CHANGE

Last Friday I was looking over the blog post I had up...and I got to the part about stickers that said...


I'm still thinking of a tag line. I don't want it to be anything to do with Autism- because I want all sorts of people to read it...not just folks affected by Autism....and if I didn't have a child with Autism I wouldn't think I had any need for a blog that I assumed was only about Autism....not knowing it was actually a blog trying to change the World...

And it kind of hit me...Spelled out for me right in front of me. So I had a technology born conversation with my Talented Design Friend, Aiden's Mom...

And it felt like me...and it looks like home on the stickers....A definite maybe... Thoughts?


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I remember the first time I said it out loud...I called the pediatrician's office to make a 2 day old weight check appointment for Greyson...


Hi...My name is Chrissy Kelly...and I'm calling to make an appointment for....ahhhh...ummm- well, for my son, Greyson...


Holy Cow...my son...I just said my son...I have a son...A couple of days ago I had a big stomach and heartburn...and today I have a son... Wow....That is fricking crazy.







And I remember the first time telling someone we didn't know that Greyson was Autistic... We were at TJ Maxx...and I saw from the little hanging puzzle pieces that they were raising money for Autism Speaks... I asked my cashier if they had collected a lot of money so far...and I told him I wanted to donate. 








I picked Grey up to the counter and had him say Hi...( I often have Greyson say hi to everyone we encounter so he can get practice learning social norms-making eye contact and talking-yes- the opposite of telling your kid not to talk to strangers...)...and I said- Greyson say, "I...have...Autism..."  which he did (in Greyson-talk) and I said- He's Autistic...thanks for asking people to donate...I know it's hard...and all of the sudden I felt so fricking stupid...
Why did I have him repeat that?!!! ...That was weird! When did I become- a crazy lady came into work today- story? ...and I wanted to take it back... 
But like anything...each time I do it, it gets easier. (I would never make him say it again...egads no). And although I wish he didn't have Autism... When I tell people...I say it so proudly...because I am so proud of him...like- look how amazing he is? Do you know how hard he works? You can't imagine how far he's come!  Do you know he's changing the World and I get to help him?


Tonight I had more CHANGE in the form of a change in my routine... I got a glass of wine with an amazing friend I could talk to for 8 hours straight and still have stuff to talk about. She is only in town for a few nights and yesterday she asked if I wanted to get together this evening for a glass of wine...



And my first instinct was to think....On a Tuesday? But it's a school night...who will watch the kids? Oh yeah--and they need to eat dinner!!...When will I run? And a million other inconsequential things that can run through my head in 3 seconds because I have high-anxiety and I worry about the stupidest of stuff and don't even always realize I am even doing it... (ABA is cancelled this week, and I don't go to school- so I don't know why that "school night" thought even came to mind...but it did!)


And sometimes when I hear my inner breaks screeching -- saying, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT. WARNING." I realize it means it's time for a CHANGE because I'm stuck in a routine, also known as a RUT...it's time to take that zone of comfort of rezone it... 



Cheers, Friend.

It's so crazy...how something so simple...can breath life into the places you had forgotten existed... I'm keeping true to my Summer of Pinot and Navy Blue...


And we talked and laughed...and finished thoughts... We made eye contact and could focus on each other and didn't have to wipe a nose or a butt...and it was so totally awesome that I WILL make sure to do it again....and again...and again...even on a school night.


Girl time....How I love you so. 



And as I drove home tonight and looked out onto the horizon, if there was anything not alright in the World....I didn't know it...








Do me a favor... Make a CHANGE in your routine...rezone...


Big or small- your choice... I want to hear about it.


Happy 4th of July. 


Chrissy