Without a doubt, I look like Bumble whenever I grade end-of-the-semester projects before the holidays

The truth is, I am in a better place than preparing 12th grade writing portfolios for the State of Kentucky, but grading and feedback is never easy, even when the sheer volume is decreased. Reading and providing final insight is a finesse that takes time, indoor activity that is obnoxiously stationary, and patience that in time it will all get done.

At 11 pm last night, I finally gave into the exhaustion. Yes, I was forced to grade because the weather trapped me in my house, but the aches in my wrist and the delirium in my thoughts are true indicators that the final lap is being sprinted. And I have to thank NBC for airing Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer for giving me last-minute inspiration. As the land of misfit toys sang and the story brought me back to my childhood, I began to see the light that soon I will be in the embrace (and chaos) of my CNY family (is it me or do others see the undertones of this classic story as being hilarious and subversive?).

Either way, I'm getting things done. I'm having trouble putting words together for this post, but I have the pep in my step for the holidays. It is my hope that the words (and grades) I give my students will be like a cup of warm cocoa to carry into their writing lives.

Ho Ho Ho.