March 2018 SOLC–Day 22
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I think the mice are yearning for spring and warmer weather, too. Just last night I found evidence of small critter visitors in a kitchen drawer. (Use your imagination.)
“Kurt, the mice are back,” I sighed. (I’ve written recently about another mouse discovery here.)
After some consultation (and cleaning out the drawer, scrubbing everything down with Lysol, etc.) we realized we couldn’t use poison. We have these nifty little blocks we’ve used in the past. They are my preferred don’t-have-to-see-it-hear-it option. However, with two young and energetic cats around, we feared poisoned mice could be consumed, leading to poisoned cats. Not ideal. There were a few left-over mouse traps in the closet, but those gross me out. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find our cute little Have–a–Heart mouse hotel, so I made a mental note to stop and pick one up tomorrow. Game plan set.
Later that night, Kurt announced suddenly from the kitchen, “Ready and set!”
“What is?”
“The traps. I set one in the drawer.” (Note–Kurt is always messing with the game plan.)
I sighed, and crossed the visit to the hardware store off my mental list.
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This morning, I walked into the kitchen and my eyes were drawn to the drawer like magnets.
Is there anything there? No, don’t look! Don’t look! I told myself firmly. You don’t want to see. Kurt will come down later and check.
I pushed the button to start my coffee, and walked over to the fridge to get my OJ. My eyes drifted back to the drawer. No! I bustled about the kitchen, going through my regular morning routine, fighting the urge to peek, because I really, really didn’t want to see.
Thump–Rustle–Thump
I started. What was that? Unsure where exactly the noise came from, I looked around to find the cats. (They are always a great explanation for unexplained noises, but neither was in sight.) My eyes drifted unwillingly to the drawer.
Rustle–Tap–Thump
Ew! The sound was definitely coming from the drawer. Don’t look! Don’t look!
Thump–rustle–RUSTLE–THUMP–THUMP
It was getting louder! I grabbed the coffee pot, sloshed some in my cup and scampered out of the kitchen, my imagination working overtime. What’s in there? Why isn’t it making squeaking noises? Is it trapped by the head and frantically thrashing about trying to escape? If it were caught by the tail (my preferred imagination of how these traps work), wouldn’t it be squeaking? Is it blocked from escaping because of the trap? Ahhhhhhh!
I feel like such a coward, but I just can’t look. I have no idea how to spring the trap and I’m certainly not going to finish off the mouse. My options are limited. I choose the ostrich-approach — don’t look.
Unfortunately, I can’t help hearing and I can’t avoid the kitchen on a school day. Each time I go back in to refill my coffee, I keep my eyes firmly on the drawer and give it a wide berth, moving quickly past it. I’m pretty sure the drawer is not going to fly open and launch an angry homicidal mouse as I walk by, but I’m cautious by nature. Why risk it?
As I write this in the family room now, I can hear the thumping and rustling continuing periodically in the kitchen. Needless to say, this is not a relaxing morning–for either the mouse critter or for me! Then, at my feet I hear a moist, crunching noise. What!?! I look down. Ironically, the cat is chewing avidly on her plastic catnip mouse.
Maybe I’ll leave for work early…
THUMP!
Nix the comfort zone 
Oh no! This story had me hooked from beginning to end. I love the repetition of “thump rustle thump”. This would be a fun kids picture book! I hope you got him!
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I think the likely conclusion to the story would make some little ones unhappy. lol Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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Yes! Leave for work now! Call the husband on the way and get him up. I don’t like the boy and girl job concept, but dealing with the mice is 100% my husband’s job in our house.
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I’m not big on the boy and girl job concept either, but remember my approach involved a Have a Heart trap! lol
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Not another mouse story! I would be just like you in this situation. My favorite line: Kurt is always messing with the game plan.) My husband is the same way… like he wasn’t part of the original game plan.
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“…like he wasn’t part of the original game plan.” YES! Exactly! What is that, anyway?! And then, he’s like “What?” when I look at him askance.
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I can picture the whole thing!
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I grimaced as I thought about the source of the sounds. That would make for a tense morning at home…work will be much nicer, given that situation! Good thing you didn’t need to get anything out of that drawer…
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Luckily, we’d kept the drawers empty after we’d cleaned them, anticipating our placing traps of some sort or other. I was worried I’d accidentally open the drawer out of habit, though.
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This post gives me the heebie-jeebies!
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It gave me the heebie-jeebies and I had to live it!
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I bet you create amazing mentor texts for your students! You weave in so many beautiful elements into a short piece. Plus, I can honestly say I empathize with your topic! Good luck with those critters!
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Thanks, Paula.It’s tricky to deal with those critters–I feel bad for them, but I do NOT want them in my drawers and cupboards!
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AH! This is making me cringe and almost yell out at the computer screen! Don’t look! Run away! Great use of suspense when you go back to the noise in the drawer- especially the last THUMP!
Ah!
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It was not a relaxing start to the day!
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Oh, that was not a fun morning! Maybe it will be magically gone when you get home. Fingers crossed.
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Not magically gone, but gone. Thanks, Kurt!
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Hannah handles mouse trap duties at our house. She has notches on our trap to indicate “successes.” After many mice ending up stiff, we haven’t had one in three days. Maybe they are gone! Unlikely with today’s light snow. Maybe they are just gearing up.
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I thought about Hannah and mice this morning. I may have to consult her as an expert!
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Yikes. I would not open that drawer, either. Poor mousie – and poor you. I loved the line “(Note–Kurt is always messing with the game plan.)” and the irony of the cat chewing the mouse toy. Wake Kurt up & go to work!!
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Oddly enough, Kurt wasn’t so fond of that line. lol
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hahahaha – our poor .usbands – mine is really happy that I’m writing, but a little wary of what I plan to say.
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Oh, I could feel your anxiety all the way thru your slice. I can relate to this story, as we’ve had several instance with mice. We got the sticky traps (after cats) and the mice motels. Hopefully hubby took care of the noise and all will be normal when you get home.
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Yes! I was right there alongside you. I felt how anxious you were about finding it.
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It really was stressful! I kept thinking that my blood pressure was probably elevated!
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I’d either be out the door early or on top of a table screaming. I know they’re smaller than us, but mice completely freak me out.
Good luck catching it!
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I’ve had way too many mouse stories lately! lol They don’t freak me out but I don’t want to cohabitate.
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I can understand that!
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Loved reading your story. I’d rather not face a mouse either. You didn’t wake your husband? You’re too nice.
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Trying to wake my husband would have been a lost cause. He’d have told me “You’re smart and capable. Figure out how to deal with it.” So, I fled!
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We have been having a mouse problem at school which seemed abated. His week I have begun to see evidence as well. Last time they put out bait traps under my desk and we found several dead friends in the literacy center. I hope your husband emptied the trap.
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I can’t imagine how the kids responded to finding dead mice in the room! Yikes! Happily, everything was taken care of at my house when I got home from school.
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I’ve written about the mice in our house many times and this made me cringe because I know exactly how you feel. My worse experience was when there was a mouse in a glue trap behind my coffee pot! ugh. Still gives me shivers.
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I still feel guilty for leaving that poor mouse struggling. I can’t imagine what I would have done if it had been right behind my coffee pot, but at least my imagination wouldn’t have been working over time. Thanks for the empathy!
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