Paranoid XSNL

Okay, so MNL and I decided to take my son and my nephew to an educational craft activity at a local historic venue. My nephew's mother, my ex-sister-in-law (aka XSNL), who by the way has not called me since her divorce from my BNL (brother-in-law) 6 months ago and used to be my best friend and even came up with the term 'MNL' (insert breath here) left me a voicemail just before we were about to head out the door. She asks me to keep "an extra close eye on her son because there are strangers out there who want to snatch up little kids and please take a picture of him with my i-phone so that we know exactly what he looked like and what he was wearing if it is the last time we ever see him". WTF??!! I'm thinking a.) I don't want to take this kid with me now b.) is there someone after him and i don't know about it c.) has XSNL gone off the deep end d.) I am offended b/c not only will MNL be with me to help, but I am a teacher for crying out loud and if I can keep up with 22 kiddos on a field trip, I think I can handle two toddlers with an extra set of hands to help me!

Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

My MNL just returned from a vacation in the Big Apple. We meet for lunch and she pulls out a bag and says she brought me something back from NYC. How nice! Before she hands me the bag she says, "as soon as I bought this I wish that I hadn't . I don't know what I was thinking. And I paid way too much for it. You may not even like it." I open up the bag and there is a cute black leather designer purse. I tell her that I love it and that it was so thoughtful, however my inner voice is screaming "I don't want it now that you've introduced it like that!" So, did she regret buying it because she didn't think I would like it or because she didn't really want to give it to me? And who says upon giving a gift, "I paid way too much for it". I no longer enjoy receiving gifts from MNL.

Jealousy?

Okay, so my child is starting preschool on Monday and I am going to be a sobbing mascara-dripping mess. Thankfully a very good friend has cleared her schedule that day to help me get through this new transition. I was telling my MNL about it and how nice it is to have such a caring friend and her response in a tone that implied she had hurt feelings was, "Oh, well I was planning on taking you shopping and spending the day with you but that is great. I'm glad you will be doing something to take your mind of of it". Now, that is the FIRST time I'd ever heard anything about spending that day with me or any sort of a shopping trip. So, is she jealous that I am going with a friend? Why the sad eyes and look of hurt? It is so strange and the unpredictable responses give me whiplash!