SURPRISE!!!

I have a visitor, who really needs to leave my house!!

For weeks we've been hearing this scratching noise under our kitchen sink, but we haven't investigated any further than figuring out where the sound came from. Today I was brave, and looked. I found nothing, but proceeded to pull out the boxes and food-stuff that was kept there. We've suspected that we have a mouse, but haven't really seen any mice wandering around. After pulling out the boxes, I showed Steve and we both figured that the mouse was hiding behind the dishwasher (there's a hole under the sink that leads behind the dishwasher...)

So Steve left me to my under-sink rearranging. I decided to find out what exactly was IN this box that was under our sink, and as I pulled out a bag that had napkins in it, a furry, gray mouse JUMPED out and RAN toward my garbage can!!

I ran faster than I've ever run before and while SCREAMING jumped onto our couch. I didn't want to see that mouse again...all I wanted was for him to DIE!!

Unfortunately my screaming woke up baby J, who had *just* settled down for his nap, and I immediately yelled for Steve to come and take care of our pest. He told me to get him a pillowcase. I gave him a look that said, "You want me to sacrifice one of MY pillowcases for this......THING!?" He instructed me to get one that I didn't want anymore, and I hurried as fast as I could, staring at the floor in fear that another mouse would pop out and chase me. After I grabbed the pillowcase, Steve and the mouse had a stare-down. Steve asked me to run to my neighbor's to see if she had mice or knew of anyone who WANTED a mouse. She and I talked for a while, and then her son offered to catch it for us, but by the time he came over, Mr. Mouse was hiding under the stove or fridge. I gathered up the sleeping baby and ran to Walmart to buy sticky traps and mouse poison. (Did I mention I want the mouse DEAD!?)

All day long I've been wondering how quickly I can invent a hover device, but Steve assures me that the mouse will stay hidden, and won't attack me.

Sadly, I had gotten over my fear of the floor and was SITTING on it when Steve, who was in the kitchen, said, "OOH....Where'd it go?!"

I asked him, "What!?"

Him, nonchalantly, "The mouse....."

Me: hyperventilating......

I know this fear of mine came from my mother....

When I was younger, in my teens, we were remodeling our house. We had pulled all of the carpeting out, and that left HUGE gaps underneath the doors, which allowed mice to come and live with us. She put out all sorts of mice poisons, and when a mouse would be dead, foaming at the mouth in the middle of the floor, she'd FREAK out!! She'd yell for us to get it out of her sight. So I was one of the ones to dispose of these ICKY things!!

There was one night I was walking to my bedroom in the basement, and because the light switch was on one side of the basement (the one FARTHEST from my bedroom) I'd turn off the light and make a run for it. On this night, I stepped off the stairs onto something soft and fluffy. Now, you have to realize, our house was MESSY, and stepping on something soft and fluffy usually meant clothes or toys. But I KNEW this one was different, because it SQUEAKED!! I didn't kill it, but I know I scared it, and it scared me too!!

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Update: Two mice were caught on the sticky trap underneath our sink....EWW!! I went to the store again today, and bought 12 more sticky traps and rubber gloves!! All morning long I could hear one of the mice that was stuck on the trap squeaking....I felt safer, until I discovered there were TWO on the trap!!

Oh, and just to satisfy your curiosity, NO, I didn't have to sacrifice my pillowcase....it's still safe! :)