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OMG - that is eerily similar to my cat's behavior

Posted By: mdlfcrs on 2007-03-21
In Reply to: Same thing happened to mine......sm - MsMT

although he always drank out of the sink - he has pretty much begun living in the bathroom and yelling.  I keep going in to see if the faucet is dripping (yes I have to leave a faucet dripping) and it is.  He is more loving and requires more attention.  When my daughter goes in to take a shower he yells outside the door like he is dying.  I will say that I know that crystals forming sometimes indicates antifreeze ingestion - but there is no way your cat could have survived that.  Thanks for the info.  Maybe there is hope.  He is eating now - with some coaxing. 


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wow eerily similar -

at least you've got someone to support you - thanks for doing the same.  I was beginning to think no one would understand.  You know the other bad thing is my mother is alone now and she is over 2 hours the opposite direction and I am the closest geographical child to her - I try to see her as much as I can, too.  Sandwich generation indeed!


Glad you're okay  - since I had no TV I didn't know where else it was bad.  Here the main problem was the ground was so wet that huge trees pulled up and laid over power lines - especially in older neighborhoods like where I live.


It seems to me the key here is whether this behavior sm
is a change from his previous actions, or whether he was always like this and is getting worse. If the latter, your marriage doesn't sound like it's worth working on, not just because of his behavior (which would be repulsive to me), but because you obviously don't have any positive feelings for him anymore. As a member of a strong Christian church which also advocates that the man is the head of the family, this kind of behavior would be completely unacceptable. Men are to treat their wives with respect and understanding.

If it is a change from his behavior when you were first married, he may have a serious medical or emotional problem. If so, and he doesn't get help, things may just get worse. Good luck to you.
Odd cat behavior

Does anyone know why my female cat would meow/cry loudly almost as if in distress when I use the oven? It's really starting to freak me out, like maybe it is going to blow up or something and she's trying to warn me.  It seems to be working fine as far as I can tell and this has been going on a while now. Any ideas?



Bad Behavior
Apparently it was Megan's brother who was heckling Kara the night before and yelled out "broken record". Kara went up to him after and confronted him two different times. Megan seemed to get a big ego rather quickly. I think her mood came down to a screeching hault when Simon said they weren't even going to bother letting her sing again. Someday she is going to look back and cringe at that spectacle
Bad behavior............. sm
It has been said that people will treat us as badly as we allow them. Don't believe yourself to be unworthy of good treatment because that would only set the relationship up for more bad or possibly worse treatment in the future. Hold out for someone who treats you well and treasures the opportunity to be in your company. He is out there and he is the one who is worthy of your time.
From the behavior you describe... sm
And the fact that you said he's old, it sounds to me like this guy is senile or has other mental problems going on. BUT, I think it would be a mistake to assume he isn't dangerous just because he's a little old guy who seems a little off. I also think you should notify the local police about him. He might be a danger to himself, if not others. If nothing else, he's a nuisance and should be reported.

I'm also someone who has all doors and windows locked at all times, and I don't open the door to strangers. Sometimes I do feel like I'm a little bit paranoid, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I also have the car doors locked when I'm driving anywhere.

I'm amazed that anyone leaves doors and/or windows unlocked, but I know it happens. My mother-in-law and father-in-law, for example? OMG. They never lock their doors! They live in a small mobile home park for seniors, in a small-ish town, and my MIL feels like it's safe. What really kills me is, she doesn't lock their doors at night, and she takes out her hearing aids to sleep, so she wouldn't even hear anything if someone did come in their home at night! She says "Oh we have great neighbors. Everyone watches out for each other." What?! Crazy. And this is a woman who loves to read true crime novels and watches court TV and knows about the things that can happen. She worked as a legal secretary for decades and is very intelligent in all areas but this one. I just can't understand it. They don't live near us, but when we go to visit, I go around and lock all the doors at night. Otherwise, I'd never get to sleep!

