Hodge podge and a little TMI

I've been at an Effective Teaching Practices workshop this week for new teachers. And new hires, which means I'm learning about "What a Middle Schooler Is" and "Classroom Management" and "Reading in the Content Areas." Overall, it hasn't been very interesting. But the people there like the word hodge podge a lot so I decided that I liked it too. Hence, the title of my post.

Here are some things that have gotten on my nerves recently:
1. People turning left across lines and lines of traffic causing me to have to sit behind them for hours.
2. Getting stuck behind a pickup hauling a backhoe. It was driving VERY slowly.
3. Sitting at an extra long traffic light next to a CHICKEN TRUCK. God, I hate those things.
4. People trying to get out of doing things because "it doesn't apply to them." I could say that about this entire workshop I've been attending but I haven't. Because I know that's annoying.
5. When Maggie says, "no. No. NO. NOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOOOO" increasingly louder with much head twisting and flailing. I do not like that one little bit. I also don't like it when she steps on my feet because it really hurts.
6. Negative people (which, haha, is just what I'm being!) that start complaining as soon as they see you at aforementioned workshop. Yeah, it's boring. But we're getting paid and we have to go.
7. The fact that David and Rege can eat potato chips and ice cream and when I do that, I just get fat. I'm going back to WW this fall.

On to the next topic. Sometimes Maggie does things that make me wonder just how much she's watching us. All the time, apparently. I gave her a tube? container? thing? of deodorant to hold while she was riding in the cart at Target. She immediately held up her arms and pretended to put it on her pits. She pretends that she's taking her contacts out all the time. Today she was going through my purse (her favorite activity) and found my eyedrops and pretended to put them in her eyes. She is so funny.

When we got to daycare this morning, there were only 3 little boys there and they were all bobbing up and down and dancing to the "Grease" soundtrack. It was SO cute. I tried to get Maggie to join them but she hollered instead. She did not want me to leave. When I got there this afternoon, she was pretending to sip out of a block with a stuffed animal slung over her shoulder. I wish I could spy on her all day sometimes.

This afternoon, Maggie and I met Kimberly and her mom for mochas. I forgot to call Kimberly to tell her we were on the way so we had to wait a bit for them. I bought some Puffins for Maggie at the Teeter and she was quite happy with those and her juice box. Puffins RULE, y'all. Go buy them even though they are like $5 a box. Maggie started going through my purse, as I mentioned earlier and was thrilled to find my sunglasses, gum, keys and other junk. Then she found an, um, feminine product that rhymes with whambon. She then proceeded to put all my stuff to bed, starting with the whambon. She gave it a kiss, hugged it very tightly, even squinching up her face, told it "night night," laid it next to me on the couch and said, "Bye." She came back for one more kiss and then brought me the next item. Isn't that funny? (and weird)

What's that, Mommy? You said you saw a dog?

Where? Where is the dog? (or DAWG as Maggie says it)

I think you made that up so I would look at you.

Okay, I'll hold the camera. Let's see if YOU want to look at me.