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Mousetrap

By Jess
I can't believe I didn't write this up sooner. It is now February 8, 2013.

Paul is away in Columbus, OH, for Global Game Jam. He is due home late tonight.

During dinner, Leo mentioned at least twice that he heard something. "Check!" he implored. When we were all quiet, we couldn't hear anything.

Cleaning up after dinner, Leo is on the tower. I don't remember what I am getting for him, but I turn to use the sink and there is a mouse on the edge of the sink. I'm sure I yell and jump back. Leo can see him, and starts getting nervous. I shoo the mouse, thinking I'll watch where he goes and learn where they're coming from. The mouse goes over the other side of the sink. I shoo him again, and now he runs up into the spices, which are stored in ball jars on small shelves. He seems to be daring me to catch him. Not knowing what else to do, I go to the garage and get a pair of gloves. I try to catch him, but he runs further back into the spices and then goes down the far side of the kitchen counter. Along the overhang there is a microwave cart on wheels, two cheap shelving units like from Target, and some cardboard boxes.

I take the boxes and make a barricade around the microwave cart, so the mouse can't escape through the wheels.

I tell Alex to watch him while I run into the laundry room and open all the glue traps I can find. I move the shelving units so there's just a glue-trap-sized gap between them and the wall, and put glue traps on either end, thinking I can force the mouse out and into the glue trap.

The first time, he runs right OVER and THROUGH the glue trap without so much as slowing down. Thankfully, he was on the microwave cart end, in the corner, and not in the open kitchen. We scare him back under the cabinets. In desperation, I take a plastic container out of the cabinet and prepare to try to catch the mouse in a bucket.

After close to ten minutes of what can only be called a cat and mouse game, I slapped the bucket over him... Well, half of him. It started squealing. I knew I had to seize the moment, so I made a grab for him and got him! Clasping him in my hands, I told Alex to open the front door, quick! In his panic, he couldn't unlock it, so I kicked it unlocked with my foot. Alex opened the door, and I threw the mouse as far as I could. The poor thing bounced twice in the yard. I went out through the garage with a plastic bag to find him and put him in the trash.

Then, I promptly opened a beer, and called home. I was still pretty much in shock.

I get Mom Points for only calling the mouse a "little bugger" during this whole ordeal. Leo's name for mouse was "little bugger" for a long time!

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