Find a way to be around them pleasantly without shunning them. Lots of people avoid their friends when they get involved in a relationship.....don't take it personal. Go out and meet other people and stuff and be happy. You will push people away by sulking!

That sounds so much like my family. I feel for you!

You're in Scotland? So at least there's beautiful scenery? Lucky!

Excellent reply! They'll stop even trying to understand you and simply regard you as an eccentric genius! :-)

LOL...you're right! Sorry! I definitely agree that cutting the whiskers on them both was a bad sign. It affected their balance and they temporarily lot their feline grace. Fortunately it was a one time thing.

Yippee! Potty training is such a delightful thing to get done with!

Oh, and don't feel at all dumb! I talked and talked to my shrink about my obsessions and he was always okay with me even when he got frustrated at my circular thinking patterns. He respected my intelligence and recognized that the way I did things presented obstacles for me so presented practical ways for me to change…

Wow....that sounds so oppressive! Take it as a compliment, though, that you're obviously a very fascinating person! I almost think that the kind of scrutiny you're dealing with might be an OCD trigger. Perhaps you could tell them that you have a volunteer job or something at the hospital or a new exercise regimen?…

Sounds like he had a mishap of some sort! They do grow back. I know because my sister cut our kittens whiskers when we were girls....the poor dears really had to work to adjust without them!

Oh, and I eat salads a lot because I love them! And anytime I make roasted chicken, for example I plan out other recipes I can make with the leftovers! I get at least two meals out of every main course that way and it feels super efficient!

I just get ingredients I like and google recipes for them because I never like everything that's offered in preset meal plans. Every night I chop up fresh fruits and veggies and serve salad to go with the main course. I recommend building your own menu that you enjoy!

It's a balance between keeping the peace, setting healthy boundaries and letting things go if they aren't big issues. A gracious thank you card for their gift is an excellent idea. You can't be responsible for anyone other than yourself at the baby shower so don't needlessly apologize or give their bad behavior too…

It could be a number of things. The hookworm lifecycle comes to my mind....they migrate to the lungs periodically...has he been wormed regularly? It might be worth a check up

You are accomplishing so much and nearly perfect but have you checked into community resources/care-giving so you can have time to get out into the community and work/volunteer/teach(not to mention just having some free time to yourself)? It's really important that you have support with this monumental task as you're…

Cotton training pants with the plastic cover work SO well! My kids hated the wet feeling of the cotton and quickly started using the potty to avoid it!

I agree with everything everyone else posted but hope you have as much support as possible so you won't be tempted to lean or depend on someone who is clearly dysfunctional and doesn't have your safety or best interests at heart! DV support groups, DV support hotlines, local organizations, legal advocacy programs, use…

Sounds like oppositional defiant behavior. I went through this with my son. It's very challenging and counter intuitive to deal with at times. You sound like you're doing an excellent job, especially by not reacting to the hurtful comments your daughter is making. I think you would benefit from counseling support in…

Oh, and I quit quite some time ago, too! It's definitely worth it!

Focus on how good food starts to taste....it takes a few days but its a big difference! Focus on how much better you're breathing, how good you feel, instead of what you aren't doing. I've heard that statistically each time you quit it's more likely you will quit for good! Anything special you can do that's healthy…

WOW. How awful!