Tag Archives: toddler

APIA Joins March of Dimes March for Babies – May 2013

A small, but dedicated group of APIA au pairs got up early on a Saturday to show their support of the March of Dimes and help celebrate 75 years of this amazing organization.  With the streets of downtown closed, we walked and talked thinking about the reasons why.  The money we  raised, with the help of our generous host families and their employers, supports March of Dimes programs in our WA communities that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it will fund research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies.  We were quite proud to march for this mission!

part of the APIA marching for babies team

Germany represents here in WA

St. Patrick's Day Wishes for a Year Abroad – March 2013

Our cluster gathered at my home to talk first about taxes and then about wishes!  A green bowl was passed around where au pairs could put anonymously her wishes (a la leprechaun) for her year in the U.S.  Many wanted to improve their English, make lasting friendships, learn about themselves, travel the U.S. with a must stop in Hawaii and perhaps meet a lovely U.S. American boy during their stay.  Our green dishes went from the savory stuffed green peppers to green tea balls and almost everything green in between.  Wonderful spending the afternoon with such a diverse, smart, caring group of young women with independent goals, but many shared wishes…

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Chocolate Chicks – February 2013

Our multi-national group traveled to the funky Fremont neighborhood to have some month-appropriate samples of the good stuff made at Theo Chocolate.  We enjoyed nibs, 45% milk, 75% dark, and tossed a few caramels back for good measure.  The tour was very informative with a most fun guide and he too enjoyed our diversity!  Although Brazil was the only country where some cocoa beans came from for Theo and APIA also represented, the ladies all represented their countries with great class and personality.  I was happy to be amongst sweets with all the APIA smiling sweets.

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Au Pairs Discuss the Hot Spots for Toddlers when it Rains – January 2013

A group of au pairs currently residing in and around Seattle/Bellevue talk about where they like to bring the children under their care.  In addition to the various libraries, malls and restaurants with indoor play areas, popular hot spots included, the Seattle Aquarium, Kidz Bounce in Issaquah, SkyMania Trampolines in Kirkland, the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, the Seattle Gymnastic Academy in various locations and even the Woodland Park Zoo (although admittedly challenging to find many animals willing to brave the rain!).  After our conversations, several headed out to the Underground Tour – a fine and fun escape from the rain!

the great seattle debate - what to do in the winter rainy season

Home Country Traditions and Holidays Abroad – December 2012

Over 50 au pairs met in a host family home in Medina on Sunday to share their home country holiday traditions in the form of dance, song, word and cookie.  Treats were exchanged in an old fashioned cookie swap – including Korean shrimp puffs – and gifts were exchanged (and then stolen) in a just-for-fun white elephant/Yankee swap.  Au Pair In America wishes everyone a wonderful holiday – especially those experiencing it for the first time abroad!

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200 Trees Planted in One Day – November 2012

An amazing group of women from all corners of the globe joined Nature Consortium in the Duwamish Green Belt yesterday.  After planting over 200 trees and bushes in the forest that runs from West Seattle to Burien, the au pairs and others then protected our newly planted friends by mulching over 1000 square feet of forest.  All this accompanied by some clarinet music, making the scene feel a bit out of a movie…  It surely was not a Saturday spent lounging about, but we felt good to know that all this hard work would yield a more healthy forest for years to come.  Nice to affect our  carbon foot prints…just a little bit.

Kim Marie (Germany), Martyna (Poland) and Ashley (Korea) pause for a quick shot.

Kim Marie (Germany), Martyna (Poland) and Ashley (Korea)

One of many new young trees to take over for the 100 year-old departed/dying trees here in the Duwamish Green Belt.

Baby trees set to replace the 100 year old dying ones in the forest.

Salmon Take Flight – October 2012

Au pairs gathered in Issaquah at the Salmon Hatchery to learn how important these fish are to our ecosystem here in the PNW.  They saw the salmon as fry all the way to those set free in the ocean to be dinner for our orca whale population.  And in perfect Seattle fashion, the rain came down on our event!  Thanks to the group who came and who stayed…and later enjoyed some pizza and conversation in a dryer environment.

salmon oct

salmon movie

Conquering the Sunrise (slope of Mt Rainier) – September 2012

46 au pairs from over 12 countries hiked together making new friends and discovering new muscles as they took in the breathtaking landscape of the Sunrise slope of Mt. Rainier National Park.  We shared our lunches and our languages at the summit and had a lovely day relishing in the joy of living in WA state…at least for this year in our lives!

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Summer Concert Fun – August 2012

Au Pairs gathered in West Seattle for the final free concert of the season at Hiawatha Community Center .  We shared international dishes such as Mexican tacos, Korean kimchi rice balls, Swedish cinnamon rolls and, of course, pizza.  Watching children dance to local music was sure a nice way to spend an evening in our beloved Seattle.

Cultures combine in the rays of the sun.