Featured Au Pair: Christell from Brazil

Our Seattle au pair, Christell, is simply the best. We feel so fortunate to have her as part of our family. She has been the perfect addition and blends right in. She takes such good care of our girls. Every day includes lots of fun and play time. There is plenty of imagination and wonderful blocks and Lego creations. They get outside rain or shine, which is quite an accomplishment in Seattle.

This year our preschool moved to zoom for circle time. Christell has handled this like a champion, supporting both girls with all the songs, dances, and activities that are sent home. When outdoor playtime opened up at the school for the pre-three class with safety precautions, she gladly joined. With all the craziness of our schedules with remote school and work, Christell's organization and attention to detail are especially notable. She knows when each class is happening and what materials are needed for that day (blue recycled material for collage making, items that are orange for a scavenger hunt). She is always on-time and goes above and beyond in helping keep track of the goings on in the house.

Given all that the last year held, we are beyond thankful to have Christell in our lives. She is the Ultimate Au Pair!

Both of our young girls are learning Spanish thanks to Christell. The one year-old is working on adding words in both English and Spanish. It is just amazing to hear her greet us with hola and ask for pan. Christell has been great at helping our girls to learn about what life is like at home in Peru. They have met her family and talk with them over Skype. She shows them pictures and tells them all about her brother. We are fortunate to have a Peruvian restaurant a block away, which has made it even easier for her to introduce Peruvian food to our family and what is customary for different celebrations. The three year-old asks what is different in Peru, which I attribute to learning from Christell.

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We have had so many great moments. Many center around family traditions that we have shared with Christell and new ones we created together. For instance, going to pick out a Christmas tree was a first for her, as they don't use real trees in Peru. She got a stocking to hang on the fireplace and it was fun to see what came on Christmas morning. She ordered panettone from Peru and we created a new tradition of having that on Boxing Day. Thanksgiving was an entirely new experience. We did the full turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Last summer we made several trips to local islands. She was able to take her first ferry ride and see some of what passes for a beach here-rocky and rugged coastline. We look forward to creating many more memories.

The McCulloch Family

Seattle, WA

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