Fall Hike & Chinese Food (Yummy!)

Taking a break at Elliot Tower after our hike.

Last August, when we were driving home from our camping trip, one of the au pairs mentioned that she would like to go on a hike for one of our monthly au pair activities this fall. There happens to be a great place for hiking just a few short miles from my house, so I told the girls that  we could meet up at my house and then head over to Blue Hills for an afternoon hike.   Everyone seemed to like that idea.

There were 3 Chinese au pairs riding in my car. As we were talking about things that the au pairs enjoy doing with their host families, one of them mentioned that she loves to cook.  Well, I love Chinese food.  Stephanie told me she would be happy to show me how to cook some traditional Chinese dishes.  That’s when I got the bright idea to combine these two things.  We could meet up at my house, drive to Blue Hills  for an invigorating hike, and then come back to my house to prepare some tasty Chinese dishes for everyone to enjoy.

This all sounded great, so I immediately sent out my Evite to the au pairs in my cluster.  As always, I told them to feel free to invite a friend or two.  I figured we would have about 10 or 15 people show up for the hike.  As it turns out, we had about 25 guests RSVP for the hike and Chinese food get together.  Yikes! That’s a lot of dumplings to prepare.  I decided I should prepare some food ahead of time so that the hungry hikers would have something to fill their stomachs while we were busy cooking all of that Chinese food.

We would be making Chinese dumplings together and Stephanie, our Chinese chef for the evening, would also be preparing several main course meat and noodle dishes for us.  I wanted to make something that would compliment what she was making.  I went through my recipe books, and couldn’t find anything that sounded good.  Then I remembered that Au Pair Sis has many interesting recipes on her Pinterest account, so I went there to find something that was easy to make, would feed the masses, could be prepared ahead of time, and had an Asian-inspired theme.  I found a recipe for Coconut Chicken Soup that sounded like it just might do the trick.  So, I prepared my soup and awaited the arrival of my au pair friends.

Girls hiking up Great Blue Hill.

After everyone who was planning to hike arrived, we headed over to Blue Hills.  Blue Hills Reservation is composed of 22 hills that stretch over 7,000 acres from Quincy to Dedham and Milton to Randolph.  The tallest of the hills, Great Blue Hill is easily accessed from the Trailside Museum, which is about 4 miles from my house.  We started our adventure at the Trailside Museum, up the Red Dot trail to Elliot Tower which is at the top of Great Blue Hill.  The elevation is 635 feet which provides for a great view of the Boston city skyline.  It also provides a great place to take pictures.

Anna, Monica and Ligia enjoying the scenery.

The hike up to Elliot Tower took about 30 minutes.  So, you would expect the hike down to take maybe 20-25 minutes?  Well, that sounds about right except we took the wrong trail.  So, instead of the quick straight downhill hike, we took a long meandering hike that took us about an hour to complete.  But that was okay because we were all having fun chatting and getting to know each other better.

“Chef Stephanie” preparing our food.

When we finally arrived back at my house, the real fun began.  Stephanie prepared the filling for our Chinese dumplings.  Her “assistants” Lilly, JinJin, and Shirley demonstrated the finesse needed to properly stuff the filling between the dumpling wrappers.  Ksenia, an au pair from Russia, made one small change to their recipe.  In Russia, when families and friends are gathered for celebrations, Russian dumplings are a traditional dish.  They are very similar to the Chinese dumplings, but the stuffing is a little different.  One of their customs is to secretly hide a special treat inside one (or more) of the dumplings.  The person who received the dumpling with the special surprise is said to have good luck!  So, for fun, we hid some pieces of banana in a few of the dumplings.  (The special ingredient can be just about anything–the point is to make the dumpling different than the rest.) 

Our Chinese cooks preparing the stuffing for the dumplings.

We had a lot of fun tasting all of the yummy dishes that Stephanie and her crew prepared for us.  And it was interesting to see the various ways the au pairs from different countries liked to wrap their dumplings.

Learning the tricky art of stuffing dumplings!

Our good friend, Lilly, was getting ready to return home to China later that week.  So, we all enjoyed a special farewell cake.  Lilly was especially excited about returning home because she was expecting a proposal from her boyfriend at the airport.

