'Labor Inducing' Cupcakes TAKE TWO

I ate TWO delicious frosted cupcakes of lemony goodness at 4:30pm. I even ate some batter during the cupcake-making process...

• I have since had TWO contractions, over an hour apart... could just be BH... but we'll see.

I am about to eat another one at 8:00pm.
...... And no luck..... hmmm... what else?

"Labor Inducing" Lemon Cupcake

There is a resturant in North Carolina (Cappellino's Crazy Cakes) who boasts 124 births from OVER-due mamas after the consumption of their seemingly average 'Lemon drop Cupcake'...

Read about the Cupcake here in an article from Mar. of 2011.


I found TWO recipes suppossedly from the SAME bakery.

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes.
For the Cupcakes

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sour cream

For the Frosting

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well.
3. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick).
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
5. For frosting: Cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel, and milk; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes.

Recipe TWO:

Triple lemondrop cupcake

Makes 24 servings
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 3 eggs plus 4 egg yolks, divided
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat milk, divided
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat 2 (8-inch) round pans with cooking spray and flour, shaking out excess flour.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour with baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar until pale yellow. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and then gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with 1 cup milk.
4. Pour batter into pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool fully before frosting.
5. Combine 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1/2 cup lemon juice, cornstarch, 6 tablespoons butter, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves then reduce heat to low.
6. Beat 4 egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk in a small amount of hot lemon mixture, to temper the eggs. Lower heat and whisk egg mixture back into pot, stirring continually. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat until mixture thickens. Pour mixture into a bowl and chill until completely cool.
7. To make frosting, beat confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth and fluffy.
8. To assemble cupcake, inject each cupcake with lemon filling (or use a pastry brush to brush mixture all over exterior or cupcake) place in refirdgerator for 30 minutes. 
9. Frost cake with lemon frosting on top. Chill until ready to serve.

On the Day that you were born...

--------------------------Monday, December 24, 2007------------------------------------

• All About You…
• Time of birth: 9:14 am
• Weight: 5 pounds, 14 ounces
• Length: 19 inches
• Hospital: Yale
• City: New Haven
• About the Day You Were Born….
• You share a birthday with: Television Host, Ryan Seacrest, born in 1974 Film producer and inventor, Howard Hughes, born in 1905 Singer, Ricky Martin, born in 1971
• Movie "The Bucket List", is on everyone's mind
• GPS tops Christmas Lists

BEFORE you enroll in Kindergarten...

Personal and Social Development
Approach to learning

• Shows eagerness and curiosity as a learner
• Persists in task and seeks help when encountering a problem
• Is generally pleasant and cooperative

Self-Control

• Follows rules and routines
• Manages transitions (going from one activity to the next)
• Demonstrates normal activity level

Interactions with Others

• Interacts easily with one or more children
• Interacts easily with familiar adults
• Participates in group activities
• Plays well with others
• Takes turns and shares
• Cleans up after play

Conflict Resolution

• Seeks adult help when needed to resolve conflicts
• Uses words to resolve conflicts

Language and Literacy
Listening

• Listens with understanding to directions and conversations
• Follows one-step directions
• Follows two-step directions

Speaking

• Speaks clearly enough to be understood without contextual clues
• Relates experiences with some understanding of sequences of events

Literature and Reading

• Listens with interest to stories read aloud
• Shows interest in reading-related activities
• Retells information from a story
• Sequences three pictures to tell a logical story

Writing

• Uses pictures to communicate ideas
• Uses scribbles, shapes, and letter-like symbols to write words or ideas

Alphabet Knowledge

• Recites/sings alphabet
• Matches upper-case letters
• Matches lower-case letters
• Identifies upper-case letters
• Identifies lower-case letters

Mathematical Thinking
Patterns and Relationships

• Sorts by color, shape, and size
• Orders or seriates several objects on the basis of one attribute
• Recognizes simple patterns and duplicates them

Number concept and operations

• Rote counts to 20
• Counts objects with meaning to 10
• Matches numerals
• Identifies by naming, numerals 0-10

Geometry and spatial relations

• Identifies 4 shapes- circle, square, rectangle, triangle
• Demonstrates concepts of positional/directional concepts (up/down, over/under, in/out, behind/in front of, beside/between, top/bottom, inside/outside, above/below, high/low, right/left, off/on, first/last, far/near, go/stop).

