Middle Child Day gives a little recognition to the unique middle child in the family. For au pairs and host parents of three children, you likely know the “Middle Child Syndrome” all too well. If you grew up the middle child with both older and younger siblings, you know the feeling from a very personal perspective. It has been suggested that the middle child tends to be more introverted, quieter, perhaps a bit of a loner. Make today special for the middle child in your life.
Tag Archives: family
Free & $1 Summer Movies!
When the kids are out of school for the summer, one place to cool off is at the movie theater. Below are three theaters in different parts of our cluster area that are offering $1 or free kid’s movies each week of the summer.
Tips to maximize your free movie enjoyment:
After the movie, do activities related to the movie:
15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD, 301-262-9133
Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am
6/12-6/13 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
6/19-6/20 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
7/3-7/4 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
7/10-7/11 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
7/17-7/18 – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
7/24-7/25 – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
7/31-8/1 – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
8/7-8/8 – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS
900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring MD, 301-565-8884
Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am
6/19-6/20 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
6/26-6/27 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
7/3-7/4 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
7/10-7/11 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
7/17-7/18 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
7/24-7/25 – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
7/31-8/1 – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
8/7-8/8 – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
8/14-8/15 – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS
Annapolis Harbour 9 (FREE)
2474 Solomons Island Rd, Annapolis, MD, 410-224-1145
Doors open at 9 am, Movie starts at 10 am
6/19-6/20 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE
6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS
7/3-7/4 – YOGI BEAR
7/10-7/11 – HAPPY FEET TWO
7/17-7/18 – JOURNEY 2
7/24-7/25 – DOLPHIN TALE
7/31-8/1 – SHORTS
8/7-8/8 – INKHEART
8/14-8/15 – HAPPY FEET
See Waterskiing Santa on Christmas Eve
Tired of shopping mall Santas? Looking for a unique family holiday experience?
On the banks of the Potomac River, the 26th Anniversary of this exciting, one of a kind Washington, D.C. tradition…
Waterskiing Santa
December 24, 1 pm Sharp
The show will go on in rain, snow or shine
National Harbor
100 American Way, National Harbor
http://www.waterskiingsanta.com/
Family Friendly Hanukkah Events
I came across a great blog post on Kid Friendly DC with some local Hanukkah events. I suggest you “like” KidFriendlyDC on Facebook and get their updates with lots of great things to do in the MD/DC/VA area.
Check it out HERE
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.
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.)
July 24 is Amelia Earhart Day
July 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.
Au Pair in America 25th Anniversary Cultural Fair is Today!
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Au Pair in America and the beginning of legal au pair programs in America, we will be hosting a Regional Cultural Fair.
When: April 9th, 2011, 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Where: Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, MD
Who’s Invited: This is a free family event and open to the public.
All of the clusters in the DC/MD/VA area will be participating. We expect to have au pairs representing over 35 different countries. Anyone interested in learning about other cultures and the Au Pair in America program are invited. For more information, email me at cicaupair @ aol.com
Central & Southern Maryland Cultural Fair
Local au pairs from countries around the globe, will share their cultures through visual displays, food samples, games and performances. Children will receive passports and have them stamped as they visit each country. There will be an “Around the World Scavenger Hunt” for kids with prizes. Admission is free. If you have any questions, please post them in the comments below.
What: Au Pair in America Central & Southern Maryland Cultural Fair
When: Saturday, January 23, 2-4 pm
Where: Bowie Library (Large Meeting Room)
15210 Annapolis Road (Rt. 450), Bowie, MD 20715
Update: We are doing a Service Project for Haiti, see details HERE.
Here is a video from last year’s Cultural Fair
Guests – Think Carefully Before Asking…
It is important to think carefully before asking your host parents to allow you to invite guests, especially friends of family who may come stay for a week or more.
There are many host families who would not feel comfortable with allowing that and will say no. If they say no, you need to do your best to accept that and not pout or have a bad attitude about it. Remember, it is their home and when they invited you to join them, they were not planning on turning it into a youth hostel.
There are others who might not feel comfortable, but they want to be kind, so they say yes. In those situations, it can hurt your relationship, because they may resent being put in that position. You may get to have your friend come stay with you, but if it hurts your relationship with your host family and leads to a rematch, is that worth it?
There are a small number of families that are happy to allow you to welcome guests throughout the year and have no problem with it. That is a very small number and if your host family is one of them, show them how much you appreciate it their hospitality.
Also, consider how you plan to account for your time during the visit? Will you use your vacation time or do you plan to work and just visit on your off hours? If you plan to work, keep in mind that during work hours childcare should remain your number one focus. I have seen situations where au pairs are too excited about their guest to do their job as well as they normally would. In those cases, the family is giving up a lot. They are allowing guests to stay in their home and accepting a lower level of work performance during the visit. Be aware of that and do your best to carry out your duties and show your host parents that you appreciate their actions.
If you are working during the visit, one way you can avoid letting your work slide, is to encourage your guests to go out and do things while you are working. Since you are familiar with the area you have been living in, you can act as a tour guide. Give them information on places that you have visited with other au pairs and maybe gone for cluster meetings. Since you have already seen these places, you will not be missing out, if they go there while you are working. Then, you are free to visit new places with them in your off hours.
Remember – honest communication, flexibility, gratitude and consideration will make all the difference when dealing with your host parents on inviting guests.