Here is something fun to do with the kids:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and one teaspoon each of the following: cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and nutmeg. In a smaller bowl, beat 3/4 cup brown sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 egg, 2/3 cup of molasses and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut out cookies with cookie cutters. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. Place on a rack to cool and then decorate!

Every family and culture has their own holiday celebrations. Aupairs embrace those of their host family and share some of their own.

Many Christians and non-Christians in the US celebrate Christmas Day on December 25. Kwanzaa, a festive, non-religious African American celebration started in 1966 and is celebrated on December 26. It lasts for seven days. On each eay a candle is lit and the day focuses on one of seven principles. A previous post talked about Chanakah.

Every family celebrates the holidays differently. Share whatever your own family does in your native country with your host family and ask them to do the same!

Chanukah is a celebration in the Jewish faith also known as the Festival of Lights. It started at sundown on Dec. 9 and will last for 8 days. It is traditional to exchange gifts or glet (Yiddish for money) either real coinage or chocolate wrapped in gold foil, to light candles every night and to play games with a four-sided top called a dreidel.

13 aupairs from our cluster attended a performance of The Living Christmas Tree at The First Baptist Church of Alexandria on Sunday, December 9. Aupairs then joined their counselor at her home for a holiday party, with homemade holiday cookies and sherbert punch.

Shopping for your host children? Check with your host families before purchasing a toy that requires close supervision. Remember that younger children also can have access to a toy purchased for older children. Always ask first before purchasing.

Driving during the holidays  can be challenging as traffic increases. Leave earlier and take your time.

Healthy Eating- be careful of too many sweets with children, and be careful of that with yourselves too!

November 12 marks the official celebration of this holiday. It is celebrated by honoring both living and deceased members of the US Armed Services. Yesterday, our president and vice-president traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. If you have not visited Arlington National Cemetery as yet, you should do so and watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony. The American people value the contributions of members of our Armed Services to the welfare of the country.

Our aupairs continue to watch the election process in the US as developments play out in the media. As residents of other countries, they might follow similar election processes, but none so “American” as ours.

Aupairs, this is a good time to discuss with older children how the election process in your country is similar or different from the process in the US. Perhaps you come from a country that has a king or a queen who never has to be elected or re-elected! Your countrymen probably vote for prime ministers or other officials. Discuss all of this with your host families as we all watch our election returns.

The World Series is the championship games of Major League Baseball in North America, played in October after the end of the regular season between the winners of the American and National Leagues. There is a best of seven playoff, meaning the first team to win 4 games wins the series. This has been an annual event since 1903. Baseball is so popular in the US that sometimes it is called the “national pastime”. The rules of baseball can be found at http://aupairinameric.com/resource/life_in_the_us/baseball.asp.