Sydney at the top, around 6mths and Nora below at 7mths. One of the few dresses I kept. I always liked Sydney in red. Now its Nora's turn. Our girls are all smiles!!!Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Nora and Sydney
Sydney at the top, around 6mths and Nora below at 7mths. One of the few dresses I kept. I always liked Sydney in red. Now its Nora's turn. Our girls are all smiles!!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Reasons to use Shaklee
For all my friends with small children, I would like to recommend Shaklee cleaning products.
Did you know?
• Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home.
• Common chlorine bleach is the #1 household chemical involved in poisoning.
• Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and even air fresheners,
have levels 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.
• Common cleaners give off fumes that can potentially increase the risk of kids
developing asthma, the most common chronic childhood disease.
• 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in children under five have
increased more than 160% from 1980 –1994.
• If your home is anything like the average U.S. home, you generate more than
20 pounds of household hazardous waste each year (the EPA designates
toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach as hazardous waste).
Shaklee
Difference
Get Clean Products offer
cleaning choices that are:
SAFE
✔ Nontoxic
✔ No harmful fumes
✔ Hypoallergenic
✔ No volatile organic cleaning
compounds
✔ Formulated without hazardous
chemicals such as:
• Kerosene
• Phenol
• Cresol
• Lye
• Hydrochloric acid
• Sulfuric acid
• Sulfamic acid
• Petroleum distillates
• Ammonia
• Sodium hydroxide
• Butyl cellosolve
• Phosphoric acid
• Formaldehyde
• Morpholine
POWERFUL
✔ Outperforms 12 national brands
✔ 100% money-back guarantee
GREEN
✔ Sustainable ingredients from
natural sources
✔ Biodegradable surfactants
✔ Recyclable packaging
✔ Recyclable wipes
✔ Recyclable dryer sheets
✔ No chlorine bleach
✔ No phosphates
✔ No nitrates
✔ No borates
✔ No volatile organic cleaning
compounds
✔ No animal testing
Did you know?• Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home.
• Common chlorine bleach is the #1 household chemical involved in poisoning.
• Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and even air fresheners,
have levels 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.
• Common cleaners give off fumes that can potentially increase the risk of kids
developing asthma, the most common chronic childhood disease.
• 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in children under five have
increased more than 160% from 1980 –1994.
• If your home is anything like the average U.S. home, you generate more than
20 pounds of household hazardous waste each year (the EPA designates
toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach as hazardous waste).
Shaklee
Difference
Get Clean Products offer
cleaning choices that are:
SAFE
✔ Nontoxic
✔ No harmful fumes
✔ Hypoallergenic
✔ No volatile organic cleaning
compounds
✔ Formulated without hazardous
chemicals such as:
• Kerosene
• Phenol
• Cresol
• Lye
• Hydrochloric acid
• Sulfuric acid
• Sulfamic acid
• Petroleum distillates
• Ammonia
• Sodium hydroxide
• Butyl cellosolve
• Phosphoric acid
• Formaldehyde
• Morpholine
POWERFUL
✔ Outperforms 12 national brands
✔ 100% money-back guarantee
GREEN
✔ Sustainable ingredients from
natural sources
✔ Biodegradable surfactants
✔ Recyclable packaging
✔ Recyclable wipes
✔ Recyclable dryer sheets
✔ No chlorine bleach
✔ No phosphates
✔ No nitrates
✔ No borates
✔ No volatile organic cleaning
compounds
✔ No animal testing
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Nora Claps-6mths old
Can you get
any happier? Nora figured out how to clap today. She has done it several times own her own without being shown how. She thinks it is the coolest thing going.
Friday, March 06, 2009
All over Oahu
Rare moment
Wish I had the man sitting just in front of these trees enjoying nice and quiet until.....
Mack loves to crack Macadamia nuts, he would have stayed there all day. Job opportunity?
The kids took this shot. China Man's Hat. The wind was really kickin' that day. It was cold here for HI while my visitors were here. I was bummed but I don't think they really noticed. They just kept telling me that it was warm to them.
Submarine tour. I prefer to stay on the land. Nora was too little, that's my story and I am sticking to it.
