Tag Archives: suffolk county babysitters

Happy Chinese New Year

February 19, 2015 – 2:14 pm

We wish you a year full of Good Fortune, Good Luck & Good Health

Today starts the first day of the chinese new year, 2015 is the year of the goat/sheep! Chinese astrology says that each year is associated with an animal sign, occuring in a 12 year cycle. This is similar to the zodiac signs you may be familiar with that occur about every month or so, except these represent specific years.

How is the holiday celebrated? In brief, the Chinese New Year celebration or “Spring Festival” lasts for about a week long. Fireworks are set off, dragon dances, ancestor worship, and traditional performances. Red is the main color of the festival and all types of decorations in this color will be seen. A popular practice is the giving of red envelopes (usually containing money) to youth and retired seniors.

Family and Friends are very important during this time and generally China is extremely busy, as people are racing home to see their loved ones! There are so many cultures in the world that it’s always interested to find out what people are doing elsewhere.

Lucky Numbers- 2 & 7

Lucky Colors – Brown, Red, Purple

LuckyFlowers- Carnations & Primroses

Lucky Months- August & November

Presidents Week – Some Presidential Trivia

February 15, 2015 – 2:08 pm

Here are some fun facts for President’s Week!

Click on the blue underlined words for more info on the fun fact!

At his inauguration, George Washington only had one tooth. Contrary to popular belief, he never wore false wooden teeth. However, at various times he did wear dentures made of human teeth, animal teeth, ivory and lead.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the only two presidents to sign the Declaration of Independence. They also both died on the same day—July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the signing.
At 5 feet 4 inches, James Madison was the shortest president.
Before he was president, Andrew Jackson was wounded in a duel at the age of 39. The bullet remained lodged in his heart until the day he died.
Zachary Taylor let his old Army horse, Whitey, graze on the White House lawn. Visitors took horse hairs as souvenirs.
James Buchanan is the only president to remain a bachelor his entire life.
While he was president, Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for riding his horse too fast and fined $20.
James K. Polk’s wife did not allow card playing, dancing, or drinking in the White House.
James A. Garfield could write with both hands. To entertain people he would write in Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.
Benjamin Harrison was terrified of electric lights. He would ask White House staff to turn them on and off for him.
Rutherford B. Hayes was the first U.S. president to use a phone at the White House. Alexander Graham Bell personally showed him how to use it and his phone number was 1.
Calvin Coolidge liked having his head massaged with Vaseline during breakfast in bed. He also rode his own mechanical bull and played “ding-dong ditch’em”—he would ring the White House doorbell and then run and hide.
Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, was present at the assassinations of three presidents: his father’s, President Garfield’s and President McKinley’s.
All presidents receive code names from the Secret Service. Ronald Reagan was “Rawhide,” George H. W. Bush was “Timberwolf,” Bill Clinton was “Eagle,” George W. Bush was “Trailblazer” and Barack Obama is “Renegade.”
Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender. He was co-owner of Berry and Lincoln, a saloon in Springfield, IL.

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Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2015 – 9:02 am

Valentine’s Day is February 14th!

Au Pairs give loving care to their host families every day. Au Pair in America has provided 27 years as the world’s most experienced intercultural childcare program.

Au pairs become full-fledged family members, sharing a cultural exchange experience that often leads to a lasting relationship with the host family.

Au Pairs come to the USA for cultural exchange and to provide childcare to busy families. They stay for one year and then have the option to extend for a second year. Au Pairs are 18 to 26 years old when they arrive in the USA. Please check out www.aupairinamerica.com for more information!

Au Pairs will be making Valentine cards with their host children. Here’s how:

What you’ll need:

8.5 x 11 construction paper or card stock in various colors and/or patterns
Valentine and/or heart stickers
Scissors
Pinking shears (optional)
Glue stick or white craft or school glue
Glitter (pink, red, white)

How to make it:

Begin by cutting a piece of construction paper or card stock into four equal pieces.
Fold quartered paper in half to make a card.
For the easiest version, appropriate for preschoolers, use stickers to decorate or cut out hearts from a different color of construction paper or card stock to glue onto your cards. Experiment with different patterns, florals look great contrasted with stripes on a solid background.
Younger children love glitter! Use a bottle of glue to “draw” on a heart or phrase (such as “Be Mine”). Sprinkle glue generously with pink, red or white glitter and let dry over night. Tap off excess glitter when completely dry.
For the older set, let them use pinking sheers to cut out heart shapes and glue onto cards. Again, use contrasting patterns and colors to create a charming design.
Once glue is dry, cards may curl up a little. Place cards between the pages of a heavy cookbook or phone book and leave over night.

ABC’s of Winter Fun!

February 3, 2015 – 10:04 am

abcfun_logo 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

L 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)

X 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 – visit the animals https://blogs.aupairinamerica.com/cha/files/2012/07/snowman.jpg

2 Au Pairs teach First Graders about Germany

January 24, 2015 – 10:50 pm

Maria Tarnopolskaia and Clarissa Pfisterer

Clarissa Pfisterer and Maria Tarnopolskaia, Au Pair in America au pairs, visited Peconic Community School to teach the first grade class about Germany. They prepared a power point and a craft for the children.