Measurement

• Shows understanding of and uses comparative words (big/little, large/small, short/long, tall/short, slow/fast, few/many, empty/full, less/more.

Physical Development
Gross-Motor Skills

• Pedals and steers a tricycle
• Jumps in place, landing on two feet
• Jumps consecutively- 7 jumps
• Balances on one foot for 5 seconds
• Hops on one foot 2-3 hops
• Hops on one foot- 6 ft.
• Throws a ball with direction- 5 ft.
• Catches a thrown ball with arms and body
• Climbs a playground ladder
• Skips smoothly for 20 feet

Fine-Motor Skills

• Stacks 10, one-inch blocks
• Strings 4 1/2″ beads in two minutes
• Completes a seven piece interlocking puzzle
• Makes a pancake, snake, and ball from playdough
• Grasps pencil correctly
• Copies: vertical line, horizontal line, circle, cross, square, V, triangle
• Copies first name
• Prints first name without a model
• Grasps scissors correctly
• Cuts within 1/4″ of a 6″ straight line on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ square on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ triangle on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ circle on construction paper
• Uses a glue stick appropriately
• Uses appropriate amount of glue for tasks

The Arts
Creative Arts

• Identifies 10 colors: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, black, white, brown, pink
• Uses a variety of art materials for tactile experience and exploration

Music/Movement

• Participates in group music experiences
• Participates in creative movement/dance

Creative Dramatics

• Makes believe with objects
• Takes on pretend roles and situations

Why I LOVE being a mom....

When I was young and pregnant, finding out I was going to give birth to a boy, I was terrified as to how  I would  care for a little boy... How I would do bathroom breaks and teach him to use a toliet or dress himself. I was hopelessly overwhelmed.

As the two of us, grew to know and learn each other my mind eased. I loved seeing the world through his eyes. Suddenly dinosaurs and robots, mud puddles and frogs were a part of my existence.

As my family grows, the wonders continue to expand. It really is no simple task to convince a four-year-old boy a ‘Tea Party’ with his little sister is cool, or a two-year-old girl that there is no such thing as boy colors and girl colors, and a baby in-utero that now IS the time to be born.

I am sure they have taught me as much as I taught them over the years and I am certain we will continue to enrich each-others lives into the future!

So it was pretty easy to think of why I love being a mom… I love the feeling of crushed cheerios between my toes and stepping on the occasional Lego, I love sleeping on the very edge of my own bed with a foot in my ribs and an arm waving and flying into my face throughout the night. It is sheer joy eating cold meals well into the evening or settling for the table scraps that sat in front of a preschool aged child for just under an hour while being ignored and falling beyond luke warm, if it wasn’t for that cracker I discovered on the cushion of the high chair I just might have starved to death. I do not mind knowing every one of the Disney Characters or when I start randomly humming the ‘Silly Songs’ CD songs line at the bank.  I enjoy cold QUICK, showers all-the-while shouting “Who’s Crying? Why is he/she crying? I’m getting out right now”, merely because it saves time and water… which I need for the loads and loads and loads and loads of laundry. Reading “Brown Bear, Brown Bear”, three-to-five times a day and taking at least 30 minutes to get ready to go ANY where and all the EMERGENCY potty breaks in EVERY public restroom EVER built while we are out for a few, quick errands…

None of that, NONE of it is bad, not bad at all. It is not bad because I am blessed; ALL moms are blessed with the joys of motherhood. I had been around children all my life and I always knew the joy they would bring to their parents and others, but I never felt the pure awe-embracing bliss my own children would bring into my life as soon as they were discovered.  

