Category Archives: Fun Things We Do

Au Pairs Canoe and Picnic in Historic Concord

What a fun event our annual canoeing and picnic was again this June!  For our cluster meeting, we met up with 2 other clusters at the South Bridge boat house.  From there, au pairs canoed to the North Bridge, where counselors had prepared a picnic with fruit, brownies and lemonade.  It was a beautiful day, perfect for our event.

Summer is a big time for good-byes.  We said good-bye to Julia, Junika, Jenni, Khim and Lucie.  We wish you all the best for your future!   We welcomed Veronika into our cluster.

For more photos please visit Concord 2014

Au Pair Breakfast

In May, we congregated at my house for breakfast.  It was a beautiful day and we could sit outside in the backyard. Some au pairs even brought their children along.  These meetings at my house are always a great opportunity for au pairs to sit together, bond, and talk about their lives as au pairs.

The meeting provided a wonderful opportunity for me to check in with each of them to see how they are doing.   We also took care of some end of the year business by discussing their last meetings and providing me with proof of their education.

We said good-bye to Yann Ling who will leave us soon to go back to Malaysia.  We also said good-bye to Kathrin who moved to Connecticut.

For more photos please visit May Breakfast

Boston area au pairs visit the Prudential Center Skywalk

This month we joined other Boston area au pair clusters for a visit to the Prudential Center Skywalk.  50 floors above Boston, we had a bird’s eye view of Boston’s Hancock Tower, Fenway Park, the Boston Common and Public Garden, the Esplanade and Hatch Shell, the Charles River, MIT, Harvard University, and countless other Boston landmarks.  Au pairs also had the chance to use interactive exhibits which provided them with a real flavor of the city’s distinctive culture and neighborhoods.  Multimedia players were provided detailing the city’s historic past and current sites.

Afterwards, we walked to Panera Bread and enjoyed food and conversation.  We welcomed Erika from Italy to our cluster and said good-bye to Nhung and Aneta.

For more photos, please visit Prudential Skywalk.

Au Pairs participate in yoga class

In March, we met at Together in Motion for a yoga class taught by me.  11 au pairs participated and we had a good class.

Afterwards, we gathered for some food and discussions.  Taxes were still a big topic as tax day is April 15, and we discussed that in detail.   We also had our quarterly childcare/safety meeting and discussed host family expectations with regard to electronics use and engaging children in activities.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures!

Valentine's Meeting

In February, we had a Valentine’s meeting at my house which included sweet Valentine’s treats.   Since taxes are due in April, we also discussed the process of filing taxes for au pairs.  It is an easy process, but it doesn’t feel so easy when you are from a different country and haven’t done it before.

It was nice sitting around the table and chatting.  It is always a good chance for au pairs to exchange experiences and get feedback from others.  We also said good-bye to Jaque, who left our cluster in January.

Boston Au Pairs Go Snowtubing

For our cluster meeting this month, we joined 4 other Boston area au pair clusters for snowtubing at Nashoba Valley.   Approximately 50 au pairs hit the slopes in pleasant temperatures.

This month we said good-bye to Deborah and to Mayela, and we welcomed Vanessa and Jana.   We took some time in the lodge to connect before heading out and enjoyed refreshments.

For more photos, please visit Snowtubing 2014

Au Pair Holiday Party

Last week, we had our annual au pair holiday party.  We joined another cluster in Lexington and went to the Yantze River Restaurant in Lexington Center.

Au pairs ate from the plentiful buffet, did a yankee swap game and sang holiday songs in their language.     

We ended the meeting by caroling around the Lexington Center Christmas tree.

For more photos and some videos please visit Holiday Party

Au Pairs play laser tag

This month, we joined another Boston cluster and visited Lasercraze in Woburn for a heated game of laser tag.   Adrenaline was pumping as 2 teams of 20 pairs each competed against each other in this riveting game.  It is amazing to observe how competitive one can be!

We also enjoyed sitting together, having refreshments and talking about au pair business.

For more photos, please go to Lasertag.

October Cluster Meeting

For October, I had planned a fun host family and au pair picnic at Honey Pot Hill Orchard in Stow.  Unfortunately, that had to be cancelled due to rain.   We had the au pair meeting at my house instead.   In true fall fashion, we had apple cider donuts and apple cider.  We also had a good-bye cake, saying our official good-byes to Lilly, Ning and Allegra who are leaving our cluster the next month.

For more photos of this meeting, you can go to October 2013.

Boston Au Pairs visit Harvard University

This is one of my favorite regional events that we offer for our Boston area au pairs:  a Harvard University tour.   Counselor Patti Estabrook organized it this year and almost 100 au pairs showed up on a beautiful fall day.

Au pairs learned about student life and the diversity of one Americas oldest and most prestigious schools.  Tour guides provided historical facts and stories.  Did you know that the statue of John Harvard (which by the way is not John Harvard, but a student who was asked to model, in the absence of any known pictures of John) is the 3rd most photographed statue in the country?

For more photos, please visit Harvard Tour 2013.