Feelings of being back

It has been four years since I moved out of the house and away from my  host family on the other side of the Atlantic. The family I used to be an au pair for is big – six people, three cats, two snakes, fish tank and a dog who I still hold very near and dear.

The family and I became very close and I try to go back to visit them as often as I can, but it had been almost two years ago since I saw them last.  Before I left the last time the youngest of the four children was shorter than my shoulders. Now, two years later, both younger children are well over a head taller than me. For the first time I could no longer tell my host mom Karen that I will take the “small kids” (referring to both their size and their age) for ice cream.

 In the time since I last saw them, the kids had swapped their favorite Mountain Dew soft drink for coffee and traded riding Ripsticks for cars. The funny thing is that despite all these changes, seeing my family again was as if no time passed. We picked up right where we left off. The sweet greeting extended to the always happy but now also much older dog. The black Labrador had a matching set of white gray hair to the white beard around his mouth.

As soon as I walk up the driveway I know it’s only seconds until I have my American family back in my arms. That feeling of having a second family makes me feel so rich, having a family that loves me, open up their house and who welcomes me to stay there as long as I want.

I feel truly blessed to have found my second family in the USA.

Take the opportunity to go outside!

The spring sun is melting away the last signs of winter and all around town you can see people closing their eyes and looking up toward the warmth to soak it in. The sunlight does so much for us, including lifting our moods, so I would like to share some of the activities I used to do with my host children when spring rolled around in California. I had 4 wonderful children ranging in age from 6 to 12. They were a whole lot of fun, but that also came with a load of energy that I preferred to have drained outside of the house. 

 By bringing a few things to the closest park I would create an obstacle course. You can bring a lot more than these things but here are some of my favorites:

• Jump rope 
• Soccer ball 
• A stop watch (cell phone works, too) 
• A stick 
• Water bottles (it gets hot!) 
• And of course a snack or treat for the children when done.

The obstacle course could take any shape or form depending on how many children are participating, but I usually placed some rocks or sticks out to serve as “cones." You would then have one station where they could run zigzag and another one where they could run backwards or do a crabwalk. Children love to do “animal” imitations. 

Let your and your children’s imaginations run wild! They also like to be in charge of different stations.

The jump rope could be used in many ways, such as a balance line. The soccer ball is a great addition for passing around by throwing or kicking.

Just 30 minutes to an hour with these activities and you will have tired children and happy host parents.

Start the clock today and let the best time win!