I am blessed that my children have made even the most mundane tasks a breeze and a joy, I am blessed that a solo-trip to the supermarket has become a vacation… a LONELY vacation.

Blessed that Friday nights mean pizza and a movie, at home, Saturday mornings cartoons and being up before the sun, weekends feel the same as weekdays, every season with its new discoveries allows for different yet glorious adventures.

Blessed that I am paid in sticky kisses, extra tight hugs, chocolate stained handshakes, booger sleeves, being called “Mama” and watching a smile extend check-to-check on my little ones face the first time they see Santa Clause, or lose a tooth, or eat an ice cream cone or play in rain puddles or say “Goodnight” or watch the snow fall or ride a bicycle or write their name for the first time or learn to shuffle-step, throw a baseball, or feel an ocean breeze, or… just smile.

Birthing Yoga!

In my infinate mama research, I've found the BEST yoga positions to ease labor and delivery pains.... There are quite a few really great yoga postures and movements that bring more comfort and ease to the birthing process.

The first two of postures have you on all fours. This position has the advantage of encouraging your baby to roll their spine against your belly. A position that your doctor or midwife will call Anterior. This is the ideal position for birthing a baby because it is the path of least resistance and therefore makes for an easier birth for you and baby.

1. Cat Stretch – rock your hips forward and back. (The swaying of the low back is not appropriate for all pregnant women. In some bodies, it can simply be too much for the low back and cause strain.)

2. Child’s pose – resting and recovery.

 

3. Horizontal Figure Eights - Movements that move the hips tend to help the most in labour. This next one isn’t technically a yoga posture. It actually comes from belly dancing which has strong roots in childbirth. It feels very soothing in labour.

4. Hip Circles – standing – with support. -  Leaning on a loved one is a wonderful way to feel and be supported during your labour. Just sure to bend your knees so that you can really move your hips round and round. You can also do the figure eights supported in this way as well.

 

 

5. Hip Circles on the Ball - Again moving the hips is key. Hip circles are another great way to keep this part of the body open, loose and relaxed… just what you need to help your cervix open more easily. You can do small circles, medium circles or really big ones. 

6. Deep lunges - Once your cervix is fully opened, you will start to feel pressure as the baby makes his/her way down the birth path or canal. Deep lunges help to create more openness in the pelvis so that baby has more space to move down into.

7.  Squat - Squatting is probably the most traditional way to birth a baby. For humans, the squatting position shorts and widens the birth path or canal. It literally makes the path bigger. This is a very good thing. In addition, squatting in an upright position has the added benefit of using the force of gravity to assist your uterus in pushing the baby out. You can squat by holding onto something (most hospitals have a squatting or birth bar) or you can hold onto your partner. Alternatively you can also squat against the birthing ball.

 

 

I am JUST a mom, mildly freaking out...

Perhaps it is bad timing, perhaps I am becoming a 'crunchy mom', perhaps I am growing less content in following the rules or perhaps I have little trust in others.... I don't know... But, I stumbled accross a documentary earlier in the week that changed, or rather questioned my decisions regarding the birth of our third child (which can really take place any day now).

Pregnant in America  --- It was featured on Hulu or I probably would have missed it. Pregnant in America is a motivational, and inspirational documentary made by film maker Steve Buonagurio about the birth of his daughter Bella. Shocked by the greed of U.S. hospitals, insurance companies and medical organizations, Steve and his wife Mandy set out to create a natural home birth in a world where everything is anything but natural. The film is as much educational as it is entertaining and prepares expecting parents for their uncertain journey of being pregnant and having their baby.

Considering the birth is immenent I am totally freaking out and questioning just about every aspect of pregnancy, birth and delivery.