Clarissa’s host child, Charlotte was very excited that her au pair was teaching the class about Germany. She had already learned a lot about Germany from Clarissa. Charlotte is able to speak some German sentences and answered a lot of the questions the au pairs asked the students. The children learned about things invented in Germany, German foods, some German words and how to count to 5 in Germany. 1 eins 2 zwei 3 drei 4 vier 5 funf

They loved hearing that some of their favorite princess stories were from the Grimm’s Fairy Tales. After the power point and all the children’s questions, they painted pretzels made of clay. They au pairs had explained that pretzels are from Germany! One child painted her pretzel in the colors of the Germany flag.

The presentation by Clarissa and Maria is part to the Global Awareness program sponsored by Au Pair in America. Au Pairs are encouraged to share their culture with American school children. Each au pair who participates in Global Awareness prepares her own presentation. She is supported with materials from the Global Awareness coordinator and then works with the teacher to prepare an age appropriate lesson. Each lesson is as unique as the au pair is herself. To learn more about Global Awareness click here.

Both Maria and Clarissa earned certificates from the Global Awareness program for their presentation.

Things to do INSIDE on a COLD Day!

January 21, 2015 – 5:26 pm

You have your day off, it is too cold to do anything outside, even NYC is too cold to visit.

Here are 10 things you can do alone or with your friends:

Play a card or board game with your au pair friends this weekend (not just for kids)
Read a book – If you do not have a library card yet, go get one!
Movie marathon – find your favorite movie through Net Flix, your HF DVD collection, or from the library.
Have a clothing swap with your au pair friends!
Find a new look by playing around with your makeup and hair!
Make a wall collage of your pictures from home and one of your time here in USA!
Cook, bake, make a dish from home and share it with your host family and/or au pair friends!
Exercise at the gym or at home.
Meet your au pair friends at the mall or for coffee.
Skype with friends and family back home!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Monday, January 19th!

January 18, 2015 – 8:00 am

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“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
– Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Speech 1963

Here is a great link to history of this special day including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword. Maybe you can do something special with the kids to acknowledge the day: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkjrday1.html

SELMA – is a movie about the march on Washington now playing in the movie theaters. You might want to see it this weekend to learn more about this important movement and Dr. King.

Martin Luther King Jr. goes down in history as one of the principal leader of the civil rights movement in the United States and a prominent advocate of nonviolent protest. King’s challenges to segregation and racial discrimination helped convince many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States.

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was ordained as a Baptist minister at age 18. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 and from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951. In 1955 he earned a doctoral degree in systematic theology from Boston University. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, whom he married in 1953.

In 1954 King accepted his first pastorate at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Montgomery’s black community had long-standing grievances about the mistreatment of blacks on city buses. Heading the year-long bus-boycott against segregation in buses, King soon became a national figure.

In 1957 King helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization of black churches and ministers that aimed to challenge racial segregation. King and other SCLC leaders encouraged the use of nonviolent marches, demonstrations, and boycotts to protest discrimination.

King and other black leaders organized the 1963 March on Washington, a massive protest in Washington, D.C., for jobs and civil rights. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to an audience of more than 200,000 civil rights supporters. The speech and the march created the political momentum that resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment. As a result of King’s effective leadership, he was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize for peace.

Throughout 1966 and 1967 King increasingly turned the focus of his activism to the redistribution of the nation’s economic wealth to overcome entrenched black poverty. In the spring of 1968 he went to Memphis, Tennessee, to support striking black garbage workers. King was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968.

Hanukkah Begins Sundown on December 16th 2014

December 17, 2014 – 8:10 am

The first candle of the menorah is lit at nightfall of December 16th and each night until December 24th.

Hanukkah is the Jewish Feast of Lights or Feast of Dedication.The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication. Hanukkah is also written Hannuka or Chanukah. The holiday begins on the eve of the 25th day of the Hebrew Month of Kislev and lasts eight days. Hanukkah usually falls in the month of December, but occasionally can start in November.

The books of the Maccabees tell the story of Hanukkah which occurred in 165 B.C. After three years of struggle, the Jews in Judea defeated the Syrian tyrant Antiochus. The Jewish people held festivities in the Temple of Jerusalem, and rededicated it to God. After removing all Syrian idols from the Temple, the Jews found only one small cruse of oil which to light their holy lamps. Miraculously, the cruse provided oil for eight days. Judas Maccabaeus, the Jewish leader, then proclaimed a festival to be observed by Jews.

During Hanukkah, gifts are exchanged and contributions are made to the poor. Each evening, one additional candle is lit on the Hanukkah menorah (candelabra). By the last evening, eight lighted candles stand together.

Holiday Party for Au Pairs!

December 16, 2014 – 1:33 am

A wonderful holiday party for the Suffolk County Au Pair in America Cluster on Sunday, December 14th at their Community Counselor’s home.

International Feast with dishes prepared by the au pairs and the Counselor, Cindy Garruba. A grab bag gift exchange, gifts from Cindy to the au pairs and just lots of holiday fun!

Stony Brook Village Promenade of Trees

December 8, 2014 – 4:25 pm

On Sunday, Dec. 7th Suffolk County Au Pair in America host families and au pairs decorated a tree for the Promenade of Trees in SB Village. Cindy Garruba, Senior Community Counselor for Au Pair in America, provided ornaments for the kids to decorate. She also handed out holiday coloring books to the children gathered to give their wish list to Santa. Santa arrived at 2 pm in a horse drawn carriage!

The trees are on display through New Year’s Day!