Dani, an au pair from Brazil had just arrived a few days before and was able to join us for her first cultural activity.  “I really enjoyed this experience!” Dani said. “My favorite part was to know so many girls at once, chat with them and know a little bit more about their cultures and their experiences as au pairs. ” “And, of course, the food,” she added.

Stephanie heard from Lilly shortly after she returned, and confirmed that Lilly had, in fact, gotten engaged.  Congratulations Lilly!  Best wishes for a bright future.

The Gathering Was Bittersweet As We Said Farewell & Best Wishes to Lilly.

Our August Adventure Day 2: In Search of POTUS

As I had mentioned before,  the Falmouth Road Race was in town on Sunday.   Our original plan was to take the 10:00 a.m. ferry out of Woods Hole.  Unfortunately, the town of Falmouth had to start closing roads early in the a.m.  We were advised by the trusty management staff at the campground that our best bet would be to take the Island Queen Ferry, and we’d better leave early because the crowds were going to start gathering by 9:00 a.m.  So we decided to take the 9:00 a.m. ferry, which meant we had to leave around 8:15 a.m.

Packing up our campsite was somehow not as fun as setting it up.

Now 8:15 a.m. doesn’t sound too bad.  But remember, there were 15 au pairs who needed to all get ready.  And we had to break down and pack up our campsite before we left for the day.  Since I hadn’t really gone to sleep, getting up was not a problem for me.  I got up, cleaned the mess that the crows had made of our trash, put breakfast out for everyone to eat and fixings for sandwiches out for anyone who wanted to brown bag it for the day on Martha’s Vineyard.

We managed to get ready, pack up our campsite, and get on the road by 8:20 a.m. The traffic on the way to the ferry was not as bad as expected.  At one point when we were very close to the ferry, traffic was stopped so that a motorcade could pass.  There were about 15 policemen on motorcycles followed by a black SUV.  “Could it be Obama?”  some of the girls in my car asked.  “No, the President doesn’t ride in a Chevrolet,” one of the au pairs answered.  It was just the motorcade for the Falmouth Road Race.  We managed to get there with about 10 minutes to spare.  All was well in the world.

Enjoying the harbor views. Oceanfront homes and luxury boats!

It was a perfect sunny 78-degree day.  The warm  sea breeze was very calming for our 45-minute ferry ride after our stressful morning rush.  We enjoyed looking at the ocean front houses and watching sailboats glide by us as we made our way from the lovely Falmouth harbor to the beautiful harbor at Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard.

Enjoying morning coffee on the ferry.

The conversation on the ferry ride was all about President Obama.  Would we see the President while we were on Martha’s Vineyard?  Could we go to Chilmark where he was known to be staying? Perhaps we  might see him playing golf at his favorite golf course or shopping in Vineyard Haven at his favorite book store?  Lisa from Germany was thinking about renting a car so she could drive around the island in search of POTUS.  (Unfortunately, when she found out it costs about $375 to rent a car for the day, she decided she would just let fate take it’s course to determine if she should meet the President of the United States.)

Welcome to Oak Bluffs!

Once we arrived at Oak Bluffs, all of us except for two of the German au pairs, decided to rent bikes and explore the island.  (They had to leave the island early because they were headed to a concert in Boston that night.)  There is a nice little family-run bike rental shop right across from the ferry terminal called Anderson’s Bike Rentals.  They gave us a group rate of $15/pp to rent our bikes for the day.  The employees there were very friendly and helpful.

The friendly folks at Anderson’s Bike Rentals had us on our way in now time!

They provided us with maps of the island and showed us the various routes that tourists normally take and told us approximately how long it should take to complete each route.  They also pointed out some places on the map that President Obama was known to frequent when he is on the island in case we wanted to increase our odds of a POTUS sighting.  The Chinese au pairs were particularly excited about this possibility!

Smiling au pairs en route to Edgartown.

There are really nice bike paths all around Martha’s Vineyard.  We decided to take Beach Road from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown.   We would stop off in Edgartown, have lunch and explore the little town.  On the way, we passed several beaches and the famous bridge from the movie “Jaws”.  There were many tourists lined up and ready to jump off the bridge.  (None of us were that daring.  We just watched.)