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook

Jack's Class, much like all elementary school classes across the state have made snowflakes for the Newtown, Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Gingerbread Houses with Daddy

Kindergarten Yearly Goals Preview

Religious/Moral Education:

• Understanding of sacrifice (Jesus' AND others)
• Discussion of basic doctrine / exhibiting basic morally sound social skills
• Knowledge of Bible stories / Moral Story

Mathematics:

• Understanding place value
• Visualizing Patterns

History/Geography/Social Science:

• Map skills
• Neighborhood/State characteristics
• Jobs/Roles
• Changing of times

Language Arts:

• Phonics - letter sounds and blends
• Proper letter formation
• Proper sentence structure in speech

Science:

• Hands on experimentations involving
• cooking,
• weather,
• change of seasons

Foreign Language:

• Focus on common vocabulary building in (3) languages
• French
• Spanish
• American Sign Language

Arts:

• Exploring fine arts of print work and musical compositions
• Creation of unique art and music projects
• Physical creative movement
• Development of gross motor skills
• Understanding rhythm and beat

Others:

• Life Skills
• Sorting objects
• Household chores
• Motor Skills
• Pouring liquids and small grained objects
• Making straight lines
• Folding and cutting
• Memorization
• Address,
• Telephone
• Full name

Language Arts Year Plan Preview

Language Arts – YEAR PLAN

 Student will:

 1                    Listen critically to interpret and evaluate a poem. Complete sentences orally and in writing.

2                    Identify and use complete sentences.

3                    Recognize that a sentence begins with a capital letter and end with an end mark. Write sentences correctly.

4                    Recognize the importance of writing with capital letters correctly. To trace and write capital letters.

5                    Complete assessment on sentences.

                                                                                                                    

6                    Identify the parts of a sentence. Write complete sentences by combining a naming and a telling part.

7                    Identifying the naming parts and the telling parts of a sentence. To add naming parts or telling parts to incomplete sentences.

8                    Add sentence parts to form complete sentences. Write complete sentences about a topic.

9                    Identify and write rhyming words.

10                Complete assessment on parts of a sentence.

Year Plan Layout Preview

Week One:

Religion – Self, unique & special

Math – Counting/ Numbers to 10 (1A)

Reading – sight words, Kissing Hand

Phonics – Initial sounds (1)

English – Exploring language

 Week Two:

Religion – We belong to God’s Church (1)

Math – Counting/Numbers to 12 (1B)

Reading – sight words, Peter Rabbit, Goldilocks-retell

Phonics – Short A vowel (3)

Spelling – Short a (at, sat, cat, ran, an, man, dad, ham, bag, pass)

Handwriting – Different lines/circles (12-19)

English – Exploring language

 

Week Three:

Religion – We go to Mass (2)

Math – Graphing (1C)

Reading – The Nap/Oh Cats – story events, predictions

Phonics – Rhyming (1)

Handwriting – Numerals (19-22)

Spelling - Short a (can, map, has, ram, pan, sad, rat, lad, clap, bat)

English – Complete sentences (1)

 

Week Four:

Religion – God’s Word (3)

Math – Addition/Subtraction – Ways to make # (2A)

Reading – What did I see/I Went Walking

Spelling – Short I (it, sit, hit, pick, sick, kick, pig, wig, fig, kid – squid)

Phonics – Short i (3)

Handwriting – L, I / straight line letters (22-24)

English – Identify complete sentences (1)

Science – Senses (A1-1)

Social Studies – Families of long ago (1-1)

Planning ahead...

Always be prepared and always plan ahead when homeschooling.

I have decided to post "previews" of all my curriciulum and planning tools.

Each year I am composing or modifying an outline for the entire year for each grade level (Pre-K, Grade 1-2, Grade 3-4 and any others based on requests), split between subject areas and topics. All very broad, but helpful in planning each indiviual month and enabling scheduling of lessons.

Each month, I am composing a breakdown of monthly activities, events and even weekly themes. This will be broken down by subject area.

Each week I will lay out the specifics. A lesson for each day for each subject area, along with 2 or 3 alternate activities to teach the same skill. I will create 2 different layout options for ease of use, both covering all the general subject areas (language arts -reading/comprehension, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar; mathematics; science; history/social sciences; religion or social skills; handwriting or fine motor skills; arts - physical activity, music, computers/electronics, arts and crafts, library science;)