We had a gorgeous day together as three clusters met on Bainbridge Island to welcome one another, see another part of our gorgeous state and perhaps try our hand at some water sports! Countless countries and almost all continents represented this group of over 50 au pairs, many meeting for the first time, to remember a big part about why we are all a part of this program – for the chance to get to know so many different cultures! Go, International Friendships! (A special shout out to those au pairs who took numerous buses and boats to make it to our day together.) I heard from quite a few of you that you will be headed back. Thanks to Carol, our host counselor, and to the WA state ferries for giving us some great pictures of the city we are all now calling “home.”
Tag Archives: children
Another Lovely Host Family Day with Over 150 of Our Closest Friends – July 2015
Our host family and au pair community came together today to meet one another, share international cuisines, do some cross-cultural scavenger hunting and play a lively game of water balloon toss (au pair/host child teams!). These, once strangers, are now family and we, as counselors, are so privileged to witness this beautiful program in action.
Maple Valley Days – An Intimate Gathering – June 2015
A group of ladies met me at Maple Valley Days to walk around the booths and sit under the shade of a tree discussing foods they missed, cultural differences and the life of an au pair. It was a nice afternoon spent getting to know each other more and sharing this unique, life-changing experience.
Giving Back – May 2015
A group of au pairs gathered at the NW Harvest warehouse yesterday to give back to their host community. 1 out of every 7 person in Washington is hungry. We are ranked 15th in the entire U.S. NW Harvest and APIA have partnered for a few years now lending a hand to help these statistics. We worked hard packing 5,368 pounds of edamame which would mean 4,129 meals for families around the state. The weather outside was gorgeous and au pairs had worked hard all week, so it was very special that these strong, caring young women took time from their cherished weekend to work so hard. Thank you, ladies!
Making Whale Sounds On Earth Day – April 2015
Happy Earth Day! Reps gathered from various parts of our shared globe – Italy, The Ukraine, Brazil, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand and Poland…and a raccoon and fish for good measure. We lounged in the sun, signed cougar petitions, took selfies, made whale sounds with PNW Native American flutists, and in between the songs of the big band, did a summer safety quiz!
Rollerskating the Rain Away – March 2015
A fantastic group of au pairs – seasoned and new – braved the rain and joined me at the rollerskating rink in Bellevue for a quick lesson for some of us less equipped on 8 wheels. We informally discussed safety elements of being an au pair outside of work hours. Online dating, buddy systems, and the recent issues at the UW fraternity parties. Safety is number one with our the kids in our trust, and also number one with those who take care of those kids!
Chocolate and Conversation – February 2015
Our sweet (pun intended) group of au pairs arrived ready to tour and eat our way through Theo Chocolate last Sunday. Despite the hairnets, it was a delight to learn the chocolate making process and do it with a group of wonderful young women. Then we got to sit by the fire for 1:1 chats about how the year was going and ways to cope through the winter doldrums….we can all agree, chocolate helps…
Baby Games and Taxes – January 2015
Our cluster of au pairs gathered in my home this past Sunday for a customized webinar by one of the official APIA trainers. The APs were polled and selected the topic, “Activity Time – Infants and Toddlers”. We got great ideas on how to entertain our host babies (keeping them safe above all), using puppets and potato stamps with toddlers and making wonderful Valentine’s projects with children of all ages. We then took a snack break to get to know one another more and circled back again to talk about TAXES. A nice discussion about a complex topic…with more on this to come…
Sharing Traditions – December 2014
Over 10 countries shared their unique holiday traditions this past Sunday in a host family home in Kirkland. We heard about beach Santa’s shorts in Mexico and South Africa, St Lucia’s red (blood) belt from Sweden, St Nikolas’s shoes from Germany, and many more stories of holiday spirit around the world. Then we stole gifts from one another in good fun and shared homemade sweets to take home and devour.
I’m the luckiest counselor around to have this crew of au pairs!
Scavenger Hunting – November 2014
A nameless group of au pairs set out on a quest to answer clues and find stores in Bellevue Square Mall. It was a spirited game with two groups vying for first place, but when there is leftover Halloween candy, everyone is a winner!