We were cruising along at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery.  I started to notice that my leisurely pace was really slow.  That’s when I realized I had a flat tire.  I called the bike rental place and they told me someone would be there in about 10 minutes.  I told the au pairs to continue on and wait for me in Edgartown.  I hung out on the side of the bike trail and tried to avoid being hit by the oncoming bikes.  The young kid from Anderson’s Bike Rentals showed up pretty quickly and exchanged my bike for one with air in both tires.

The bike path on Beach Road. Not too shabby.

By the time I caught up with the au pairs in Edgartown,  our group had been cut in half.  It seems that some of the au pairs decided they wanted to make the loop to Vineyard Haven, and that was fine.  The rest of us peddled around Edgartown until we found a spot to park our bikes.  By now, everyone was “starving”.  (I learned that food is important to these girls!)

The quintessentially quaint Edgartown, MA.

We walked around town towards the harbor.  The au pairs decided to eat lunch at The Wharf Restaurant.  I decided that I would give them a chance to chat freely and enjoy their lunch in the restaurant while I enjoyed a little quiet time.  I walked to the waterfront, found a nice bench, and watched the boats coming in and out of the harbor while I ate the sandwich I had packed back at the campsite.

A few minutes later, a large boat drove into the harbor and someone shouted, “Clear the docks”.   “Is it the President?” the lady sitting on the bench next to me asked as people began to scurry.  “Just kidding…” the man on the boat yelled.  Now, that would have been a great story, but it was just another false alarm.

I met up with the au pairs outside the restaurant and we decided to do a little shopping.  Unfortunately, the little shops are really expensive, so the only real purchases that were made were for post cards to send home.

Getting ready to hit the road again.

We made our way back to our bikes and began our journey back to Oak Bluffs.  Some of the girls rode straight back to town, but a few of us decided to stop at one of the local beaches to enjoy a quick dip in the ocean before returning to town.  The water was pretty cold, so we didn’t last very long.  But it felt very refreshing after a long day of biking and walking.

We peddled back to Oak Bluffs and returned our bikes at Anderson’s Bike Rentals.  When we arrived, we learned that the other girls had already returned their bikes and were out exploring Oak Bluffs.  After a quick stop for ice cream, we all made our way back to the ferry terminal just in time for our 4:00 departure for Falmouth.

A sailboat flying the American flag. Could POTUS be on board?

On the ferry ride back home, we shared our stories about our adventures.  Unfortunately, there were no POTUS sightings for our group that day.

Angeles, Iveta and Angie on the ferry ride back home.

I was not looking forward to the long drive back home.  But to my pleasant surprise, the traffic was very light.  The drive home from Falmouth only took about 1 1/2 hours. Everyone was safely returned to their host families early Sunday evening.  And the planning for our next adventure is already underway…until next time.

Our August Adventure—Day 1: Welcome to Camp Fun!

Two months ago, one of the au pairs in my cluster asked me if I would organize a camping activity.  “Hmmm…that might be fun,” I thought.  There are tons of great places to camp in New England.  I wanted to find a place within two hour’s drive where we could leave on a Saturday afternoon, set up camp Saturday night, and explore the area on Sunday.

Another au pair wanted to have a beach day.  So, I thought, “Why not combine these two activities?”  After researching different areas, I found a cute little family campground on Cape Cod that was willing to give us a sweet  “youth group” deal for $8/per person for the night.  (Shout out to Sippewisset Campground in Falmouth, MA.) I figured we could go to one of the many beautiful beaches on Sunday.

Getting ready for an experience of a lifetime!

A few weeks later, my kids went on a weekend camping trip with their Boy Scout Troop on Martha’s Vineyard.  They took the ferry out of Woods Hole.  They all brought their bikes to Martha’s Vineyard and biked around the island.  That’s when my wheels started spinning and I decided that’s what our au pair group could do on Sunday after camping.  We could take the ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard for the day and rent bikes there.  We could do it all!  Camping, beaching, exploring, shopping, biking….all in one fun-filled weekend.

So fast forward, two months later, and as we are making our final plans for our weekend trip, I find out that the Falmouth Road Race, which attracts over 40,000 spectators to the tiny Cape Cod town, happens to be on the same weekend as our camping trip.  And a few days later, I find out that President Obama and his family would be vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard that same week.

Falmouth Road Race + POTUS + Cape Cod Vacationers= 2 Hour Traffic Delay!

Add these two events together, and what do you get? A 3-hour traffic jam to Cape Cod. The 1 ½ hour drive took us over 3 hours.  But that’s okay.  We made the most out of it by having great conversation in the car.

We finally arrived at the campground and began our fun adventure.  I made the “roommate assignments”, and we began setting up our tents which had been borrowed from host families and friends.  This was not as painful as I thought it would be.  I was really impressed that the au pairs came prepared and knew how to set up their tents!

Setting up our tents was a breeze!

Putting up tents makes you hungry! It’s a good thing we had snacks.  After we ate our snacks, the au pairs wanted to walk to the beach.  There is a lovely 11.5 mile bike bath in Falmouth along the coast called the Shining Sea Bikeway.  It is a beautiful scenic trail that meanders along the coast through wood lands, salt marshes, ponds and seascape.  The campground is located on the Shining Sea Bikeway and has a  path with direct access to the bikeway.  The au pairs planned to walk to the beach along the scenic bike path.  (It’s about a 2 mile walk.)

Shining Sea Bikepath

Beautiful scenery along the Shining Sea Bikepath.

I stayed behind because I was still waiting for one of the au pairs to arrive.  After she arrived, we joined the others on the path to the beach.  We took a long walk, but decided to head back before we reached the beach.  If you are ever in the Falmouth area and are in the mood for a bike ride or just a relaxing scenic stroll, I highly recommend visiting the Shining Sea Bikeway.  It will take your breath away!

After everyone returned to the campsite, we ate dinner and decided to build a campfire. As it turns out, building the campfire was an adventure on its own.  No one could seem to get the fire to stay lit.  It was obvious that there were no Girl Scouts among us…until Angie from Panama and Chris from Brazil came to our rescue.  Who knew girls from tropical climates were good at building fires?

Roasting marshmallows by the campfire.

Gooey marshmallow + chocolate + graham crackers = delicious!

What’s a campfire without s’mores?  We roasted our marshmallows over the fire and then made the traditional camping dessert by smashing the gooey white stuff and a wedge of Hershey’s chocolate between two graham crackers!  The s’mores were a huge success.

Of course, when there’s a campfire, there must be campfire songs.  One of the au pairs suggested that they take turns singing songs from their country.  This part of the evening was very entertaining.  Some of the girls sang in groups while a few people actually sang solos.  I was pretty impressed with the singing talent among our group of au pairs!

Check it out:

After that, we decided to call it a night and go to bed.  (Or at least SOME of us tried to go to sleep, while others spent the next couple of hours singing and giggling.  I won’t mention names here. ) Everyone finally went to sleep after midnight, so of course, around 2 am, a baby started crying and didn’t stop for at least an hour. Just as I finally started to drift off around 5 am, a crow decided to feast on our trash (while crowing!).  Sleep?  Who needs sleep? Ah…the joys of camping.  To be continued…

Winding down after a fun-filled day and night.

Boston Area Au Pairs Keeping Cool on the Charles River

Wow!  I can’t believe that summer is almost over.  Where did the time go?  Our Boston area au pair group from Go Au Pair has been keeping active this summer.  In July, we stepped outside of our comfort zones (literally) and ventured out on the Charles River for a morning of kayaking.

A kayak is a small, narrow, human-powered boat that is designed to be manually propelled by a double-bladed oar.  Kayaking is a fun, easy to learn sport that is also a great upper body workout!  Obviously, there are serious kayakers who would disagree with me, but I think it’s something that just about anyone can do with very little instruction.

Getting Ready to Go Paddling!

We met up at Charles River Canoe and Kayak in Cambridge.  (I highly recommend this place!  The people are so friendly and helpful there. )  We had a choice between 2-man kayaks and 1-man kayaks.  The 2-man kayaks were the best deal.  At $20 per hour, two people could spend 2 glorious hours on the Charles River for the bargain price of $20 per person.  Since there were 15 of us, I was the odd man out.  Oh well…it’s lonely at the top.

Safety First! Au Pairs Getting Their Lifejackets On.

