Our snowman contest deadline is tomorrow. Our current snowstorm brings up more snow every minute and this is your last chance to send me your pictures: Remember that the requirements are that we have you with the snowman on the picture and anything AuPair in America related too…be creative 🙂
Yesterday we had a spectacular trip to Spectacle Island with aupairs from the greater Boston area. We all enjoyed the view from the ferry over the Boston skyline while heading to the island in the morning.
On the island we enjoyed the beach, had picnic for lunch and participated in a guided tour over the island.
We listened to the ranger who gave the tour how the island was shaped and became a park later with all the soil of the big dig from the major road construction in Boston that was going on for over 10 years.
From the top of the island we had an even better view to all islands around, the Boston Logan airport and the skyline of the city of Boston.
After spending the day together while chatting about classes , exchanging information, celebrating Rebekka’s birthday with brownies 😉
we were ready to go back to the main land.
From left: Miriam , Rebekka and Lara from Germany
To view all pix from this trip please go to : Spectacle Island 2013
For our July cluster meeting we met at my home in Braintree for a Pool party since the weather was sunny and hot.
Our agenda this time was water safety for kids which is an important topic to know during the summer. Every 3 month we are required to have one safety meeting.
We also chatted with new aupair who just arrived this week in the US and said good bye to many who came for their last cluster meeting. Nobody could believe how fast this time ran by. Either just one year or even two if the aupair extended for a second year like Janika from Germany. They all promised to visit again since Boston became their home, they experienced so much, have seen so many places in the US, made so many friends and also became part of their host families daily live.
Going back means also starting over in a new/old culture and that they will experience almost the same culture shock as when they arrived here in the US.
From left: Theresa and Lara who almost finished their year as Educare aupair with Lara's sister who is visiting her
Talking about water safety while cooling of with the feet in the pool
Andrea from Mexico was one of many who finished her required education and received her certificate of completion at our meeting
Eating ice cream as dessert was part of the lunch we had
Jennifer from Germany also received her certificate of completion for her 6 credits
Lynn from Germany also won with this picture our summer picture contest where she had to have the Au Pair in America t-shirt on together with something of Boston. Her prize was an "I LOVE BOSTON" shirt. See below 🙂
Group picture at the Sunset Lake
For all pictures please go to Pool Party July Cluster meeting 2013
This year maestro Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra for Boston’s 40th annual Fourth of July celebration, sponsored by Boston-based insurer Liberty Mutual Group and broadcast on CBS.
Stay Tuned for 2013 Concert & Host information
The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will conclude on July 4 with a 21-minute pyrotechnic extravaganza from Rozzi Fireworks, of Loveland, Ohio. This year’s Spectacular keeps alive several of the Boston holiday traditions including the Pops’ now classic Independence Day rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” which features real cannons and the live ringing of area church bells.
And, of course, The Spectacular will be capped off by a magnificent fireworks array that fills the skies above Boston with a stunning exhibition of color and breathtaking pageantry. It is best to arrive early (before noon) if you wish to find a good place to sit.
For details of the events go to : 4’th of July fireworks in Boston
Now a beloved, summertime tradition for New England families, Free Friday Flicks are classic & popular, family-oriented movies shown each Friday night throughout the summer at the DCR Hatch Shell on the Esplanade for FREE!
People of all ages flock to the banks of the Charles River with their own chairs, blankets and picnics to enjoy these Free movies under the stars.
All movies are shown rain or shine at sundown (approximately 8:30pm). But come early to grab your spot on the lawn…and visit the WBZ Tent for lots of free giveaways, food samples and fun interactive games!
2013 Schedule – What’s Playing This Week?
Friday July 12, Sunset (8:21 pm) – Despicable Me
Friday July 19, Sunset (8:16 pm) – Wreck It Ralph
Friday July 26, Sunset (8:10 pm) – Here Comes The Boom
Friday August 2, Sunset (8:02 pm) – Madagascar 3
Friday August 9, Sunset (7:53 pm) – Rise Of The Guardians
Friday August 16, Sunset (7:43 pm) – Jack The Giant Slayer
Friday August 23, Sunset (7:33 pm) – Oz The Great & Powerful
For more information or cancellation due to weather, call the Free Friday Flicks Hotline: 617-787-7200 or visit wbz.com
Yesterday we met with many of our cluster at a local downtown restaurant Vapiano for an Italian night together. We had many whose aupair year will come to an end soon in the summer and everybody who has finished all the credits for the education requirement got a certificate to take home. Our Educare aupairs needed to get 12 credits at a college or university and the standart and extraordinaire program requires 6 credits during the first year as an aupair in the US.
Theresa, Anita, Katja, Isabell and Kristina. All from Germany received their certificate last night
Monike from Brazil also received her certificate for fullfilling the requirements of the aupair education program
Judith G from Germany received today her price for winning the third place in the snowman contest.
