Holiday Party

Once again we journeyed to Birmingham for a joint activity with the Birmingham cluster. Lucy hosted us at her home for snacks, conversation, and a game of dirty Santa gift giving. Eliana rode with me and we met up with Vero at the party. We missed Fernanda, who had to work. In the course of the dirty Santa game Eliana opened a pair of fuzzy socks and I opened a digital picture keychain. Someone "stole" the keychain from me, which left me without a gift, so I "stole" a Starbucks gift card from someone else. After the game we enjoyed some birthday cake in honor of Kerry of the Birmingham cluster.

December 2011 Newsletter

Welcome to December!

The holidays are here! Thanks to our diverse culture here in the US, there are many holidays to celebrate during December. Christmas is December 25; Hanukkah is celebrated between the 21st and the 28th this year; and Kwanzaa - celebrating African-American heritage and culture - is observed from December 26 to January 1. Whatever holiday your host family celebrates, this is a great opportunity for you to learn about American culture and share holiday traditions from your home country. Try cooking a traditional dish or teaching your host family's children your favorite holiday song from your childhood!

And of course, December 31 is New Year's Eve which everyone likes to celebrate - including host parents. Talk to your host family before making plans for that night as they may be expecting you to work. Au pairs can be asked to work on holidays.

Getting Ready for Winter

Although the calendar still says fall, winter weather is here. Don't forget to bundle up the kids when you take them to the park. Often the temperature warms up later in the day so dressing the little ones in layers is a good idea.

With the changing weather, driving conditions will often require extra caution. Wet or icy roads can be very slippery. If you will be driving, please slow down. Allow extra time when you need to pick up the children so you will not be rushed. Be careful and make sure everyone gets to their destination safely.

Growing AuPairCare in North Alabama

Do you know someone who is a small business owner? Would they be interested in partnering with AuPairCare? Contact me for more information!

December Au Pair Activity

Plan to join us for a combined Huntsville/Birmingham AuPairCare Holiday Party! It will be held at the home of Lucy Edwards, Area Director in Birmingham on Sunday, December 11th at 4pm. Please see the flyer in your inbox for more information.

Save These Dates

January 15 (Sunday) at 2pm, Ice Skating at Benton H. Wilcox Ice Complex

February 12 (Sunday) at 2pm, Mall Scavenger Hunt at Parkway Place Mall

Note: dates are subject to change if there's something fun we'd like to do that doesn't correspond with the dates I've chosen. Just let me know what you want to do!

Au Pair Birthdays

There are no Au Pair birthdays this month.

Arrivals/Departures

Arriving here on December 15 is Maria Lasprilla Suarez from Colombia. She will be living in Guntersville. Please join me in welcoming Maria to Alabama!

Painting Pottery

Fernanda met me at Pottery By You for our meeting this month and the two of us had a fun afternoon of painting pottery. Fernanda picked out a cute little sock monkey to paint. I brought 1.5-month-old Eli with me and used his tiny little feet to decorate a tile to match those of his brothers. In honor of the Veteran's Day holiday, the studio fees were waived, which was a nice little savings, so I painted a second piece to hold business cards. We were sad the other au pairs weren't able to join us, so this is activity I'll keep on the suggestion list and we'll try again in the future. It's a fun thing to do that also gives us a chance to chit-chat.

November 2011 Newsletter

Welcome to November!

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This unique American holiday commemorates the early settlers from Europe who arrived in America looking for a new life. After a particularly hard winter the year before, they celebrated a bountiful harvest with the native American people who showed them how to farm the land. Although it's not certain where the first Thanksgiving was held, it is generally believed to have occurred near Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The early Americans continued to celebrate Thanksgiving each year in the fall. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday.

Although most Americans no longer grow their own food, we still gather with family and friends to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for. The traditional Thanksgiving Day menu includes roast turkey stuffed with a mixture of bread and vegetables, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie for dessert. Although many of these foods may be new to you, I hope you will join your host family for this traditional meal!

Are You Looking For Travel Partners?

A big part of living abroad is experiencing the new country that you're living in. As you know, the United States is big and there are many places to visit. However, some au pairs may be uncomfortable traveling alone. Group travel is a good way to see parts of America that you may have only heard about or seen on TV. It's safe and easy to arrange. Au pairs can go camping under the stars, shop on Rodeo drive, hike in the desert, or take a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon.