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.  The sun was shining and the wind was not too strong.  The temperature was in the high 70’s.  After a brief instruction on paddling technique and water safety, we suited up in our life preservers, hopped in our boats, and began our journey.   (Well, I guess “journey” is a bit of exaggeration…)  We decided to stay close by since I was the only one who had any experience with kayaking.

New Arrival Stacy from S. Africa

We paddled down the channel, took a right turn out onto the Charles River, and then

JinJin and Stephanie Taking a Break!

crossed the river into the Esplanade.  The Esplanade is a beautiful state-owned park with an outdoor concert pavilion, playground, ball fields and community boating.  Some of the au pairs paddled through the Esplanade, taking in the views of the city, while a few of us stopped and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the shore.  After that, we made our way back to the kayak launching area where we met up with some of the other au pairs who had already returned.

Our Beautiful View from the Esplanade

We said our goodbyes to our friends, including one final farewell to Ying from China and Kuschke from S. Africa who would both be returning to their home countries before our August camping trip.  Safe travels, friends…until we meet again.

Red Sox Baseball Game A Big Hit for Boston Area Au Pairs

For our  June monthly activity, our Boston area au pairs had the exciting experience of attending a  Red Sox baseball game.  What could be more American than that?

Well, apparently, there is some controversy as to whether baseball was invented in the United States.  Legend has it that the first baseball game was played in Cooperstown, NY in 1839.  The game was supposedly organized by a Civil War soldier named Abner Doubleday. In 1903, a reporter named Henry Chadwick, a native of Great Britain, disputed the claim that baseball was invented in the US, citing evidence of the similarities between baseball and a game called rounders that he had played as a child in Great Britain.  But whether you believe the sport was invented in the United States or not, there is no denying that baseball is the great American past-time.  And Boston has a long history of being one of America’s favorite teams.

The Boston Red Sox organization that we know today was formed around 1901.  And our beloved Fenway Park, the current home of the Red Sox, was built in 1912. There have been many legendary players who have played on this sacred field, but, by far, the most famous of them all was George Herman “Babe” Ruth.  Babe Ruth joined the Red Sox in 1914. The Boston Red Sox won 3 World Series championships with the Babe on board, their 4th in 7 years.  But some people thought Babe Ruth was trouble. In 1920, the Red Sox traded the Babe to the New York Yankees, one of the worst teams in the league.  Babe Ruth was not very happy with this decision and vowed that the Red Sox would never win another championship game.  And for decades, the “Curse of the Bambino” appeared to be in full force as the Red Sox just couldn’t claim a championship while the Yankees became baseball’s golden team.  After many close wins resulting in no championship, in 2004, Boston was finally able to “Reverse the Curse” and win their first World Series in 86 years.   And to solidify that the curse was gone, they won again in 2007. They are currently ranked number 1.  Could this be the year that they win it all again?

Baseball’s Most Beloved Stadium…Fenway Park. The red pennants represent 7 World Series Championships.

Our au pairs could say they had the opportunity to witness a championship team in action…and at a bargain price!  I was able to get us all group tickets for $28/each.  (It’s good to have connections!)  We had great seats at center field.  We were originally supposed to attend the Friday night game, but due to some major rain, the game was rescheduled to Saturday afternoon.  This required a little scrambling to rearrange everyone’s schedules, but we all managed to make the rescheduled game.

We were happy the game had been rescheduled because Saturday afternoon was a beautiful,  sunny day…a perfect  day for some baseball!  It was a well-fought game, but the Los Angeles Angels beat the Sox 9-5 in the first game of the series.  We still had fun watching the game, singing “Sweet Caroline”, and eating our Fenway franks.  (Fret not, because the Sox came back in the second game of the double-header and defeated the Angels 7-2.  And they finished off the series with a win on Sunday.)

Boston area au pairs from Go Au Pair (and me) enjoying the great American past time!

Free Fun Fridays In Greater Boston This Summer!

Thanks to Nemo, Sandy and an assortment of winter storms, it seemed like school here in the Boston area would never end!  But the good news is that school is finally out, and summer has officially begun!  As the kids rejoice, au pairs and host parents everywhere are now wondering, “What can I do to keep these kids entertained this summer without breaking the bank?”

