Tag Archives: Victoria Paton

Close Call…When a Deer Runs in Front of Your Car

What To Do to Avoid a Deer, Or Other Animal, that Might Run In Front Of Your Vehicle:

deer crossing road

Watch this excellent video to see a large herd crossing – where there is one there is usually more..

·         Scan the road ahead: Looking ahead helps provide enough reaction time if an animal is spotted. Also, remember some animals, like deer, move in groups, so when there is one, there are usually more in the area.

·         Use high beam headlights if there’s no oncoming traffic: This can help you spot deer or other wildlife sooner and give you time to slow down, move over or honk the horn to scare the animal away. High beams also help in spotting animals’ reflective eyes.

·         If a collision is unavoidable, apply the brakes firmly and remain in your lane: Swerving to avoid an animal can often cause a more serious crash or cause you to lose control of your vehicle. What’s more, drivers who swerve to miss a deer and hit something else may be charged for an at-fault accident.

·         Be extra cautious at dawn and dusk: Deer tend to be more active in the early morning and at dusk.

·         Slow down and use extra caution when traveling through areas with a high and active wildlife population: Be aware of increased deer movement in rural areas during the fall and early winter, as this is both hunting and mating season.

·         Always wear a seat belt and remain awake, alert and sober.

(Source: AAA)

Tasty Treats to Make With Pumpkin – Part 3: Savory

With sugar everywhere for Halloween, let’s try some more savory pumpkin recipes!

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But, do you believe there are 100 ways to cook a pumpkin?  Well click here to see it for yourself from the website called EndlessSummer.com

For my culinary-minded Au Pair followers, here are some simple, savory recipes after all the sweet treats of Halloween last night…

Curry Pumpkin Soup

From the Food Network: Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

A twist on an international favorite: Pumpkin Queso Fundido

Servc this Spicy Pumpkin Dip (like a humus) with pita chips!

And this sounds AMAZING to make with your kids: Pumpkin French Toast for breakfast.

Alas, November is here.  So, time to start looking ahead to sharing All-American favorites for Au Pairs to try in my Thanksgiving series 🙂

Victoria

DC Region of Au Pair in America – Scavenger Hunt at the National Zoo on Sunday, October 27, 2013

What aau pair and panda 2n incredible day at the Zoo! Sun was shining, temperatures were great, the zoo was decorated for Halloween…Camila and Claire

Approximately 30o Au Pairs from all around the DC area and their 15 Community Counselors gathered on Lion/Tiger Hill early Sunday to participate in the first-ever DC Regional Scavenger Hunt at the National Zoo!

Each Au Pair team of 10, sought out specific animals as specified on a bingo card. All Au Pairs were winners and took home a 6″ Panda bear in honor of the new baby panda born at the National Zoo last month.ZOO

A wonderful day for Au Pairs and Counselors alike!

Victoria and group and pandas 2Ann and group and pandasLisaElephantPat and groupDiane and group and pandasEverybody ready for huntSigning in on cluster rosterFernanda

"Au Pair in America Day" Thurs 6/27 For Mini Golf at Bohrer Park

Hurray for Au Pair in America! On Thursday, June 27 all Au Pairs, Host Families and children will have a discount on Mini Golf at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg as they have designated that day as Au Pair in America Day and golf will be $6 for unlimited play!

I know that many closer-to-DC towns think that Gaithersburg is too far, but while it really isn’t (either via 270 or via back roads), its lack of congestion, inexpensive activities and plentiful free parking are worth the ride.

mini_golf9If you are willing to drive a little further West and North you will  discover a great and very inexpensive place to have family fun: Bohrer Park at Summit Hall – just off of 355 north of Montgomery College and just down the road from the Gaithersburg Costc0! (sharing the same driveway as Gaithersburg High School). Click here for directions.

Bohrer Park offers Mini Golf, a Water Park and a Skate Park all in a shaded, outdoor complex.

Mini Golf: Mini Golf per game is $6 or unlimited for $8

Hours for 2013 SeasonMinigolfing008

Play must start one hour prior to posted closing.

May 4 – June 14
Monday – Friday: Closed
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Monday, May 27: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Holiday)

June 15 – August 25
Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Thursday, July 4: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Holiday)

August 26 – October 13
Monday – Friday: Closed
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday, September 2: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Holiday)

In case of Inclement Weather please call 301-258-6350 to verify if we are open.

