Tri_Mom_1118 - page 11

mommag.com
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Family comes first.
All families are unique. Tell us about
yours.
I have two amazing daughters. They have a
very close bond with each other. My
youngest is multidiagnosed and is
considered medically frail. We spend a lot
of time going to doctors’ appointments
and filling out paperwork. My oldest is a
great help. She lives on her own and is a
manager at Harbor Freight. We enjoy the
same things and like spending time with
each other. I feel like I am a single parent
twice because of their age difference. I
guess the first time was not challenging
enough; so I had to do it a second time!
What is the most fun you’ve had with
your family lately?
Having a child who is medically frail does
not get us in the category of fun very often.
I do the best I can with what help my
oldest daughter can provide after her job
and personal life can allow. We have fun
together doing pretty much anything from
hanging out at the house to our road trips
to Seattle and Spokane for doctor appoint-
ments. Our last family vacation was to the
Oregon Coast in 2011.
MeriJeanne Vidrine
Gets real!
Cover MOM
As a single parent and mother to a
special needs child, Cover MOM
MeriJeanne Vidrine has had to
learn that she can’t do it all, but she
does so much—for her daughters
and others in the community
through her work for the Down
Syndrome Association of the
Mid-Columbia (DSAMC) and
Rascal Rodeo.
When did you know you wanted to be a
mom?
I never had that“moment”when I knew I
wanted to be a mom. But once it happened,
I decided I would go forth and be the best
mother I could be to my daughters.
Tell us about one of your proudest mom
moments.
When people tell me how much they enjoy
being around my oldest daughter and
compliment who she’s become.
Now tell us about one of your most
humbling mommoments.
When an extra special teacher was working
with my youngest and showed me that she
knew more than I gave her credit for. The
teacher said, “I bet she knows her colors.”
And I said, “Maybe someday, but not today.”
Boy, was I wrong!
We’re all moms so we know that no one
is perfect all of the time or even some of
the time. Tell us about your most recent
“Mother of the Year”moment. You know,
like forgetting to pick the kids up from
school.
I can never remember if my oldest
daughter was born on the 27th or 28th.
She was born on Thanksgiving Day, and
since that changes each year, I can’t seem
to remember the date.
In what way are your children like you?
How are they different?
We are all friendly and social. My oldest
and I look at things logically and like to
travel. She is a wallflower and observes the
situation before jumping in. I dive in head
first. My youngest is very easygoing for the
most part, and I have to have plan “A to Z”
in place so that I’m ready for whatever
comes my way. But, of course, it’s plan “Z.1”
that ends up happening. Go figure.
What do you wish for your children?
Happiness and confidence. I put impor-
tance on relationships, feeling good about
your decisions and being able to live within
your means financially. I don’t care about
where they work or live, what they drive or
the brand of clothing they wear as long as
they can hold their head up high and pay
their bills.
No one works harder
than mom.
We know that being a mom is a full-time
job. Tell us about your work or volun-
teerism outside of the home.
Because of my youngest having special
needs, I volunteer for the Down Syndrome
Association of the Mid-Columbia (DSAMC)
and Rascal Rodeo. I don’t get many visitors
and crave “adult conversation” so I find
volunteering fills some of this void. And it
helps distract me from some of the
challenges I have to deal with at home.
I was first introduced to the DSAMC in 2008
when my youngest was 3 years old. A
mother at the Children’s Developmental
Center invited me to one of their events. I
gained so much information and support
from the other parents who could relate to
what I was going through without having
to explain every little detail.
I was introduced to Rascal Rodeo in 2012
when we attended our first rodeo. I had
just heard a speaker at the DSAMC Lecture
Series discuss how horseback-riding was a
benefit to those with disabilities. It’s funny
how information and events fall into your
lap at the perfect time. We had a blast; my
oldest volunteered and my youngest
participated. We attended a few more after
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