As a side note, there is an excellent book called 'The Gift of Fear' by Gavin DeBecker. I highly, highly recommend it to all women. Get a copy today! I also like a show on the Discovery Channel called 'It Takes a Thief.' It's very enlightening about just how easy it is for criminals to break into most homes.

That's my 2 cents. Stay safe, ladies! :o)
And again, she cannot change his behavior, only hers
will not back down on that one. Lots of reason for divorce. Staying because of the children is an absolute wrong way to work at a marriage. She finds him disgusting, surely the children notice or they will when they age a little. I would not care if I had 10 children hanging onto my apron strings, would not want to stay somewhere that I am so unhappy I ask outsiders what they would do. My mother divorced in a time when no parents divorcing, believe it or not, and when I went to elementary school I was asked why no daddy. I turned out well, felt it had no adverse effect on me. Saw him, didn’t see him, ?? Really loved my stepmom though. He did do a good thing right in his life by bringing her into it.
There is also the behavior issue of (sm)
submissive piddling.

You can buy something called a Belly Band for him to wear in the house. If he dribbles with it on, he gets himself wet, so this can teach him not to let that happen. I've just heard that not all pet stores call it a Belly Band or know what that is, but you can Google something like house training, canine belly band, and you can read about it and maybe order on line.

Corgis are so cute. You can post pictures here on the gab board.
Behavior changes in husband

I have searched the internet for some clues to what is described below but not even sure what key words to enter in a search.


Anyway, husband is 46 and exceedingly fit and athletic his whole life.  Behaviorally and genetically he is prone to accentuated mood highs and lows, not quite bipolar probably but close.  Runs heavily in his family.  He tends toward aggression, bullying and denial at times.  Childish at times, even naive, very literal even though highly educated.  All the above has been increased by about double (particularly the childishness in behavior and decision-making) in the past year and it is nearly intolerable.  He often doesn't process what I say or else is just not listening to me.  I have to repeat things over and over and worst of all, he makes poor decisions about things and I often feel like I'm living with an 8-year-old.  I am stressed on an almost constant basis.  Alzheimer's came to mind but couldn't find anything that really fit in looking at symptoms.  Is there the possibility of mental illness manifesting itself at this age? 


behavior problems
We have had and still have behavior problems with our son and he is ADHD, have you had your child tested? He also has ODD, which stands for oppisitional definance disorder. He sees a therapist on a regular basis and it has helped tremendously with his behavior.Your school psychologist is not very good or qualified if he has not referred you to any outside help. Your pediatrician should be able to help you out and point you in the right direction.
Terrier behavior sm
We had a part terrier (not pit bull) who destroyed everything in sight when we left her, sailed over a 6-foot fence, took clothes and glasses and buried them in the ground, etc. She literally was a "goat" and the payoff was when she ate the living room couch when I had 20 people coming over and it was Christmas Eve. When I called the shelter they told me that if I brought her there and she did that with someone else, they would have kept bringing her back and she would eventually be euthanized. Sixteen years and a lot of furniture later, she finally died of old age. When she was 10, she began to get a little better, but we put up with an awful lot. I have talked to others who have had "terrier" type dogs who did crazy things when left alone. I don't think the dog will change, but good luck. I have Uncle Matty videos, green apple spray (she liked it) and tons of self-help books for owners of dogs as mentioned. All I can say is good luck, you have to have patience, common sense and a sense of humor. I hope there's a reward somewhere for what we put up with as animal lovers but I did not have the heart to see this crazy, one-black eyed dog being put down, so I kept her and kept trying. She ate the shingles off the house, a brand new shed, a few couches, some kitchen cabinets, and the list goes on......it's true. Animal Lover here! You could buy a kong at the pet store and put peanut butter in it (or several) to keep the dog busy for awhile, but when that's empty, expect the next best thing to disappear.
Kids behavior
How a child acts at home is not an indicator of how he/she acts when away from home and parents, no matter what is taught in the home. It is always good to get the whole scoop from others who were there exactly what happened before you go off on anybody. It just could be that the other mom is sitting there angry because of what your child might have done to her child that she might have felt the need to defend herself against. I learned this from experience. I thought I had the perfect angel also, raised with good morals, two-parent home, involved in church, no bad behavior at home, but found out I was dead wrong when watching a video from the school (also a private grade school). Just something to think about.
need some insight into son's behavior