Hawaii with PawPaw Tommy and Mimi
Polynesian Culture Center boat ride. The kids never get tired of this place.
I have no idea where to begin. 10 days and about 1,000 pics of Hawaii. We whale watched, snorkeled, some went on a Submarine, North Shored where the surf was high and watched surfers do their thing. Ate out a ton! I am still full. I don't need to eat for a really long time.Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Nora
Nora is getting bigger. She sits up, plays with her toys and has a smile that just doesn't stop. Nora also nurses every 4 hours which means I am exhausted!! She is 5.5mths so we let her eat her first cereal yesterday. It was a family event. I think she is going to like this eating thing.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Homeschooling Trials
Our friends who have 9 children in their homeschool family are starting to see their oldest leave home for college. The second oldest rattled off the names of colleges he has been accepted into, the Air Force Academy to name one. I was very excited for him. We live in an age now where the homeschooler is grown up (they actually survived), out of the house and making their way as adults in life (without having a social breakdown as some think) .
I have known 2 men (former homeschoolers) who worked with Tim in the EOD career field. OK well, maybe homeschoolers are crazy and demented but that is getting off the point I am trying to make.
It has been encouraging for me to see a finished product . I do struggle with the future for my children. How will they turn out? I am happy to see the lack of consistency in what defines a homeschool parent. They come in all shapes: 4 year degrees, high school diploma, some are real certified teachers.... most aren't. There is even the single parent thrown in the mix from time to time. Some provide a rigid curriculum, others are more laid back in their schedules and formality.
I want a how to book on everything. Tim once threatened to throw out all the "how-to" books in the house because I drive him crazy over "we need to do it this way". How to be a Christian, how to be a wife, how to be a mother, how to be a homeschool mom....then there are those "how to be __fill in the blank_____ and do it better" books.
I hate to admit that I am lazy and just want a book or a person to tell me how to do it...how to make me successful. I really just want someone to say do it this way and it will work out best. To myself I think..."Ask so and so how they do it cause their kids really seems to have it together." or "they seem really organized I must be doing it wrong". I have homeschooled for 6 years, read books, talked to many different types of homeschooling families and have never settled on any one way they have told me. Of course I have picked fruit from their trees and applied them where I need to but I haven't adopted any ONE method or copied exactly what another would do. (Against my desires to do so)
There are parenting methods, teaching methods, horse/dog training methods that are all different. Even when applying the same style, you get a different outcome. At some point (and I am slowly getting there) I am going to have to be confident in saying to myself and the world. "This is how I do it, it works for me". As long as I am not living in a world of sin that displeases God, he has given me freedom to raise my family, choose a career, live in a location that I desire and to his glory, I will be successful. He will accomplish his purpose he has for me in his way as well, unfortunately he won't provide a "HOW TO" book on that. That is where Trust comes into play.
I have known 2 men (former homeschoolers) who worked with Tim in the EOD career field. OK well, maybe homeschoolers are crazy and demented but that is getting off the point I am trying to make.
It has been encouraging for me to see a finished product . I do struggle with the future for my children. How will they turn out? I am happy to see the lack of consistency in what defines a homeschool parent. They come in all shapes: 4 year degrees, high school diploma, some are real certified teachers.... most aren't. There is even the single parent thrown in the mix from time to time. Some provide a rigid curriculum, others are more laid back in their schedules and formality.
I want a how to book on everything. Tim once threatened to throw out all the "how-to" books in the house because I drive him crazy over "we need to do it this way". How to be a Christian, how to be a wife, how to be a mother, how to be a homeschool mom....then there are those "how to be __fill in the blank_____ and do it better" books.
