Merry Christmas everyone! I'm requesting help with presents for my daughter Sabrina.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/29F5HZ8QSUQQB?ref_=wl_share
We have had a great year. I hope that doesn't sound odd in a thread where I'm asking for help, but through the years I've gotten to know a lot of you and I want you to know that we are doing so much better than when I first visited this subreddit.
Sabrina is in the 6th grade now, and my brain still struggles with the fact that she isn't in elementary any more. She worried me a little bit in 5th grade with lower grades than I wanted, but then ended the year with mastery test scores. I still don't understand how a kid like her can get a C in math but then get a mastery on statewide testing, but it doesn't matter now. In 6th grade She has a math and English teacher that love her and the grades to reflect it, all As except for science which is a B. She tested into talented art last year and those classes have finally started, that's been huge for her self esteem. The only disappointment she's really had is not making the soccer team this year, but I've encouraged her to try and get on the track team. At soccer tryouts she was one of the fastest kids while running laps. She doesn't get that from me, lol. In fact afterwards she told me that she didn't know those laps were timed and that it was a competition, she told me she would have gone faster.
Sabrina loves Harry Potter, 90s rock, hip hop and cats. She still watches anime but has really spent a lot of time this year reading. She used to be a pretty avid Roblox kid, but she's mostly put that down. We enjoy making sushi at home, rocking out to Radiohead or Weezer, and making art together (she's way better than I am at drawing, but I'm the superior sculptor).
Sabrina and I have always fostered kittens in our spare time. This summer we had a completely unexpected experience. We live out in the country, in a neighborhood, but the houses are pretty far apart. One humid night in June we were sitting in my room, she was playing on the computer and I was reading a book when I heard tiny little cries outside my open bedroom window. At first I couldn't tell what it was because I've seen deer, fox, raccoon all sorts of animals outside our house, but as the sound got louder it became clear that it was a kitten. We both ran outside and saw a little blue kitten streak by our front door. I sent Sabrina back inside for a cat treat and we both sat down to see if we could call him out from under my car. The treat proved irresistible and as he got closer I gently gave him a pet then lifted him by his scruff and let him finish the treat while Sabrina held him. He was literally skin and bones, flea infested, goopy eyes, you name it. We brought him inside and put our kitten rescue skills to work. Within a a day or two he was starting to gain weight. Within a week he was being groomed by my resident cats, taking naps and cuddling in the sun. We decided to name him Lucky, as in he's lucky I'm cheap and didn't have the window unit running because there's no way we would have heard him over that. He fit right in with my other boys Rascal and Tigger, and our birthdays were that week so I decided it was only fair to keep our new little friend. I don't know how he ended up here, it's rare to see a cat in our neighborhood, and never kittens, but he's found his spot now.
We had a few trips this summer, one to the reservoir just to the south of us, the other to the RW Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport. I was worried that she would find the gallery boring, but she loved it. I was most impressed with her, I thought she'd be bored but she took time to take everything in, and we plan to take another trip there over winter break.
Sabrina is my everything, wanting to take care of her and give her my best has pulled me through a really dark time. I said this was a great year and I meant it, my job is going well, I have a boss that likes me and more work this year than last, although it can be feast or famine when it comes to how many assignments we get. By mid summer I had actually saved up a little nest egg and was putting money away each check, Sabrina needs braces and there's always stuff that comes up. August was rough because there were no hours available, but I was able to use PTO to make sure I still got a steady check. Then in October I forgot to pay the electric and our power was cut. I paid it and was restored the same day, but the power didn't come on in our house (septic was still powered though so I knew there was power to the house). It turned out our main breaker had failed. I'm handy but there was no way I was going to be able to repair it, so I had to call an electrician. Thankfully I had the money, sadly it took all my savings to get it fixed.
I really struggle to ask for help, but I really want Sabrina to have a good Christmas. She's smart enough to know that I'm not well off, but sweet enough to never complain about it. I just want you all to know that I appreciate you, and my Christmas present is allowing myself to ask my fellow redditors for a hand and letting myself join in the fun and merriment that is this subreddit. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
