Yearly Archives: 2012

Au Pairs from Boston area canoe in Concord

Canoeing group

Canoeing group

Our June cluster meeting last weekend in historic Concord was so much fun!  It  was such a beautiful summer day.  We joined two other clusters and over 30 au pairs participated.   We met at the South Bridge in Concord to rent canoes and kayaks.  Au pairs then rowed to the Old North Bridge where counselors welcomed them for a picnic.

The German crew

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the historic Old Manse, we gathered for our meeting.  At first, we held our childcare/safety meeting that we are required per State Department to have once every three months.   We talked about summer safety, which included sun exposure related safety, water safety rules and wearing the right protective gear for biking, skateboarding and rollerblading. 

 

We then broke off into our individual clusters.    Our group said good-bye to Stella, Cirstin and Sina, who are at the end of their au pair year and are going home to Germany soon.   They had a lot of advice for the newer arrivals.    We welcomed Camilla from Brazil who attended her first meeting.   

Enjoying cake, cookies and some fruit

Enjoying cake, cookies and some fruit

Bettinas group

Bettina's group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more photos of this meeting, please visit Canoeing 2012.

Au Pairs take a yoga class

This month I gathered my au pairs at Together in Motion in East Arlington and taught a yoga class for them.   It was a very unusual class, as there was lots of talking and giggling involved.  We had a great time together and gathered afterwards in the lobby to enjoy some refreshments.

We said good-bye to Ant and Hongmei who will leave in June after being au pairs for two years.  What an accomplishment!   Congratulations!       We also welcomed German au pair Lara who arrived this month.

For more photos from our meeting go to Au Pair Yoga

Internet Use

Internet use-Don’t use the internet to vent.  Remember anything you post on Facebook or other social networking sites can be seen by millions of people.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that a post in your native language won’t be understood!  If you are having a bad day, call your counselor and she can help you find a solution.

Boston area au pairs join Walk For Hunger

Au Pair in America Team

Au Pair in America Team

On Sunday, May 6,  Team Au Pair in America was among the estimated 41,000 walkers that joined the annual Walk for Hunger in Boston to help raise money for the hungry  in Massachusetts.

We met at Park Street Station.    From there, the group dispersed into smaller groups.   We walked various distances, and  many on the team proudly finished 20 miles.

Congratulations to all of you au pairs who contributed to this fantastic event!

For more photos go to Walk for Hunger and Walk for Hunger 1

Au Pair in America Au Pairs visit Fenway Park

Red Sox Tour 2012

This month,  our Boston area au pairs had the chance to join a group tour at Fenway Park.  Under bright blue skies and perfect temperatures, 64 au pairs, host parents and children headed off with a knowledgeable and loud guide. They were entertained and educated about the history of the ballpark as well as that of the Red Sox (originally known as the Red Stockings!)

Au Pair Breakfast

The breakfast crew

The breakfast crew

Due to popular demand, our April cluster meeting took place at my house for breakfast.  My au pairs seem to really enjoy sitting around the table and talk.   At this time of the year there is a lot of talk about the end of the au pair year.  Au Pairs who arrived over the summer months are now making plans to travel before they leave and to make flight arrangements for their trip home.  There are always very mixed feelings about going back, and it’s nice to acknowledge those.  We said good-bye to Tatjana who will leave us at the end of the month.

For more photos from our breakfast visit Breakfast photos

Au Pairs visit Prudential Center Skywalk

This month, we met another Boston area cluster for a visit to the Prudential Center Skywalk.  Au pairs enjoyed the view from the 50th floor despite the fact that it was cloudy. Au pairs also learned a lot about Boston by using the audio tour device and reading up on Boston facts.

Afterwards, we walked over to Vapiano restaurant in the theater district.   Counselors distributed a handout about spring activities, including child safety reminders.   Each quarter, counselors hold a childcare/safety meeting with au pairs in an effort to ensure good quality childcare for their host families.

View from the top

View from the top

For more photos of our meeting, go to Skywalk 2012.

