M & S posing next to their pumpkin 🙂
Jack O’Lantern peppers!! What a great idea 🙂
Johanna from Colombia showing off her finished product!
How creative!! 🙂
Thanks to all of you who contributed responses (pictures) to our pumpkin contest! We had a really hard time choosing the winning entry. In the end, we went with:
AGNES from Austria (as well as her two helpers) and her pumpkin + Jack O’Lantern peppers! Well done!! 🙂
The first step is hollowing out the pumpkin. Use a keyhole saw to cut the hole. If you’ll be using a candle for illumination, you can cut the hole in the pumpkin’s top (always put the candle in a high-sided glass, and never leave unattended). For electric lights, make the hole in the bottom or side so you can hide the cord.
Scoop out flesh, pulp, and seeds with a plaster scraper or fleshing tool.
Now it’s time to transfer your selected designs (use a pumpkin template or draw your own). Affix it to the pumpkin, and trace the design by poking holes with a needle tool or T-pin.
Remove the template and carve along the pattern with a miniature saw or linoleum carving tool.
You can also get creative with patterns and designs using pumpkin-carving tools.
If desired, place candles, small flashlights, or battery-operated light sources inside your pumpkin.
Tip: Prevent exposed areas of the pumpkin’s flesh from turning brown by applying a film of Vaseline.
To illuminate a carved pumpkin, use battery-operated lights, candles, or string lights. If using a candle, place it in a glass or votive holder, and cut a hole in the top/back of the pumpkin for ventilation.
Today, we met at Panera Bread to talk about Halloween (shared some safety tips as well as “how to carve a pumpkin” instructions) and discussed the au pairs’ Global Awareness Presentations (our mission is to introduce young children to other cultures and help them form a positive first impression of people from other cultures).
We also welcomed Agnes who just arrived from Austria!! 🙂
Left to right: Zuzana from Czech Republic, Saaynaam from Thailand, Johanna from Colombia, Annerien from South Africa, Nut from Thailand, and Agnes from Austria.
Johanna from Colombia and Nut from Thailand received their Education Certificate after fulfilling the educational component of the program (6 credits or approx. 72 classroom hours at an accredited Post-secondary institution).
…and handed out some APIA Certificates of completion! 🙂
P.S.: Don’t forget, pics for our Pumpkin Carving Contest must be submitted before November 2nd!!
San Antonio host families as well as their children and au pairs got together for our annual Host Family Day this past weekend.
After a round of Diversity Bingo, the au pairs entertained the children with face painting, games, and cultural traditions, while the parents got to interact and share experiences.
Thanks to our wonderful au pairs, we all got to enjoy yummy country-specific dishes:
South African milk tarts, Colombian salted potatoes (with hot sauce) and guacamole, Czech strudel, and Swedish meatballs!
Needless to say, we all had a wonderful time 🙂
For this month’s cluster meeting we visited Monster Mini Golf (a themed glow in the dark 18 hole miniature golf course off NW Military Hwy). For many of the Au Pairs, this was their first time playing mini golf (they all did great!!) and it was a wonderful day of golf, conversation, and fun!
From left to right: Johanna from Colombia, Nut from Thailand, Caroline from Sweden, Annerien from South Africa, Elena from Costa Rica (in pink), and then Zuzana and Hana from Czech Republic.
Ivet & Hana, Elena & Zuzana, and Saaynaam & Nut
The girls showing of their Painted Plate projects 🙂
We stopped for some Subway after the game
Love the enthusiasm 🙂
Caroline from Sweden & Annerien from South Africa
Annerien, Caroline with Johanna from Colombia Hana and Iveta from Czech Republic
Saaynaam and Nut from Thailand
To see more pictures, please visit Texas Pack and Paddle’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152398965876888.1073742023.107903396887&type=1
At our last cluster meeting, our scheduled Movie Night actually turned into a “Spurs Night” as we all decided to watch the Spurs vs. Thunder (Oklahoma City) basketball game instead
– after all, it is the 2014 NBA Playoffs!!
Luckily, the Spurs won by 17 points and we all got to celebrate by
testing all kinds of yummy baked goods!!
Oh, and we also had our annual Au Pair Birthday Party, to celebrate everybody’s birthdays!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AU PAIRS!!! 🙂
And as for the baking contest, the winner was….
ANNERIEN,
thanks to her amazing South African Milk Tart!!!! 🙂
Thanks for coming, guys!!
Hope you all had a great night!! 🙂
Some of the girls decided to visit the Enchanted Rock. Looks like a great time! 🙂
The Enchanted Rock is a distinctive 500 ft. high dome of pink granite, the second largest in North America. It is designated a National Natural Landmark and is an impressive geological feature. The rock was formed over one billion years ago (making it among the oldest exposed rocks in the U.S.) as molten lava rose up from the center of the Earth, then cooled before surfacing.
From the left: Annerien from South Africa, Caroline from Sweden, and Lisa from Germany
The park offers something for everyone: visitors can enjoy primitive backpacking, camping, hiking, rock climbing, picnicking, geological study, bird watching, and star gazing. It is located 18 miles north of Fredericksburg on Ranch Road 965. From Lano, take State Highway 16 for 14 miles and then go west on Ranch Road 965.
Jump for joy 🙂
Want to learn more about the Enchanted Rock? Visit:
My sporty au pair, Caroline (from Sweden) and her friends signed up for the Neon Dash San Antonio, a night time color 5k event, last weekend. The money went to a chosen charity and people of all ages came out to complete the course – and had a BLAST while doing it!
All runners started out in a pristine sea of white:
And finished looking something like this:
Great job, guys!! 🙂
Sounds like fun? Check out this website for upcoming walks/runs:
http://events.mysanantonio.com/san-antonio-tx/events/san+antonio+run+walk+events