I wonder if anybody has any insight into my son's behavior and performance in school.  His dad and I have talked until we are blue in the face and we have also left him alone and have given him space regarding his grades.  Neither causes any change.  He just keeps telling us he doesn't care about high school and that it does not matter.  He has no respect for the teachers (not many of them take teaching very seriously, in all honesty, so I can't much blame him for that) and he doesn't feel like he should try since they don't. 


This is a kid who scores in the 98 to 99th percentile on standardized testing.  He is SO smart, friendly, outgoing, quick-witted, and for the most part respectful.  He doesn't smoke or drink or do drugs.  He plays guitar in the praise band at church.  He is a good kid, but he just refuses to do his school work. 


This has been a struggle for the past 4 years of high school.  He is supposed to graduate in May, but the last 9 weeks report card came today and he got 2 F's, a D and a C. The 2 F's were gimme classes, believe it or not.  If he doesn't bring those up to average a passing grade he won't graduate.  It makes me sad, confused, frustrated beyond belief, worried, just to name a few emotions. 


He says he thinks he has ADD but I think he just WANTS to have it so he can have a pass, so to speak.  I think it could be some deeper problem, like our family dynamics, playing a role.  Does anybody have any ideas on how this boy can be inspired to rise to meet even the smallest challenge?


 


Regardless of her ridiculous behavior,
she sang horribly & was annoying to watch perform. No great loss...
And her behavior is just despicable, you are right
to be angry.
Who needs 'friends' like that?
Dump her!
Is this new behavior or just increased lately? sm
If it is not new, then I agree with the posters below. However, if this is something new, see if there are any changes in his diet or medications if he is on any. I've posted about this before, but my son (who will be 8 in a couple of weeks) went from a typical 7-year-old to an out-and-out tyrant when he was placed on Singulair for asthma. Everything was an argument, even things he normally liked, and if he did not get his way, watch out. He had nightmares and barely slept, was hearing voices, and told me several times he wished he had never been born. I cried every day and was 1 day away from an appointment with a behavior specialist when we figured out it was the medication causing the problem. We still say he should be a lawyer when he grows up because he is always trying to figure out loopholes in the rules, but overall he is a good kid who is now happy without any of the issues he had while on Singulair.
No, but change in behavior might cause me to look for MySpace or other
s
Sweet. Very kittenish behavior.
Bet he'd have drooled on her if she'd have scratched his head. But the love bites might have hurt, LOL.


husband's behavior due to porn, LOL
His behavior is NOT due to porn. If his behavior is so bad it is due to HIM...nothing evil caused him to be this way, just him and his choices.

I don't get what's so wrong with porn? If consenting adults are in it and consulting adults are viewing it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It does not mean the person looking at it is a deviant. Geez...some of you people have some serious hang ups with sex and sexuality.

