Parental Phone Activist

Okay, here goes -- I am blogging while making calls to Jerry Brown, Governor of California, to ask that he pass SB 946.

I am going to call several times and blog about the process. In part because I am fairly phoneophobic at this point and partly because I procrastinate well heading into the unknown (it's like whistling in the dark for me):

11:01 am. Busy signal. Okay, off to find the cool Dr Seuss-like illustration from Autism Votes that I saw on FB. Back soon ...

11:03 am. Screenshot captured. Dialing. Busy signal. Okay, now to get that picture into this post.

From the Autism Votes FaceBook page

11:05 am. Here goes something ... aaaaaand more busy. Hey, company! Keep on phonin'!

11:06 am: What the hey? Okay, busy! Get some more staffers in there. how about an anchor tag while I wait, so provide more bill info?

11:11 am - busy! Test the anchor tags ...

11:18 am -- stoopid code. Busy.

11:21, :22, :23 and :24 am: ditto. Where is the love? Will work on grocery list and keep calling. If I haven't got through by the end of my list, I take a break from calling.

11:25, :26 ... busy.

11:27 am -- hey, that's ringing! Pressing 1 for English ... Pressing 6 to speak with a staff member.  Recording that my call is being transferred. Holding. Listening to a recording that a staffer will speak with me shortly. repeat 5 times.

11:30 am -- speaking to a live staffer! very polite. I ask that the governor sign sb 946. As a parent of a child on the spectrum, it will help get him the services he needs now so that he won't need more later. I am assured that this message will be passed on to the governor.

I ask if there is anything further I can do to let the governor know how important this bill is to our families and many others like us. He suggests sending a fax to the governor's office or sending an email through the governor's website, being sure to select sb 946 from the drop-down menu. I thank him and we wish each other a nice day.

11:31 am -- hang up.

11:32 am - find governor's website and start email. I select that I need help and find sb 946 alllll the way at the bottom of the drop-down menu for PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR SUBJECT:

11:57 am -- email sent.

If you're reading this -- please consider calling and making your voice heard.

I Picked Up the Phone

Here's something I've noticed. When things get tough, it become exponentially harder to ask for help.

I don't know if it's depression, the years growing up in a family that says yes to "can you ...." and no to "do you need ...", or the quasi-despair that comes over me when I try to imagine how to frame my request to people who mean well but have a life without autism issues.

Common sense goes right out the window. I feel like I am carrying weights with me and I can feel my forehead creasing like Roman blinds. I stop answering the phone, returning emails, opening letters. I don't care what I'm wearing and I read about 2 dozen books a week. Re-read them, because I don't go out. Going out somehow evolved into Getting Everything Done Just Right, compiling a major To Do list, assembling half a dozen items into a bag so I can take care of things along the way, and needing to lose 15 pounds before I can put on non-funky clothes and go anywhere. Kind of like those dreams where you run and run, and keep missing trains, dropping things, etc.

And it's not like people haven't noticed or try to help. Like a doofus, I just keep saying "no, that's okay, but thanks." I am becoming aware of just how much time has disappeared into this kind of white fog, and it's unnerving.

So I have started to be better about not thinking and jumping outward more. I pick a project a week around the house and focus on that instead of a book. I sit down and play with the kids a little more. I am going to the gym and working out, even if it means that I'm the only one there sweating my stuff in jeans and a t-shirt & ballet flats (because I can't deal with gym bags at the moment). I've been finding things I'd like to do. Me. I. For me. And then doing some of them. I've made inroads into my backpiled emails.

But by far the hardest thing for me to deal with is the phone. Seriously. I freeze when I hear it and wonder if I am going to pick it up or not. I hate returning calls. I cringe at the thought of calling someone. It's like my phone weighs 30,000 pounds, knows all my darkest secrets, and is waiting to blackmail me. Did I mention that common sense has left the building at this point?

So I am pleased to announce that this holiday, facing time with both kids on my hands and cold, wet outdoors, *I picked up the phone* and called a parent of a classmate of James': "What are you doing? Want to go somewhere?" And yes, they did. And we did get together with our kids and had a good time.

I think I'll try stickers next, to make the phone seem even less intimidating. Maybe Zurg. We have some of those around, I just know it.

SOOC Saturday: Point & ...

James' dad has upgraded his cell phone. Thi smakes James v. happy, because guess who gets to play with the old one (and the built-in camera)?

James pursues his interests with great enthusiasm. The shot above was taken at a recent outing to the DeYoung Museum (yes, again).

If you are wondering what his pictures look like well ...

Let's just say he gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "point and ....shoot!"

The Slurping Life is taking care of the present. Why not take a moment to visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present. No cropping or fixing -- it's life, straight out of the camera.





  

Daddy Can You Spare Your Phone?

James is a wriggly, lively, active little guy these days. This makes eating out a challenge. We try and have drinks and at least crackers arrive as soon as possible to keep him in his seat. Sometimes he will use crayons and try colouring the kids' paper menus. A couple of times we've resorted to bringing a book or toy to help keep him entertained and focused.

Eventually, though, we are faced with needing to use our ultimate weapon:
Daddy's phone!



James loves phones. What's not to love? There are buttons to push! Sounds you can hear! Screens to discover! Games and apps you can play! We've given up letting him play with my older, flip-open one. He's program several improbably entries into my speed dial list and once I caught him downloading ring tones.

The Dining Out Challenge

Oh for the days when James just sat in a chair in a restaurant (few though they were).

One hot & feisty weekend afternoon I decided I was not going to cook dinner. So we brought my daughter's Summer Reading pizza coupon to the local Round Table and I packed a PB&J for James, who has decided he does not like pizza anymore.

My daughter had a ball eating her pizza prize. I am a big pizza fan. We could have spent a good 2 hours there, nibbling crunchy, cheesy goodness, enjoying the a/c, a different room, and our cold drinks. Oh, and making up silly songs. It's a family thang.

James went through his "sanwish" and was *done* with sitting on the seat. In desperation, I gave him my cell phone. He figured out how to set up speed dial (which I have yet to do) and added a new contact to my phone: @.-.!

Their phone number is 1-555-124-1155-555522####6*85##*#327#

When he started downloading ringtones, I had to wrassle him to get the phone back.

How do others cope with restless child syndrome? And sorry, mom & dad. I can guess now what my brother and I put you through l those many years ago!