Hello, everybody. (laugh) happy Saturday. I am Ms. Shannon. Uh, I'm a variety of word related things. Uh, uh, by career. Uh, including a comedian, a corporate speaker. Hello, Andy. Hello, Andy. You get to see this. Um, this is my, my current favorite bonnet. Uh, it's dragon ball Z related. So one side it has, um, the dragon ball Z. I don't know if you anime at all, Andy, it has the dragon ball Z anim. Anime dragons. And then the orange side has the dragon ball Z. Ballsy dragon balls themselves. Um, and so you get to meet my favorite bonnet because I did get to the point of putting.
On some facial sunscreen. But it is quite shiny. So I'm going to, uh, take care of that while we talk. So, uh, it'll look like a cadre. Get ready with me. Hi. Good to see you. I hope that you are well. Uh, I was just explaining that my name is Ms. Shannon. I'm a variety of word related things. Uh, by trade, including a comedian and a corporate speaker and a voice actor and an event. MC and a benefit auctioneer. I'll actually be part of a benefit on Monday for a lovely organization here. Hello? Hello?
Hello. A part of a lovely organization here in the twin cities. Called, um, summit academy, O I C. They're primarily located in north Minneapolis and they do job training for, um, adults who are looking to, uh, switch careers into. Very well, um, needed careers here in the twin cities. So I'm happy to be supporting them. See the sunscreen. If y'all don't sunscreen, sunscreen. So I sunscreen every day on both my face and my. Exposed body (laugh). Whether it is the summer or not. I sunscreen. Uh, and I wanted to talk to you about the concept.
Of summer. I think that, um, for me in particular. Uh, there used to be this summer dread. Um, and a lot of that came. After I became a parent and specifically a caregiver, just as a reminder, I have. An adorable now, 18 year old kiddo who happens to be high supports on the autism spectrum. And when he was younger, I'll be honest with you. Summers were rough. Um, it was so hard to maintain what I thought his. Skillset needed to be, to make sure that he's maintained. He stayed occupied. And then that transition.
Back to school was so hard. Um, there were lots of times where I found myself. Uh, the school that we usually go to are usually picks back up here in the twin cities, right after. Um, labor day. And I can, you know, would full, venerability tell you about many days. Where I was in tears, uh, when it was time to go back to school because the transition would. Be so difficult. Um, but that was I think the last time I remember it being really bad. We'll say 2019. Um, but what I've noticed since then, and we have been working my son and I have been working on a variety of.
Things. And what I've noticed is that that dread has lessened. And a lot of it is very incremental. I can't tell you. Hey, there was this moment. Where there was this flash of insight and the light bulb switched on. And all of a sudden I knew here. Here's how our summers are gonna make, uh, make it easier on all of us. That isn't something that I can tell you happened, but I can tell you that slowly over the last few years, I have been able to. Build in the kind of supports that he and I both need.
And those transitions back have gotten better sold to the, uh, I think, um, I remember. In cuz we had that time off because of, uh, there, our little pandemic that we had. Um, I remember those first couple of years when we were transitioning back. Yeah, it was. Back to being rough, but it was really around. 2024. That I'm like, Hey, we just went back to school. And it's not so bad. He, uh, the amount of time that it took him to transition back. And to feel in, uh, uh, in the groove of being in school.
Shortened, um, the amount of difficulty that I had getting him back in the groove. Lessened, all of those things. And so it was adding in one thing at a time. Incrementally throughout the summer. One thing at a time incrementally. With our relationship with my ability to reset. All of these things and that added up to. Hey, you know what? Summer's coming. And this year, uh, for what I really will consider the first time. I wasn't sitting here going, oh my gosh, summer vacation. What am I gonna do?
It was more of, okay, this will be a good break. And, uh, you know, the other thing that I appreciate about it. Is that I actually instead of going, I'm never gonna be able to get all my work done. It's so hard to balance everything. You know, when we're. Outta, you know, when we don't have that school time. Instead I'm like, you know what? You've done that. You've done this before. You have things that are said into place. And you'll actually be able to use this time to reset. And I'm looking forward to it.
