Sunday, February 10, 2008

Eeeek !! a mouse ?


Hi there,




I've been feeling very domestic today. I made up a huge batch of cheesy chicken enchiladas. One of those dishes that the kids love, and there's always plenty of left overs. We have a cold front moving into our area tonight, so I think that tomorrow I'm going to make a big pot of Chili and twice baked potatoes - another one of our favorites. I'm not sure that it's normal to think about food as much as I do. Oh well.

I FINALLY got Heather off to bed, or at least to her room. That girl is going to make me crazy ! She has so many fears and anxieties - and she's such a drama queen about them all. I had noticed a month or so ago, that we had a few new house guests. With several large playing fields right outside our back door, it's inevitable that a few mice are going to start seeking warmer accomodations when it turns cold. I don't really mind mice as long as they stay out of the pantry and behave themselves. Most evenings, after the kids go to bed, and the house is quiet, I see one that scurries back and forth behind the T.V., between the closet and the front door. I also hear a few scratching around under the oven, in the empty storage bin that is never used, a nice warm spot I would imagine. They stay out of my cabinets and cupboards, and come summer, they go back to the feilds.

Roy and I were the only ones aware of them, and I begged him not to say anything to Heather. I had a feeling that she might not take it well because, about 4 years ago, when we were living in another house, she woke up one night, standing up in her bed, pointing at a spot on the floor, and screaming hysterically that a mouse was in her room. When I turned on the lights, it was clear that the object of her terror was nothing more than a spoon she had left lying on the floor! The rounded part looking like the body, and the handle, like a tail. The moonlight shining through the window and reflecting off the tip, gave the illusion of glowing eyes. However, the realisation that it was only her imagination did nothing to calm her. She was freaked out about sleeping in her room for weeks afterwards.

Without her favorite Anime shows and the internet to keep her distracted, Heather decided to invite Alyssa, from next door, to spend the night on Thursday. She gathered all kinds of munchies and caffeinated drinks, and planned to stay up all night watching some of their favorite DVDs in the living room. Around 2PM, our living room mouse began his regular routine of scurrying back and forth. I had watched him make several passes and prayed that Heather wouldn't notice, but she did. At the moment that she caught sight of him, four years of growth and maturity went right out the window. Her response was almost exactly the same as it was when she was 7 years old. (I'm sure that all the caffeine and lack of sleep didn't help much either.) It took most of the night ( or early morning hours) to calm her down. Alyssa's confession that they had seen a mouse or two on their side of the duplex, did nothing to calm her nerves.

Since then, every sound or movement is not just a tiny mouse, but a whole heard of them coming to attack her, and rip out her jugular vein with their tiny little teeth ! This evening, she caught a glimpse of one of the kitchen mice. (If she had actually SEEN it, she would realise how teeny-tiny, and completely harmless it really is.) So Now, she won't go into the kitchen without a canine escort. Which really isn't a problem, because anyone in the kitchen is usually mobbed by the whole pack of them. However, sooner or later, she's going to realise that the dogs are alot more interested in hot dogs, than tiny little mice. If they had any interest at all, we wouldn't have any mice to begin with. I have sat here and watched one of our little mice scamper right over Phoenix's tail (as he slept) and he never even twitched; Of course, Phoenix sleeps like the dead. Oh Lord, I'm afraid that this girl is going to make me crazy before spring finally comes.

Hmmm . . . for some reason, my dogs are completely off their schedule tonight. Instead of holding down the couches, they are up and playing at 3 AM. I'm going to make Roy install a doggie door. Phoenix loves the great out doors, but he gets lonely. He keeps coming in and out, trying to convince one of the other dogs to come play with him. It feels like I spend 75% of my life opening and closing the back door for these guys !

To answer Christopher's question, I haven't done alot of house hunting. The weather has just been sucky lately. I'm trying to stay optimistic, but I'm starting to think that it could be hard to find a place that will work with my dogs. I've gotten pretty spoiled, with having a park and a walking trail right outside my back yard. It would be great if we could find a more rural setting, with space for them to run, but the kids are so "city-fied", they think it sounds boring. I think, that's just too bad. They're "bored" all the time anyway. ( I think I'm going to start charging them 50 cents every time they complain about not having anything to do. Then I could BUY a house, and pay for it in quarters !)

Okay, I've got to get myself to bed. I have to go visit Nick at 9:15 AM. He went to court on Thursday, and I want to see how things went. Although, it was a first appearance, and I suspect that they just set a date, and (hopefully) assigned him a lawyer. Good night all.

Love,
Susan




2 howled back:

Anonymous said...

OK, starting at the bottom of the post...

I hope you have a nice visit with Nick and things have progressed in his ability to see the rose in spite of the thorns. I really think he has an opportunity here that is not quite what any of us expect, but only time will tell what fate has in store.

Second, the house hunt i s a rather dire process that any sane person will dread. as for the kiddos fearing boredom and change, screw them -they're kids. I know that sounds mean, but hey Roy and you are there as parents to make a decision as to what is best for your family. De-city-fy them and (as Scarlette in Gone with the Wind did) have them dig their own carrots so they'll never have to go hungry again!

OK, the mouse thing. Get Heather a pet snake to catch them! At least start trapping (live trap, or death trap) them and get them out of the house. I have a list of reasons starting with bubonic plague, hantavirus, helovirus, norovirus, and do I really need to keep making that list? I can you know? Additionally, they are notorious for chewing on electrical insulators and causing fires in your sleep that you can't survive lady!

My advice is to catch them in live traps, pack them up and mail them to Mel! She'll get a kick out of opening a little hole-filled box and having the mice jump out at her!!!

Now, isn't that a funny site to imagine. My other thought is that next year for Heather's birthday cake... bake a mouse cake! LOL

I've got to get off here and get a hot shower so I can breath.

-C

Anonymous said...

If you mailed me some mice in the post and they jumped out at me, I would send you my cardiac arrest bill :))

I'm with you Susan on the mouse thing - they really aren't THAT bad of things on my scale of bad things in the house. I suspect over the years I've had a few scampering around after dark eating bits of scraps.
What isn't cute is rats - whole other story. They make me squeal like Heather does.

Why are girls so high strung? I don't know, but I have one just like you do.

I hope it goes well with Nick...yesterday? today? tomorrow? I don't know when! just hope he is ok.

well, have a good night/day.

?!?!

love mel x