So, there I was, quietly peeling potatoes for supper last night. I could hear Elijah and Zeke at the park across the way, and Noah was entertaining himself by coming in and out of our patio door, saying “Hi,” and “Bye,” to me, talking to himself, and about various items on the patio.
After I’d peeled my sixth potato, I heard Noah come in the patio door, repeating, “Mou’… mou’…mou’!” I turned around to say hi to him for the dozenth time, saw what he was holding, and briefly thought, “Oh, where’d he get that toy mouse?” It took me less than a fraction of a second, though, to realize that it was a real, dead mouse, all full of rigor mortis, eyes glazed over, shiny and bulging out of it’s head (because, I think, Noah was squeazing it so hard!). Oh, it was a gruesome sight!
I started, and then Noah started as a shriek escaped my lips, and I grabbed his forearm and started shaking it violently untill the dead mouse fell to the ground! Noah stood in confusion, no doubt wondering why I wasn’t as excited as he was about his “Mou’.” I think I was the closest I’ve ever been to hyperventilating as I carried him to the bathroom, and washed his hands over and over with soap and water.
But, my friends, as a true blogger at heart, I was also thinking, “I should have gotten a photo of Noah and the dead mouse for our blog…it would make for a good post!” I even briefly considered getting a photo of the dead mouse alone, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at it again (I stayed out of the kitchen ’till Dave got home from work to dispose of the carcass), and I doubted if my readers wanted to see such an image either!
Eeek! What a story. I’m fine that you didn’t have any pictures of that! I could totally picture Jeremiah doing the same thing.
Jeremiah discovered worms yesterday and was boldy holding them, but when he saw squirming ones in the ground he suddenly got a little nervous that they were getting “out!”
Jan, I’d have to go back over the archives but I think that is my favorite blog ever! I can picture Izze doing the same thing and being so confused that his find didn’t bring me equal delight. That is so yucky…poor mouse…how did it die on your patio? Love you bunches!
That is what I’m wondering…How did it die on our patio? I think the reason why I was so completely creeped out, is beacuse I figured it must have frozen to death out there in our sub-zero temps, way back in February or March, and it had been rotting out there since! Ugh! But Dave seemed to think it looked quite fresh, and he suggested that maybe Noah caught it, and squeezed it to death! I don’t see how Noah could have caught a mouse though – they’re pretty fast.
We had a mouse incident, too. We just got a dog and have had the patio door open. I saw a mouse in the house two days ago. I was creeped out, but tried to ignore the fact and assume he’d find his way out.
Fast forward two days…Delaney comes downstairs and says, “there is something in my dog’s waterbowl”. (you can see where this is going) We ignored her. Then I came upstairs and saw something…got closer…and screamed, “Daaaaaave”. It was a drowned mouse. YUCK!
I am thankful that Delaney wasn’t touching it. The difference between boys and girls?
I think is my favorite post too.
i think i just vomited a little bit in my mouth.
Funny, I checked your website this morning to find your mouse blog – we just had a horrible mouse night last night. Months ago we saw a mouse under our sink, but wouldn’t see it for weeks at a time. Recently we’ve realized we HAVE to do something about it, Jason saw two at a time! So we finally got some traps. After a night of them just licking the peanut butter off the trap with no effect, last night we set the trap with a piece of sausage. Within a few hours, we caught three in a row, all under the sink! So gross!!! My only consolation is that we only have 3 more weeks in our Ukrainian apartment… I thought in the warmer weather mice would run outside, what are they doing in our home???!!!
PS – we do have a picture of the first mouse trapped, Jason took it to show a friend. But I don’t think I should share it either!
Ewwwwww!! We’ve had two mice in our house (that we know of) in the past couple months. Jon killed one, and the other died in a trap. I could barely bring myself to look at the one in the trap. The thought of my child holding it is making me shudder!
Remind me to tell you about Claire’s pet centipede “Poop” sometime…