Melissa Street-Caulder

April 24, 2012

MetroKids Magazine wants to get to know our readers and is excited to introduce a new feature in our magazine that spotlights a mom living in our area. We ask her to tell what she likes best about where she lives, share some parenting insights and more.

Meet Melissa, our May Mom:

At a Glance:

Married mom of five, with kids ranging in age from preschool to high school age. President of the Greater Avon Grove MOMS Club, adjunct instructor at Delaware County Community College and Doctoral student at Wilmington University.

Mrs. Fox’s Cake Recipe
I love to bake with my kids, it enforces math, multi-tasking and patience! I also like for my boys to see that baking is not gender-specific. One of our favorites is Mrs. Fox’s cake, which started when my 9 year old came home with the book in preschool. We make it often on rainy days then have it for dessert.

1 cup of butter
2 cups of granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of baking soda
2 ¼ cups of unsifted flour
½ cup of milk
¼ cup of applesauce
Pinch of cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour in a separate bowl. Add ½ to butter mixture, add milk and vanilla, then other half of the mixture. Lastly add applesauce. Sprinkle greased pan with cinnamon then bake 40-45 minutes at 325 degrees. Enjoy!

As the mother of a son with special needs, how has this experience shaped your parenting perspective?

For one thing, we don’t sweat the small stuff. Also, it’s taught me to value the experience of being a parent, the good and the bad. Children are truly a gift and I am privileged to be the mother of five. Sitting in a hospital room with a sick child and separated from the rest of your children really puts that into perspective.

You serve as the president of the Greater Avon Grove MOMS Club. Tells us why you decided to get involved in this organization and what the Club is currently up to.

I was excited to get involved in an organization that celebrates being a mom. I also knew that it would be a great vehicle to accomplish civic duty. We have raised money for Dragonfly Forest, the Mother to Mother Fund, and our next event will be Alex’s Lemonade stand on May 19 at New Garden Day. In addition, it has been a great experience to get to know other moms and their children. I have made the best of friends through the club, as have my children. Our next event is a playdate on May 8 at Crossan Park to recruit potential members.

Do you want to be the next MetroKids Mom we feature in our print magazine and website? Tell us your story or recommend a friend.