2011 Ultimate Au Pairs
Congratulations to our 2011 Ultimate Au Pair Winner, Mariana from Argentina and Host Family Edwards!
We would also like to congratulate the finalists; Amanda from South Africa and Lenka from the Czech Republic.
AuPairCare received nearly 100 compelling and heart-warming submissions from host families regarding their experience hosting an international au pair. Thank you for participating and sharing your cultural exchange stories.
Ultimate Au Pair Winner! Mariana from Argentina & The Edwards Family 
Amanda from South Africa & The Ringel/Hochstein Family Location: Arlington, VA
Au Pair: Mariana, Argentina
You'll likely agree that anyone who cares for two children under the age of two deserves an award, but Mariana Moujan's expert care of our infant son Augie and our 2-year-old daughter Dara during the past year has exceeded all expectations of an au pair. This nomination is an attempt to recognize her in the hopes we can begin to express to her what a blessing she is to us.
Mariana had been a member of our family only three weeks in October 2010 when then-20-month-old Dara began having seizures. I was on maternity leave and enduring the sleepless nights and marathon nursing sessions a newborn demands, and so it was she who first called my attention to Dara's symptoms and began recording the characteristics of her sudden and frequent episodes. It was Mari who kept me sane during that first trip to the emergency room, rocking and soothing the restless baby while I spoke to the doctors. She and I both recognized the urgency of the situation, but she assured me Dara would be okay. Channeling her calm, I felt stronger as we sat silently together, both hoping she was right.
Now, one year later, I think of the events we have been through together: the MRI that revealed Dara's brain tumor; the delicate surgery to remove it; and the dark day the doctors gave us the diagnosis – ETANTR – a rare and highly aggressive childhood cancer. As Dara's hair fell out in clumps around the house, Mari convinced her that hats were very fashionable. The months that followed were consumed by both regular and unexpected hospital admissions and clinic visits, administering oral medicines and injections at home, changing dressings, flushing catheters, trying to get her to eat and drink, and monitoring her for any signs of infection, all while attempting to carry on as before – playing games, reading stories and teaching every minute of the day. I have no doubt there are many deserving au pairs who excel at the latter, but without the burdens of the former. Mariana has done an exceptional job. I wish I knew her secret -- she appears unflappable.
Mari loves our kids – you can see it as she teaches Dara Spanish, encourages proper manners and discipline in her soft but effective way, and in the patience she displays with Augie, who demanded a lot of attention and affection in his first year. She could not be more nurturing if they were her own children.
Caring for a child with cancer was not what Mari signed up for. She lost her own father to cancer three years ago, and her heart is still healing. She worried at first that she was not strong enough to go through the fight again so soon, and that she could not summon the strength to lend needed support to my husband and me. But she has, and she has done so with cheerfully and lovingly in a way that amazes me every day.
I can think of no one more deserving of the Ultimate Au Pair title than Mariana. As we have fought a daily struggle that tests the limits of our energy, strength and faith, she has been the rock keeping our family together.
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Location: Washington, D.C.
Au Pair: Amanda, South Africa
Our wonderful au pair Amanda, by Rae Ringel
Sometime people walk into your world and you have no idea the kind of impact they will have on you. This has been my experience with our au pair Amanda. She walked into our house in April to a lot of action. Our new baby was 2 weeks old and we already had 3 older children. With so much energy in our house, Amanda was the epitome of calm from day one.
The first time she held the baby (Natalie) in her arms, I told her that Natalie would need surgery when she was 4 weeks old. Amanda's eyes welled up with tears and she said, "What can I do?" She didn't even know me, or my family, and she was already so connected and willing to do anything to support us.
I cannot believe how mature and strong Amanda is for her age. She can handle any situation and never seems to get stressed! The car broke down once when she was with the baby – she didn't worry for a minute! When the twins (who are 4) bicker – she always resolves the issues with them. My 7 year old can have a bad day at school – Amanda talks her through it. What is so exceptional about Amanda is that she understands what each individual child needs and then approaches them in a manner and tone that will best resonate for each child. She has her own games for each child and inside jokes so that each one feels unique and special. She has spent so much time observing and getting to know them. This has enabled her to win their love, trust and respect.
Every Friday night we have a family dinner that Amanda never misses. Our ritual "the best part of the week" enables family members to talk about their favorite part of the week. Amanda almost always reports that the best part of her week is when she has the opportunity to be with the 4 kids alone. I am always amazed at this response since as the mom, I find it so challenging to be with the 4 of them alone! But she thrives in this situation and always has everything under control.
Finally, her dedication to our new baby has been phenomenal. Natalie has an issue with one of her eyes. Amanda deals with her patch, puts in her infant contact lens and has spent countless hours doing exercises with the baby to help her develop her vision. She has gone beyond the call of duty and has created special games and exercises to stimulate Natalie and help her thrive.
