Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans.
It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)
On Sunday, 11/6 we had a great cluster meeting at The Castle Laser Tag in Bowie, MD. It was the first time most of the au pairs had played laser tag. Before the laser tag, there were a few very competitive games of air hockey too. My au pairs surprised me with some cupcakes and a card to celebrate my birthday, which was two days earlier.
For many people, autumn events like Halloween and Harvest Day are fun times to dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, attend parties, and eat yummy treats. These events are also opportunities to provide nutritious snacks, get physical activity, and focus on safety.
Below are tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters and party guests.
Going trick-or-treating?
Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
On Sunday, we had beautiful weather and a great turnout for our Annual Host Family & Au Pair Pumpkin Patch Visit. Queen Anne Farm remains an authentic pumpkin patch where kids get the chance to pick their pumpkin right off the vine. There were also animals, a corn maze and a hayride.
Click on the pictures to view them full size in our Cluster Photobucket Album.
Sukkot is a joyous Jewish holiday that lasts for seven days and remembers the time that Israelites wandered in the desert during their journey to the Promised Land. It is observed by the building of a temporary dwelling (a sukkah) decorated with fruits and other symbols of the harvest.
Click here to get the recipe for Animal Face Pizzas on Annabel Karmel's Blog
Pizza is easy and fun to make and can be a nutritious meal for the children and is easy to make at home.
You will need a ready-made pizza dough or a ready-made crust, shredded mozzarella cheese and a jar of pizza sauce. First the dough or crust goes on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Then spread the sauce, add the other toppings, and last of all, sprinkle the cheese. Bake as directed for the crust. Be careful, and keep the children away from the oven as the oven must be very hot to make a nice crusty pizza.
If you want to get a little fancier and try these Animal Face Pizzas, click on the photo to get the recipe.
Click here for a coloring page where kids can draw in toppings and make their own pizza.
This is a day dedicated to good cheer and good works: “Do an act of kindness – help one person smile”. Use your imagination to think of little ways to bring a smile to someone’s face – kind words, good deeds, thoughtful gestures, there is no limit to the things you can do.
Contest: Open to au pairs currently in my cluster, send me an email or message on Facebook telling me something you did to make your host kid(s) smile today. First person to reply will receive a $5 Starbucks gift card at the coffee meeting on Sunday. Contest is closed. Sandy is the winner!!!
We had a cold, rainy day at the Bowie International Festival this year. Even in those less than perfect conditions, all of my fabulous ladies who volunteered to help showed up.
Two important reasons to make your car a phone-free zone:
Safety – There is no text message that is worth risking lives.
It’s the Law – Please read the details below about changes (effective October 1 to the Maryland law to increase enforcement and the penalty (fine & points against your license) for breaking the law.
FromWashingtonpost.com:
Sending and reading text messages behind the wheel has been illegal in Maryland for more than a year, but under the existing law, it was a secondary offense. That meant police had to find another reason to pull a driver over in order to issue a texting citation.
The state legislature changed texting to a primary offense this year. Drivers who are using the Global Positioning System function in their mobile devices or who are sending a text message to the emergency 911 system are exempted from prosecution.
Under the new law, those caught texting can be fined $70 and receive one point toward suspension of a driver’s license. But if the action is judged to have caused an accident, the fine increases to $110 and the number of points to three.
Sending and reading text messages while driving is a primary offense in the District and a secondary office in Virginia. It is a primary offense in 30 other states and a secondary offense in Iowa and Nebraska.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 20 percent of crashes that resulted in injury in 2009 involved distracted driving. NHTSA said 995 fatal crashes that year involved cellphone distraction. Sixteen percent of all drivers younger than 20 who were involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted.
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In this 90 second video people share stories about how a simple decision to read or send a text message while driving had deadly consequences.
I urge all au pairs and host families to watch this video and discuss. This is one simple decision and commitment that can make us all safer on the roads.
Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans.
Two important reasons to make your car a phone-free zone: