Gazette - EurAupair

EurAupair Au Pair, “May” from Thailand Shares
Her Story of Love for Her Texas Host Family
EurAupair Au Pair Narinporn
Waropastrakul (May) from Thailand
arrived to Woodlands, Texas in January
2007 to spend a year with the Lawler
Family; Tara and Robert Lawler and
their then 4 children. May and her Host
Family had such a wonderful first year
that in January 2008 they extended the
program for another year, and May
wrote the EurAupair Gazette to share
her Au Pair experience in Texas. May
writes:
My First Year in Texas
Today, January 19, is my first
anniversary of living here with my Host
Family, the Lawlers. Time has passed by
so fast, I can’t believe it, and everything
At the Pumpkin patch: EurAupair Au Pair May
Waropastrakul (Thailand), Tara Lawler (Host Mother),
Baby David (a new member of the Lawler family), and
Heather (the triplet’s Big Sister).
is great between my Host Family and I.
I remember when I first met them at
the airport. They gave me big hugs, a
bunch of red roses and a welcoming
poster. When we arrived home that
night, they let me see the babies, triplet
girls, sleeping in their cribs. Even though
it was dark, I could see them by a nightlight
in their room. They were so cute. It
didn’t take much time to get along with
them. By the first month, I knew I had
fallen in love with them.
At this time last year, they were 13
months old. They couldn’t talk or walk
yet. They crawled wherever they wanted
to go. They crawled so fast! Sometimes
I couldn’t catch them. But today, they are
25 months old. They can talk and run.
They talk all day! They
run away from me. They
want me to chase them.
Every time when we are
going to play outside,
they tell me to put my
jacket with the hoodie
on. They are bossy!
This past year, I’ve
had a lot of great times
and new experiences
here with this family. I
went to many birthday
parties. I went to play
paintball with all of my
Host Family members. I
painted Easter eggs at
night before Easter Day.
On Easter Day, I helped
one of my girls go egg
hunting with her sib-
lings and cousins. It
was so much fun! In
the summer, we spent
a week in Arkansas.
There I had the
chance to try waterskiing.
It was fun
even though I couldn’t
get up out of the
lake. We shot a lot of
fireworks to celebrate
Independence Day. In
August, we got a new
member in our family,
David, and tomorrow
he’ll turn 5
months old. In
October, we went to a
pumpkin patch and
had a fun Halloween.
We dressed the girls
in bear outfits and put them in a wagon to
go trick or treating around our neighborhood.
A month later, we celebrated
Thanksgiving. It was very interesting
because I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving
in my home country. The next day, we
went to a Christmas tree farm to get one
for decorating our house. In December, I
had an awesome Christmas celebration
with my Host Family.
I also have had a great time with my
new friends. We went to an ice-hockey
game and a baseball game. We played
kickball and had a lot of dinners together.
I drove to San Antonio, Texas on my
vacation with a friend. It is a nice city to
visit. I went to the Space Center
(NASA), in Houston, Texas. It was great.
YEEHAW! EurAupair Au Pairs Giddy-Up
in the Mile High City!
Pictured from left to right: Linda Soerensen (Denmark), Juliane
Zimmermann (Germany), Lena Molter (Germany), Sabrina
Ruehlmann (Germany), Lisa Achatzi (Germany), Ronja Schmitz
(Germany), and Kittima Khathaiphet (Thailand).
This spring, Marie-Luise Vaughn, senior EurAupair Community
Counselor in Aurora, Colorado, rounded up her Au Pair group to visit
the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, a Denver tradition for
over 100 years!
The Denver Au Pairs had a great time, learning all
about the history of the rodeo, as well as seeing lots of
cowboys, horses, cows, bulls and farm animals. To get
into the spirit of the rodeo, some Au Pairs showed up in
cowboy hats and western garb. And, even the usual
smell of cows and horses in the arena didn’t deter these
young women from this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Throughout the day, the Au Pairs learned how the
various competitions of the rodeos originated from the
actual day-to-day cowboy activities on working ranches
of the Old West. Cowboys had to tame wild horses and
chase after cattle and calves so that they didn’t get killed
by bears and coyotes.
Everything from bronco riding to team roping to bull
riding were featured. In addition, the group saw cowgirls
barrel racing, an event that only began in 1999. All
agreed, however, that the most fun event was Mutton
Bustin’. A competition for 5 - 7 year old girls and
boys from the greater Denver area, these little cowboys
and cowgirls try to stay on the backs of sheep as long as
possible. It was an adorable sight! The winner was able
to hold on for more than 17 seconds – quite a sensational
score!
Thanks, Marie-Luise, for organizing this uniquely
American event!
EurAupair Au Pairs Hit the Rink for
Some Roller Boogie!
For many, roller rinks are right
up there with drive-in movie theaters
as symbols of Midwest
Americana. And so, for EurAupair
Community Counselor (and roller
rink regular) Karen Hill of Chicago,
Illinois, it seemed a perfect spot to
hold her monthly meeting.
Everyone agreed, what better place
for her area Au Pairs to experience
the excitement of “dancing on
wheels” than at Karen’s local rink?!
But the group soon found out
that Karen wasn’t the only avid
skater in the group. EurAupair Au
Pair Izabela Piechota (Germany)
surprised everyone by showing up
with her own skates for the Monday
night outing! With the first hour
devoted to a skating lesson, the Au
Pairs were as prepared as they were
ever going to be for their evening of
free wheeling and DJ music.
There were lots of laughs and
not a few falls during the night, but
everyone agreed it was a great time!
Thank you, Karen, for sharing your
passion for skating (and being a EurAupair
Counselor) with your area Au Pairs!
Roller skating in Lombard, Illinois. Pictured from left to right: Izabela Piechota
(Germany), Jana Schule (Germany), Karen Hill (EurAupair Community
Counselor), Deborah Bisan (Brazil), Julia Cavelli (France), and Evirgen Oytun
(Turkey).
Dressed up for Halloween: May, Ellie Lawler (in front of May),
Doug Lawler (Host Father), Addie Lawler, and Cammie Lawler.
My Latin friends taught me to dance
(Salsa Dance). It was cool!! I would
never know how to do it without them.
I’m glad to be here with this lovely
family. I love them. They told me, “ You
are a part of our family, not just an Au
Pair, but you’re their big sister. We love
you.” That made me so happy. I appreciate
them very much for everything in the
past year. I can’t think of the time when
I will have to leave them and go back to
my country. It will be very sad leaving
them.
May
A BIG Thank You to May for sharing her
story with the Gazette!
Gazette Info...
The EurAupair Gazette is published
four times a year. It is provided free
of charge to EurAupair Host
Families, EurAupair Au Pairs,
EurAupair Community Counselors
and staff, and friends of the
EurAupair program around the
world. Any copyright material is
published with the written
permission of the publisher and is
so indicated. Any other material
may be used for publication without
permission of EurAupair.
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