Au Pair: Christina Wemmer from Germany

Host Family: Clark Family in Georgia

Our family has a very unusual and unorthodox schedule. Between my husband traveling all over the world at any given time and my strange hours as a nurse, our schedule is enough to make anyone's head spin! Of course one of our biggest concern is having a predictable routine for our two children (ages 2 and 7) so they feel safe and secure. Enter Christina-our AMAZING au pair from Germany.

Christina, who is truly a member of the family, keeps our lives running smoothly. Her love for our family is obvious and it shows daily. It may be that Christina's snuggling up with our daughter and son in her bed, or catching them as they dive and flip over her or painting nails with my daughter, or retrieving items my son has thrown behind furniture when he's pretending to be Swiper from Dora and shouting "Ha Ha! You'll never find it now". Christina goes above and beyond every day. She always makes sure my daughter does her homework right after school, she prepares nutritious meals for them, always makes sure dishes and toys are tidied up, and gives them lots of attention and her whole heart. My children know they're loved by Christina and they seek her attention often when they have something new to share.

I'm amazed at how much German my children know, especially my son! Christina is constantly teaching my son new words and phrases in German. Even though he doesn't go to preschool he's learned as much if not more than he would at a formal preschool; it's like having my own private preschool tutor at home! Best of all, Christina fits just like a glove into our family. She and I have similar tastes and we can chat for hours, we love to go shopping together, and we're both into sports. I'm determined to teach her a backflip before the end of her year! Christina and my husband often talk about the differences in politics between our two countries, and she gets him to use his German from time to time. They also love to talk about places they both have been to in Europe and since my husband is in Germany from time to time, Christina will give him tips about places to visit and neat things to see.

Christina has also been a huge help to me personally. I am due to deliver our third child very soon, and Christina is always there backing me up when she can see I'm tired and need an extra hand with the kids. Christina has a wonderful caring and selfless personality. She's smart, outgoing, funny, and brightens up the room when she walks in. She is quick to help new au pairs in the area feel welcome, and many of the girls look up to Christina and go to her for advice. We love Christina dearly (we'd adopt her if we could) and we're so thankful she's part of our family.