BACK TO SCHOOL-ish

 

This school year has been quite the journey so far. Our spring break turned into an extended summer break, but for most of us, it WASN’T a break at all.  Parents and teachers alike were scrambling to figure out how to get kids engaged and learning while doing it virtually. I don’t know if anyone really did a great job during these months of crisis schooling (because what happened from March to June WAS NOT homeschooling), but we did the best that we could with what we were given.

 

Now we are 5 months into this pandemic and although educators went through copious amounts of training on how to start the school year virtually, parents and teachers are left again wondering how they will make this school year work for them.

 

For those of you who don’t know me, allow me to first introduce myself. My name Angela Linzay and I am entering my 6^th year of homeschooling. I taught in the classroom for 14 years before bringing my 3 kids home (kinder, 3^rd , and 5^th grade at the time).  Last year, I took a job with Pomona Unified to help build their homeschooling charter program. I help support homeschooling parents while trying to create a charter that provides a space for families to personalize their child’s education. Needless to say, I’m crazy busy. So all you working parents, I see you. I hear you. I feel you ((insert virtual hug)).

 

I know that there is a lot of worries about this next school year. From limiting screen time to working from home, to trying your hand at homeschooling, I’m here to offer you some tips that have been helpful to me.

 

First things first. I want to encourage you and say that YOU. CAN. DO.IT. Really! Remember that you love your children the most and as parents, we’ve just been figuring it out and making it work ever since our kids were born.

 

So here we go (again). Breathe. 

 

Pray for wisdom

This pandemic was not a surprise to God. He knows us and He knows your kids. He knows when this crazy thing is all going to end, so lean hard into Him. He may just want to teach you something. Whenever I get discouraged and confused about my situation, I hold onto this verse from James 1:5:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

My thought is that if you are sincerely asking God for His wisdom in how to deal with work, your kiddos, distance learning, whatever…. and if it’s His will that we reflect Him in how we act and respond to life’s circumstances, then why would He withhold that wisdom from you? He wants us to live a victorious life.  So let’s run to Him, the Author of Life.  

Now that we understand that, let’s move on.

So I’ve been getting messages from 2 types of parents. Both of which are just trying to figure out how they will make it through this school year. I will address them here and offer some tips for each group.

 

Working Parents:

Working from home is tough when you have kids around. Here are some tips that I have found helpful.

Learning pods

Have you heard of this? This is a popular model that I’ve seen where kids learn in a small group with a hired teacher in someone’s home. Here is a spin on it to work for you. If your child is doing distance learning, why not find a small group (if you feel comfortable) of their friends in the same class and do the Zoom together? They can rotate houses so that no one family has to do all the work. This will help you get work done while it’s your turn to have the house to yourself AND your kids will get to be with some of their friends. It’s a WIN-WIN.

 

Schedule your work while kids are “in school”

Your kids will be doing virtual school usually from 8am-12pm. That is a perfect time for you to be productive. Make a list of your most important tasks and knock them out during that time. Studies show that when you set a time limit for each task, you will complete it much faster vs. not having a time limit. You’re actually more efficient and make better decisions. Weird I know, but it works!

 

Hire some help during work hours

There are a lot of college students that now have quite a bit of free time since their colleges are online. I even have some homeschooling friends whose older kids have been hired out to help kids with distance learning while parents work. Ask around for some references. Make sure that they’re not sick. Have guidelines for them while in your house (wash hands, sanitize, shoes off, etc). I’m sure your kids will also love having another friendly face around.

 

Limit screen time out of school

Your kids will be on the screen for hours a day. Blue light from computer monitors is a real thing and causes a variety of negative effects on our health. Don’t believe me? Google it. From headaches, to fatigue, to lack of sleep… all are recipes for disaster if it’s not regulated, especially in children. Do you think your children will want to behave and listen to your instructions and focus in school when they are not feeling well? It sounds more to me like a meltdown is near (no matter how old they are!), which will make your day harder on both parent and child. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

 

Set an OFF WORK time

If you’re anything like me, I can work ALL. DAY. LONG. I get completely focused, determined to check things off my list, and nothing else matters. Sadly, not even my children. And they can sense it, too. This is not healthy for you or your kids. Working from home is difficult because the line between home and work is blurred. You get up, get some things done around the house, then sit back down and get back to work. Do that a couple of times and before you know it, you’ve literally been working all day long. When your kids see that you never stop working, they are more likely to interrupt you during the times that you set work hours. They won’t know when they can talk to you, connect with you, or when you’ll be available to them. Setting an end time to your workday will help your day go smoother since your kids will know that at “___ o’clock” mom/dad is all ours. When they see an end, they are less likely to interrupt you since they know they’ll get you soon.  This may take some reminders in the beginning (Remember, I’m working and will be done at ____o’clock and then I’m all yours). Let’s just make sure that we all keep our word and really be DONE with work when we say we are. If you continue to work after you’re “off work”, then your kids won’t believe you and won’t give you the time when you need it during your work hours.

 

Set clear expectations

Set clear expectations for your kids when you work. Just because you are working from home, doesn’t really mean that you’re “home”. Before I sit down to do a huge project, my husband and I tell the kids that I am off limits for the next hour.  We let them know what to do when they need something, have a question, and go over alternative options should they need me. In that hour, they cannot come ask me anything unless they’re on fire, which would be considered an emergency. I get very distracted so I am not one who can answer questions and get things done for my kids and then jump right back into my work.  After that hour, I take a little break and connect with the kids before I jump back into my next task. My kids also know that when ___o’clock hits, I’ll be done with work and then I’m all theirs (refer to above tip)!

 

Ok, homeschooling parents. You’re up!

 

Homeschooling Parents:

Have a routine – I taught in a traditional school for 14 years. My life was ran by the bell. Ring.  It’s recess and my restroom break. Ring. Lunch time and copies. Ring. My afternoon bathroom break. So when I began homeschooling, I naturally had everything scheduled down to the minute. That broke me. It was almost impossible to stick to a strict time schedule and I ended everyday feeling frustrated and that I had failed. Do not do that. I would suggest a routine, a rhythm to your day vs. a schedule. Yes, we have time frames but it’s not our end all. The routine is what has given me sanity and given my kids order to our day. I would say that you should have a consistent start time to your day. We begin about 8ish.   

 

Prepare – The more prepared you are for the day, the smoother it will go. If there is a project to do, have the supplies ready to go. Books you want to read to them? Have it there. Worksheets? Have them already copied. Do not wait until that morning to rush to prep for the day or do not prep while your kids are waiting for you. You will lose them.

 

Have a clean workspace – It’s hard to work in clutter. Have a place for supplies and books. Make is easily accessible for your kids. Let them know where to get supplies and have them put them back in the correct place. This will help your day feel more organized instead of having to stop the flow of your day to find a pair of scissors, crayons, or even lined paper. I give each of my kids a shelf in our bookcase. All their books are there so there is no need to go searching for anything.    

 

Put your phone aside – If you are distracted with your phone then your kids will get off task. Last year, I had a homeschooling boy say to me that his mom was not paying attention to him and teaching him because she was always on her phone. OUCH.  While that may not be you, being on your phone while you’re teaching your kids can send them the message that what you’re doing with them is not that important. Put away the distraction and your kids will see that their homeschooling day is a priority to you.

 

Co-ops/Learning pods  - Homeschool co-ops are learning pods in the homeschool world. Families get together and either take turns teaching or hire a teacher. Co-ops are fantastic for both parents and students. Kids get to learn with others in a smaller setting while parents connect with other homeschooling parents. This also gives parents a break from being the main instructor. There are homeschool co-ops everywhere. Google your area or ask other homeschooling families. 

 

Drop off school – These days are GOLD to me and one of the reasons that I can say “Hallelujah” at the end of the week. Drop off school is just that, a “school” where there are a set of classes that you can sign your kids up for and just DROP THEM OFF. This is a great day to recharge, get some errands done, or just sit and sip hot coffee without having to reheat it 100 times. I LOVE my drop off days and feel like I’m a better teacher because I get a break. My kids always look forward to seeing their friends every week. It gets a 10 out of 10 for me. Highly recommend. To find a drop off program, ask any homeschooling mama. I’m positive that she’ll know them all.  😊

 

Outsourcing subjects -   I know PLENTY of families who do not like to teach math, science, or writing… so they outsource it to others. Whether it’s an online class or at a drop off day, you don’t need to teach something that you hate. Outsource it. You can find these classes at your local homeschool drop off programs. Don’t know where they are? Ask a homeschooling mom. Again, I promise she will have a directory listing them all.

 

School from anywhere  - Remember that in homeschooling, the world is your classroom! School in your backyard for a change of scenery. We’ve done school at Panera, the library, Starbucks, you name it. It really adds an element of fun.

 

Celebrate the little things – Homeschooling is a huge transition from traditional schooling. At school, they may celebrate birthdays, have award ceremonies, give out class rewards, etc. Those celebrations do not need to stop once homeschooling begins. Celebrate the little things. I always give  little “First Day of School” treats for my kids, we have a Christmas party with the principal (my hubby), an End of the Year awards ceremony with cinnamon rolls for breakfast,  my daughter would ring an obnoxious cowbell whenever she would finish reading a large chapter book (neighbors LOVED us), and so on. I guess what I’m saying is that you can make your kids feel special by celebrating the little things!

 

I want to end with this. I feel like I cannot talk about this weird season that we are in without addressing a very serious issue. Mental health. So many of us are feeling isolated and alone. I think kids are feeling it hard since they do not have the ability to drive themselves around. Our kids depend on us to drive them places, the plan for friends to visit, etc. Here are some points that I wanted to quickly address. Please make this a priority for your family to feel connected during this time. It’s good for our mental health.  Kids will not learn if they do not feel connected and safe (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). 

Taking care of your children’s emotional/mental health:

Keep kids active  - get them moving, have them play outside, ride bikes, beach trips, etc.

Kids in community – get your kids involved in small groups, host Church at Home, be intentional about connections/community, connect with other homeschooling families for you and your kids.

Eat dinner together – since some sports are taking a break, this a great time for your family to connect. This gives space for kids to speak what has been on their mind and a time for parents to come together and connect as a family. Studies show that family dinners do A LOT of good for children and help them to be more emotionally connected and secure. Don’t underestimate the power of a meal together.

 

I know that the way this year is going is not what you had expected. Again, God knew. Is there something that He wants you and your kids to learn during this time? Could it be that He wants to use this season to redeem some family time that had been lost to crazy schedules, sports, lessons, and homework? There’s so much to be learned in every season, and it WILL be hard. But you can do hard things. I believe in you.

 

I’m rooting for you. You can do it. We’re in this together.

 

Blessings,

Angela

What I Learned In My First Year of Homeschooling and Where I Failed

Hello Friends.

So it's been a whole school year since I last wrote about my first year in my homeschooling journey. You can read it here.

SOOOOO... a lot has changed. Yes. A LOT. And it was mostly me.

All things were going well. Classical music during school days, co-ops with friends, field trips, drop off program once a week where I had 6 HOURS TO MYSELF (Hallelujah!).

But things were changing. I had a daily checklist of the agenda I wanted to complete for our school day. It was rigorous. It was fun. It was awesome.  I didn't know it at the time, but I was slowly dying inside because I started to cut out the MOST important thing.

You see, every morning my kids wake up and do their daily reading and journaling from their Jesus Calling devotional on their own. Then we would begin our school day with a bible time together, sharing and learning together. Well, as the school year went on, my agenda for their school day grew and I decided to push out our bible time together since they were already doing it on their own.

Thus began the decline in our school year. It was like I was dying a slow death... trying to hold things together all on my own, trying to make sure that I was giving my kids EVERYTHING they needed socially, emotionally, and physically. My days were consumed with making sure that my kids had every possible opportunity to grow in every area. The problem was that I forgot to include the One who causes the true growth.

The end of February hit and I felt weird. Almost depressed. I cried a lot and slept a lot. One day Greg came home to me crouching down in the corner of our kitchen floor crying. He told me gently that he thought I needed to see someone for this since he also noticed the changes in my behavior. I agreed but didn't know who to talk to.

The straw that broke my back: 
My oldest son, Isaac (10 yrs old), who is good at everything he does (and SUPER competitive), was upset one night because his younger brother, Joshua (8 yrs old), was better at juggling a soccer ball than he was. Not a big deal normally, but this night was odd. My oldest FREAKED OUT! He went into our backyard for 2 straight hours practicing to be better than his brother...crying... falling down... tearing up our grass, throwing, kicking.... yelling and angry. Like ANGRY! To be honest, I was tired. I had been dealing with so many emotions from him lately that I was just DONE. Around 10pm, I had him come in and go to sleep.  I knew that our next school day would be interesting and emotional for him and I just could not do one.more.day of this.

Desperate to talk someone who understood me, I ended up calling a lady that my hubby had introduced me to months before. She is a homeschooling mama of 3 and her kids are in high school. She is a couple steps ahead of me in this parenting/homeschooling journey and I needed some wisdom and guidance.

We met and I cried for five straight hours. Her words cut deep into my heart.

I realized that I got homeschooling all wrong. I realized that my priorities were upside down. Achievement and academics took the #1 spot in my day and there was no slowing down to deal with my kids' heartaches, their concerns, frustrations, etc. I just saw those as speed bumps that slowed down our day.

Remember Isaac's freak out session?  I wondered why he acted like that.... then I realized that he was me. For me, growing up Chinese meant that grades and achievements were EVERYTHING. I soon learned the game that you were bragged about and "honored" when you did well in school and had a great job title.  Later on in life when I got serious about school, I became obsessed with getting good grades. I remember rewriting papers in my graduate program just to change a 98% to a 100%.  My professors thought I was crazy, but I wanted/needed that  A+... and I got it. I ended up graduating with my Master's Degree with the highest honors...A+ in every class. Was I happier? No. But boy, did I feel important and smart. Looking back now, I can see how ridiculous it was to think that my grades defined me.

This unhealthy thought bled into how I raised my firstborn..to be the best, to get 100% on his school work. He learned from ME to find his worth through his achievements and accolades. He felt good about himself when he won, was the best, or was better than_______.  I always saw his tenacity and determination as something that was positive. And it can be. But for my Isaac, it wasn't because the root of it was not healthy. His self worth was so tied into what he did vs. who God created him to be. How can you blame him when this is what he saw and was taught by his mother?

Homeschooling is a magnifying glass of who YOU truly are. It reveals all your faults and every insecurity that you have. Then it magnifies it in your children for you to see just how much you need to Jesus. Praise God for His grace that stands in the gap for all our shortcomings!

As I sat there in tears in front of my friend, I learned that homeschooling is not really about academics, but all about teaching character and how to live a life that brings God glory. SO many homeschooling mamas told me to focus on character and the academics will follow. As a Chinese girl, that was hard for me to grasp. What?? Not making academics the #1 priority??!!! How are my kids going to be able to get into a good college and get a good job? 

But now I get it.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matt 6:33

It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.  
Deuteronomy 11:13-16


If I teach my kids character and how to love God and love others, HE will take care of the rest.  Does this mean that we ditch our academics? No. But it does mean that if we are in the middle of math and if one of my kids is dealing with frustration and a bad attitude, we address it instead of quickly sweeping it under the rug so that we can finish our checklist for the day. We take the time to guide them through it and we pray together. My kids know that they are more important to me than finishing that math lesson.

After talking to my sweet friend and mentor, I went home and made some changes to our homeschooling day.  I cried out to God to help me change my kids' heart and He answered, "Ok. But YOU first."   You see, in order for me to show my kids how to live for God and where to get your self worth from, it has to come from their mom.  I had to undergo heart surgery and allow God to recreate ME in the way that He designed me to be (not the way that I was brought up or the way the world told me to be)  so that I can be an example for my kids.

 It wasn't/isn't easy and every morning I find myself on my knees praying for our day.  I mess up and so do my kids, but we are all still learning this new way of schooling. Because really, God does not need another smart person, or doctor, or scientist. But He is looking to support a heart that is fully committed to Him. That is what He wants.

For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.      
2 Chronicles 16:9


So this is what our school looks like these days: 

- We start our school day studying the bible together again. We share, highlight, and dissect words and meanings of verses. I'm finding out that we can use so many comprehension skills that I've used in my classroom by using God's word.

- We pray that God would set the agenda for the day. I have a plan written out, but I allow God to tweak and change it WITHOUT stressing out that we didn't get everything done.

- Although we focus on character, we do things with excellence because God deserves our excellence in ALL that we do.

 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. 
Colossians 3:17 

- They know that I consider our math time successful if they do 5 problems with the right attitude vs. 50 problems with a bad attitude. (Thanks to my mentor friend who gave me this advice).

- We address frustrations and sadness instead of plowing through our agenda. If we need to revisit their feelings later, we do that, too.

- If  teachable moments come up in conversation, we take those moments to pause and talk about them.


I've seen so many changes in all of us so far, especially me. Are all our problems gone? Never. But I find that I am not as stressed about our academics and that I have a beautiful peace that God will work it all out for us if we are chasing hard after Him.


**UPDATE**
We are at the end of our school year and after about 3 months of schooling this way, our days are MORE peaceful. Perfect? No. But peaceful. I've seen my kids grow in amazing ways, submitting to what God wants for their lives, working through character issues, praying more, EXCITED about sharing God's word during our bible time (we've gone many times for over an hour before I stop them), and just seeing the bigger picture in life. We have slowed down, putting God's word first in our day and somehow STILL managed to finish our math books early. How is this possible?? Only with God!  We still have ways to go, but we are finally on the right track. God is continuing to work on my heart everyday, teaching me new things about Himself and how he wants me to raise the kids that He has entrusted to me. 

Blessings,

Life Is Beautiful: Things I've Learned about Homeschooling (so far)

Hello there Friends!

Well, we have been in FULL homeschooling mode for over a month now and things are going well. I mean, I haven't cried yet or anything so I must be doing something right.....or ....maybe I'm not. What I mean is that I haven't hid from my kids yet and oh, I hear sometimes you even talk to yourself and rock in the corner... I haven't done that either....yet. I know that hard days will come but right now we are enjoying that our lives are sloooowing down. We are learning A LOT (by "we" I mean both the kids and me!) by doing Classical Conversations. The curriculum is SO rich and rigorous! Plus, we meet every Wednesday for school and so I could not pass up instant community...because this mama needs to speak to grown-ups, too.

When my friends found out that I would be homeschooling and how scared/nervous I was taking on this huge responsibility, they always reassured me that I would be fine since I was a teacher. BUT for me, I  had always heard that teachers have the hardest time adjusting because they want to run their homeschool day like a classroom.  Wait. WHAT??!! No bells to let me know when I could use the restroom or get a snack?? What was I to do???

I was ready to throw out (almost) everything I've learned from my 14 yrs. in the classroom because I heard that my mind needed to be "unschooled"...which I tried a little. BUT I just couldn't get around not being on a schedule. That's the way I feel most productive. So what I've found through trial and error (and again, I've only been doing this for a little over a month folks, so I still have MUCH to learn!) is that being in the classroom has helped me tremendously in homeschooling my children. This works for me and my personality.  I have very close friends who homeschool and are more free spirited. That works for THEM and not me. I had to realize that.

So these are just a few things that I've learned so far:

- I have more patience with my kids now that I am not working.

- I NEED a schedule. I use the idea from Managers of Their Homes where I schedule our school day in 30 min blocks. This has SAVED me because I can get SO much done! I felt  that I couldn't do this since it was too "classroom" like but really, I just had to find my rhythm. Of course, we will be adjusting our schedule as needed, but this is our day for now.

- I'm using my classroom experience to organize my "classroom" at home, for time and behavior management, for different teaching strategies, writing anchor charts, enriching the learning environment,  using Thinking Maps and Depth and Complexity, and how to just manage my students. :) I was SO relieved to see that there were so many crossovers! I don't know why I thought that I couldn't use my past experience to help me in this journey.

- Like I said, we can get SO much done! We start school at 9am and are pretty much done with the core subjects by lunch. It's weird.

- I'm actually enjoying my kids. Did I mention that I have more patience now?


Life is beautiful for us right now since we are able to enjoy things like this....


The principal (aka Daddy) teaches Bible on Friday mornings while teacher (aka me) takes a coffee break. :)

My students can come to school naked, just as long as they show up. :)

We have time to do special things like these PE days. My friend is the cross country coach at APU and teaches a running class. She is allowing our boys to run with her college class.

And my coach friend...yea, her hubby is the soccer coach for the college so he is privately training our boys and allowing them to come to the beginning of the team practice to help out.  Who else gets to train with a college soccer team??!!! I sure do have AMAZING friends!!!

A lot of places offer field trips that are FREE or at a discounted price for homeschoolers!  I get to plan the field trips.... and on my field trips, we get to go on any rides we choose! :)

I know that my days will not always be great and times will get tough, but today I am celebrating ONE month of NO tears from students and teacher!! :)

Have a great day!

Blessings,

My New Life and an Editable First Day of School Sign!

Hi Friends.

This next year I am starting a new chapter of my life. Ever since my kids reached the age where they began going to school, life kept getting busier and busier. Now that they are a bit older (ages 10,8,5) life is just CRAZY; sports, church, dinners on the run, taking kids to different practices, homework, projects, AHHHH!!!! I could not keep up! Last summer, my husband and I both agreed that we could not go on living like that. We did not like running on the hamster wheel. We wanted needed more family time. My husband works different hours than a normal "9 to 5" job so his day off are Fridays. My kids go to school on Fridays. See the problem? We had to make a change. We LOVE my husband's job so that wasn't changing. I LOVE teaching, so that wasn't changing either. We knew we wanted to kids to be home on Fridays so there was only one option. Change the way schooling looked. After 14 years of teaching in the classroom, I am taking a leave of absence to teach my kids...at home!

Yes... HOMESCHOOL!

I will be homeschooling my two boys (10,8) and my little one will be starting kinder at a school right up the street from our house. I felt that I needed to send her to kinder because seriously, I would not do kindergarten justice. I feel like I could not do all that learning through play and art projects well enough to give her a great experience.  Kinder teachers out there... YOU.ARE.AMAZING!!

Homeschool.   Ahhhhh.....I can hear the comments now. Don't worry, my husband (and I at times) felt the same way. Here are some concerns that ran through our minds and our answers to them that calmed our hearts.

Will your kids be "weird or awkward"? 
Well.. I'm weird and can be awkward and times....so yes. My kids will be "weird" and possibly awkward. :)  In all seriousness though, I think that the parents play a big part in if the kids come out weird or awkward. Our goal is "NORMAL" and hopefully "AWESOME!"  Ha!

Will they have enough socialization?
Oh friend, yes! Long gone are the days where there are no support for homeschooling mamas. We are doing a hybrid program where I drop them off a "school" once a week (Praise JESUS!) where I just signed them up for elective courses.  We will also continue camping with friends, being involved in club and city sports, church,  serving our community, and many more opportunities that we will now able to take advantage of.

Will they be up to standard academically?
Of course! My goal for my kids' lives have always been to first, love Jesus and love others, and to do things with excellence...whether on the field or off, doing chores, schoolwork, whatever! As I mentioned before, I just signed them up for classes that included STEM science, computers, Spanish, and Art and Drawing. I will be educating my kids classically (We are doing Classical Conversations).....which from what I hear, is pretty rigorous. This particular curriculum includes music theory, latin, history, and science (they will be dissecting this year). Because I am going through a charter school, my kids are also going to be taking the state test.

How can you be with your kids ALL.DAY.LONG?
I'm not sure. I'm sure that there will be days that I will be crying in the corner, rocking myself to self soothe. I'm sure the drop off program once a week will help.


Editable Back to School Sign

Since we are all getting ready for the beginning of the school year I have a sign that I created for my kids last year. I just updated them for myself and thought that you guys may want an EDITABLE copy for less than a latte! I think they turned out adorable!!  If school already started for  your kiddos, no worries. Just put this together, catch them before school one day, and make ask your kids to stand still so you can snap a quick shot.... AND no one will EVER know that it wasn't the first day of school. Shhhh.. I won't tell either. We mamas (and daddys) have to stick together here.

Your secret is safe with me. :)

After you purchase it, you will need to download some fonts if you want yours to look like mine. You can download them for free from Kevin and Amanda Fonts.  Here is a list of fonts I used. WATCH OUT though! I can spend FOREVER downloading EVERY.SINGLE.FONT on Kevin and Amanda Fonts and not remember the project that I went there to do.

UPDATE: Although Kevin and Amanda Fonts have adorable fonts, I've heard you cannot find these fonts there anymore...BUT they are on Teachers Pay Teachers. Search the font by name and download for FREE.


Here are the fonts you will need:

This resource comes with this page so no need to write all this down right now. I've also included ALL the links for the fonts!

You have different options as to how you want them printed.

* If you want them on a regular 8.5x11 paper (picture below), just print it as you normally do.

*** This is an old picture. I've since revised and updated the sign to what you see above. :)

* If you want them poster size (picture below with my boys), you will have to go into your printing options. DISCLAIMER! There was some weird box thing going on around my apple clipart last year and I didn't have time to change it since I didn't notice it until it was too late. I fixed it and just used a different and cuter apple. So you will NOT have the weird dark square around the apple. My daughter (pictured above) has the new version with the new apple. :)

To get the poster size, all you have to do is change the setting on your printing options. I have a PC so these are directions for my computer. I'm thinking a Mac is not much different as far as the printing goes.

1. Go to your print page. Click Print Properties.

2.Go to the tab that says "Finishing".

3. When you get to the finishing tab, go to the drop down menu that says "Pages per sheet". I click 2x2. This will give you 4 sheets, which as you can see from the picture of my kids, is PLENTY big! You will have to put the sheets together. I print them on cardstock and attach them with packaging tape (scotch tape will also work) on the back. You can also laminate the pages FIRST then connect them with tape.

You can also get the bundle and compare First and Last Day pictures with the same sign.

Hope you enjoy this resource! Have a great year Friends! 

Blessings,

Angela Linzay