the mouse

warning: there are pictures to go along with the story. not for the faint at heart.

I've been suspecting a mouse for about a week or so. I had caught a glimpse of a possible mouse scurrying under the stove and have been weary ever since. Other "clues" have added to the suspicions. So last night I finally set a trap.

Everyone had gone to bed. It was just after 10 and I was heading to bed. I put some peanut butter on a tiny section of american cheese and placed it on the trap. Set the trap in the corner by the oven where I had the "sighting" a week previous. I went about the house turning off lights and locking doors and went up to bed. As I was pulling down my covers I heard the SNAP of the trap. "Wow, that was fast" I thought. But when I checked the trap, it was empty! That bugger had stolen my cheese! I reset the trap with a smaller piece of cheese and smashed it more into the trap.

Again I went to bed and within 5 minutes I heard the snap again. I was getting nervous and didnt really want to see a mouse squirming in the trap. So I gave it ten minutes before I went down to check. Sure enough, there was a grey blob attached to the trap. The trap had flipped over, thank heavens I couldnt see the head. But the body of the mouse was as big as the trap itself. It totally grossed me out! This was WAY bigger than the tiny mouse we caught a few years ago.

But now I was in a dilemma. With Brian gone, who was going to dispose of this mouse? Then I remembered how brave Brianne was last time when we caught a mouse. She nonchalantly picked up the trap with mouse attached and put it in the sack. No biggie! I went to bed certain that Brianne would throw it out in the morning.

Unfortunately Brianne has gotten more squeemish in her mature teenage years. In the morning she not only refused to take care of it, she wouldn't even go in the kitchen to get breakfast.

Hannah was no better.

I had to wake up Jackson.

The weird part is, when I had gone to bed the mouse and trap were both in plain sight. About 8 inches away from any of the cabinets or appliances - in full view. But in the morning, the trap was right up next to the oven and I couldnt see if the mouse was still there. I was afraid he had gotten away again. I got the broom handle and pulled on the trap. EWWWWW! THE MOUSE WAS STILL ATTACHED! But how the heck had he gotten himself and the trap over to the oven? Had his little army mouse friends tried to save him? Had he himself wiggle over trying to escape? Oh my gosh! What if I had tried to throw him out last night and he had started wiggling? /shiver

He was definately dead now. Can you say RIGAMORTIS?

OK, so I pull Jackson out of bed and give him a big speech about how he is the man of the house right now which requires him to take certain jobs upon himself. I hand him the walmart sack and point to the trap. He was a bit uncertain at first. But quickly got a glint in his eye that tells me this is every 10 yr old boy dream come true. He pulled on the trap - sure enough - grey mouse, legs sticking up, tail curling. AACKKKK!!!! /insert girlie screaming here. I'd blame all the screaming on the other 5 females that live in the house, but I admit it was all from me.

Some comments from Jackson include: "oh look at his guts!" then "i'm gonna flip it over to see his head" and then "wow his teeth are really stickin out"

/more screaming from mom

I did manage to snap some pictures. Not because I want to inspect it, but to prove how big the mouse was.

The first one shows how he was under the stove. The second one is, well ...





I've set another trap in case he has a friend. I'll give an update if anything happens! I think I'm ready to move in with mom for a few weeks. /sigh