Well, here’s some good news for our au pairs and host families.  Thanks to Highland Street Foundation, an organization committed to addressing the needs and concerns of families with children in MA (and CA), “Free Fun Fridays” is back for the 5th year.

Visit one of The Boston Harbor Islands for free!

What is “Free Fun Fridays?”  Well, starting tomorrow, Friday, June 28th, families can visit one or more of 60 participating venues on Fridays for free! For the next 10 weeks, you’ll be able to choose between 6 venues each week. That’s right…absolutely free admission to museums and other venues.  You will need to refer to the website for specific instructions on how to obtain free admission.  In most cases, tickets or coupons are not required, but you’ll want to check for the specific requirements from each venue before trekking out.

The kids will love the interactive exhibits at the Boston Children’s Museum.

Enjoy popular area attractions like Tanglewood, The Boston Children’s Museum, The Stone Zoo, Boston Harbor Islands, Garden in the Woods, The JFK Library,The USS Constitution, and Plimouth Plantation.  The participating venues are different each week, so check the schedule and start planning now! Free Fun Fridays Schedule. 

Or perhaps a trip to the Stone Zoo?

Looking Back…Reflections from A Former Au Pair

One of the great things that I enjoy about my “job” (I use this term loosely) as the Boston Local Area Representative at Go Au Pair is that I get the opportunity to get to know some amazing people from places in the world that I will probably never see.  I try to get to know each of the au pairs that I counsel, and I think I have learned something from each of them.  Like any good parent, I would never admit that any one of them is my favorite, but there have been a few who have really inspired me.

Yolandie Burger from South Africa certainly falls into that category.  Landie is definitely a unique person.  Prior to becoming an au pair, she was a park ranger in the “Bush”.   Landie has a great love and respect for children and animals.  She is a very smart, determined young woman with a fun but serious way about her.  When she spoke about her host children, she always had a smile on her face and a gleam in her eyes…even when she was telling stories about particular incidents where “her kids” displayed behavior that she  described as “naughty”.  She always spoke of them with love and tenderness.  Landie’s former host family is a lovely couple with three charming young girls and two dogs.  She was their au pair for a year and 1/2.

I thought it would be fun to check in with Landie and see how things were going and possibly get some advice from her that I could share with current au pairs or young people considering the au pair program.   I asked Landie what her favorite memory of life in the USA was, and she said, “Honestly every moment that I spent with my host family was memorable.”   Surely there must be something that stands out? I asked.  ” Okay, if I had to choose I would say our beach outings,”Landie admitted.   “Oh yes! New England was so beautiful and peaceful.   I loved it because it was right by the ocean.” Lucky Landie, her former host family lives in the quintessential seaside town of Duxbury, MA.

Au Pair Landie Enjoying Duxbury, MA

I also asked Landie if there was anything she would change about her experience, and she replied, “Oh boy!  I maybe wouldn’t be so strict (with rules), but other than that, I can’t say I would change a thing because everything that happened, it helped me to grow as a person and I had an unforgettable experience.”

I asked Landie what she is up to now, and how the au pair program has benefited her since she has returned home.  “You could say that the Au Pair program was just one more positive thing in my life that pushed me in the right career path”.  Landie is currently pursuing a 4 year degree in Elementary Education.  

I asked Landie if she is still in touch with her host family.  “I am definitely still in touch with my host family.  I send them birthday cards, emails, letters, and we communicate with Facebook and Skype.”  

Landie’s parting words of advice for current au pairs?  “To the other Au Pairs–experience things, be open minded, explore and don’t give up. Time goes by way too fast, so soak up every moment you have in the USA.  And be good to your host family because just as you can make a wonderful difference in their lives, so they can in yours!  And most of all…GO HAVE FUN!”

Tax Day Is Coming April 15! What Does That Mean To You?

It’s that time of year when I get bombarded with questions from au pairs and host families about their tax returns.  First of all, I just want to remind you that I am not an accountant.  And just as you wouldn’t ask me for medical advice because I’m not a doctor, please  understand that I am not an authority on taxes.

Now, that being said, I am happy to share my knowledge with you, based on my own research and experience as both a LAR and a previous host family. However, I want to caution you that tax laws are subject to change, so I will also show you where you can find the appropriate information on the IRS’s website which you may refer to for the latest, most authoritative answer.

