Yearly Archives: 2011

Bowie Baysox Baseball Game

A few brave au pairs showed up for the baseball game last night. We had rain off and on all day. So, we were really lucky that we had no rain at all last night for the game. It was not the most action packed baseball game, but they can all say they have been to an American baseball game. I have the pictures to prove it.  The fireworks were a nice way to end the evening. Click on any of the photos to view them full size in our Cluster Photobucket album.

Time Capsule Fair Has Been Canceled

Due to the severe weather from Hurricane Irene that is anticipated on Saturday, the event will be be canceled.

If you created a time capsule to take part, please contact me (contact info. below) to arrange to receive your goody bag.

time capsule

In honor of the 25th Anniversary of Au Pair in America, we are sponsoring a time capsule fair. Families are invited to create a family time capsule and participate. Guests are also welcome to come see the time capsules on display, vote for their favorite and participate in the other family activities.

This will be a Fun Family Event featuring…

  • Time Capsule Fair
  • Story Times
  • Back to School Organization Tips for Parents
  • Temporary Tattoos
  • Coloring & Crafts
  • Door Prize Drawings

A Time Capsule is a container that includes items and information that share what it was like to live in a particular period of time. After the time capsule fair, you can seal up your capsule and mark it “Not to be opened until 2036.” It could be buried or just tucked away in your attic. It will be a lot of fun looking back at the items 25 years from now!

Download a Complete Time Capsule Activity Plan HERE

Time Capsule Fair Rules:

  • Register HERE online (preferred) or the day of the event.
  • You may use any container and include whatever items you choose.
  • You may work together as a family to create one family time capsule or each child may create and enter their own.
  • Each entry will have a 2’ x 2 1/2’ table space to display their time capsule and it’s contents.
  • Backboards are allowed, but not required.
  • Each family who enters the time capsule will receive a gift bag.
  • Time capsules should be checked in and set-up between 1:00 and 2:00 PM to be included.
  • Judging will take place at 2:30 PM.
  • Award presentations and prize drawings will be held at 2:45 PM.
  • If you want to take your time capsule home, it needs to be picked up by 3:30 PM.

For more information, please call Christine Connally at 301-860-1314 or email at cicaupair @ gmail.com (without the spaces.)

Healthy Eating – Downsize Your Portions

portion_size

How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. You want to experience life in the U.S., but don’t feel compelled to pick up bad habits. Stick to the portions you would normally eat. The U.S. is known for its “supersizing”, especially in restaurants.  It is OK to ask for a to-go box and take home that food you couldn’t finish at the restaurant.

Also, check food and drink packages to find out what is considered a normal serving. For example a 20 oz. bottle of soda is actually 2 1/2 servings. Many things that are packaged in what appear to be single serving sizes are actually 2 or more portions.

It’s easier to maintain a healthy weight than it is to overeat and have a lot to lose later.

August 3rd is Watermelon Day

Today is Watermelon day! Enjoy a cool, refreshing slice of watermelon. It’s a healthy treat on a hot day like this.

watermelons

Fun Facts from Watermelon.org
  • The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
  • Watermelon is 92% water.
  • By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
  • Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
  • In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books (1998 ed. Guinness Book of World Records).

    Maryland & County Fairs

    What is a Fair?

    According to Wikipedia:
    A fair (sometimes fayre) is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. Activities at fairs vary widely.

    Fairs are also known by many different names around the world, such as agricultural show, carnival, fete or fête, county fair, exhibition or state fair, festival, market and show. Flea markets and auto shows are sometimes incorporated into a fair.

    MD fair

    Howard County Fair
    August 6 – 13, 2011. Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Rd. W., Friendship, Maryland. (410) 442-1022. Carnival rides, live music, farm animals, food.

    Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
    August 12 – 20, 2011. Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 16 Chestnut St., Gaithersburg, Maryland. (301) 926-3100. Livestock competitions and displays, monster trucks, lots of entertainment and food.

    Maryland State Fair
    August 26-September 5, 2011. Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road Timonium, Maryland. (410)252-0200. The Maryland State Fair was named one of the top 50 fairs in North America. This year’s 11-day festival will feature swifty swine racing pigs, live thoroughbred horse racing, bull riding and barrell racing, concerts, agricultural fair tours, games, rides and more.

    Prince George’s County Fair
    September 8 – 11, 2011. Prince George’s County Equestrian Center and the Showplace Arena, Water St., Upper Marlboro, Maryland. (301) 579-2598. Carnival rides, live animals displays, family circus, fireworks, live entertainment, food.

    Anne Arundel County Fair
    September 14 – 18, 2011. Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, Generals Highway, Crownsville, Maryland. (410) 923-3400. Monster truck rides, carnival rides and games, farm animals and exhibits, pig races, antique saw mill, pie eating contest, talent show and much more.