Amanda has a heart of gold. She has an incredible work ethic. She is grounded with good values. But what I love most about her is that she has a generosity of heart and spirit that is rare and unique. She is an absolute gift to our family and we treasure every day with her.
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Lenka from the Czech Republic & The Pihlstrom Family 
Fernanda from Brazil & The Young FamilyLocation: Lake, OR
Au Pair: Lenka, Czech Republic
My name is Daniel Pihlstrom, and I enthusiastically nominate Lenka for the Ultimate Au Pair Award! Lenka came to us in December of 2010. My wife Heather and I needed someone who could both care for our three year old twin daughters, Kira and Raquel, and be comfortable in a family focused on the well-being of my wife who was in treatment for breast cancer. During our telephone interview, Heather and I sensed that Lenka would be a good match for us – resourceful, optimistic and sincere. Lenka proved to be all these things and more.
My daughters and I met Lenka for the first time at the airport. With a big smile and a hug, Lenka greeted us like long-time friends. She put us at ease immediately. I told her that Heather was too ill to meet her at the airport. When Lenka finally met Heather, she gave her the same warm greeting she had given me and the girls. Heather and I were immediately impressed with how comfortable Lenka seemed with our situation. She had a very natural acceptance of the challenges we faced.
Lenka blended into our family easily. She was wonderful with our daughters and extremely helpful around the house. While I was at work, Lenka helped Heather with the girls. When Heather was feeling well they would all go out for tea, take a trip to the library, or go to the park. When Heather was not feeling well, Lenka stepped in and played with the girls so Heather could rest. Heather loved her energy and fun-loving attitude. Lenka celebrated with us when we got good news from the doctor and consoled us when we got bad news. She easily adapted to our hectic schedule of doctor appointments and frequent visits from family and friends who were helping us.
In April of 2011, my wife passed away. Lenka has been a tremendous support for our family. She has done everything from caring for the girls at the memorial service to managing her own schedule with the girls while I was preoccupied. She also coordinated well with the extended family in town to ensure that the girls were cared for at all times. She increasingly stepped in to help me when I needed it – one day with groceries, another with making dinner, and offering me a break for a few hours by caring for the girls during her personal time. This was all above what was expected of her as an Au Pair. She also comforted the girls and talked with them about their feelings of loss for Heather. The girls absolutely love Lenka and the security she provides them. Lenka continues to be a cheerful and positive companion to the girls. Recently, Raquel said, "Lenka is the best girl in the world!" We all agree with her.
We are thrilled and grateful Lenka decided to extend her stay for another year. Lenka Vankova is a very special person who highly deserves the Ultimate Au Pair Award.
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Location: Prior Lake, MN
Au Pair: Fernanda, Brazil
I am sure there are many families who feel their au pair is extra-special and deserves to win this amazing title; however, there is no doubt that our au pair does indeed deserve to win. Our "Ultimate Au Pair" Fernanda is more than just a great au pair, she is a valuable asset to our family and we cannot imagine life without her! We had been thinking about getting an au pair for many years and after our fifth child was born, we knew that was the most obvious choice. We decided to get an au pair to meet our daycare needs but soon realized it was so much more than that.
We are so thankful every day that we made this choice. First, I must say that we do realize that being an au pair for our family is not an easy job with four boys ages 9, 6, 4, 2 and then a new baby girl who was 3 months on au pair arrival. We interviewed many, many au pairs and from several we got the impression and sometimes were even told outright that our family would be too much work! The first time we talked to Fernanda, we had an immediate bond and knew she would fit right into our family. She has such a positive outlook, energy and work ethic. She was ready to accept the new exciting adventure that the Young family would bring her!
My husband and I both work full time. I have the flexibility that I can work one to two days per week from home. I just love to take a break and come out of my office and hear the kids singing, dancing and playing with Fernanda. Other days she regularly texts me pictures of the kids which I just love to get. I have never had a doubt that they are safe, loved and cared for all of the time. Fernanda is such a responsible, hard-working young woman. She always goes above and beyond the call of duty. She never complains and greets us every morning with a huge smile. She has not one but 5 kids to do laundry for, 5 beds to make, 5 breakfasts & lunches to make, 4 sets of teeth to make sure are brushed each morning, 2 kids to help with homework,etc. In the summer she even regularly took all 5 kids to the park, zoo, etc.
It is not just we who realize we have the au pair of the year, it is everyone around us. My son's teachers have told us several times how great Fernanda is with our son and how they can tell she loves our children and is interested in their life, their growth and development. Other parents have said "Do you know how lucky you are to have found Fernanda?" or "Where did you find her, she does such a great job with your kids".
