all male Jewish babies were to be killed. Jocheved and Amran, a Jewish couple, wanted to save their infant son – so they put him in a basket that floated him down the river. The infant was rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter and she raised him as her own son. She named the baby Moses, which means ” take from the water.” When Moses grew up, he empathized with the Jewish slaves and tried to get the Pharaoh to free them. The Pharaoh refused – so there were 10 plagues sent down to Egypt: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, and Slaying of the Firstborn. The name Passover comes from the Plague of Slaying the Firstborn. The Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Jews who had put lambs blood on their doors.

After the 10th plague, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jewish slaves go. They gathered up their belongings so quickly, they didn’t have time for their bread to rise, so they had to bake it and take it the way it was. This is why the Jewish people eat matzah which is flat during Passover. As they were fleeing, Pharaoh changed his mind, and sent his army to bring them back but Moses parted the Red Sea for the Jews to cross, and as soon as they were safely to the other side, the waters closed on the soldiers, drowning them all. The Jewish people were free.

We wish all of our Jewish au pairs, host families and friends around the world a Happy Passover.

Au Pairs get ready for the International Naval Ball

DSC_0148Last night the au pairs enjoyed an evening of pampering by Dixie from Mary Kay as she instructed the girls on proper skin care techniques and provided professional make-up tips.   The girls were able to experiment with a variety of eye and lip colors to create the perfect look for the International Naval Ball held in Annapolis, Maryland the next night!

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