Eleventh week

Hellooo,

This week we had a quiet week and took it easy with contact with others, but that doesn't mean that we didn't do something fun!

It was a super fun week and I have laughed so hard! Monday Emmett, Ainsley and me had a little danceparty in the living room. I brought my music box down and played Disney music. Emmett really loves the songs from Frozen and Trolls, so I played that songs. We all started dancing and singing, it was so much fun! We also decorated the house already a little bit for Christmas, Ainsley really wanted to start decorating already so we put the little Christmas tree out.

We did so much different things too. We didn't go outside everyday anymore, but did a lot of fun stuff inside. We played in the basement with big blocks were Emmett made it into a house. We colored a lot and did some crafts. My creativity came out again, what was gone for a long time hahah. I started to make a mini Santa Claus and then I helped the kids making their own. Everything in the Christmas spirit already haha.

We didn't stay at home all week of course, we also went outside! I took Ainsley outside to practice more how to roller skate and she is doing great!! Also the kids got 'big kids' scooters what they of course wanted to ride right away. They got so excited about the scooters and played outside with the kids from the street.

Wednesday evening I had a Zoom meeting with my LCC group. We did a Thanksgiving bingo! It was fun and we also talked for a little with each other. AND!!! I WON, together with Beckie. The winners won a homemade banana bread from Tina (my lcc). When I arrived all the girls told me that Tina's banana bread is the best and I really should try it! So now finally I can tast it myself :). Also Leah has been told that Tina's banana bread are the best, so after the bingo I told her that I won and that we finally could try the famous banana bread haha.

I cooked again this week!! And this week I made something special... Ratatouille! I never made it before in my life, so I wanted to give it a try. It ended up pretty good and I was very proud of myself haha. It wasn't that hard to make, it only takes a long time to prepare it and cook it. It was a nice recipe and we all liked it.

On Friday Ryan and Leah had there 10th anniversary! We had to celebrate that of course. Their plan was to go to California together to celebrate over there, but because of Covid they didn't. I still wanted to make this day special for them so I started to bake a cake for them and with the kids we made colorings for them and decorated the house a little. I tried to make a really really beautiful cake, but it ended up to be this... (picture above) I thought I was better in baking then I thought haha. But it was still a delicious cake and it is about the gesture right? :)

Weekend

My weekend was a big differents with my normal weekend, because of the new Covid rules and that we had to be more careful with contact with others. I spend my Saturday at home almost all day, some people and au pairs really love it to stay at home 1 day a week and doing nothing. I'm not that kind of person, I really want to do things and I can't stay at home all day. I tried, but I didn't worked out. The good thing about staying at home is that you can compleet things that you had to do, so I did some different things on my computer in the morning and in the afternoon, when the family went to Emmett's soccer practice I stayed at home and started to craft some things with the theme of thanksgiving.

After being creative I started to text some close friends of mine if they wanted to do something tonight and tomorrow, because I didn't had any plans for Sunday yet. Beckie answered and we bent to Dunkin Donuts together to grap something to drink and we went to a little park, there we talked a lot about everything. We also talked about her rematch program. She is going in rematch, what means that she is leaving her current family and is looking for an other family. The reason why au pairs go in rematch can depends on many things. Sometimes when you arrive here you found out that the family isn't what you thought they were in the beginning or that you found out that you and your host family aren't a good match. And with Beckie the last thing was her reason to go in rematch. She had a really great time there, but it wasn't a good match, they are so different that it didn't worked out anymore.

Sunday it was a really fun day! I went to the Great Falls with Karolina and her friend, Christina. This time we went to the Maryland side. last time I went to the Great Falls I also was with Karolina and then we went to the Virginia side, that side was already beautiful and the we were talking about that we should go to the Maryland side too one day. Today was that day! We walked the Billy Goat trail and it was beautiful, fun and really cool! I really like to go hiking and also the more difficult hiking trails, like this one.

We went there early in the morning, at 8.30am and started our hike right away. This hike was more difficult what I really like and I thought it was so cool. We had to climb a steep wall and walked on top of big rocks. We had fun with the 3 of us. At 11.30 I was back home and I had some lunch. At noon Leah and the kids started to paint the ornaments that they made yesterday evening. Leah told me that when they were younger they also made the home made ornaments in pre-school or daycare. This year Leah wanted to try it with the kids herself. Yesterday evening she and Ainsley started to make the dough with salt, flower and water. We made them into Christmas shapes and they Leah put them in the oven, then they will be getting hard and you can paint them. (before I went to Beckie I helped a little with cutting out the shapes.

Today we started to paint them. We all painted a few and it was fun! We also Listened to Christmas music. :) When they are finished we can hang them into the tree.

At 2pm I met Josefine a German au pair that arrived last week in our lcc group. I met her for the first time at the lcc meeting last weekend. We went to Rockville together and bought a drink at Starbucks and enjoyed the Christmas decorations and talked a lot together. After that we went to Rock Creek National Park and walked there for a little until it was getting dark. I drove Josefine back home and I after I had a fun night with my host familie.

Ambassador

From this moment I can all myself a Cultural Cara Ambassador!! Last week a girl from CC that I helped me with my au pair adventure when I was back in The Netherlands. She asked me if I wanted to be an ambassador, because I am really active on social media about my au pair adventure.

Being an ambassador means different things, you can choose what you want to do and how many. You can be a buddy for a new au pair that just got her match with her host family, you can share your experience on social media, like with a blog, on instagram, twitter, YouTube, whatever you want or you can do a take-over on the instagram from CC. You can also help your lcc a little and organize some 'meetings' and welcome the new au pairs in your lcc group.

This was my week and next week de Holliday season starts!! Thanksgiving is on Thursday and I’m so excited about it! Finally my first Thanksgiving! I’m so curious, I want to experiance the typical American Holliday and why every American is so excited about it! I’m sure we will find a good way to celebrate it. My host family is so sweet and really try their best to give me the best Thanksgiving experience. :)

Love,

Naomi