Winter has now begun here which is quite a change from the weather in Brazil! We warned her about winter but I don't think she knew how cold it really does get here! We thought she might say she wants to experience a warmer part of the United States for her second year here but were so thrilled that she decided to stay another year with our family! Words cannot fully express how much we love and appreciate our Ultimate Au Pair Fernanda!
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Camila from Brazil & The King Family
Minh from Germany & The Smith/Doeringer FamilyLocation: San Jose, CA
Au Pair: Camila, Brazil
Dear AuPair Care,
Camila arrived at the airport in a t-shirt boldly stating "live your dreams" in January 2009. Camila was a perfect match for our family. She knew what she wanted to teach Chris and set about doing just that. Normal stuff: colors, letters, numbers. Fun stuff: Brazilian food and music, painting, and cooking. Camila traveled with us and took care of our son in various hotels. She scouted out the city to find museums, zoos, and parks to go to. They came back with fabulous stories and great pictures. Traveling with our family fulfilled one of Camila's dreams too - to travel and see the world.
Many families have stories about great au pairs that sound just like this, but my whole world changed dramatically July 24, 2011. Even though I am only 40 years old, I had a heart attack and was placed on medical leave from my job and sent home with very strict instructions to rest from my doctor. Camila made it possible for me to heal! As you might imagine, my 3 year old son, Chris, was very confused and anxious about all the new things that Mommy could not do. Camila found activities that we could all do together. She developed a new nap routine in the afternoons where my son put me to bed with kisses for my nap and then he went to his room for his nap. Those kisses were better than any pill my doctor gave me. She took over the things I could not do for my family anymore without any complaints. She gave my son baths, cleaned the house, took him to swimming lessons, cooked dinner, took me to doctor appointments, and helped me exercise at home. We worked together to find a new Au Pair focusing on the positive and believing that I would be back to work soon. I know there are many little things I am forgetting, but the biggest thing she did is make it ok. She was sensitive to Chris' needs in a way that neither my husband nor I could be at that time. We were busy with my medical issues. She helped him talk about mommy's boo-boo on her heart. She listened like my best friend about my anxieties over my health and reassured me that I would get better. I am a lot better and hopefully returning work in January. I am actually glad that she and I had extra time to spend together before she goes home in February...we have been talking about her next set of dreams. I can't wait to see what she will do. Chris has a saying for things he likes a lot that seems fitting here, "it's gonna be amazing!"
This Holiday season I am happy to be alive and healing and very thankful for my family and my Brazilian daughter Camila. For all these reasons, I think she is the AuPair of the year. I hope that you agree.
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Location: Coral Gables, FL
Au Pair: Minh, Germany
As a bi-national family with two full-time working parents, we have high requirements for an Au Pair, including someone who speaks fluent English, fluent German as we try to raise our children bilingually (Dad is from Germany), and enough Spanish to feel comfortable in our Spanish-dominant city of Miami. With Minh, we got that and fluent Vietnamese (as a German-born child of immigrants who fled the war) and French! She impressed us immediately with her love and care of our children. Further, she organized neighborhood events for all of the children on our street (and won everyone over to Vietnamese food with spring rolls made from scratch), lead our church’s Sunday School, and independently helped our children adjust to a new elementary school by organizing play dates. When some whales were stranded in the Florida Keys, Minh volunteered, assisting in their recovery.
Once, when we were traveling and driving down some windy roads in a rental car, our oldest son mentioned that he felt sick. He started to throw up, and Minh (next to him with no bag) immediately cupped her hands as Ben vomited. Few parents have that kind of reaction! In her first few months with us, we were so impressed that we knew we’d want her to renew for a second year, but the biggest test with our family was still to come.
Less than a year into her time with us, my sister (who was living abroad) was diagnosed suddenly with a brain tumor and was going to be undergoing surgery. Without hesitating, Minh volunteered to me that if I wanted to fly to New Zealand to be with my sister, it would be no problem for her to play a bigger role in managing the well-being of my children. I was away from my husband and children for three weeks so I could be with my sister who underwent a craniotomy and began radiation treatments. I never would have had the opportunity if it weren’t for such a caring Au Pair at home who I knew would not only ensure that my kids were well taken care of, but would provide them with extra love and support during a very challenging time for our family.
If that weren’t enough, two months later, our oldest son’s first grade teacher passed away suddenly, while I was traveling for work. Minh provided continuity and comfort during a trying time, and was adept at finding age appropriate answers to the most challenging questions from a 7-year-old about death and heaven.
Minh has made herself not only a valuable member of our family, but also of our whole community. Her two years with us are nearly complete and she plans to return to Europe to pursue an advanced degree in international business, but we know we’ll see her again. One of our son’s teachers has already promised to Skype her in to the classroom when she’s back in Germany so the kids can learn about another country!
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