    Outdoor Summer Movies – DC Screen on the Green

    From About.com

    Screen on the Green is a favorite Washington, DC summer tradition. Bring a blanket to the National Mall on a warm night and watch a classic film on a gigantic movie screen. Films are shown on Monday nights beginning at dusk, around 8:30-9:00 p.m. People start to claim their spots on the lawn as early as 5 p.m. Movies play except in extreme weather and there are no rain days.

    ScreenontheGreenScreen on the Green 2011

    Mondays, July 25 – August 15

    Movie Schedule

    • July 25 – In the Heat of the Night
    • August 1 – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
    • August 8 – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
    • August 15 – Cool Hand Luke

    Location
    National Mall between 8th and 14th Streets, Washington DC.

    Transportation and Parking
    The best way to get to the National Mall is by Metro. The closest stations are Archives/Navy Memorial, Smithsonian and L’Enfant Plaza. Public parking is very limited in this part of the city. On-street parking in Washington, DC is restricted during the evening rush hour. Read more about parking near the National Mall.

    Screen on the Green Hotline: 1-877-262-5866

    Soccer Charity Event – July 31

    soccerIf the ticket price for the Manchester United vs. FC Barcelona exceeds your budget, consider attending the Mia Hamm Celebrity Soccer Tournament on Sunday, July 31, 2011 at  10am.  The game will be played at the Kastles Stadium at the Wharf at 800 Water Street, SW, Washington, DC.  The cost of the event is $25 .

    Click Here for all the details. You can pay online and to print a ticket at home.   This might be your best chance to meet some soccer stars and a few other celebrities.

    **If you get a picture of yourself with a celebrity, send it to me and I will post it on the blog.**

    July 24 is Amelia Earhart Day

    amelia earhartJuly 24 is Amelia Earhart Day

    Amelia Earhart became the first person, man or woman, to fly solo across the pacific. Another famous flight was her nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932, the first for a woman.

    College Park Aviation Museum is a great place to take the kids for hands-on learning about aviation. Visit their website for hours and upcoming events.

    Paper Plate Sundial

    Many years ago people had to use the sun to tell him. Learn how people told time before the invention of watches and clocks by making a sun clock.

    Paper plate Sundial

    What you need:

    • paper plate
    • plastic straw
    • sharpened pencil
    • crayons
    • ruler
    • pushpins

    What you do:

    1. Start this project on a sunny day just before noon.
    2. Use the pencil to poke a hole through the very center of the paper plate. Write the number 12 on the edge of the plate with a crayon. Using the ruler as a guide, draw a straight line from the number 12 to the hole in the center of the plate.
    3. At noon, take the plate and the straw outside. Put the plate on the ground and poke the straw through the hole. Slant the straw toward the line you drew. Now carefully turn the plate so that the shadow of the straw falls along the line to the number 12.
    4. Fasten the plate to the ground with some pushpins. Have your child predict where he/she thinks that the shadow of the straw will be pointing in one hour.
    5. One hour later, at one o’clock, check the position of the shadow along the edge of the plate and write the number 1 on that spot. Continue each hour predicting the position and then checking and marking the actual position and time on the edge of the plate.
    6. At the end of the day you and your child will have a sun clock. On the next sunny afternoon you will be able to tell time by watching where the shadow of the straw falls on your clock.

    Note: Observation, prediction and communication are all very important science skills. This activity helps to develop them. Be sure to have your child talk about why he/she thinks the shadow is moving.

    Photo: NWF

    Summer Safety Reminders

    summer_logoDehydration The little ones, especially, forget to drink or to tell you that they need to drink. If you find the children not looking well and/or getting cranky toward the afternoon, it might be because they’re tired, or it might be because they’re dehydrated. Remember: By the time a person feels thirsty, he’s already partly dehydrated, so drink to prevent thirst, not to quench it. Common symptoms of dehydration are crankiness, headaches, aches in the joints and weariness. And don’t allow your child to fill up on juice or soft drinks; these are dehydrators. Water or child-appropriate hydrating drinks are best.

    However, if you or your child has severe dehydration (dry mouth, sunken eyes, reluctant to drink, unable to pee or cry, high fever, lethargy), call for emergency help and have your child sip an electrolyte-replacement fluid (such as Pedialyte).

    Hot Cars: Don’t EVER leave children alone in the car — not even for a moment. Besides the danger of abduction, the temperature in a car can skyrocket in minutes. And, if you see an unattended young child in a vehicle, please call 911, the police or other emergency personnel. Your call could save the child’s life.

    Drowning: Always actively supervise children in and around water. Infants and children can drown in bathtubs, swimming pools, ponds or almost any other water. Toddlers aren’t strong enough to lift themselves back out of a toilet, bucket, container or wading pool.

    Sun Protection: Children’s skin and eyes are more sensitive to ultraviolet rays. Babies should be protected from direct sun entirely. Toddlers, preschoolers and older children should be covered well in sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) at least one half hour before going out in the sun. Sunscreen should be reapplied every hour or so, and it should be reapplied after the child has been in water. Don’t forget ears, hands, feet, lips and under the eyes. Also, make sure your child wears a hat and sunglasses when out in the sun for any length of time.