Try to loosen up a little ladies, maybe life would be a little more fun.
Old enough when I see immaturity and child-like behavior
Poor things.
Older cat's behavior- confusing me
My older girl says nothing, usually but today she is being very vocal, not like she is in pain but just sounding off. She has lost weight but gained 1/2 lb when I weighed her yesterday in 2 weeks (on medication for her appetite) but seems to be roaming so to speak, constantly walking around (usually sleeping) and wanting all attention from me and that is not usual for her. She seems to be pacing back and forth so to speak. Anyone have cat that theirs acted like this?
When my son was in second grade he had behavior issues (sm)
I know many may not agree with me, but I believe positive reinforcement for good behavior and negative consequences for bad behavior works. Every week our school sends home a folder with the child's "grades" for the week in schoolwork and behavior, with 4 being the best (pretty much unattainable for my son!) 3 being good, 2 being so-so, and 1 being really bad. I put him on an allowance schedule with chores he had to do with a certain allowance each week. HOWEVER his grades in his folder would greatly influence this allowance. Gettings 3s would keep his allowance the same, getting a 2 automatically took off $2 (he never got a one but that would have taken his whole $5 allowance). If he ever got a 4 he would get an additional $2. This worked really really well for him, but all children are different. Good luck!
i see it as a human behavior post.
x
You agree with her childish behavior?
I thought immature, totally out of character for a supposed-to-be-grown mother to boot and totally a turn-off for me and my family. I am so glad she is off there. I would hate to see her in any way rise to be the example of what an American Idol should be. Good riddance!
You are only responsible for changing your behavior, not someone elses
I am the product of a divorce years and years ago and thank goodness my mother had enough sense to not stay with my father. He was actually caught running around on her with other women. I knew my father growing up, spent time with he and my stepmom, loved her but I missed absolutely nothing by not having him in my house every day. You are responsible for your own self-. The advice you are giving is like saying a man messes around on a woman, drinks too much and maybe after the marriage he will change. You can only make yourself happy, no one else can do that for you. I have never had a time when I could not stand my husband, never and I would believe he probably feels the same. We laugh when others say they have to work at marriage- we just do not get this. Like I said, product of divorce, happily married myself, never missed my father, saw him but never, ever close in my life. By the way, I am one of the older and wiser group also.
Research passive-aggressive behavior. (sm)
Do you feel you are always at emotional crossroads and everything you decide to do together is handled like warring nations, not like loving partners?

Living with a passive-aggressive behavior spouse creates a daily emotional roller coaster. One is "stressed on an almost constant basis" and feel as if caring for an unresponsible teenager.

The passive-aggressive personality pretend not to listen, "forget on purpose," and purposefully do not complete tasks they agree to accomplish. Sullenness is also a characteristic of the behavior. The passsive-aggressive behavior can "rob" another one from a beautiful relationship. They cannot always see themselves and have a tendency to blame others (especially spouse) for their behavior. They sometimes display "revenge."

To rule out other serious medical conditions, encourage your husband to schedule an appointment with his primary care physician for "preventive care" only, letting him think nothing is wrong. The physician should order lab testing, and ask for thyroid function studies, etc.

Wishing you the best!!




weight gain and antisocial behavior

Has anyone else noticed that this job tends to make you gain lots of weight and become pretty antisocial?  I feel like I am just sitting here watching the pounds add up daily...  I do not want to get dressed and leave my house - If I do get dressed, I come straight back home to put on my comfy clothes and sit my butt in this chair all day long.  I moved to a new town 3 years ago and still have not met a soul because I am in my office by myself all day long with no source of networking to make friends.  It has become a pretty lonely life for me.


I am even to the point of going to the local outlets and applying for a minimum wage job just to have a reason to have to get up and put clothes on and get out of the house every day.  I don't know what else to do - am at wits end here!


I think what you are experiencing is all normal teen behavior. sm
I can't think of anyone that I hung around with in my teens that didn't run away. Trust me ---- they ALWAYS COME BACK.
So you can pinpoint her behavior change. What is her history before she came to you? nm
nm
Puppy mills are bad, but bad behavior ususaly result of
asdf
If the child gets lethargic, then please go see the doctor. If behavior is normal,
s
7-year-old with behavior problems at school inquiry...sm

Our 7-year-old has problems with peer relations, has always had this and it's getting worse.  She is a moody child and comes on too strongly with her peers which is why she doesn't have but 1 friend.


We're now having increasing problems with her talking back to the teachers at school when she's redirected for not doing as she's supposed to be doing in class.  We've had problems with both of these issues with her in the past but it was better last year when she was in a smaller classroom setting.   Now she's in a class with 25 kids and the problems are worse than ever.  Sigh.  


We've tried role playing with her on how to respond to her peers appropriately.  She's been given everything from rewards for good behavior to restrictions for not behaving, but the problems continue.  The school psychologist has put her into a group of kids that have a hard time with peers once a week to help with the socialization skills.


