Tag Archives: APIA

NEVER leave a child alone in a car , even for a minute!

Outside Temperature : images-1

101º F

Inside Vehicle Temperature:

140º F

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open.

Teach children not to play in any vehicle.

Lock all  vehicle doors and trunk after everyone has exited  –especially  at home. Here is a great suggestion from one of my cluster’s host moms:

One thing I always do now—

ALWAYS Leave my door (drivers door) Wide OPEN when I get out of the car.  Then I unload the kids and ensure everyone is out before I go back and close my door. That way I know everyone is out before there is potential for locking anyone in. 

Keep  keys out of children’s reach.

Check vehicles and trunks FIRST if a child  goes missing.

 

 

Have a safe summer everyone:-)

 

February 2nd:Celebrating Groundhog day!

Traditionally, the groundhog is supposed to wake up on Februgroundhogary 2, and come up out
of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will return to the burrow for six more weeks
of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he remains outside and starts his year, because
he knows that spring has arrived early. In the U.S., the “official” groundhog is kept in
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and is called “Phil.” Though not based in science, it is a fun US tradition.And just a tradition it is,nothing else so don’t despair if the groundhog sees his shadow!
Spring will come around eventually….

On the next snow day,check out the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray….it is fun!

 

 

HOST FAMILY DAY AT QUINCY PARK IN ARLINGTON,VA

Kids collecting flag stickers from each country for their passports

Kids collecting flag stickers from each country for their passports

This past Sunday,the Au pair In America clusters of Arlington and Falls Church had their annual picnic with host families and au pairs and what a blast it was.The weather was just perfect to host this event and the location was very central to all of our host families.Here are a few of the many pictures we have from this event.

Our terrific face painters

Our terrific face painters

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Au Pair In America volunteers with AFAC

Today, a group of au pairs spent a few hours distributing fliers from AFAC for the letter carrier food drive that will take place all over Arlington on Saturday,May 11th.After a hearty breakfast at their community counselor’s house,they went off and covered the whole Yorktown neighborhood in Arlington.

Thank you girls for dedicating your time to such a wonderful cause.

For more information on ARLINGTON FOOD ASSISTANCE CENTER,  go to www.AFAC.org.

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Mark the date:  Stamp Out Hunger (our second largest one-day food drive) will be SATURDAY, MAY 11.  It’s a short trip to your mailbox!  Please leave non-perishable food items at your doorstep by 9:00 a.m. and your letter carrier will collect the items and deliver them to AFAC.  Recommended items include:  canned protein, low-sugar cereal, low-sodium soup or vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, and cooking oil in plastic bottles.  Help spread the word by telling your neighbors and others in your community!

TAX TIME

Au pairs from Au Pair In America’s clusters of Arlington,Falls Church and McLean will meet this week to learn more about tax filing .

Check with your community counselor for the date and don’t miss this very important informational meeting!

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Arlington,Falls Church and McLean APIA clusters enjoy an International Potluck Dinner…

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Last Saturday,au pairs from around the world enjoyed a wonderful meal with over 40 dishes that they carefully prepared and shared with their community counselors and each other. It was a carnival of colors and flavors and the 3 most popular dishes won  prizes.

We all feel very lucky to have such a group of gifted au pairs!

Bon Appetit!

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Kid’s Euro Festival in Washington DC

Kid’s Euro Festival Returns to Washington

If you are in the metro area,I hope you will take advantage of this free event that runs through November 14th.

As one of the local community counselors for Au Pair In America,I’d like to encourage  host families and au pairs to  check out the program of events and participate in any of the venues offered at  some of the major local cultural institutions. logoKEU08

The largest children’s performing arts festival in the United States, the “Kids Euro Festival,” began its month-long run in Washington, D.C. on October 17. Offering over 200 free events, the annual program seeks to introduce the diversity of European culture to children and families from all over the area. Embassies of the 27 European Union member states will present a variety of activities, from mime acts and puppets to concerts and film screenings. The event was first created in 2008 to coincide with the French presidency of the European Union, and the French-American Cultural Foundation helps make the series possible.

FALL IS HERE….

imagesFun things to do with your kids during this season……

When a crisp fall air invites you outside for a walk, gather some brightly colored leaves. Press them in sheets of newspaper under heavy books for a few weeks. When they have dried they will still have their bright colors and can be glued onto paper.

Make leaf prints by painting one side of a leaf with tempera paint and then pressing it down gently into paper to form the leaf pattern. Make designs for fun, or use large sheets of paper (like tissue paper, brown paper or even newspaper) and save the painted paper to use as gift-wrap.

Place some leaves between pieces of wax paper and iron. This will keep them from crumbling and give the leaves a glossy sheen. You can then glue them onto paper- try adding bits of bark or seeds too.

Try putting leaves between pieces of clear contact paper. You can hang them in the window or use them as place mats.

Fall is apple season. Apples come in many varieties, colors, shapes and sizes. Some are wonderful to munch on, others best when cooked. Regardless of the variety, apple-picking is a fun activity. Please check your local newspaper, especially the Week-end section, to find out about local farms that offer apple-picking and hay rides.

Recipe for applesauce:

Remove the core and quarter the apples. If you leave the peel on during cooking it will give the applesauce a pink color. When the apples are very soft, remove any peel that is left, mash the pulp or put it through a sieve. Add sugar if needed.

Recipe for dried apple rings:

Peel, core and slice as many apples as you like into 1/8 inch rings; Macintosh or golden delicious apples work best. Dip each ring into a mixture of lemon juice and water to help the apples keep their color. Pull a piece of string through the center of each ring and hang in a dry, warm place. They take 1-2 weeks to dry and become chewy.

This makes an easy and nutritious snack!

Are we feeding kids the right food?

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On Tuesday,April 10th 2012,au pairs representing more than 10 countries came together to learn about healthy food and snack choices at their local WholeFoods store in Clarendon.

Everyone knows the importance food has on our body and for those young women who come from different parts of the world, our grocery stores can be a bit overwhelming,to say the least. So we wanted to give them an opportunity to look beyond the Mac”n’Cheese or Peanut butter and jelly sandwich many of our kids have for lunch or snack and introduce them to new ideas.

Thanks to our 2 hosts at WholeFoods in Clarendon,Brenna and Jaquie, and their community outreach program,au pairs from Au Pair in America tasted various snacks and learned some tips on how to shop smart while buying fresh and healthy products and still staying on a budget.They also left with wonderful recipes to share with their host families and the kids they are in charge of.

Brenna and Jaquie made the au pairs aware of the many possibilities they have to help kids eat better food.They pointed out the danger of too much fat and sugar in some pre-made snacks and gave them some ideas on how to replace them with “made from scratch” products. We don’t know of any parent who would object to having their child eat or at least try healthier food.

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To learn more about WholeFoods and their mission,visit your local store or  go on the web at www.wholefoods.com