Beginning Friday, Oct. 14 through Nov. 10, 27 European countries and their embassies will be sponsoring a performing arts festival for area children, ages 2 through 12, in cooperation with several different venues in our area. For more information, go to www.kidseurofestival.org or call 202-944-6558. Some performances require reservations.
Yearly Archives: 2011
Events to Enjoy This Week!
My aupairs and their school aged kids might enjoy a visit to:
The Godspeed, a re-creation of one of the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia.
The ship will be docked at the north end of the Alexandria City Marina, adjacent to Founders Park near the intersection of North Union and Queen St and is open for free tours from 3-6pm Oct. 4-7 from 10am to 1pm and Oct. 8-9 from 10am to 6pm.
ALSO
West End Festival at Ben Brennan Park on Duke St across from Charles Beatley Library this Saturday 10am-7pm and Sunday, 10am-5pm. Food, entertainment, arts and crafts. Check it out!
AND
Taste of DC. Oct 8,9 and 10 on Pennsylvania Avenue NW with live performances by Styx, Big and Rich, Rusted Root and Ed Kowalczyk, lead singer with LIVE. Go to www.thetasteofdc.org and save $5 if you buy tickets online
DelRay Arts Festival
Del Ray Arts Festival- something for everyone in our cluster!
Food, Fun, early Christmas shopping! 10am-6pm, Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2, Upper Mt. Vernon Avenue area.
More Things to Do this Weekend
Sept 24-25 Das Best Oktoberfest at National Harbor, MD. (right across the Wilson Bridge). Noon to 6pm. $25 admission. Fun for aupairs of legal age.
Sept 25- Latino Festival in Colombia Heights, MD from noon-7 with a parade beginning at 1:30pm. See www.fiestadc.org. Best way to go is to take Metro, blue or yellow line, to L’Enfant Plaza and then take green line to Colombia Heights. This is a well known and big area happening.
Things to Do this Weekend for Our Cluster
Interested in the history of Alexandria? Download a museum day ticket from www.smithsonian.com/museumday, and you will receive free admission for two people to Gatsby’s Tavern Museum, located at 134 North Royal St, Alexandria Archaelogy Museum, located inside the Torpedo Factory Art Center on the waterfront, and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum at 105-107 South Fairfax St.
Driving Tips for AuPairs
Seat belts must be buckled and seats must be adjusted for all.
Mirrors must be adjusted before the car moves
Make sure you look before backing up. Little people or objects may be behind you that you cannot see in your mirrors.
Come to a full stop at every STOP sign and every “right on RED”. Very important
Be careful of other drivers. Sometimes they do unexpected things.
It is a good idea not to have any music or radio playing while you are driving. You may not be able to hear what is going on around you.
Never, never talk on a cell phone or text while driving.
Never, never drink and drive. Never have open alcohol in the car.
Yellow lights mean be prepared to stop.
Keep the car neat inside, and keep the tank half full at all times
Windshield wipers and lights need to be on if it is raining or snowing
Be very careful of driving in a school zone.
When a stopped school bus has it lights on, do not pass it in either direction. If lights are flashing, it is about to stop.
Host Family/Aupair/Counselor Picnic
Here are some aupairs (and their counselor) enjoying the great weather, food and fun at this year’s annual picnic. Donations of new and gently used children’s books were collected and given to The Yellow Ribbon Fund for children living at Ft. Belvoir, in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Rainy Day "Sandbox"
Looking for something for your little ones to do on a rainy/colder day? Take a big plastic box with a lid- fill it with rice or dried beans. Put your toddler in it (with the top off!- and give him/her cups, spoons etc. When it is time to clean up, simply put the lid on it and put the plastic box away.
Weekend Ideas for Aupairs
Sat. Sept 10- Rosslyn Jazz Festival at Gateway Park in Arlington-www.rosslynva.org. Free festival with headliner Dee Dee Bridgewater and others and a street party on Lee Highway featuring food and crafts. Located two blocks from Rosslyn Metro.
Sat Sept 10 and Sun. Sept 11. -Alexandria Festival of the Arts www.alexandria@VisitAlexVA.com. Located on King St between South Washington and Union Streets with over 200 artists.
There will be many observances of the 10th anniversary of “9/11” in this area this weekend. The Museum of American History, located on The National Mall, has a special exhibit open from 11am-3pm through Sept 11 and the Newseum – www.newseum.org , in downtown Washington also has an exhibit and is offered free admission for this weekend.
Nats Game!
Here are a few of our aupairs attending a Nationals Game in August. We had a great time (until it thunderstormed!)