Intrepid Travel is a great option for group travel, whether you are looking for an exciting way to spend part of your two weeks of vacation or you have finished your year and are planning to spend the extra month seeing the US. You have already lived across the world without your family for a year, so how about one more adventure? Please call 1-800-970-7299 or go to www.intrepidsuntrek.com for more information. Be sure to ask about the "Au Pair Fall Specials" and get a 30% discount on some of their fall trips! The New Year's Eve trip to Las Vegas always books up quickly!

Growing AuPairCare in North Alabama

Do you know someone who is a small business owner? Would they be interested in partnering with AuPairCare? Contact me for more information!

November Au Pair Activity

November 12 (Saturday) at 2pm, pottery painting at Pottery By You, 181 Hughes Road #9, Madison AL. Studio fees are $6 per person and pottery items start at $9.

Save These Dates

December 11 (Sunday), Christmas party with Birmingham group. Details TBA

January 15 (Sunday) at 2pm, Ice Skating at Benton H. Wilcoxon Ice Complex

Note: dates are subject to change if there's something fun we'd like to do that doesn't correspond with the dates I've chosen. Just let me know what you want to do!

Au Pair Birthdays

We have one birthday to celebrate this month: A very happy birthday to Vero on the 25th!!

Arrivals/Departures

There are no Au Pair arrivals or departures this month.

Host Family and Au Pair Day 2011

Our October activity was our annual Host Family and Au Pair Day! We were at The Little Gym at the Village of Providence again this year. Both my mom and sister-in-law were in town, having flown in to meet the newest little member of my family - Eli was born on September 22nd. Unfortunately only one host family was able to attend the event as one was on vacation for fall break, one was working, and one was celebrating a family birthday. Vero and Eliana (our newest au pair) were also there. The kids had a blast playing in the gym while everyone seemed able to find someone with something in common.

October 2011 Newsletter

Welcome to October!

This month we celebrate Halloween. Although this is a holiday that is celebrated all over the world, few countries celebrate to the extent that we do here in the United States. What used to be primarily a chidren's holiday has now become an opportunity for all ages to dress in costumes and have a good time. I hope you will be able to join your host family's children as they roam the neighborhood for "trick-or-treat".

Don't forget about safety at Halloween time! Young children should be accompanied by an adult when they go out trick-or-treating. Be sure to check all treats before allowing children to eat them. Costumes should be easy to move in and not pose a tripping hazard. If you are out after dark with the kids, be sure to carry flashlights and hold their hands when crossing the street. The same goes for grown-up partiers: Don't forget to keep yourself safe. Only go to parties where you know the people who are hosting the event. If you are out in the city, be aware of your surroundings. For those who are 21, drink responsibly and never drive if you have had anything alcoholic to drink!

It's Important to Keep In Touch

One of the many responsibilities of an Area Director is to keep in touch with all the au pairs and host families in the area. The Department of State rules require Area Directors to contact each host family and au pair once every month. This allows AuPairCare to make sure all au pairs are doing fine and answer any questions that may come up. Please assist me with this important communication by returning my call if I leave you a message. And if you have a cell phone, make sure that the voicemail is set up!

The monthly events are also a vital part of the au pair program. While class or work schedules can sometimes prevent you from attending an au pair activity, please try to attend whenever possible. It's important for our group to get to know each other and greet the new au pairs who have just arrived. I hope to see you at the next activity!

Growing AuPairCare in North Alabama

Do you know someone who is a small business owner? Would they be interested in partnering with AuPairCare? Contact me for more information!

October Au Pair Activity

unday 10/2 6:00-7:30pm: Host Family and Au Pair Day! This year's event will be at The Little Gym at The Village of Providence. Please watch your inboxes for an evite soon!

Save These Dates

November - Saturday 11/12 at 2pm: Pottery Painting at Pottery By You.

December - Sunday 12/11: Christmas party with Birmingham cluster. Details TBD

Note: dates are subject to change if there's something fun we'd like to do that doesn't correspond with the dates I've chosen. Just let me know what you want to do!

Au Pair Birthdays

There are no Au Pair birthdays this month.

Arrivals/Departures

There are no Au Pair arrivals or departures this month.

Hayride "Apollo 18"

Once again, the rain foiled our plans. Instead of a hayride at the Botanical Garden, we met at Monaco Pictures and decided on a space movie: "Apollo 18" It turned out to be a light horror. So we enjoyed some snacks and soda while watching alien rock creatures terrorize astronauts. We chatted a little after the movie and then headed home in the rain.