Thursday, June 24, 2010

9 ~ Soon to be a 4th Grader


First Day of School


And Today ~ Last Day of 3rd Grade

I'm so very proud of 9! Lots of changes this year, and though he liked goofing off in the classroom, he has earned Honor Roll for Excellence in High Grades! Today is a short last day ~ only 2 hours of school. I think that both 9 and 6 deserve a special treat ~ ICE CREAM! Yay US!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

My Little 6 is Growing Up


First day of school


Last day today

Today is the last day of Kindergarten for 6! I can't believe how much he has changed in 10 months! I too, wish that my littlest guy would stay little sometimes forever.

Monday, June 7, 2010

A Stranger Among Us ~ Continued

More like "strangers"!!

Yes ~ You read it correctly!

Hubby got home and was able to move out the mattresses out of the closet while I stood there holding the flashlight. Tucked back in the corner of the closet was our little friend. He was not very big, and I could hardly imagine something so small could smell so bad! I moved the little bugger with the dust pan trying to some how scoop it up and hubby came to the rescue with a bag a took the smelly guy away. I proceeded to spray almost a whole can of Lysol to disinfect, and help eliminate the smell ~ it was SO rank!I was proud of my man ~ he was able to hold his breath, not gag, and take care of business. "You rock babe!"

Later that evening I could still smell the decaying aroma. Did another spray down and closed the door in hopes that the smell would magically disappear.....

The next morning the smell still lingered. I decided to search the internet for solutions. It stated it would take a few hours for the smell to go away after the mouse was removed (Hello! We are on the second day here!), and to speed up the process place a bowl of un~brewed coffee grounds, which I did immediately and closed the door. I felt like I was going crazy, because even with the closet door shut, I could not get the smell out of my nose. All day long, I could smell the nastiness! Hubby couldn't smell it, 9 said he could smell it off and on, but seriously, was my mind playing tricks on me?!? Was I scarred for life, by witnessing and smelling my first decaying mouse?!? How could something so little continue to stink up the cabin!

Friday I was out of the house really early to meet my bestie for a girls day in Port Townsend ~ beach combing, and pub burgers. While bestie and I were at the gas station getting gas before making our way hubby called.

"Hey babe."
"Hey ~ I found the other mouse."
"You did!!"
"Yeah ~ it's raining and I went to look for my rain jacket in the closet and the smell was even worse than before. There was a mouse that had built a nest on the shelve in the corner."
"Oh God!" (various sounds coming out of my mouth ~ gasping, gagging, closing my eyes)
"Yeah ~ it built a nest out of that jacket (I forgot to mention in my original post that a sweater jacket my grandmother had made that was hanging in the closet and looked like the collar had been chewed or eaten up) and the nest was the size of half a volley ball. The mouse was about five times bigger than the mouse we found below. I think that must have been a baby."
"Oh God!" (Again ~ I made various sounds, closing my eyes, covering my mouth with my hand, while my bestie looked at me wondering what was going on. I hadn't even had the chance yet to tell her of our discovery a few days before, but she caught on REALLY quick)
"I didn't examine it really well, but it was pretty bloated, moving, (gasp, gag,) and there were lumps in the nest."
"So there must have been more babies?"(gag)
"Probably, but I wasn't about to pull the nest apart".
"Oh God!"
"Just wanted to let you know that it's all taken care of and the smell is all gone. I vacuumed up all the droppings on the shelve and sprayed the shelve down really well to disinfect it. 6 and I are now heading out to get some breakfast." (brave man)
"Okay babe ~ you rock! I'm so glad you found it ~ I thought I was losing my mind!"
"You guys have fun!"
"I love you"
"I love you too!"


So needless to say, we will be placing Decon in the mud room and in the kitchen in case any more visitors decide to make our house their house to. I cannot forget that I live in a rural area, on five acres of land, and that Spring apparently around here is the time that all the field mice like to come inside. I certainly DO NOT want to go through that again, but I have a feeling it will not be that last time. Too bad life is not like a Disney movie where all the little creatures are cute, clean, and help you by cleaning your house, making you an outfit, or cooking you up a fabulous meal....

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

A Stranger Among Us


I can't even describe what I have been feeling all day! In my hall closet something lies..... rotting..... waiting.....

For that last two weeks here at the cabin we've been trying to catch a mouse ~ I pray to God it is only one (please lord, please). We've put out traps ~ starting with peanut butter, which the little, vile, creature ate, and then cheese, which was never touched. Nothing happened ~ no new droppings (gag) ~ nothing, poof, and he was gone! 6 had mentioned that he heard some squeaking sounds from the hall closet ~ I thought it was his imagination, because why would the mouse go in there? No chance to find any food in there...... but last night 9 opened the hall door, and said "Mom I think the mouse was in the closet.... and I think it's dead". Hubby was already asleep in bed, and I was NOT going to check it out in the middle of the night. NO WAY!! I decided to check it out this morning ~ opened the door, and yep it's dead ~ or least it smells like it's dead! ( gag, nasty, disgusting, my skin is creeped out all over) I immediately shut the door and called my hubby at work, all the while gasping for fresh air.

"Hi." (opening up the kitchen window)
"Hi honey."
"Babe, I think I found the mouse ~ it's in the hall closet, and it's dead." (fear in my voice)
"Did you get it out?"
"I can't do it ~ you're going to have to do it. I'm so freaked out!" (still fear in my voice)
"But it's dead! Are you afraid that the dead mouse will jump out at you?"
"I know, but the air mattress is in there, and it's heavy, and I'm really afraid there might be some creepy crawlies in there too.!" (panic in my voice is rising ~ I am SO afraid of spiders..... so very, very afraid)
"So you're going to make me, with my weak stomach, go in there to get it out?" (hubby has such a weak stomach for fowl smells ~ he has thrown up more than once while changing 6's poopie diapers, cat litter duties while I was pregnant, and a woman at his work has such bad breath that he has to leave the room or he will literally gag)
"Babe I'll help you anyway I can ~ I just can't, won't touch the mattress....."
With a chuckle " That's fine.... I'll do it when I get home".
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Bye."

Praise the Lord!

I wonder if he'd be willing to pick up pizza for dinner on his way home?

To be continued......