Museum Mouse

I have been contemplating sharing this story or not but my sister encouraged me so here I go.

We have a small mouse infestation at our NEW house right now. They are building more houses behind us and I think these new friends were looking for new homes. Fortunately they are really small (and according to the kids, "Really cute! Can we keep him?" NOT!!!!!!) so I am not too too freaked out yet! We noticed them last week. Some pantry items had holes in them and as I investigated further I found further proof they were feasting well. After I purged more than half of really expensive food (the most hurtful being the one pound chocolate bar from Trader Joe's) I sat down to cry. When I gathered myself together, I went in search of how to get rid of them. We caught one the next day and I thought my problem was over. Little did I know.......

So on Friday, I really wanted to see the Roman Art display at the Seattle Art Museum from the Louvre. (Sorry to those I promised to organize a field trip. They never called me back and after several phone calls with no results, I was discouraged. Continue reading and you will be satisfied with the karma at letting you down.) As I arrived at the parking garage, I had to drive several levels down to find a spot. I pulled into one near the museum elevators and turned off the car. The children got out and I realized I was parked too much to one side. I got back in and started the car up again while the children waited to one side. I backed up and as I was pulling forward again, I saw a shadow running across the window wipers. I started screaming (and I am NOT ashamed) as I realized what it was. I pointed and screamed words I can not repeat on this family friendly blog.

The peeps started running back and forth across the front of the car trying to get a good look at it while I was ready to just die. I felt trapped. I did not know how I was going to get out of the car. I felt as though this mouse was a super mouse and at any moment would be able to walk through the window and get me. I know these things to be impossible and highly unreasonable. I am an intelligent woman, a strong woman, but put these creatures across my path and you will see me turn into a screaming, crying baby.

It finally ran under the hood so I jumped into the back and jumped out one of the sliding doors while screaming and then running towards the elevators. Now, you ask, where did the mouse come from? That is the same thing I was trying to comprehend. Was I being stalked by mice everywhere for "getting rid of" their cousin that morning. Because if I was, it technically was Papa Peep who did it. NOT ME!!! OR did he drop onto my car from one of the pipes at the parking garage? OR Was that thing in my car at home and I just now drove with it all the way into Seattle!!!!!!????? AWWWWWWWW!!! The more I thought about it the more freaked out I got. Because we had a time limit at the museum I had to just go upstairs and deal with the mouse situation when I returned. My hope was that he saw me as part of the mouse relocation program and that he would be happier where he now was. I hoped he would find some dark corner to go to once I was out of sight. I hoped to never see him again especially under my hood or my roof.

I actually called Papa Peep and asked if he could come get us. I really did not want to drive home. I really wanted nothing to do with the car. His suggestion was to take it to a Nissan dealer and ask them to look for the mouse. Yeah!!! Do I look like I want more people laughing at me??? (The children were enough! I know you are laughing too, but I am not seeing you, am I?) So I opened the hood (OK, middle peep did) and we looked around a bit (OK Oldest Peep did), and we gathered all our coats and things that were in the car so we could make sure he had not gotten inside (OK all the peeps did that!). Once I had a good look around (OK the peeps looked but I told them where to look and how to look) and was confident the mouse had found a new home, we drove home and waited for Papa Peep to come to my rescue. Because that is what Papa Peep does for me!

And just so you know, we (OK Papa Peep) have caught 3 mice not including the Museum Mouse. When will it end......