Mouse in the House ... Still

The remodel lives on and now it has brought us another friend. Tuesday evening Oldest Son and Youngest Son were waiting for me to join them at the back door to unlock it.

As I was walking up the sidewalk, Youngest Son ran towards me shouting "We have a mouse!"

My mostly tired response was "Are you sure it is a mouse and not a rat?"

The boys had seen it scurrying across our unfinished wood floors and under the plastic covered furniture.

Youngest Son replied emphatically "It is bigger than my dwarf mouse was and smaller than Shakespeare was; it is a mouse." Shakespeare was the 2nd grade class rat we cared for one summer break.

Both boys were hyped and Youngest Son was nervous about the loose rodent. I called Commuter Husband but knew this was my chore. Unfortunately, small furry animal disposal falls into my role if it hits on a weekday. There are many moments when being a Commuter Family is NOT optimal and this certainly was one of them!

Tom Thumb only had poison. I know what happens when mice eat poison and crawl somewhere to die. The smell can be worse than having the live creature about the house. I was off to Home Depot before they closed in 10 minutes. I could not bring myself to buy the sticky paper which seemed cruel even to me. I opted for some fancy plastic contraption and headed home.

Well, while I was away our creative boys were busy.

YOUNGEST SON: Created a trail of feta cheese with a string tied to one piece at the end. I guess the plan was to sit up all night until the mouse was fooled??? And bang it to death???? I kindly told him to sweep it up and that would not really work. The white bits are mostly paint - have I mentioned the remodel? 

OLDEST SON: Created a bowl trap. Hmmmmm. I just said okay. See the small piece of cheese in the middle? I found it interesting that he came up with this approach.

MOMMY WITH COMMUTER HUSBAND: How could this fail? Says "Guaranteed!" right on the package. 

Trap was set with Peanut Butter. Think perhaps that hole in the wall could be part of the problem?%%$#?!!@

NEXT MORNING: Cheese was gone from Oldest Son's trap but alas the mouse was not caught.

5 DAYS LATER: No mouse in my trap either. Huge Sigh.