I've got a newish friend, she is a good friend and we get on well, though she is highly sociable and always off at toddler groups etc, has a huge family of half sisters etc who are always at each other's houses and sharing childcare(she is pretty much single - her children's father only visits most weekends, he lives a long way away).
We often see each other at the school gates, our older kids are oth in reception. She always talks to my sons and is lovely to them, but is a bit familiar, and I'm not sure if I like it. I don't really understand it either.
For instance, when the gate opens, if I am carrying the baby - or even if I'm not - she will often grab the pushchair and push it into the school for me, which I don't need her to do - she is just being kind, I know - but also yesterday, when my son came out of his calssroom, she dived in and pifted him up, to cuddle and kiss, before I even got a look in. I was not holding the baby at this point, specifically so that I could cuddle Ds1 when he appeared.
It just felt a bit over the top to me - I didn't say anything except a feeble, half joking 'Hey, that's my child!' with a smile, but eventually got him back. He just looked a bit bemused.
I know her style is very much 'what's mine is yours' as she is like this with other people's children too, but I somehow don't feel comfortable to share my kids quite so readily. Not all the time at least. She also kisses each of mine goodbye when we go, so I feel I have to do this to hers as well. (not a big problem, they are lovely)
Is she a bit odd or is this usual behaviour? It is lovely in some ways and I know she'd help out at the drop of a hat - I am less able to return that kind of favour as I need a lot of time on my own, so I don't accept her offers of childcare, and give her regular lifts instead, very happily. She invites me to toddler groups but I honestly hate them and explained this to her - I think she understands, sort of! We still get on really well and I feel close to her but I like to keep a few, well boundaries - is this me being funny?
TIA!