Enjoying to share information and experiences is part of our cluster meetings
For all pictures please go to : Aupair Italian night at the Vapiano restaurant
Now more then ever we will race, run or walk for a good cause.
Our Walk for Hunger is coming up. Please sign up at the Au Pair in America team at:
http://www.projectbread.org/site/TR/Walk/General?px=1531861&pg=personal&fr_id=1210
These two aupairs enjoyed the Walk for Hunger 2012
Today we met at Athan’s bakery in Brookline to talk about extension and aupair taxes. We had a great time to get to know a new aupair Aurelie from France who just arrived in Brookline yesterday. What a wonderful chance for her to find friends right away who live close to her.
Amy from South Africa, Aurelie from France and Dennisse from Mexico
We also could celebrate the third place of our snowman contest here today. Amy did a great job with her snowman with the Au Pair in America baseball cap. She got a ” I love Boston T-shirt” for her effort.
Amy with the picture of an excellent snowman build after the last snowstorm
Another aupair got her certificate of completion of her education part of the aupair program:
Caroline from Sweden got all her 6 credits which is the requirement to have during the one year as an aupair in the US.
Left to right:Tamy from Germany, Dennisse from Mexico, Amy from South Africa, Aurelie from France and Caroline from Sweden.
We met today in the Blue Hills in Milton to hike together up to an outlook to enjoy the view over the Boston skyline. Up on the hill we had a picnic together and talked about the outdoors and about plants who are not familiar to many aupairs who come from places where they don’t exist: Poison Ivy. Since none of them has leaves yet, they are hard to find but it’s best to know about them before the leaves are out. I guess everybody is now aware of the “leaves of three, let them be” in order to avoid rashes on themself and the children.
We celebrated the award of the snowman contest which we had after our Nemo blizzard: Lynn from Germany won the first prize and got a T-shirt : I Love Boston
We also celebrated Jia ‘s award she got from AIFS for her volunteering at a Boston food pantry. She won the 2’nd prize in this national volunteering award competition.
Jia talked to the whole group about her experience with volunteering and encourage them to do this too since it is so rewarding for her.
Two new aupairs arrived last week in our cluster: Veronica from Colombia and Anja from Germany. Both of them were able to attend our meeting already and had a great chance to get in contact with many other aupairs on our hike.
Andrea and Ivonne from Mexico ,Kristine and Kim from Germany, Ceci from another cluster and Veronica from Colombia who just arrived in the US last week.
Anja from Germany who just arrived and Anika who will go home to Germany soon after being an aupair in the USA for one year.
Jennifer from Germany who just arrived in our cluster with a friend from Newton
Marie from France and Isabella from Germany who both arrived just a month ago.
More pictures of our cluster event at Hike in the Blue Hills 2013.
This year we celebrated with our Boston cluster together the upcoming Holidays at our December cluster meeting at the counselors home.
We enjoyed a potluck dinner where each aupair brought a prepared home made dish of their home country to share with us. This was a very special international buffet and we all had a blast to try so many delicious dishes and desserts.
To experience a typical American tradition we did a gift exchange : Yankee swap
For our agenda of the meeting we had “Help Children Cope with Stress: Tips for the Holiday Season” and “Ideas for Christmas and Chanukah Activities with Kids”.
Anita from Germany who is already in her second year as an aupair in Boston
Franzi, Linda and Lara from Germany
Jessica, Jacki and Amy from South Africa
Laura, Katja, Judith, Kristina, Kim, Birgit and Anika from Germany
Soy, Nat, Por and a friend aupair of Medford. All from Thailand except me on the left
Nina from Austria, Anita from Germany and Erika from Brazil. Erika just finished her extension time and will fly back to Brazil next week.
Beatriz from Brazil who just arrived in the US to start her year as an aupair
Violetta from Germany, Maria from Spain, Dany from Ecuador and Ari from Spain. Violetta and Maria just arrived a few days ago in the USA
Me with Franzi and Isa from Germany who became best buddies
Victoria , Lovisa and Caroline from Sweden who also became best buddies
Michelle from Germany and Korina from Croatia
Vanessa from Brazil and Dennisse from Mexico. Dennisse just started her second year in Boston
Beatriz and Erika from Brazil. Both aupairs are in the same hostfamily. Erika who will fly home next week helped Beatriz to adjust to her new host family.
Such a colorful dessert table
Gift exchange: Yankee swap
Our Christmas tree
Singing carols together: Jingle bells....
Small gift from the counselor for the aupairs : Advent calendar
Dennisse from Mexico, Beatriz, Erika and Vanessa from Brazil
All pictures to view are at Holiday Party 2012 .
