Ominus Bonus

[steady]

I sent a text to my W asking her if she can take the kids tomorrow. I have them tonight through 4:00 tomorrow. Since there is no school they're with me. She said in the beginning of the summer she would be available to take them if I had to work on the days I had them.

She sent a text back saying she couldn't take them tomorrow. She works for the school and did extra work over the summer but she finished that last week.

It's fine though. I expected her to not take them if I needed her to.

She also said she bought a chicken and wanted to know if I had made dinner plans for the kids tonight - she said she would cook it today so the kids and I can have it tonight. I sent a text saying I will take care of dinner. I also asked her if she can/wanted to take the kids any daytime I have them from now until school starts.

I sent a follow up thanking her for her offer on the chicken and I appreciated it.

She said she could take my S this Thurs (we split the kids on Wed nights - my S is with me and my D is with W) but won't be able to take them next Mon or Wed.

My first inclination was she is doing this because she doesn't want to help out - since I know she isn't working right now. But then I thought, well it is my responsibility and she doesn't have to do it if she doesn't want to. No biggie. I'll handle it.

About half an hour later I get a text. "Are you sure you don't want the chicken? It's a good day to run the oven."

I thought about it for a while. Do I accept a nice gesture from her? Do I want to? Would it be nice not to have to cook dinner tonight? What's her motive? (Something about my W. She tends to 'buy' people by doing things for them or bringing them gifts. She is a people pleaser so I wonder if my acceptance of her offer somehow buys her some room 'off the hook' for what she's been doing)

I laughed at myself and made it really simple. What do I want?

I decided I'd like to have the chicken and I won't have to cook.

So I sent her text and said, "Ok. I'll give them chicken tonight. Thanks. It's very nice of you to offer."

Too weak? Fine? Any input? It's been quite a while since she offered to do something nice for me, so I really wasn't prepared for it.