I am not sure when it was exactly, that I stopped planning ahead. It could have been when Zoe was little and ill all the time. Maybe when her big sister Olivia was still catching every virus too- but somewhere along the years with appointments, kids school stuff, daily care and flu seasons- and trying…
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Author Archives: Suzanne
Suzanne is the motivated mom to two daughters affected by mitochondrial disease. She shares a cozy home in Scottsdale with her handsome husband Bruce, smart and spunky daughter Olivia (10), sassy yet sweet daughter Zoe (9) Frankie the Bernese Mountain dog and Max, the Golden Retriever. She is an avid reader, obsessive coffee drinker, wannabe knitter, advocate for kids with special needs, and a reunited adoptee.
Don’t Worry.. Be Happy
Written on July 3, 2011 by Suzanne
This post is actually about worry and happiness, not my own- but my daughter’s. By the time my daughter’s emotional disability developed, we had already dealt with significant medical issues. The kind of medical issues that distract, disable, and leave you broken hearted. Emotional illness is worse. Worse than seeing your toddler poked every hour…
Celebrating the Slowdown of Summer, Hints,Tips & Stuff
“Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.”- Richard Bach Summer is here and Moms everywhere are celebrating the absence of homework, alarm clocks, carpools and school pick ups! Yet there are also some Moms challenged by the long days of summer, the heat, and the hours of empty spaces that lead to…
Back to the Basics of Mothering..
Written on May 15, 2011 by Suzanne
Arizona’s scorching heat returned the end of this week, and because both my daughters’ have metabolic energy issues, and the school week was extra busy.. this made for very grumpy girls. Being hot makes us all a little grumpier, but for my girls when their bodies are truly out of fuel- it can reach a…
A Mother’s Day Letter From Your Child
Written on May 8, 2011 by Suzanne
For you Mom,- Even without my words, you have always known my needs. When I am hurting or afraid, frustrated and fatigued You gather me home into the safety of your arms. You know what makes me smile, delights me and fills my face with light You make my happiness. When you sing my favorite…
Fixing What I Can Fix, With Hello Kitty Duck Tape and Aqua ” Happy Paint”
Moms of kids with special needs ( or special powers as Love that Max Mom, Ellen says) aren’t that different than other moms. One minute our kids are laughing, smiling , feeling good, and we feel like rock stars.. and the next minute well .. we wonder what the plan was giving us more than…
My breath caught in stunned surprise…
Written on March 27, 2011 by Suzanne
It was almost 6 am and I was helping Olivia, my pretty typical ten-year old, review for her Science test. I say pretty typical, because O has a mitochondrial disorder just like her more affected younger sister. O doesn’t use a walker or wheelchair, instead she runs until she is tired. She spins, she walks, she sits…
“Use Your Words” , A life lesson to live by
Written on March 13, 2011 by Suzanne
It’s a typical school day morning, and I am in the kitchen double checking Zoe’s lunch bag, snack bag, toiletry bag- loading her backpack . I glance up, over the kitchen counter, just in time to see Zoe, who is hovering nearby in her walker. She is smiling and elaborately shaking her groove thing to…
Moments Like These
Written on February 20, 2011 by Suzanne
It is past 8 o’clock at night, and my ten year old should have been asleep a half hour ago. But she isn’t, she had to finish her book, have another snack, get a drink of water and now she is over tired. Her face is pale, her body is tired, and the aches and…
Her way.. One half turn at a time.
Written on January 30, 2011 by Suzanne
When Zoe was almost 5, I published an article about her differences, and the importance of raising her to believe she was ” just like everyone else” and capable of doing anything, her own way.. I wrote about the way my daughters danced together back then ” Dressed in matching dance outfits, feather boas and princess…
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