It actually was nice. His last day of school was Thursday. Uh, and so Friday morning it was funny cuz uh, this is what made me think about. Talking about this is that, um, normally if he has one of his like little foray and wake up calls, and it's hard for me to get 'em to go back to sleep. I'm like, oh no, it's gonna throw school off this time. I'm like, okay. Wake up at four o'clock stay up. I don't gotta get you to leave the house on Friday morning. Imagine how that mind shift goes. I definitely didn't see it coming, but I was glad that it was there.
So, you know, yeah. I have plans for us over the summer. I have plans. Plans for how I'm gonna continue my work schedule, even plans on how I'll be able to continue to, uh, uh, interact with the cadre sphere. Uh, and this year it feels encouraged. And so maybe there's something in your life. Maybe you have been dreading something because in the. Past, there was a habit of, this is always difficult. Um, and so I encourage you to look at it and go, you know, what. Yes, that was a pattern, but that doesn't mean that we can't figure out ways to break those patterns.
We can't figure out ways. To disrupt those cycles. And if you do it a little bit, as I said, incrementally over time. And I wish I could tell you that sometimes those things won't take years of slowly. Incrementally changing them. But I can tell you. Proof that it will get better. Um, and we can find ways to work on that. The way that I suggest that you do it, because I know that sometimes you're like, okay, how do I get to. The point that I can do this. I have been lately in what I call. Let's do it, do it mode.
Um, because you can spend so much time in the analysis paralysis. Portion of this disrupting of cycles that you never just start with something to. See if that works to make that change to go, you know what, maybe this isn't gonna be perfect. But it's something and I'm moving. Because often just like a lots of other things. Once you start moving, it's easier to continue moving. That spark, that first thing that you do is the hardest thing. Um, so yeah, for me, it was. Maybe don't sign him up for so much during the summer and see if that'll help us a little bit.
Uh, maybe don't sign myself up myself up for so much stuff from the summer. Maybe that'll be different. Uh, I started talking to his. Uh, instructors and going, send me a, uh, a lot of stuff to do so. Maybe I'm not doing a full school load of work every day. I am by no means a wonderful. Uh, uh, I am not by no means a wonderful fill-in homeschooler. But I can go. We're gonna do a little bit every day. Something so that he's like, oh wait, you know what you mean? I still have to learn. (laugh) I'm like, yeah, buddy, you still have to learn.
We're gonna do something. A lot of times in my house, it's just, we're gonna do two pages of a book. Let's do that and work back into that. And figuring out ways that I can put him in the path. Of the patterns that I need him to do, and let's do the same thing for me. Hello, speak, wonder. Speak, my good friend, Kathy joy. I'm glad your mom is improving. I'm sorry that you. Were going through all of that last week, you were in my heart. Um, and so I meant to check in with you. So I'm glad that you're here.
Uh, I was talking about how, uh, previously I used to have a lot of summer dread. Uh, because my son would be out of school and it would be frustrating. You Oslo got, uh, got to. Miss we started implementing at work. We started implementing, uh, 80% done. So. We can just get things started. That absolutely makes sense. Yes. Thank you for sharing that. Cuz that's, uh, it's not as, um, it's not as percentile (laugh) in our house, but that's exactly what it is like. Let's just go, you know, let's just go because I am actually having this conversation with.
A couple of people that I'm mentoring, um, because we have been. In the work shopping process on a couple of things for each of them. For a considerable amount of time where they are stuck in the, well, I could do this. Or what if I do that, or maybe I'll do this in the exploration process. And I'm like, that's all great. You wanna set it up? But I feel as though we can get stuck in the. It has to be perfect before we even begin, I have to have a full plan. Before I even get started. And that makes sense.
If you're building a building, if there's something that you're requiring. The, the structural integrity of something. Or it could fall down and collapse. Yeah. Have a plan before you build a full bridge. But if you're just trying to figure out how I'm gonna get my kid to, uh, take a shower on his own. I can't have a full plan. I can go, you know what? I think, you know what? I'll start, I'll start dropping a towel on his. Head in his room every once in a while. So he remembers the shower exists.
Exists, not a full plant. Not sure how far it'll go. He might gimme the towel back, but at least we're doing. Something towards disrupting the cycle that I need to have disrupted and changed. And for me, what I started a couple of years ago over the summer. Is, I just started building in breaks. I said, don't agree to do more than one meeting a day. That's what I started with years ago. And that sound like don't agree to do more than one meeting a day. That's gonna be plenty. You're already. Gonna have other stuff to do.