Anyone else deal with this and if so, what strategies did you use to overcome this?  I'm more concerned about her negative responses to the teachers than anything.  We're not having problems with her behaving at home - it's only at school.  Any suggestions will be greatly welcome!


 


When she does something good, PRAISE HER. Reinforce positive behavior with rewards.
Lighten up, Mom. This is your child, whom you unconditionally love. Maybe you need Nanny 911 or Super Nanny who seem to be able to see under currents of passive agressive behaviors in parents when it comes to their challenging children. This may be your fight as much as your daughters. I say this because you are so dependent on getting others to be on your side.
American or Asian Indian? Culture difference might explain his odd behavior.
x
These, or something similar?

http://www.sendliquor.com/id100234list42product.html?ovchn=OTHER&ovcpn=FindGiftWine&ovcrn=FindGiftWine&ovtac=PPC

http://www.redenvelope.com/re/gifts/product_display/product_information.jsp?nc=1&oid=20650259&pcd=PERFORMICS&mptc=BPER&src=clickserve.cc-dt&cm_ven=Performics&cm_cat=Affiliate&cm_pla=FindGift.com&cm_ite=DDI%20Link

http://www.sienajulia.com/cgi-bin/shop.pl/page=item.html/auto_id=5214/department=01/category=01027/page_number=1

I can't vouch for any of this stuff, these are three items that came up when I searched findgift.com with "Spanish" as a search term and narrowing with "wine".

Good luck!
I had a similar but now use sm
Wolfgang Puck's open face grill, buy on HSN.com.  1200 watts, get to 550 degrees.  You can actually GRILL a hamburger or steak.  The Foreman ones only kind of steam food, very inadequate.
Something similar here sm
I also live in a small town and we have many Indian docs and they usually bring relatives here and to run hotels and motels they have purchased. I know of one family that did this 25 years ago. A Comfort Inn right up the road from us is owned/operated by an Indian family that live in our neighborhood. Truely some of the nicest people I have ever met.
OMG! I was going to say something similar... sm


Same timeframe and same team, but off by 2 years in age.   Unfortunately, my brother was home from Penn State and I gave him my Game 6 ticket.  After all these years, I still slap myself on the forehead when I think about that.  I was in Philly with the other million or so revelers the next day, though!


I'm doing something similar..
I live in Florida also and am planning a little weekend gettaway for myself. I know it sounds weird, but this way there will be no computer and absolutely no way I can be conned into working. I picked a fairly cheap little resort place that is right on the beach. It's not very fancy, but it has a kitchen. I want to wake up and hear the water and see the sunset at night. I did spend a little more to get a place that had more of a private beach so it would be a little quieter. Just think about the things you want to do and what is more important and then decide. Will you be at the beach more, or golfing more? Do you want more peace and quiet? Or do you want a place where kids can run around - if so golf course probably not a good idea.

Anyway, whichever you choose, have a great time!
I might have something similar
but do not really know your symptoms well. I sleep on elevated pillows (and people also told to elevate the head of their bed with reflux), know which foods bring on this such as coffee, chocolate, spicy, white rice for me, and some cereals but 1 thing I will say, the gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms are not to be taken lightly. An ongoing problem with this can cause esophageal cancer, Barrett's esophagus is a precursor to this. I would do any and all I could to make sure this is under control.
I went through something similar...
Except not on me, on my son, who I think was like 4 or 5 at the time.  They wanted to put a white filling in a baby tooth, and make me pay the extra for it. So glad I didn't let them, found another dentist who put in a silver one and shortly thereafter, the tooth came out. So sorry this happened to you, but unfortunately you'll probably do more harm than good by not paying the full amount, cause they will try to ruin your credit.
maybe similar
i keep getting toe pains in one that is almost crampy-like, and really slows my steppin'. it comes and goes. I'm just afraid its arthritis, but haven't been checked...is yours crampy? would like to know if you get it figured out.
I tried something similar with my cat.
I just wanted her to stay on the deck though She did really good for about a year and then slowly stated creeping down the stairs and eventually started jumping over the side to go on a bigger adventure. Going over the side was when we had to stop letting her go out because she was so quick about it. At first we used a harness and leash and then a water bottle and would squirt her when she came to the edge and that worked very well. We just had to be out with her.