I hate to admit that I am lazy and just want a book or a person to tell me how to do it...how to make me successful. I really just want someone to say do it this way and it will work out best. To myself I think..."Ask so and so how they do it cause their kids really seems to have it together." or "they seem really organized I must be doing it wrong". I have homeschooled for 6 years, read books, talked to many different types of homeschooling families and have never settled on any one way they have told me. Of course I have picked fruit from their trees and applied them where I need to but I haven't adopted any ONE method or copied exactly what another would do. (Against my desires to do so)
There are parenting methods, teaching methods, horse/dog training methods that are all different. Even when applying the same style, you get a different outcome. At some point (and I am slowly getting there) I am going to have to be confident in saying to myself and the world. "This is how I do it, it works for me". As long as I am not living in a world of sin that displeases God, he has given me freedom to raise my family, choose a career, live in a location that I desire and to his glory, I will be successful. He will accomplish his purpose he has for me in his way as well, unfortunately he won't provide a "HOW TO" book on that. That is where Trust comes into play.
Homeschool
Colleges Want Your Homeschooler!
From Patti Miller, for About.com
Filed In:
Teaching and Testing
It used to be that homeschooling families approached colleges with some fear and trepidation. The path to admission was quirky and nonsensical, and the hoops that needed to be jumped through were often ridiculous…if the school would even consider accepting a non-traditionally-schooled person. Homeschoolers had no access to federal scholarships, and colleges rarely gave any money to them.
Things have changed, and definitely for the better. Homeschoolers are entering college in record numbers, with higher test scores than their public school counterparts.
“Home educated students generally score at the 65th to 80th percentile on achievement tests, 15 to 30 percentile points higher than those in public schools,” writes Brian D. Ray, Ph.D. of the National Home Education Research Institute. They also tend to stay in college and finish on time, often with above-average grades. This makes them very desirable students.
The Financial Aid picture has changed also. Thanks to the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 (Pub. L. No. 105-244), the student is eligible for Federal Aid if “the student has completed a secondary school education in a homeschool setting that is treated as a homeschool or a private school under state law. That’s all that is necessary. No GED, no special tests, just a homeschool diploma. The law also discourages colleges from discriminating against homeschoolers, and encourages them to accept students on the basis of their ability, not the accreditation of their school.
This played out very well recently when I took my seventeen-year-old son to our local community college to enroll him in their computer science program. I went armed: copies of my letters from the county board of education to prove that we were legal, a homemade high-school transcript to show what he’d studied, results of a recent standardized test, and a copy of the state homeschool regulations.
I didn’t need any of it.
I dropped Evan off to take the COMPASS exam, a placement test that many colleges use to see who needs remedial classes. Evan hadn’t studied much, but he felt ready for the challenge, and it could be retaken if he chose.
An hour and a half later, I went to pick Evan up. He was not in the testing room, and he’d left only about two minutes before. I wandered around the campus, wondering how I could lose someone twice my size. After a nice long walk, one of the ladies in the testing room said that maybe they’d sent him to the academic counselor.
When I finally caught up with Evan, all there was to do was pay.
He’d registered, been accepted, and signed up for three classes (no remedial needed).
It was a bit more complicated five years ago when his older sister, Claire, applied to a small, private, heavily academic college. She had a few small scholarships to the school from some church programs she’d participated in, but she was only sixteen, so we doubted she’d make it. On the other hand, she had a 33 on her ACT (top score is 36: national average is 19-20.)
This school had a user-friendly program for admitting homeschoolers. They asked for a list of courses taken with books used, test scores, a student essay, and recommendations. It was easy to navigate, and the admittance office was very helpful. All-in-all, though, it took a few months, not counting the dishearteningly long FAFSA application.
When all was said and done, though, Claire was offered most of her tuition paid in scholarships and a very low-interest loan for the rest.
Claire graduated last year, second –and youngest- in her class.
From Patti Miller, for About.com
Filed In:
Teaching and Testing
It used to be that homeschooling families approached colleges with some fear and trepidation. The path to admission was quirky and nonsensical, and the hoops that needed to be jumped through were often ridiculous…if the school would even consider accepting a non-traditionally-schooled person. Homeschoolers had no access to federal scholarships, and colleges rarely gave any money to them.
Things have changed, and definitely for the better. Homeschoolers are entering college in record numbers, with higher test scores than their public school counterparts.
“Home educated students generally score at the 65th to 80th percentile on achievement tests, 15 to 30 percentile points higher than those in public schools,” writes Brian D. Ray, Ph.D. of the National Home Education Research Institute. They also tend to stay in college and finish on time, often with above-average grades. This makes them very desirable students.