Here are some of the common questions asked by host families and au pairs.

1.  Q: Are au pair wages subject to federal income taxes?  A: Yes, the IRS has determined that the au pair’s stipend is considered wages, and therefore subject to federal income taxes.

2. Q: Does the host family have to withhold federal income taxes and issue a form W-2 to their au pair?  A:  No.  Because the IRS considers the au pair stipend to be ” paid for a domestic service in a private home, they are not subject to mandatory tax withholding and reporting on form 941 and W-2.”  If both the au pair and host family agree to have taxes withheld from the au pair’s weekly stipend, then the host family could collect taxes up front and report them on form W-2.  (This is not common).

3. Q: Does the au pair have to pay estimated quarterly income taxes? A.  No.  Because it is unlikely that an au pair’s tax burden will be more than $1,000, he/she is not typically required to pay estimated quarterly taxes.

4. Q: What form should an au pair complete to file his/her taxes? A: Au pairs typically file form 1040NR-EZ.  (Download Directions.)

5. Q: If the host family doesn’t have to issue form W-2 to the au pair,   how does the au pair know what her  wages were?  A:  If the au pair has not kept a record of wages earned, it is easily calculated by taking the weekly stipend (typically $195.75/week) and multiplying that by the number of weeks the au pair worked in the US in 2012. Enter that amount on line 3 of form 1040NR-EZ.

6. Q: Will the au pair owe money? A:  That depends on when he/she arrived in the US.  Complete the form to determine if money is owed.  Submit the signed form whether money is owed or not.

7.  Q: What will happen to the au pair if he/she does not pay US income taxes? A.  It is my understanding that, if an au pair owes US taxes and does not pay them, it may affect his/her ability to obtain a visa to visit the US in the future.  If the au pair does obtain a visa and has an outstanding tax obligation, he/she may be required to pay the tax bill plus  penalties. (There could be other consequences that I am unaware of.)

8. Q: Are au pair wages subject to social security and medicare tax withholding?  A.  In most cases, au pair wages are not subject to social security and medicare tax withholding because of the au pair’s status as a J-1 nonimmigrant and nonresident alien.  If an au pair was in the US prior to becoming an au pair (other than as a tourist), he/she may be considered a resident alient, and might be subject to social security and medicare tax withholding.  This is very uncommon.  Check here if you think this might apply to you/your au pair: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Alien-Liability-for-Social-Security-and-Medicare-Taxes-of-Foreign-Teachers,-Foreign-Researchers,-and-Other-Foreign-Professionals

9. Q: Is the fee paid by the host family to Go Au Pair deductible by the host family as a qualified childcare expense?  A.  In my experience, it typically is. (Caution: fees are typically deductible for the tax year that the services were received, not when the fees were paid.  For example, if you paid your fee in December, 2012, but the au pair did not arrive until January, 2013, the fee would be deductible on your 2013 taxes.  Consult a tax professional if you need clarification.)

10. Q: Is the weekly stipend paid to the au pair deductible by the host family as a qualified childcare expense? A.  In my experience, it typically is.  (Childcare expenses are usually deductible as long as childcare was provided while both host parents were at work or looking for work.)

These are the most common questions asked by au pairs and host families.  Please refer to the IRS website, or consult a tax professional before filing your taxes.

Here is a link to the page on the IRS website that explains most of this information:  http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Au-Pairs.

If you would like to contact the IRS for telephone assistance, you can find the number here: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Telephone-Assistance.

April Is Autism Awareness Month!

Did you know that April is National Autism Awareness Month here in the United States?

Autism is a developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.  The symptoms usually show up in the first 3 years of life.  About 1 in 88 births in the US result in a diagnosis of autism. Although girls can have autism, the disability is more common in boys.

If you are a parent or an au pair caring for a young child, you should know what the “red flags” or possible warning signs are.  According to the Autism Society, these 5 behaviors could indicate that an evaluation is needed:

1.  Does not babble or coo by 12 months old.

2. Does not gesture (point, wave, grab) by 12 months old.

3. Does not say single words by 16 months old.

4. Does not say 2-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months old.

5. Has any loss of language or social skills at any age.

These behaviors do not mean that a child has autism.  But they are symptoms of the disorder, so if you notice them, you should speak to your host family about your concern. The child must be evaluated by a team of professionals before a diagnosis can be made.