Just start with that. And now it's gotten better where I can sit there and go. I'm gonna do my best to free up as much time as possible. Be very intentional with the way that. I, I feel my schedule. It does, it did require, and I didn't think about this at the. Time, but it did work out that I shifted a lot of my work so that I'm doing sprints in the spring. And the fall, but it does give me a little more time during the summer to go, well, I want, my job is. So I don't feel guilty about that is preparing for the busy season.
But also, you know, a part of that preparation is making sure that my kiddo. And my cer uh, our circumstance. Is as settled. Settled as possible, because that makes me better at my actual. Career related things. Um, and that makes me better as a mom. It gives me more time right now. To be able to be present. When he most needs it. Um, so that when things do come up, he's got more. Support internally. And that's one of the things I'm most proud about him is that he really has come a long way in being able to self.
Self-regulate being able to communicate some of his needs to advocate for things that he likes. And I know if any of. You know, teenagers, man, when they advocate, you sometimes wish that they would just do what you say. But I'm not raising an AANA a automaton. I am raising a little. Human being. And so he is allowed to have opinions. So. I'm proud that he is doing a better job at advocating for his opinions, even though they sometimes. Slow down or fly in the face of what I would like us to be doing.
Uh, so that is, uh, the way today goes, I do have a very. Um, modest schedule in my esteem of what I'm gonna work on throughout the day. Uh, some of that is just slowly being able to. Work on the event that I'll be at on Monday. And I'm glad that that's primarily the one thing I have. Next week that I'm gonna work on. Uh, and so I encourage you to do that. Um, figure out what you can do if you have one of those. Cycles that you're like every time this comes up, I feel that intense sense of. Dread let's figure out how to get in front of that.
And start incrementally breaking that so that instead of going, this is. Always going to be something that I dread. It can eventually be something that you look back and say, wow, I really used to dread this. I'm glad that I'll feel that way anymore. Homework assignments for the week. That is what I encourage you to do. If there's something else that you can think of, that we can. Get in front of maybe it's not something that summer related. But if it's something in the fall, Hey, we got plenty of time to workshop this with you.
And plenty of people here. In the cadre sphere who are willing to help you take some different looks at things. Uh, in ways that might help you move forward. Again, Andy, thank you for sharing that. I appreciate you. I'm sure that you'll be out, uh, in all of the lovely fair. Fairs and festivals here in, uh, uh, the, uh, Minneapolis area. I hope to see you and your. I hope you're still. Ha do you still have your puppy? Um, so you can go and do that. Uh, you guys gimme joy when I see that you guys are out and doing that, I will also.
Plan to be out and about. Um, as I mentioned, we have lots of people here in the cottage here. That are communicating different things in different ways so that hopefully whatever you need, you can go here and rifle. Through all of them and go, ha, this is what I needed right now. Uh, make sure that you find it. Uh, and if there's things that we can do to continue to support you. Um, let us know so we can go, Hey, here's the kind of contact two pups. Ah, got you. So you'll have fun adventures. I'm sure.
Throughout the summer, I look forward to checking in, uh, with you. On that, uh, check in with us, always let us know what it is, you know, leaving the comments. If you're like, Hey, we could use. Some content this way, you know, the cadre sphere is always looking to, uh, build the community up in ways. That support you most appropriately? Um, I. Am going to go check on the giggles. (laugh) you can't hear it from here, but he's there. Let's see, we're gonna walk over to the door. Deep breath, everybody.
Don't. Don't give her a go. Let's see what he's doing. What you doing? Yeah. What are you doing? Should we go outside? No, go outside. Okay. Well, we will. Negotiate that later, but he's up and he's laughing. So life is good in our house. Uh, hopefully life is good in your house as well. I always appreciate being able to spend. Some time with you. I do intend to be back here on Thursday at 2:00 PM central. For an additional addition of comedy through the chaos. Um, so, uh, you all mean a lot to me, so thank you for being here.
You're important and I hope. That the day treats you well, if it doesn't shame on it, not shame on you. I appreciate you all. We'll see you back here soon.