The Financial Aid picture has changed also. Thanks to the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 (Pub. L. No. 105-244), the student is eligible for Federal Aid if “the student has completed a secondary school education in a homeschool setting that is treated as a homeschool or a private school under state law. That’s all that is necessary. No GED, no special tests, just a homeschool diploma. The law also discourages colleges from discriminating against homeschoolers, and encourages them to accept students on the basis of their ability, not the accreditation of their school.
This played out very well recently when I took my seventeen-year-old son to our local community college to enroll him in their computer science program. I went armed: copies of my letters from the county board of education to prove that we were legal, a homemade high-school transcript to show what he’d studied, results of a recent standardized test, and a copy of the state homeschool regulations.
I didn’t need any of it.
I dropped Evan off to take the COMPASS exam, a placement test that many colleges use to see who needs remedial classes. Evan hadn’t studied much, but he felt ready for the challenge, and it could be retaken if he chose.
An hour and a half later, I went to pick Evan up. He was not in the testing room, and he’d left only about two minutes before. I wandered around the campus, wondering how I could lose someone twice my size. After a nice long walk, one of the ladies in the testing room said that maybe they’d sent him to the academic counselor.
When I finally caught up with Evan, all there was to do was pay.
He’d registered, been accepted, and signed up for three classes (no remedial needed).
It was a bit more complicated five years ago when his older sister, Claire, applied to a small, private, heavily academic college. She had a few small scholarships to the school from some church programs she’d participated in, but she was only sixteen, so we doubted she’d make it. On the other hand, she had a 33 on her ACT (top score is 36: national average is 19-20.)
This school had a user-friendly program for admitting homeschoolers. They asked for a list of courses taken with books used, test scores, a student essay, and recommendations. It was easy to navigate, and the admittance office was very helpful. All-in-all, though, it took a few months, not counting the dishearteningly long FAFSA application.
When all was said and done, though, Claire was offered most of her tuition paid in scholarships and a very low-interest loan for the rest.
Claire graduated last year, second –and youngest- in her class.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Here in Oahu this month. Ming Dynasty (1400s) Chinese Junk boat replica
The kids and I visited this boat and met with the crew today. We are studying European Explorers. This was as close as we come to seeing how ships were made in the day, even if it a different side of the world the kids got a good idea how things were on a ship in 14-1500s.
Beautiful Princess
In the year 2002, Taiwan Sailing Explorer Nelson Liu went to China searching for a dream owned by all Chinese around the world. The dream is that a genius Chinese sailing ship can sail to Western Harbour and he can share the beauty of Chinese Ships to the world.
6 years past, difficulty and obstruction did not stop him . In all these years, from searching the craftsmanship to building the ship, he conquered all kind of difficulties and followed ancient methods strictly to build the first Chinese ship Replica-Princess TaiPing. On Apr 2008, Princess TaiPing had a trial voyage from Xiamen to Hong Kong and accepted Hong Kong Maritime Museum’s invitation to have public visiting in Hong Kong. After the final adjustment, she had he final trial voyage from Hong Kong to Taiwan. On 24th Jun, 2008, Princess TaiPing launched her expedition form Taiwan via Okinawa and Japan to the Americas.
The trail of building Princess TaiPing is full of thistles and thorns. Nelson took 3 years to find the evidence in ancient books. Then he had a field research of the craftsmanship for another year. On Jan, 2007, finally, building of Princess TaiPing can be stared, but on Feb, Nelson found that there are bolts and nuts on the ship shell of Princess TaiPing, because the carpenters did not follow the ancient method to do their job. The main mast took them another 3 months to find. After that, the carpenters went really slow at building the ship for 4 months. Being reluctant to wait, Nelson decided to hire other carpenters by himself. After the trial sail to Hong Kong, Princess TaiPing was overhaul
However, the real valuable memories are many generous people willing help Princess TaiPing. Friends in Xiamen, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan help Nelson to fulfill his dream.
