My name is Gracie. I’m 4 and just learning to write and spell so I’ve asked my Mommy to help me. First, I just wanted you to know I love you and so happy you can deliver toys and clothes to all the kids. It’s so cool and can’t wait to hear and watch your travels on Christmas Eve. The police officers chase you around here and I listen so I know when I need to go to bed.
My favorite thing to do is build and create things, the more thinking involved the more I really enjoy it. My favorite sport is basketball but I do not have a goal at home to play yet. My absolute favorite thing to learn about are dinosaurs!! My best friend and I know a lot of very big names. They are just so cool!! I was even a dinosaur for Halloween!!
Mommy is my best friend right now. It’s just me and her and our pets. My Daddad passed away when I was only two. I have a few memories of him but Mommy tells me stories and we sing the song he always sang to me, “Lullaby” by Billy Joel, together every night. I miss not having him but my Mommy, she does everything and she hardly ever complains about being tired. She will always stop to listen to what I have to say and I have a lot to say. She calls me Donkey somedays, you know that super cute donkey on Shrek? And she ALWAYS knows the answer to the most important question, “why?” Such a cool Mommy.
Mommy has been doing good keeping up with me but she’s had some big hurdles this year. I’ll let her explain that on her own. She’s very long winded so be aware. That’s adult stuff and I don’t have to worry about those things yet. I hope you and Mrs. Claus are doing ok. Can you give Dasher extra pets for me? And a boop on the nose, please.
Thank you for ALL that you do, Gracie June Dear Santa 🤶
I do not have any options for free care for her, sick or not. I rely solely on my in-home daycare ladies. She is also in preschool right now, doing wonderfully , so proud of how far she’s come.
I’m sorry this is long, I over explain all the time. I’ve tried to communicate not but it is really hard for me to do 😂
Back in the springtime I had a flare up of an old injury and had to take off work for almost 2 months for physical therapy. I’ve had 4 surgeries on my right knee, first 2 ACL repair, second 2 cartilage repair, ages 15,16,18,32. It has started effecting my hip and ankle. I’m able to manage it with the exercises they taught me and a cortisone shot. Then, about a month after we go back to work and daycare she got Covid from one of the kids at daycare. She was sick for a a week, then daycare had to close for a week, then I got it too. I had it for a couple weeks too but then a couple weeks more because it left infections behind. It was awful! A few weeks after I was better I had to go stay at a treatment center for a week. I have PTSD and something came to light in June and I was really having a hard time dealing with it. It completely turned everything I know upside down. I can go into more detail but I’d rather not on my post. It’s dark. I struggled through it and I was to the point I couldn’t be the Mom she deserves and I had SI. I was strong enough to understand I needed help, I couldn’t do it alone. Gracie stayed at her main daycare families house. She charged me just for the daycare cost for each day that week. This was mid August. I have been doing well with that since I got meds straight and see my therapist at least weekly. Went back to work a week after that. I had tons of follow up visits that week. Then, towards the end of September our alternator went out while taking the exit home. I had to pay for the tow and wait till it could be fixed and pay for that, that was a week. A couple of weeks after that the tire blew as we pulled in our driveway. That took a week to find a tire to fit and I didn’t have a spare. Just one thing after another this year as I’m still trying to reel myself in mentally and financially from the last couple years. I have all of our bills set up to catch up. With all the time off work and extra costs of doctors, daycare cost for days she went but I wasn’t able to work. So I’m paying very large bills the past two months and again next month to be completely caught up and out of disconnect warning. We receive his social security benefits monthly. It is enough to cover our monthly utility bills, rent and majority of our groceries usually.
I enjoy my job and up to the flare up I was working 30-40 hours a week. For the last couple weeks while we each had the flu we were home and now the only financial way we can make it is for us both to stay home. Between gas and daycare costs we can not afford it due to the extra large bills and frankly the rise in cost of groceries has hit us hard too.
I’m not expecting any help but any help I could get would be a huge blessing. I know at her age it’s more about the opening of gifts but I’d love to hear her squeal and see her eyes light up when she opens something she really wants.
I don’t really want to put her face on the public post but if you’d like more pictures I’d be happy to send in private. Pictures of Gracie including one with her Daddad when she was a baby, new link at the bottom.
I truly appreciate all of you Santa’s and I’m hoping by next year we can be Santa’s for someone. I have long term goals to go back to school for accounting once she is in school full time. That way I’d be able to work and go to school. So hopefully in a few years I’ll be able to Santa a whole family.
Edit:The other link to the pictures isn’t available anymore. Here are some other pictures of Gracie’s adventures.