Where is our cluster going today?
To the Warner Theatre to enjoy the spectacular Nutcracker Ballet with their host families!
To the Warner Theatre to enjoy the spectacular Nutcracker Ballet with their host families!
On November 12, our cluster of Arlington and Falls Church got together in the parish hall of the Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church to prepare snacks for D.C Central Kitchen.
For a couple of hours,we mixed up a whole bunch of cherios,pretzels,M&Ms,chocolate chips,raisins ,marshmallows and peanuts and ended up with 512 individual servings of snack mix.We stopped as we run out of cherios and pretzels,so I bought a few more boxes and finished everything on Monday with the help of Fernanda, au pair from Chile,Amanda and Lilian ,aupairs from Brazil!
Everyone participating enjoyed the interaction and felt good about being able to GIVE!
A big thank you to our host families,host children,au pairs for participating and to Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church for providing us with the space.
Here are a few pictures:
A few dates to remember:
This is a Mexican holiday marked by celebrations, special foods, reunions and visits to cemeteries. For more information visit www.mexconnect.com/mex_/muertos.html.
Would you like to know more about the American political system? Check out http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ for a simple presentation of information about the US government including elections. Talk to the children about what you learned and create an Election Day theme at home: decorate in red, white and blue (how about colored napkins on the table?) Put out an American flag, and serve red, white and blue snacks. Blue and white corn chips with red salsa, vanilla ice cream with strawberries and blueberries or layers of colored Jell-o served with whipped cream.
Move your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night and enjoy the extra hour of sleep…
A day to honor American veterans of all wars, Veteran’s Day is a federal holiday. You can find some suggestions of activities to do with children at www.va.gov/KIDS/.
Mickey Mouse was created in 1928! Celebrate his birthday with Mickey Mouse pancakes:
Ingredients:
Beat all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Grease a griddle or frying pan. For each pancake pour batter into one large circle and two smaller circles at the top to make a Mickey Mouse. Cook until pancake is puffed and dry around the edges. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown. Use chocolate chips for eyes if you want.
More information on this very special American holiday will be posted on November 15th,so come back and check!
FALL IS FINALLY HERE AND WITH IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE MANY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES TO DO IN YOUR AREA .
HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS FOR YOU:
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!
Fall is also pumpkin season .You can find some at the market,the grocery store or at the farm. To find a pumpkin patch near you,click here .
HAVE FUN !
Today,many families accross the globe celebrate Rosh Hashannah!
Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish Holiday commonly referred to as the Jewish New Year. It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the high Holidays specifically set aside to focus on repentance that concludes with the holiday of Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar. It is the New Year for people, animals, and legal contracts. Jewish people believe Rosh Hashanah represents either analogically or literally the creation of the World, or Universe.
On Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people all over the world gather in synagogues to celebrate the day. The holiday is celebrated with sweet foods, like apples dipped in honey and honey cake and round Challot made with honey and raisins as a wish for a sweet year.
Rosh Hashanah is observed today and tomorrow. We wish all of our Jewish host families, au pairs and friends a very Happy Holiday.
Well,it is that time of the year when our host children head back to school again!
Last Friday, au pairs from the Arlington and Falls Church APIA’s cluster met at their community counselor’s home for pizza and a discussion about School Bus Stopping Laws and how to best minimize Morning Madness as well as Homework Hassles.They all picked up information on each subject with the hope that this will help them adjust to the Back to school schedule and routine.Let’s wish them all the best for this new school year.
The APIA au pairs from Northern Virginia and their counselors enjoyed a lovely day on the Shenandoah River !
We rented canoes and kayaks and spent as much as 4 hours paddling down the river and swimming.
What a great way to stay cool:
Another fun way to spend a hot summer day is at the movies:
Take your kids to a free or almost free movie.There are a few theaters in the area offering free or $1 kid’s movies during the Summer.Check them out and make it a field trip for you and your host children. Check these websites to see if they are offered in your area:
FUN IN THE SUN
Source: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/tanning.htm
Babies under 6 months:
For All Other Children:
POOL SAFETY
Source: http://www.aap.org/family/tipppool.htm
PLAYGROUND SAFETY
Source: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/maytra.htm
Source: http://www.aap.org/family/playgrd.htm
The playground should have safety-tested mats or loose-fill materials (shredded rubber, sand, wood chips, or bark) maintained to a depth of at least 9 inches. The protective surface should be installed at least 6 feet (more for swings and slides) in all directions from the equipment.
SKATEBOARD, SCOOTER, IN-LINE SKATING AND HEELYS SAFETY
Source: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/marskate.htm
Children should never ride skateboards or scooters in or near traffic.
HAVE A FUN SUMMER!
Flying the American flag is more popular than ever. It is a symbol of the country’s values and traditions. The design has particular significance. Its 13 red and white stripes represent the original colonies, and the 50 stars stand for the states. You might also want to use this day to teach the children about your own flag. You can find a printout of the American flag and flags of many other countries in the Kids Culture Corner: www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/kids/culture_corner/.