yesterday i found the energy to finally grade a chunk of those essays. today i hope to find the energy to bake up some cookies. and grade another chunk of essays.

we spent yesterday watching 2 of the 3 extended lotr films. i worked, the kids piled around me. kitten helped laminate some decorations for the classroom. final grades are being entered in the computer. progress was made. it was a good day, really. just got to get kitten off her phone. ;)

we've had a bit of a financial set back, but we'll be okay, i think. we usually are, and i'm not going to let it freak me. the roughest months, until i get hired full time, permanent (and maybe even then) will probably always be january and august/september. those are the months when the checks, if i get them at all, are a little weird - either really small, not on the usual time table, or nonexistent. so those are the months we'll be scrambling to pay rent and keep the utilities connected. freaking about it every time it happens won't help. hopefully i'll get full time, permanent and be able to plan for it instead, but january may always be on the weird side because of december holidays. we'll manage. we always do. even if we're scrambling for a bit to get it all managed, we manage.

and this year, we're actually having a celebration - gifts under the tree, our usual dinner. and we're having it without the last minute scramble we've become accustomed to for any holiday celebration. i'm really looking forward to it. the only thing not managed yet is the writing, and hopefully that will come after christmas. (as long as i get through the last of the essays it should, anyway). we even get to bake cookies for the first time in ages. and not just my simple, 3 ingredient, peanut butter cookies. we're not planning a huge cookie-fest, but the chocolate crinkles are a fave and i haven't been able to bake them up for a few years. i'm looking forward to it. just got to get the energy and motivation.

i need to look around in my cookie books (which i have quite a few, actually) and see if there are any other cookie recipes we actually have the ingredients for. which means a small ingredient list with nothing too odd on it. we'll see what we manage to dig up. the plan is to have kitten help, but i might get jewel involved as well. taz and froggy will probably watch movies to keep them occupied and out of trouble. movie #3 of lotr was started last night, but not the extended version and it wasn't finished, so maybe we'll start them on that. (if it weren't for them watching the movies, i'd be tempted to just play christmas music instead . . . which i may do anyway. i can toss them outside to play instead. hmmm . . . .)

as for the grading, it'll happen between batches.

maybe we'll have some hot chocolate too.

things are slowly getting better for us. last year we were at the mercy of others for holidays. this year, we've sent cards, are baking cookies, and are having our own holiday meal. who knows? maybe next year we can bake cookies early and send them off to friends as presents (assuming, of course, the husband and kids don't snatch said cookies before they're packed and mailed). two cookies days! imagine that!

but, for now, i'm looking forward to this cookie day, with baking smells and hot chocolate and my daughter right beside me.