Some signs to look for in older children include:

1. Lack of or delay in spoken language.

2. Repetitive use of language or mannerisms

3. Little or no eye contact

4. Lack of interest in peer relationships

5. Lack of spontaneous or make believe play

6. Fixation on parts of objects

Although there is no cure for autism, early detection is very important.  Children who are diagnosed early and receive early intervention receive significantly improved outcomes.  For more information about autism, visit  the Autism Society’s website at http://www.autism-society.org/.

Families with autistic children are welcome to apply to the au pair program.  We often have au pair candidates who have experience caring for autistic children, and many who don’t have experience but are willing and anxious to work with your family.  There is no specific training required within the au pair program for au pairs to work with autistic children.  It is ultimately up to the host family and the au pair to decide if they would like to work together.  We have had many successful placements with families with children with all different types of special needs.  To review our pool of au pair candidates, potential host families should complete an application today!

Boston College Basketball Game Was A Slam Dunk for Area Au Pairs!

Baseball may be America’s favorite past time, but you wouldn’t have known that the past few months.  The months of  February and March are all about  basketball.  And I’m not talking about professional basketball.  I’m talking about college basketball.  You may have heard about “March Madness” and wondered what it is?   Well, “March Madness” is the NCAA’s (National Collegiate Athletic Association)  single elimination basketball tournament that starts out with 64 of the top college teams, culminating with one championship game in April.

In the interest of cultural exchange, I thought I’d share a little history of the game.  Basketball was invented in Canada in 1891 by a teacher named James Naismeth.  There were 18 players in the game, 2 teams of 9. The game was played with a soccer ball and 2 fruit baskets.  The baskets were attached to the balcony on both ends of the gym.  Points were scored by shooting the ball into your team’s basket.  Every time a player made a basket, someone would have to climb up a ladder to retrieve the ball! It wasn’t until later that they decided to cut holes in the bottoms of the baskets to avoid this step.  (Great idea!)

The first public basketball game was played in Springfield, MA in 1892. Basketball quickly spread throughout the United States and Canada.  And when the United States Army joined the First World War in 1917, basketball gained popularity in Europe.

In 1906, metal hoops with nets and backboards replaced the fruit baskets.  And the soccer ball was replaced with a leather ball similar to what is used in today’s game.  But, other than that, the game has not changed much.    The rules are pretty much the same as Naismeth’s game.

But enough with the history lesson.  Being from Kentucky, college basketball is, in my opinion, much more exciting than professional basketball.  (But that’s probably because we never had a professional basketball team to cheer on in Kentucky).  It’s definitely much more affordable.  Some of the au pairs in my cluster expressed an interest in seeing a Boston Celtics game.  But, with ticket prices averaging $100/each, I knew that price was a little out of their budget (and mine, too!).

Since a road trip to Louisville was out of the question, I contacted Boston College and arranged for a group of 22 au pairs to see the Boston College Eagles take on Georgia Tech.  For the bargain price of $10/each, we were able to get center court seats.

Even though Boston College didn’t make it into the “March Madness” tournament this year, the au pairs and I still managed to have some fun cheering them on.   We saw some great cheer and dance routines performed by the BC Eagles cheerleaders and Pom Squad.  Some of us even got to get up close and personal with Baldwin the Eagle, BC’s mascot.  (Check out our own cheerleaders on their Youtube debut.)  Here are some still shots from the game:

That’s me posing with Baldwin the Eagle.

The game gets exciting as the competition heats up!

The lovely ladies from China.

“Peace!”

Some more of our crazy friends.

Amity was having fun with Baldwin the Eagle.

“Come, come on…I don’t bite.”

“But I do peck!”

More game excitement.

Our friend Sam joined us. (She is an adopted member of our cluster!)

The cheerleaders take the floor.

That’s a nice looking group!

The game was exciting until the very end.  We sat on the edges of our seats as BC narrowly beat Georgia Tech with a final score of 72-74.

And in regards to the NCAA championship game next week– I’ll be rooting for my own home town team.  Go Louisville Cardinals!