We believe that the real beauty of Princess TaiPing is not the high art of craftsmanship or the magnificence of the voyage, but the endeavor of ordinary people just like you and me and the generosity of friends around the world.
Princess TaiPing is not only Nelson’s dream, but also a dream of people who believe the power of dream and good will. A carrot, a hammer, a cup of tea make the dream of Princess TaiPing come true. This magnificent beauty build the ship and made the achievement to launch the Princess TaiPing’s voyage.
In the year 2002, Taiwan Sailing Explorer Nelson Liu went to China searching for a dream owned by all Chinese around the world. The dream is that a genius Chinese sailing ship can sail to Western Harbour and he can share the beauty of Chinese Ships to the world.
6 years past, difficulty and obstruction did not stop him . In all these years, from searching the craftsmanship to building the ship, he conquered all kind of difficulties and followed ancient methods strictly to build the first Chinese ship Replica-Princess TaiPing. On Apr 2008, Princess TaiPing had a trial voyage from Xiamen to Hong Kong and accepted Hong Kong Maritime Museum’s invitation to have public visiting in Hong Kong. After the final adjustment, she had he final trial voyage from Hong Kong to Taiwan. On 24th Jun, 2008, Princess TaiPing launched her expedition form Taiwan via Okinawa and Japan to the Americas.
The trail of building Princess TaiPing is full of thistles and thorns. Nelson took 3 years to find the evidence in ancient books. Then he had a field research of the craftsmanship for another year. On Jan, 2007, finally, building of Princess TaiPing can be stared, but on Feb, Nelson found that there are bolts and nuts on the ship shell of Princess TaiPing, because the carpenters did not follow the ancient method to do their job. The main mast took them another 3 months to find. After that, the carpenters went really slow at building the ship for 4 months. Being reluctant to wait, Nelson decided to hire other carpenters by himself. After the trial sail to Hong Kong, Princess TaiPing was overhaul
However, the real valuable memories are many generous people willing help Princess TaiPing. Friends in Xiamen, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan help Nelson to fulfill his dream.
We believe that the real beauty of Princess TaiPing is not the high art of craftsmanship or the magnificence of the voyage, but the endeavor of ordinary people just like you and me and the generosity of friends around the world.
Princess TaiPing is not only Nelson’s dream, but also a dream of people who believe the power of dream and good will. A carrot, a hammer, a cup of tea make the dream of Princess TaiPing come true. This magnificent beauty build the ship and made the achievement to launch the Princess TaiPing’s voyage.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Home Front Heros Medal
Tim put the kids in to receive the Home Front Medal Award for their service to the AF and our family during his time away on multiple deployments."Cole, Sydney, Mack, and Nora Sterner. Nora was born without her father being there. She endured doctors visits and plane rides without her dad there to hold her. Mack turned 4 without dad and did a good job of transitioning from youngest child to big brother when his sister was born. Sydney is a huge help with baby sister and excellent at accomplishing tasks very quickly. She turned 8 without dad being there to celebrate. She also went without his help while playing softball and learning to ride horses. This was Coles 6th deployment and as the oldest of 4 he steps up and handles the extra work without complaint. Cole was excellent at caring for his younger brother & sister. Cole often does without the sports, camping, and fun times due to his responsibilities while his dad is away. Cole, Sydney, Mack and Nora, Thank you for your service."
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Ruth
This week started off in the middle of a camping trip. Well our Pastor has been really emphasizing the fact that Sunday should be the beginning of the week. Our worldly minds just don't work this way. However, if the beginning of the week was Sunday, we were in the middle of a camping trip at Bellows Beach (military recreation right on the beach). Our church is on the same side of the island so we were able to still be at church. Church going in Hawaii is not as strict with the attire as is in the south. They never even knew we were camping.
Monday was Cole's birthday. He had 2 friends that spent the night camping and then we all played at the beach until after lunch. He didn't have a cake...but we did smores the night before. He didn't seem bothered by that. I always tell the kids that I cannot believe I have kept them alive and haven't lost them in all the years they have been with us. This will be Cole's 11th year and I haven't lost him yet....I also tell them that being a wife and a mother is the longest job I have ever had.