I have also seen cat runs in magazines before. They are long tubular shaped cages or enclosures (not always metal) and some you can even put up to window height so you can leave the window open or add a door so they can go freely when they like. I am not certain where I have seen it but it was one of those magazines that are full of stuff that no one really needs but make great Christmas/Birthday presents for people who have everything. lol I'm sure you could find them on the internet somewhere.
I actually have one similar to this sm
I live on my own. My house is not too big, only about 1100 sq ft. Truth is, I live in my bedroom and my livingroom, where I work. I use the kitchen too, of course. I don't use all of it all the time. My house is well insulated and the furnace runs about 4 times a hour in the dead of winter. I am heating a whole house I don't use. The only place I need warm is around my desk so my hands don't freeze up. I can't stand really bulky clothing either, though I do dress warmly. I have a space heater by the desk. It keeps the whole livingroom warmer, as a fact, but not the whole house. I keep the thermostat on the furnace kinda low.

Now, when I have company, or when it is my day off, I have a space heater with fake flame. It has a blower and blows heat into the room. It is pretty and really puts out heat. If I run that for the entire evening, the furnace doesn't run at all, even though the thermostat is 20 feet from the heater, because the room is toasty. It is electric heater versus gas furnace. The end result was that gas cost me an average of $75 a month versus $110 the year before. The electric bill went up, but not more than $20 a month. The net savings are marginal at best. The comfort increased, however.

Now, I am a little crazy sometimes, I admit it. I bought a CD with fireplace sounds. I play it as a loop (75 minutes long) when I run the *fireplace* and sound makes it feel warmer! I run the sound low enough that the TV or stereo is audible, but you'd be surprised what the sounds effects do for added warmth. I got laughed at, until I had company...
I just went thru something similar - sm
I was the one back in late August and then back on Oct. 13 or so----I had racked up a ton of debt on his and my credit cards which he knew nothing about. I finally confessed to him, he reacted pretty well considering the bomb I dropped on him. He does not want to divorce over it thank God but some amazing miracle. Obviosly your situation is a bit more complex. My DH is not that controlling. I was/am the one to get the mail, and would decide what he would see or not see, though he had no scruples about reading my mail, he would get upset if I ever read anything personal sent to him. As I know it is nothing to get bent about I let that one go. He has never cheated and even confirmed that when I confessed my deceit and financial infidelity to him. Luckily he still loves me enough to keep it together. He is trying a little more, though he has backed off doing a few things he used to around the house, I have taken on more responsibility around here, the price I have to pay I guess. I did 85% of it before, now, 95% (he used to cook dinner....now it looks like I get the pleasure of doing it from now on as he has not done it once since the 13th. Granted any reference to buying anyting is , we cannot afford it....which we can, but yes things are going to be a bit tight for the next five years, but we will manage. I have not done it yet, but Monday going to get the wheels rolling and do CCCS for my debts. His will be taken care of soon as we are selling off a bunch of mutual funds from the 401K (loan) so no penalties though with the economy we will have to sell more than we would have a few months ago which stinks. ---He is willing to economize now that he knows there is an issue though (he makes about 4x what I do). You will have to bit the bullet and confess as well. It is not easy. I wrote him a note and then left the house for a short while, then came back and we talked it all out. I figured my marriage would be over, but I think for the kids and still some feelings for me he wants to keep it all together. We have a good life together for the most part and he knows that. We do things together as a family, still have enjoyable sex once a week (took him 9 days after my confession), and are in tune with each other and the kids. Considering it he has been so good after it , you never know your husband might surprise you like mine did. He has not really made any comments for a week now, which is amazing in itself. My DH generally is the type of guy who blames everyone else for his mistakes and takes no responsibility for anything, so that is why it was such a shock that he is handling this all so well. Generally he acts like a 3-y/o and holds grudges. So it is possible your husband can be a standup guy. I guess it will depend on how much he cares for you, keeping the marriage together and not becoming a part-time dad or having to give you the house or a ton of money.....I am sure that all factored in in my situation. All I said was that no one would win in a divorce. He has been divorced before so I know he does not wnat to go thru that again, sees it as personal failure. But I feel so much better for telling him, a huge weight has been lifted. I still have a lot to get thru but the worst is over. I know my streess is still up there some, but I know longer have to worry about him finding out, etc. So you need to formulate a plan, maybe set aside some ready cash, and and tell him what is going on. You can email me if you want. I hope it all works out for you.
Very similar

to the one my family and I make:


1 bag of hashbrowns 


1 can cream of chicken soup 
2 sticks butter
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded Velveeta cheese
1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers

Melt 1 stick of butter in the casserole dish. Mix everything together except Ritz crackers and 1 stick of butter.  Spread in casserole dish.

Mix crushed Ritz crackers with 1 stick melted butter and sprinkle over top.


Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

It is a great side dish, goes with anything.


We did something similar
but it was a local theater gift card instead of the netflix. I didn't know netflix did such a thing. That's a great idea.

A smore's kit is nice to make or homemade marshmellows (they are not that difficult to make as most people think) with homemade hot chocolate mix and some cute mugs.

Also made fleece throws for everyone for xmas one year. YOu can get the no-sew fleece and just cut a fringe around the edge to finish it.

Offer up a free baby sitting night to the parents, all you need is a card. Tuck it in the tree with their name on it.

If there is something special that you make that someone likes you can make up a basket with many of the ingredients and include the recipe card. If it is cookies or something nonperishable you can include a finished version in the basket.
Or a little bit of a different but similar take
try 1 jar of chili sauce and jellied cranberry sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice. sounds similar to the above receipe but this is also wonderful!
Something similar
I agree with most others on this post.

My situation was a little different but also similar. My husband had been married before and had a child. He told me up front he would NEVER get married again. I told him I was not ready to marry and be a "mom." But after 3 years I changed my mind. I needed the committment, the security, and yes the old fashioned man to take care of me feeling. I told him that by 5 years together I wanted to be married, period. I started making the plans for marriage and it was a "now or never" decision and he knew that.

5 years is a long time to be in a non-committed relationship, not to mention your 10. I think you need to tell him how you feel once and for all and lay it out there. I like the idea another poster had to "date" for a while, him and this other man, and anyone else you want, and to have time to yourself. Don't let him just come over when he is lonely and needs you...maybe he needs to feel the loneliness you have felt for so long. It takes a while to change habits like picking up dirty laundry and rinsing off dishes...NOT hanging out with friends, staying out all night, etc. That is attitude and what you want to do. I know this isn't what you want to hear but you can't love someone for a lifetime if they don't love you back. Which is what this situation sounds like to me. Yes men are selfish and inconsiderate at times, but this sounds like more.

And just for the record, my husband and I started as friends. I am a bit younger than him, not ready to settle down, not wanting to marry someone married before or with a child...but our friendship just went towards love on its own. Given the chance, your friendship with this other man may go the same way. It sounds like you have just halted it where it is as a friendship and wouldn't allow it to go into love at this time if that was where it was leading.

Good luck to you. Take a day and watch "You've got mail." There's a good lonely love story of enemies, friends, and love evolving.
similar situation
I had a similar situation not too long ago with my mother in law. Everyone thought because I worked at home I could take my mother in law to her doctor appointments and grocery shopping and anything else she needed to do. I informed everyone that I started a job with a new transcription company and I could no longer come and go as I please during the day. I told them I am logged on to the new company's computer starting at 8 AM until 4 PM every day, and I have to be there when work comes through or the company would know I was gone and I would lose my job. It really has worked. No one bugs me during the day anymore. They finally think I have a "real job".
I have similar problem
with dryness and flaking. I have found that using some sort of exfoliator (scrub, mask, etc) helps more to get rid of the flakes and then apply the moisterizer. Just using the moisterizer didn't help me either, flakiness and dryness still there.