Tag Archives: suffolk county babysitters

Happy Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year: Happy 4709! The True Meaning of the Year of the Rabbitchinese year of the rabbit

 Dust off your fluffy tails and bring out your bunny ears: This party’s sure to be hoppin’. 

February 3  marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit and all over the world people will be celebrating with crazy pyrotechnics, outlandish costumes and goodies galore. Lion dancers will take to the streets and gifts of money and food (like rabbit shaped sweet rice cakes) will be given to family members. The party lasts for almost two weeks and makes up the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar.

About 230 million people (more than the entire Brazilian population) will be traveling home for the festivities this week, making it the world’s biggest annual human migration.

To welcome in the New Year many Chinese have been buying baby bunnies as presents for friends and family. The Tu Baobao (Baby Rabbit) pet shop in Shanghai has had to order extra little critters to cope with the demand, and bunny costumes for dogs and cats have been flying of the shelves. Grilled, fried and roasted rabbit has also been popular, with restaurants seeing previously neglected delicacies gobbled up with gusto.

The rabbit is the fourth of 12 astrological signs in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Each sign denotes different characteristics and is said to influence the course of life, much like the western zodiac.  If you’re a bunny baby you are said to be talented, virtuous, reserved and kind. Rabbits are also prosperous and fashionable, enjoying the finer things in life. Famous rabbits include Elle Macpherson, Jonny Depp, Sting and Drew Barrymore.

The transition from Tiger to Rabbit brings a change of vibe to the lunar year: The Year of the Rabbit is said to be a peaceful one, with those on either side of it (Tiger and Dragon) known for global unrest and change.

So Happy New Year Everyone and let’s hope the Year of the Rabbit is a peaceful and prosperous one!

Suffolk County Au Pairs Celebrate the New Year!new year

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/02/chinese-new-year-happy-4709-the-true-meaning-of-the-year-of-the-rabbit/#ixzz1CuKK7A1V

Winter Fun For Au Pairs and Host Children

winter is fun

ABC’s of Winter Fun

A is for Art – try drawing, painting or gluing
B is for Baking – bake a dessert together for dinner
C is for Clay – Use non-hardening clay or play dough to shape and mold
D is for Dance – put on a lively tape
E is for Exercise – be sure to get some everyday
F is for Friends – invite some over
G is for Greenhouse – find a local greenhouse to visit to enjoy the sights and smells
H is for House – make a playhouse from a large appliance box
I is for Ice skating – take the children to a local rink
J is for Jigsaw puzzle – be sure to pick one that isn’t too difficult
K is for Kitchen science – try a safe experiment

tea partyL is for Library – borrow some new books
M is for Movie – make one with a video camera, or watch one
N is for Necklace – make one out of cereal or macaroni
O is for Origami – learn to make simple paper creations
P is for Puppets – socks make easy and fun puppets – put on a show!
Q is for Quiet Time – everyone needs some of this
R is for Reading aloud – choose a good book and a comfortable place to sit
S is for Seeds and Suet – put out food for the birds and watch them eat
T is for Tent – make one from old blankets and chairs
U is for Unplugged – do a day with no TV
V is for Variety – try something new everyday
W is for Walk – take one in any weather (be sure to dress appropriately)
winter playingX is for Xylophone – make your own with glasses, water and a metal spoon
Y is for Year – make a calendar or scrapbook to remember the year
Z is for Zoo – play zoo, pretend to be animals in the zoo, what noises do they make?

indoor playtime

What is an Au Pair?

“Au pair” means “on par” or equal. Au are international visitors who travel to the United States on a J-1 Visitor Exchange Visa to acquire a better understanding and appreciation of American life while living with an American family and caring for their young children.

IMG_0403[1]

Hosting an au pair provides a rewarding experience to both the au pair and the family.  You and your children will learn first hand from an international visitor and you will share our culture with your au pair.  Give your children childcare “with a cultural flair.”  It is very affordable.  Take a look at our website at www.aupairinamerica.com for current fees and promotions!

Long Island Au Pairs at Bryant Park Ice Skating

AP ice skating 011

CitiPond in Bryant Park offers free skating, just rent skates and enjoy.  The rink is set up for the winter months and is the Long Island clusters of Au Pair in America met on a Sunday in January to skate and get together.  The Community Counselors arrange cultural activities for the au pairs each month with quarterly childcare safety meetings.  Lucky to be near enough to visit New York City several times a year, the Community Counselors try to plan an activity at least a few times a year in the city.

AP ice skating 013AP ice skating 012AP ice skating 010AP ice skating 008

Childcare & Pre-School Showcase at Sachem Public Library

Come and meet Cindy Garruba, Au Pair in America Senior Community Counselor for Suffolk County and some of the local au pairs at Sachem Public Library’s Childcare & Pre-School Showcase!!  Au pairs are the answer for many busy Long Island families.  Au Pair in America is celebrating 25 years as the most trusted childcare provider in the world! 

cropped-AP-craft-fair-004.jpg

Au Pair in America was the first legal au pair program, designated by the US Government in 1986. For more than 25 years, we have provided the best live-in child care opportunities to host families across the US and au pairs from around the world. Learn how the experience of Au Pair in America can work for you!

Wednesday, January 19

7 -9:30 PM

150 Holbrook Rd., Holbrook, NY11741

Community Room A & B

http://sachem.patch.com/events/meet-au-pair-in-america

Au Pairs Had A Wonderful Year

Click on the link below for a video of 2010 Au Pairs

Suffolk County Au Pairs

The Au Pair in America Au Pairs in Suffolk County enjoyed 2010 in the USA. They got together every month for meetings and fun activities. Au Pairs went to NYC often, ice skating in Bryant Park, seeing a Broadway Show, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and competing in a Scavenger Hunt with lots of other au pairs from Au Pair in America. Au Pairs enjoyed Long Island Beaches, a Long Island Ducks Baseball game, cluster meetings at Senior Community Counselor Cindy Garruba’s home, doing Global Awareness presentations in Suffolk County classrooms and libraries, decorating a holiday tree in Stony Brook Village, and decorating HELP Suffolk Homeless Shelter’s recreation room for the holidays.

Best of all, Au Pairs enjoyed the time they spent with their new friends and their host families. Happy New Year!! May we all learn from each other and have a peaceful and prosperous New Year!

Au Pair in America Celebrates 25 Years

scan0001

Au Pair in America was established in 1986 as the first federally approved au pair program in the United States.  We have established high standards of excellence, partnering with the U.S. government, international partners, our U.S. field network, AIFS staff and orientation team to provide a quality cross-cultural experience for over 87,000 au pairs from around the world and thousands of American families.  Join us in celebration…………….  From Ruth Frizell Ferry, Sr Vice President and Director, Au Pair in America aupairinamerica.com 

Holidays Around the World

On Monday, December 20th au pairs from China, Brazil, Thailand, Guatemala and Brazil visited the HELP Suffolk Homeless Shelter’s daycare center.   They did a Global Awareness lesson called “Holidays Around the World” for the children.  The class of 3 – 5 year olds loved the passports and stickers.  There were stickers for each country with a greeting of Happy New Year or Merry Christmas in the language of the au pair.  The kids learned how to say the greetings.  Marie from Germany told the kids about the Christmas tree and how the tradition began in Germany.  Then the children decorated foam trees with colorful decorations.  We ended with a story about Santa Claus and a lively round of” O Tannebaum” (O Christmas Tree)!

HELP decorating 022HELP decorating 021HELP decorating 019HELP decorating 030