Special Promotional DaysSunday, May 12, 2013 – Mother’s Day
Mothers play for free with a paid customer

Thursday, June 27, 2013 – Au Pair in America Day
$4 for one round of golf and $6 for all-day unlimited golf

Sunday, June 16, 2013 – Father’s Day
Fathers play for free with a paid customer

Sunday, July 14, 2013 – Couple’s Day
One date member pays… the other plays for free

Sunday, August 4, 2013 – Military Day
Show your Military ID / buy one get one free

Sunday, August 18, 2013 – Senior Day
55 and older /buy one 2nd plays free

Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013 – Grandparent’s Day
Grandparents play for free with a paid customer

Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 Final day!
Closing day for 2013. Half-price ice cream with paid admission ticket

Water Park:

2013 Weekday
Admission

2013 Weekend and
Holiday Admission

Residents*

Non-Res

Residents*

Non-Res

All Ages
(ages 3 and above)

$5.75

$6.75

$5.75

$8.00

Putt-n-Pool Pass

$9.25

$10.25

$9.25

$12.00

Twilight Discount of .50 off (per person) for admissions purchased after 5:30 p.m.

A major attraction at The Water Park (for those 48″ and taller) is the double water slide that is 250 feet long and twists and turns into the splash pool. For the adventuresome, the blue slide offers a breathtakingly fast ride, while the white slide offers a tamer, slower water journey. Choose the trip that suits you!

Splash PoolThe children’s splash pool, designed for children of a height 54 inches or less, includes a custom in-water play structure with open and closed flume slides that pays homage to the state of Maryland with Black-Eyed Susan and Blue Heron play features.

There are play pieces outside the pool, plenty of shade for little ones, and a special eating area for families. For your convenience, there is even a bathroom located within the fenced area equipped with a changing station.

The locker rooms are designed to accommodate the needs of our patrons and feature child height hair dryers, baby changing stations, lower toilet facilities, a family changing room and all traditional amenities.

Your day at the park is not limited to the water and sun! Enjoy our playground, picnic tables, and a snack bar managed by Boardwalk Fries. You’ll also find high back sand chairs and chaise lounges spread throughout the park. And when you need to get out of the sun, there’s plenty of shaded areas.

Strawberry Picking in Montgomery County…almost time!

strawberry-pickingW

Taking children strawberry picking can be a great outing during the day or with your Host Family or friends on the weekend.

Do take some ziplock bags or other container to bring the fruit home as well as some money…You are charged for the strawberries you pick by the pound at a register near the exit.

Below is an excerpt from a very thorough article from an amazing DC family and au pair resource: KidFriendly DC website.

Butler’s Orchard in Germantown or Homestead Farm in Poolesville are two easy-to-reach strawberry picking farms in suburban Maryland…call or look on their webpages before you go for hours of operation and picking times.

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Homestead Farm
Strawberry season is expected to open in early June this year, likely due to the cool temps we had for longer than usual. You can sign up to receive weekly updates by email, so you know when they open. Along with berry picking, there are animals to visit — goats, pigs, and chickens are some of the farm’s bestial residents. And Homestead scores high on aesthetics — the lovely pastoral setting in Montgomery County makes you feel like you’re way more than 20 miles from the city. The farm is open seven days a week from 9:30am – 6pm, though pick-your-own ends at 5:30.

strawberry chlidren

Butler’s Orchard
The farm might be best known for it’s Halloween and Easter extravaganzas, but they have a bounty of great crops, too. Their strawberry season is expected to start late May or early June, and the fields will be open to visitors everyday. Go to Butler’s Pick Your Own `section of their website. Stay updated on their status by following on Facebook and Twitter. During strawberry season their hours are 8:30am – 6pm during the week, and 8:30am – 5pm on weekends.

Water Safety Day is May 31 at the Gaithersburg Water Park – Stay Safe at the Pool this Summer!

KidOpeningPoolFenceAs you and your family prepare to beat the heat with a day at the pool this summer, don’t forget to stay safe!  Learn all about staying safe at the pool or lake at Water Safety Day, happening Friday, May 31, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. The free swimming event will take place at the Gaithersburg Water Park, 512 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. Presentations will be available every 30 minutes on such topics as drowning prevention, proper use of life jackets, water rescue skills, skin cancer prevention and even swim lesson evaluations.  Food will be available for purchase. The event is co-sponsored by the City of Rockville, the City of Gaithersburg and Montgomery County

Victoria will be there from 330-4pm

In any case, if your Au Pair will be caring for children at your home pool or at a public pool, PLEASE print out this form and go over it with your Au Pair: http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/water-safety

Also, here is a great video to watch with your Au Pair and family.

