A Better Mousetrap!

Alleluia, alleluia! The mouse has been captured (or should I say liberated from our home, humanely) and is in our garage awaiting transport to another happy location, far, far away.  (Karen will drop him off on her way to work.)

 

As Karen told the kids, “It’s not that we don’t like the mouse, we just don’t like him living in our house.”

 

Charlotte clearly agreed.  The mouse had gotten particularly bold during his final day in the house.  Karen and Charlotte were making cookies yesterday afternoon when the mouse decided to join them.  (Are you familiar with the children’s book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?  Needless to say, we didn’t.)

 

Karen reacted, jumping a bit, when she saw them mouse, as did Charlotte.  Karen explained, “Charlotte, the mouse startled me.”  To which Charlotte replied, “Mom, the mouse startled me, too.”  Charlotte, who had been standing on the chair in order to stir, refused to leave the chair unless it was for the waiting arms of a parent.

 

When Luke got up from his nap, he too caught site of the mouse in the kitchen, and when Karen brought him into the office, he kept looking toward the kitchen, pointing and telling me, “Mouse… mouse.”

 

The mouse caused quite a commotion, and a fair amount of tension.  Charlotte was clearly on edge, and Karen and I were extremely flustered.  We just wanted to get the mouse out of the house.

 

So we turned to the internet (the internet is truly an amazing thing) and found this blog posting: How to catch a mouse without a mousetrap.

 

Essentially, it involves flattening one side of a toilet paper role, using peanut butter to stick graham crackers at one end of the roll (we used SunChips), and teetering the roll on the edge of something (table, bench) above an awaiting trash can, bucket or other container.  Theoretically, the mouse will scurry into the toilet paper roll to get the food, causing the roll (with mouse inside) to topple into the container.

 

The instructions recommend putting the roll on top of a table, we didn’t like the idea of the mouse on our table (and weren’t sure he could get up there), so we put it on a stool and created a cardboard ramp up the stool.  Watching us, Charlotte was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to use the stool anymore – we explained it was just temporary (or at least we were hoping it was.)

 

Within a half an hour, the mouse was trying to make it up the makeshift cardboard ramp.  Apparently, the ramp was to steep and slippery – he kept sliding back down to the floor.  Afraid we had blown our chance, we placed a small rug on the ramp to make his ascent easier.  But when we went to bed, there was no further activity…

 

…until 4:30 this morning, when I heard what sounded like ‘mouse-stuck-in-a-plastic container’ noises coming from the kitchen.  I awoke Karen (to share my excitement), and she confirmed the happy news and brought the mouse to the garage.

 

During the rodent commotion yesterday, when we were attempting to defuse some of the mouse tension, I had asked the kids if we should name the mouse.  For some reason, Charlotte immediately came up with ‘Lucas.’  Karen was pushing for ‘Mickey,’ but Charlotte definitely wanted ‘Lucas.’  Not sure why, but it is what it is.

 

And with that, Lucas, I bid you adieu!  Godspeed, my friend (and never come back.)

 

So long story short (I know, too late), our house is now mouse free (hopefully…  unless Lucas has a friend.)

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese.’

 

(One final note: apparently mice don’t like cheese.  It’s a myth.  Go figure.)