Tuesday back to the daily grind and forgetting already what was told to me on Sunday, I was already in despair about the messy house and questioning the ability to homeschool the children. Then an email came....My friend Ruth has been fighting cancer for a long time, one who has gotten one place cleared up only to find months later that cancer has appeared somewhere else in her body. My world suddenly became very small. I wonder how she does it. How she plugs away everyday not knowing the outcome when I am so impatient everyday not knowing the outcome of so many things that are little in respect to what she has going on.
She said to me when she found out I was having #4...."I always wanted more children (she has two boys) but I guess God thought I could handle cancer better." Now that my friends is an amazing woman. But it will not stop there. She will take her cancer and give glory to God and praise him for the grace he has bestowed on her to deal with this intruder in her body. Please pray for my dear friend Ruth.
Monday was Cole's birthday. He had 2 friends that spent the night camping and then we all played at the beach until after lunch. He didn't have a cake...but we did smores the night before. He didn't seem bothered by that. I always tell the kids that I cannot believe I have kept them alive and haven't lost them in all the years they have been with us. This will be Cole's 11th year and I haven't lost him yet....I also tell them that being a wife and a mother is the longest job I have ever had.
Tuesday back to the daily grind and forgetting already what was told to me on Sunday, I was already in despair about the messy house and questioning the ability to homeschool the children. Then an email came....My friend Ruth has been fighting cancer for a long time, one who has gotten one place cleared up only to find months later that cancer has appeared somewhere else in her body. My world suddenly became very small. I wonder how she does it. How she plugs away everyday not knowing the outcome when I am so impatient everyday not knowing the outcome of so many things that are little in respect to what she has going on.
She said to me when she found out I was having #4...."I always wanted more children (she has two boys) but I guess God thought I could handle cancer better." Now that my friends is an amazing woman. But it will not stop there. She will take her cancer and give glory to God and praise him for the grace he has bestowed on her to deal with this intruder in her body. Please pray for my dear friend Ruth.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sir Peter and the Witch by Sydney Sterner
Long ago in the land of Olom lived a Knight named Peter, son of Alen the great. When he was a boy his father died of sickness. Peter had to take care of his family.
Peter had straight blond hair past his ears. He had sparkling blue eyes and lips like roses. He had six sisters and five brothers. They all looked the same. He got confused with Kary and Mary.
Peter fought dragons, trolls, beasts, birds, wizards, wolves, goblins, bears and evil knights. When Peter was on an adventure, he put his brother Jack in charge of the house.
One day Peter went on an adventure to a cave that was dark and gloomy. He was not scared to enter the cave. When he entered the cave he saw three tunnels. He didn't know which way to go. His horse did not want to go in any of the tunnels. Peter was not going to turn back for his horse. He said to his horse, "COME ON NOW! STOP SHAKING!" He finally made up his mind. He will take the darkest and gloomiest tunnel. When he went inside, he saw a fire.
Around the fire there was a witch. The witch had captured Princess Anna! Peter had to rescue the princess at once.
He did not know how to fight a witch. He said to himself, "I AM NOT AFRAID OF A WITCH". He was not going to barge in. He will come back at night and kill the witch and rescue princess Anna. That night when there was a full moon outside he went down to the witch's cave and with one stab of his sword the witch was dead. He had rescued Princess Anna.
From then on he was not called Sir Peter any more. He was named King Peter the Magnificent!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Ko'Olina lagoons
Another day at the beach without a camera. This is an awesome place. A great day all around with the kids. The lagoons have hardly any waves. Cole doesn't think that this is a plus but for a mom with four kids, its great. Nora napped in her little bed/tent, I talked on the cell most of the time and threw the nerf football with the kids. Tim hates to sit still. He threw the kids around in the ocean for a while but hanging out on the beach and resting is very hard to do when there is a mountain to hike or miles to run. The only thing I regret is that I brought a book but didn't read:(
Just click on the title and you can read and see pics of this fabulous kid friendly beach!!
Just click on the title and you can read and see pics of this fabulous kid friendly beach!!
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