The Smartest Mouse I Ever Knew

WARNING...If you can handle gross stuff, continue reading if you would like.  If you can't handle gross stuff, don't read.  We have had a mouse in our house for a while and it has been the biggest pain trying to catch him.  I was an idiot and left our bag of dog food in the furnace room.  I'm sure that is what attracted it.  At the beginning of the week, I set out the regular wooden spring traps and placed peanut butter on them.  Well, the next morning the mouse had taken the peanut butter off without setting the trap.  So I decided to cram some cheese up in the slot.  Sure enough, the next morning that mouse had got the cheese out of the traps without setting them.  So I decided to try something a little different.  I made some chewy oatmeal fudge bars.  This delicious treat is gooey and sticky.  So I crammed this stuff up in the slots on the traps and I even tested the traps to make sure they were working properly and they were.  I thought for sure I would catch that mouse. Well, the next morning, it was the same thing as before.  That sneaky mouse got the crammed up chewy oatmeal fudge bars out of the slots without setting the traps! Amazing!  I thought, this mouse is such a smart mouse.  I thought for sure I would have caught it by then.

I went to the grocery store and checked out their mouse traps.  My dad told me that the glue tables were a good trap, so I bought them.  That night I placed the glue trap on the ground and did everything the instructions told me to do.  The instructions said that the glue tables are pre-baited, but I can put extra bait on if I wanted to.  I decided to do that.  Well, the next morning, nothing.  I still wasn't going to give up though.  So last night, I set up all the original traps, this time cramming peanut butter up in the slots.  This peanut butter had peanuts in it, so I made sure I got big enough peanuts that would be difficult to get out.  Then I figured out where I thought this mouse was coming out of the wall.  I placed the glue table where it was coming out.  I shut off the lights, closed the door and went to bed, feeling that for sure I would get him tonight.  So this morning, I woke up and went downstairs to check out my room of traps.  Sure enough, my plan worked.  There was that little mouse stuck on the glue table.  

I could tell by the way it was situated on the table that it had quite the struggle last night trying to get free.  Poor thing, but I worry for my kids health more than the idea of having to kill it.  I wish it would have set the regular spring traps, because then I wouldn't have to kill it.  I was standing there staring at this mouse with some kind of sadness knowing that I would have to kill this thing by myself.  I couldn't leave it there and wait for my husband to get home to do the dirty job, because what if by some chance it got off.  And knowing this mouse, I'm sure it could have figured it out.

So I went upstairs, put a show on for my kids and went out into the garage to find my weapon.  I thought a shovel would work out, but unfortunately we didn't have on, but we have a metal rake.  It was the best thing I could think of.  I wanted to be as far away from it as possible when I killed it.  I went back downstairs and just stared at the mouse for like 10 minutes because the idea of killing it myself made my stomache churn.  And of course the mouse looked frightened and it wiggled like crazy trying to get off the glue trap, so that didn't help my uneasiness.  Finally, I decided it would be best to hurry and end both of our suffering.  I used the back end of the rake and bashed it on the head.  It died after that.  Goodbye little mouse.  Hopefully we don't have any more in our house.  

Update on Carson

Well, I would have to say thanks to everyone for all their suggestions on how to help my son go to bed.  They have all been very helpful.  It has been working out better.  I have just had to put him in his bed and lock the door.  Most of the time he would cry, pound on the door, or just play in his room for like an hour.  Then eventually he would either fall asleep by the door or in his bed. 

Well, at the beginning of the week, Carson started to figure out how to unlock his door.  He was thinking he was pretty cool that he figured out how to get out of his room and of course he won't go to sleep when he can constantly get out of his room.  And we don't have perfectly round door knobs, so the child proof door knob covers won't work.  Anyway, so guess what I did... we changed the door knob around, so the lock is on the outside.  What a mean mom I am.  Well, it works.  At least he stays in his room and eventually goes to sleep 

Here Carson is asleep on the floor by the door.  Don't worry, I didn't leave him there.  I picked him up and put him in his bed.

My Life Is Over

Yeah, you see Carson's bed.  It is now a toddler bed because he kept climbing out of his crib and I was worried that he was going to get hurt.  Last night was when this all happened.  I couldn't get him to go to sleep. He would continually climb out and open his door.  And boy, did he think he was super cool.  He had a smile on his face the entire time he kept climbing out of his crib.

I normally put him to bed at 8:00.  Finally at 9:00, I decided that I would put his bed into a toddler bed.  I thought that I might as well, since he can climb out of his crib.  This way it will be safer.  Finally at 10:00, Carson fell asleep.  Now you know why my life is over.  I guess we will see if he even goes down for a nap today.  If any of you have any suggestions, on how to get this kid to sleep, let me know.  Anything will help.  Kelli just stopped taking naps about the time she could start climbing out of her crib, so it worked out ok.  Carson on the other hand, needs naps and I need him to take naps or I go crazy.

Soccer

Kelli had her last soccer game on Tuesday.  It was such an exciting game.  Kelli finally scored a goal right at the end of the game.  Right after she scored, the game was over.  She was so excited!  So was I.  Draper Recreation Dept was so kind to give all the kids trophies.  That sure lights up their faces.  What a cute soccer team.

Memorial Day Weekend

Our Memorial Day weekend was quite the adventure.  We decided to go camping up the mountains.  My husband couldn't leave until after work, so I decided to leave earlier, and hook up with my parents and get camp set up.  I packed up all the camping gear, loaded the kids in the jeep and headed to go see my parents.  We bought grocery food, and got everything organized so we could head up the mountains.

We found a great camping spot and set up camp.  I would have to say that this year is the greenest Memorial Day weekend.  Here is our sweet camping spot.

Friday was a great day up the mountains.  On Saturday, it got cold.  We decided to go fishing.  The wind blew and it snowed on us.  Carson was not a happy camper.  Kelli did great though.  These were just some random pictures while we were fishing.

Saturday evening we went to another fishing spot.  It started to clear a little more by afternoon, but it was still cold.

Sunday, we went to church and then decided that Carson had had enough.  So we came up the mountain after church and took down camp.  Maybe next year Carson will enjoy it better.  I think he is at a tough age for camping.  He didn't sleep well, or eat well while we were camping.  Poor guy.  But other than that, it was still a fun trip and great to hang out with my parents before they head on their mission.