I am paranoid – paranoid – about mice in our house. (As an aside, searching “mouse” on Flickr was a giant mistake.)
Ugh, just the thought of it sends chills down my spine.
Mice haven’t been an issue in our current house (knock on wood, please God do not let those be famous last words) but there was a period of time when we had a serious issue with them when we lived in our old house. That was just one of the myriad exciting parts of living in a house that was built in 1888. But anyway. I am constantly waiting to find evidence of a mouse in our house, and I think it’s starting to be a problem.
As in, perhaps I need to seek help.
The other day, I saw what was probably a brownie crumb on our kitchen counter and I freaked out, thinking it was mouse droppings. I finally convinced myself that if it was just one, it was probably just a crumb and not a sign of the devil a mouse. I’ve started following the children around with the vacuum cleaner when they eat snacks downstairs.
And as of yesterday, my paranoia is actually keeping me up at night.
We started decorating our house for Christmas yesterday (more on that disaster later) and our tree goes where our dining room table typically sits. The easiest way to move the table to the basement is to move it out on the deck and carry it outside down to the back door. So, in between one trip from the basement to the deck, we left the door open. It was open and unmanned only long enough for me and Andy to walk up the stairs of the deck, grab a chair, and walk back down, but that was long enough for my imagination to run wild. Last night I dreamed that a mouse got in while the door was open, and I remember “seeing” it scurry (ewww even that word freaks me out) up the stairs. When I woke up, I realized it was just a dream, but just because I had dreamed it didn’t mean it wasn’t true, so I literally laid awake for probably close to an hour thinking about whether or not there was a mouse in the basement, how I could find out if there was, and how I could trap the nasty little thing.
I could not get back to sleep because I was so stressed out.
And now that I’m posting about this, it’s going to be just like yesterday when I thought to myself “I really love this pre-lit Christmas tree!” as I plugged in a level of branches, which of course didn’t light. So yeah. Now I am really screwed. I need something like a metal detector that works for mice. Yes, that would be great. Until someone invents one, though, I may never sleep again.
Wow, cousin, I think you DO need to seek help! Does this mean I should not get Kate a pet rat for Christmas?
Em, I had no idea you were such a mouse freak. Want me to tell you again about the time I caught a mouse in my CAR? Or how ’bout the rat/oversize mouse I removed from my home with my bare hands? Ooh, and remember to check out Anissa’s post on Aiming Low about the rat in her kitchen. It comes with photo goodness. Feeling creeped out yet?
Mice, rats, snakes…hate them.
When Aunt Diane and I were first married and lived in the Ghetto of Chattanooga (seriously…the corner of Get and Toe!!) we, make that I killed a RAT that covered the bottom of an old style paper grocery sack…we moved shortly after that. I totally feel your pain!
UP
You know, Emily, a cat would do wonders for a possible mouse problem…and Christmas is just around the corner… 🙂
Maybe you should borrow my dog – Gwennie. If she lives in your house for a few days and catches nothing and displays no signs of trying to catch something – there is nothing to be caught.
Mice, I’m fine. Snakes, I’m fine. Spiders, a big no problem. But a cockroach? If I can gather up the nerve to kill it, it may get left with a paper towel over it till my husband comes home!
When my 2nd child was born I lived at my parents house for a couple months (we were between moves/states). One day a chipmunk got in the house and the darn thing was freaking me out…his beady little eyes staring at me from under the chair while I sat on the couch trying to nurse my babygirl. N.A.S.T.Y. Of course, I was also home alone while my parents were camping and my husband was at work (in another state). *shudder*
LOL. I have to laugh. I used to be crazy about mice. I am fine with them at least I thought that is until I found evidence in my car a couple weeks ago. I posted about it. http://mommyconfessions-daisiesforu.blogspot.com/2009/11/good-bye-country-living-i-am-done-with.html
I freak out when I think there is a chance a snake got into my house. OH the joys of country living.
The post about you getting a cat is just down right HILARIOUS!!! Umm no, she will not be getting a cat either, she just might live with the ‘possibility’ of a mouse in her house before she gets a cat!
Yep, laughin’ so hard right now…buy some traps then don’t worry about it. Easier said then done I know…but try not to lose sleep over this!
we had TWO mice this year in our basement, compliments of the Lowe’s delivery guys who brought our new dryer a few months back. Our house was thrown into complete chaos, and I even called in reinforcements (my dad, who is a former Orkin man) to deal with the situation. Long story short, John is STILL doing the laundry because I’m still freaked out everytime I go down there. But I did venture down without Lucy to protect me so I’m getting a little better.
When I was little we lived in an apartment that had a mouse in the wall. It was so creepy. We’d hear him/her running back and forth. Eventually it stopped, but we never knew how it got in there.
Umm… Another sign that OCD runs in the family.
Umm… Another sign that OCD runs in the family.
OMG, I swear we think alike. I hate mice. I absolutely will not live in a house with mice in it. In fact, I’ve told my hubs, if we ever, EVER have a mouse, I’ll be living at the Holiday Inn.
On that note, my MIL has them. It freaks me the frick out. Heebie-Jeebies…big time. I keep my feet on the couch, don’t eat, and encourage my children to “GET UP OFF THE FRICKIN’ FLOOR!” (yeah, okay, I’ve yelled that once or fifty times).
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only paranoid one out there. We’ve gotta unite and stand up against *shutters* mice.