Too often, firefighters hear people say, “I just looked away for a few seconds.” Unfortunately, just a few seconds is all it takes for a child to drown.

Most of these children drown in their own backyard swimming pool, but others drown in buckets, bathtubs, toilets, dog water bowls, canals and ponds. Small children are top-heavy, and they don’t have the upper body strength to lift themselves out of one of these dangerous situations. Even if the child survives the incident, they are often left with permanent brain damage.

Drowning and near drowning can be prevented, and you can help! Anyone involved with the supervision of children needs to be aware of the dangers associated with any body of water. Below are some useful tips to prevent these needless tragedies.

  1. Know where your children are at all timesPool Safety
  2. Use an approved barrier to separate the pool from the house
  3. Never allow children to be alone near a pool or any water source ladders away from pool fences
  4. Post the 9-1-1 number on the phone
  5. Do not allow children to play around the pool and store all toys outside the pool area
  6. If you leave the pool area, take the children with you
  7. Always have a “designated child watcher”
  8. Learn to swim
  9. Never swim alone, or while under the influence of alcohol or medications
  10. Never swim when thunder or lightning is present
  11. Never dive into unfamiliar or shallow bodies of water

Today is National "Don't Fry Day" – Review Sun Safety for Children

dontfrydayofficiallogo-tm

Don’t Fry Day is an annual event observed on the Friday before Memorial Day. Sponsored by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention (NCSCP) along with other organizations, DFD is dedicated to protection and prevention. Don’t Fry Day shines the spotlight on the harmful effects of the sun while raising awareness about the importance of protecting your skin.

Go to this great Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DontFryDay

As the unofficial beginning of summer kicks off this weekend, people will be spending more and more time in the great outdoors. Now is the time to put that protection plan in place.

Ultraviolet rays are the primary cause of skin cancer which is now the most common type of cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 76,000 new cases of malignant melanoma will be diagnosed in the United States this year.

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Why is it important to protect children from the sun?

  • Too much sun is particularly harmful to young children, who should be kept out of direct sunlight at all times.
  • Protecting children from the sun not only prevents painful sunburn, it also significantly reduces the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
  • 50 per cent of total lifetime sunlight exposure occurs in childhood.
  • Breezes or water can cool the skin of children playing in the sun, so excessive exposure to sunlight is not noticed until they are burned.
  • Some children are sensitive to sunlight and might develop a rash.

How to protect children in the sun

  • Remember that infants must be kept out of the sun entirely, while children with light skin will burn easily.
  • If the child is not exposed to direct sunlight, sunscreen is not usually necessary.
  • Children should be encouraged to play in the shade, wearing good protective clothing.
  • Sunscreen use does not allow an increase in the time spent in sunlight.
  • Sunscreen must have sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Anything less is useless.
  • Make sure you use enough sunscreen; half a handful (approximately 20ml) is usually enough for the child’s entire body.
  • Remember that some sunscreens come off through contact with water, sweating or rubbing with a towel.
  • Re-apply sunscreen every couple of hours during a day in the sun, especially if they are in and out of water.
  • Keep children out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, when the sun’s rays are at their strongest.

Five things to remember:

  • Small children should always be kept in the shade.
  • Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm.
  • Stay in the shade as much as possible.
  • Good protection is provided by light clothes and a hat.
  • Children should be given sunscreen with a high SPF (at least 30).

Q: How to Protect Yourself?

A: Wear protection! Make sure to generously apply sunscreen and reapply after swimming, sweating and about every two hours.

B., Stay in the shade if at all possible, especially between 10:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest.

C. You can burn even on a cloudy day. In fact, some of the worst sunburns occur on a hazy or cloudy day.

D. Cover up – wear sun-protective clothing including a hat and sunglasses.

E. Don’t burn!

Au Pairs Tour US Capitol on a Glorious Saturday Morning

It was a sunny and crisp morning in May when 65 Au Pairs from all over Montgomery County gathered to tour the US Capitol with Senior Community Counselors Imelda Farrell and Victoria Paton. Au Pairs learned a lot and an Au Pair from Brazil even taught the tour guide something…that Tom Hanks and George Clooney both claim to be distantly related to Abraham Lincoln…who knew?

Au Pairs on US Capitol Tour

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Imelda Farrell, Counselor for Northwestern Montgomery County

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V at Capitol