Thank you SO much for coming out to our Multi-cluster picnic yesterday at Ft. McHenry. The food was fantastic, the kids had a blast, the face painting was incredible and the weather turned out to be lovely! Thanks to all our au pairs and host families who came out and made this event turn out so wonderfully!
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On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches. Christians believe, according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter. Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus. For some wonderful craft ideas to do with your children please visit http://holidays.kaboose.com/easter/.
This past Saturday, au pairs from the Annapolis cluster met for hands on training provided by the American Red Cross. The Annapolis Evangelical Lutheran Church graciously offered their space for this event. The au pairs received instruction on First Aid and CPR. With the help of dolls these young ladies were able to put into practice what was taught during the 5 1/2 hour course. This program was designed to teach the participants how to recognize and respond appropriately to infant and pediatric emergencies such as cardiac arrest, recognize the signals of a breathing emergency, how to care for a child that is chocking, identify the signals of shock, and how to check a conscious person for life-threatening and non-life threatening conditions. This class provided participants with the knowledge and skills needed to know how to give immediate care to a suddenly injured or ill child until more advanced medical personnel arrive and take over. All participants received a certificate of training upon the completion of this class.
The Annapolis, Baltimore and Columbia clusters all hosted holiday parties this month. The Annapolis cluster enjoyed a gift exchange and an international cookie swap where all the girls brought a baked good typical to their home country to share. Everyone went home with a bag of cookies from around the world. The Annapolis and Columbia clusters invited a Federal Marshal to attend to speak to the girls about personal safety when going out alone, with friends or when out with the children that have been entrusted to their care. Topics discussed included awareness of their surroundings, how to handle going shopping with children and what to do in case they find themselves to be a victim of a crime. Internet safety tips were discussed as well. The counselors presented the au pairs with a wonderful bright red umbrella with the Au Pair in America logo as our holiday gift to them. The Baltimore cluster had fun displaying their cheerful red umbrellas for the camera. It was a perfect day to hand out umbrellas as the weather was overcast and drizzly on Sunday. The cluster also did a Secret Santa gift exchange. Everyone left with a little gift, and feeling very much in the spirit of the season. We wish all the au pairs, the host families and their beautiful children a blessed and wonderful holiday, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Continuing the Educational theme, after the Red Cross Class in September, members of the Baltimore cluster visited Whole Foods in Mt. Washington for a tour of the store given by the Healthy Eating Specialist, Heidi Barboy. She gave us a tour around the store, and most importantly “free samples” of some delicious foods. I was reminded of what a great community resource Whole Foods is. They have a calendar of events that often has activities for children.
Here is a link for Nutrition Tips for Kids & Teens, on their site:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/parents-and-kids/nutrition-tips-kids-and-teens
At the end of summer and before school officially began for children, au pairs from the Annapolis cluster met for ice cream on Main Street to welcome the new summer arrivals. Afterwards we enjoyed a wonderful show under the stars (it didn’t rain on us until the very last minute!) called Xandu at the Annapolis Outdoor Summer Garden Theater on Dock Street. We even had an opportunity to meet some of the local actors which was a great treat! 
Traditionally, the groundhog is supposed to wake up on February 2, and come up out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will return to the burrow for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he remains outside and starts his year, because he knows that spring has arrived early. In the U.S., the “official” groundhog is kept in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and is called “Phil.” Though not based in science, it is a fun US tradition. The movie, starring Bill Murray is hilarious!
Every Halloween night, a chill fills the air as little ghouls and ghosts take to the streets for a night of Trick-or-Treating. Halloween is a time for frights and fun, but is also a time when parents and children should focus on safety.
Tips for a safe Halloween
Remember to follow these safety tips to help ensure you and your “Trick-or-Treaters” have a safe and enjoyable experience this year:
photo by craftycars
There are many safety tips on the Au Pair in America website http://aupairinamerica.com/. In honor of Baby Safety Month, here are some more specific baby tips:
