Back to School, and a host of other facts

Yep, even for those of us in the homeschool world, there is such a thing as "Back to School" -- though I try to take advantage of full-shelves instead of ransacked aisles, this year there was no avoiding the Back To School rush. In recent years we have started our new school year about two weeks behind the previous one -- if you think it's hard to get your "out-of-home-schooled" child back into the routine of school, just imagine what it's like for those of us who have classrooms in our home!!! Oy! But this year there was a little kink in that plan called "momma having surgery" -- so we started school only one week before everyone else.
And we changed curriculums this year!!! So the first few weeks had both Yancey Jr and I wondering "what have we done???!!" -- but we are finally in a good groove and used to it and loving it. It is very different, and actually more hands-on that what we had been doing, but we are both enjoying the time we are spending together reading. And to steal a brilliant idea from a friend, when it comes time for him to start his new journal, we're going to write in a journal AND learn to type on a blog!!! So that would be spelling, grammar, typing, creative writing, computer skills --- talk about killing more than one bird with a stone!!! But you should be in prayer for both of us, because my keyboard hardly has any letters left on it -- I've used it for work and play for over three years and most of the main keys (asdfjkl;) are completely black!!!
As for John Brady and Nancy Claire -- they've started "school" as well. It's a little different than I had anticipated, but we're working the kinks out and hey, it's preschool/kindergarten, we can be flexible. I am happy to say, though, that BOTH of them can write their names!!! Well, here's where I regret doing the double name thing -- John Brady can write JOHN and Nancy Claire can write NANCY -- an accomplishment nonetheless!!
And John Brady's therapy is a once-per-week thing now -- he actually has Speech and Occupational Therapy combined and there are two other boys in a group setting. So far it seems to be working out pretty well -- it's amazing what they will and won't do socially sometimes; and an added benefit for me is that I am able to sit and visi with one of the other moms for an extended period of time with only two children (Yancey Jr and Nancy Claire) interrupting occasionally!
As for Yancey, he's still hard at work -- well, he says he is, but from what my facebook friends tell me, he likes to poke jabs at me every now and again since I am not there to defend myself. I have taken a "facebook break" for a number of reasons and only log on occasionally to answer messages in the inbox.
As for me, and since it's all about ME - HA - I have made a few changes lately -- definitely some things I put a great deal of prayer into for quite some time, and obedience can often be painful. But as my precious 9 year old told me -- "If God's making you give up something you love so much, He obviously has something GREAT just around the corner, Mom" -- kind of made me feel like a baby for crying all day.....but He obviously has a new chapter for me. Right now I just have to WAIT to see what it is.......
So, we're still playing the WAITING game in several areas at the Nolan household...