Maple Sugaring Tour

Au Pairs with Guides

Au Pairs with Guides

Last weekend, Au Pair in America offered a Maple Sugaring Tour at the Belmont Habitat for their Boston area au pairs.   In addition to monthly cluster meetings, these monthly regional events give au pairs the chance to participate in culturally relevant activities.  Maple Sugaring is an experience very unique to this area, and au pairs in the area are very lucky to be able to experience this as part of their cultural exchange.

Examining the sugar maple

Examining the sugar maple

Two experienced Habitat guides,  Ann and Sandy, gave us a wonderful tour.    Au Pairs learned about the characteristics of a sugar maple in order to differentiate it from other trees and other types of maples.    (branching pattern, leaf pattern, shape and color of buds)   We visited a tapped maple tree and learned that the flow of sap is very close to the outer bark of the tree and its flow gets activated every year in the early months for about 6 weeks, when starch that is stored in the roots converts back to sugar that gets transported up the tree in order to feed the buds.    This is brought about by cold nights and warmer days.

Taste Test

Taste Test

We tasted the sap right from the tree, and experienced the transformation of the very slightly sweetened liquid into a syrup that is much sweeter by boiling it in the Habitat’s kitchen.   The ration of boiling sap into syrup is 40:1!  We also compared that natural syrup to the Aunt Jemima kind and noticed how different the two taste.    Upon reading the ingredient list of Aunt Jemima, we concluded that there is nothing natural about the product and has nothing to do with the maple sap.  Our tour guides also spoke about the different grades of maple syrup and we found out that the darker the syrup, the later in the season it was harvested and the more maple taste it will have.

Tasting our own syrup

Tasting our own syrup

The Habitat also has a sugar shack that is not in use any more.   This is where the maple sap traditionally gets converted into syrup.   Our tour guides showed us the evaporator machine that the farmer used when it was still functional.

In the sugar shack

In the sugar shack

At the end of the tour, au pairs answered questions to a quiz to see if they remembered what they learned throughout the tour.   We were then rewarded by ice-cream that we covered with Maple Syrup, cranberries and maple cookies.

Yummy!

Yummy!

For more photos of our maple sugaring tour please visit maple sugaring 2012

Au Pair Taxes

As April is approaching, it is time for you to think about tax filing.  As you should have read and heard general information about your obligation to file taxes, this serves as a reminder to you about the requirement to file taxes on the money that you have earned in the United States in 2011.  Those au pairs who earned more than $3,700 in 2011 are responsible to file a tax return.

The issue of taxes can be confusing for au pairs, so Au Pair in America wants to give you some general information about paying taxes to the U.S. government. For general tax information, please click on the link below from the Au Pair in America website:

http://www.aupairinamerica.com/pdf/tax_information_for_aupairs.pdf

Please review the information fully, as it should answer your questions and give you what you need in order to file your taxes. There is a sample 1040NR-EZ form which is filled out with sample information.  If you have more specific questions consult a tax advisor or the suggested links within the information sheet.

Au Pair in America is not responsible for the interpretation of the information within this document, or any changes to IRS rules or forms that may occur. Neither Au Pair in America, nor its community counselors, can provide any official tax information, and we recommend that you contact a tax professional if you have any specific questions regarding these matters.

Taxes for income earned in 2011 are due to be filed on or before April 17th of this year.

Valentine's Day

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A little history about Saint Valentine’s Day

Every February we celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. We do this in honor of Saint Valentine. You may be wondering, “Who is St. Valentine”? Time to brush up on your Valentine’s history!

Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. The Emperor at that time, Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger army. Supposedly, Valentine, decided this decree was not fair and married young couples in secret. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine’s actions he had his head cut off making him a martyr of love.  Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first ‘valentine’ himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it ‘Your Valentine’, words still used on cards today.

Perhaps we’ll never know the true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine, but this much is for sure…February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating clear back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentines ranks second only to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent.

For some fun children’s activities including crafts, coloring pages, games, puzzles and poems go to:

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/index.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/valentines-day/