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!
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!
Another gorgeous day with our au pair community. A big group of APIA au pairs milled around the Issaquah Salmon Days festival this past Sunday, shopping, eating and connecting. Some of us watched the salmon swim, while others just ate them, loving the PNW all the while.
Over 60 au pairs and the APIA counselors of WA climbed to the top of Paradise on Mt Rainier this past weekend. The hike was short, but hot this weekend (same weekend last year was hailing!). We chased chipmunks, smelled wild flowers and made new friends. Thanks to all who came and made our community day together so special.
A very spectacular day for our APIA community. Over 125 people – host families and au pairs – tattooed the children, threw flyers around a beach, colored the world, sang a happy birthday, scavenger hunted the cultural way, ate dishes from around the globe and ended our fun with a good ole’ water balloon toss with kids and their sweet care givers. What fun! Thank you all who attended and made this day so wonderful!
Au Pairs from over 12 different countries spent a good portion of their hard-earned Saturday off to help the hungry of WA state. This past November, our cluster of au pairs helped to collect over $14,000 for NW Harvest at a Seahawks game and this past weekend another group of au pairs helped to pack over 13,000 pounds of apples that will be distributed to centers around the state to assist hungry families. Apples were purchased or donated from farms in Eastern WA and our group made, labeled, filled and closed up boxes of these apples that will then go out in refrigerated trucks around the Greater Seattle and Tacoma areas helping those who need help. (WA is the 15th hungriest state in the US.) These au pairs pictured below should be very proud of this hard work and the time and energy donated to something larger than any one of us!
Au Pairs hit the rink at Southgate Rollerrink in West Seattle this month. We took the lesson and then joined the families to skate around to the hits. Very American!
Our cluster gathered this month in my home to really get to know each other better and talk about ourselves and this magical exchange experience. We began with ice breakers…it IS hard to pass an orange with no hands; moved on to crafting St Patty’s Day necklaces for the host kids (and ourselves!); did a scavenger hunt of “find a person who…”; shared our green and rainbowed international dishes; and ended hearing about each other’s wishes for their year in the U.S. These young women have traveled far (from France, Mexico, South Africa, Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Panama, Colombia, Italy, Sweden and Spain) to travel so deeply within themselves. I’m blessed to be a part of their journey.
Au pairs (along with one host family!) came to tour Theo Chocolate this month. It was a very informative walk through the factory (with stylish hairnets) that ending in unending chocolate and a couch for conversations.
Nearly 20 of us took over the Starbucks in Pioneer Square this month to talk about taxes, childcare issues that we needed more minds put to solving and future planning. Our au pairs always amaze me with their great ideas, wisdom and practical advise. As a mom, I always come away with new tricks to try! Off to a great start of 2014…
