Small Departure from our household

We had a mouse. I kind of liked her presence. This week we caught and removed her. But she stays on my mind. I miss her. Yeah, I'm likely hormonal.

There is no reason to feel sad about the mouse. I decided the mouse was a "she" as she was (1) friendly, would run by when we were all hanging in the livingroom, (2) smart, every trap my husband put down she would run right passed, (3) wasn't living with us, I suspect we were just a transit apartment in her moves from one destination to another and (3) she was a really small mouse (I've lived in NYC a long time now, I've seen my share of rats and mice).

She first started appearing when the weather turned really cold in late October. DH and DS1 saw her first. It was the first time I ever heard DH shout "Oh My God", like a girl. When I asked what happen DH explained he saw a mouse. DS1 missed it, but caught how exciting this was and watched the radiator until he caught sight of her on her return run through later that evening. She'd run from the kitchen (under the stove) through the kitchen, across the livingroom to the radiator. Then a few hours later she'd run back. I figure both sites have room for a mouse to transit.

A few days later I saw her and frankly sized her up as a benign presence. She had things to do, places to be, she really didn't seem interested in us. I never found any evidence of damage like she was trying to eat things or nesting. I never found any mouse poop. Then there were no sightings for a month or so.

One night DH commented she was back and started putting out glue traps where the boys couldn't reach them. The next evening as we were relaxing we saw her approach and then run around the glue traps. The next day she made an appearance during DS2's speech therapy; thankfully I was the only one that noticed. But, that was the turning point. I didn't want others knowing I was harboring a mouse. I also figured at some point, at some level, this is very unhygienic for the boys.

Next, DH put out more glue traps, super sticky kind supplied by our Super, in her path, where the boys could reach them. Of course he told the boys not to touch them. No surprise, the boys did find out personally that the traps were super sticky. This lead to allowing the Super to bring up the exterminator.

The exterminator was a totally cool guy. He only wanted to put traps where the boys couldn't reach them, but that wasn't along her path. I was confident that the boys were sufficiently educated such that they wouldn't touch the new traps and convinced the exterminator. He put out new super-duper sticky traps that smelled of bananas. He looked behind my refrigerator and stove and confirmed she wasn't living with us as well as recovered a few lost spoons.

That evening I went out with a girl friend to see a movie, and when I returned, DH had the trap in the center of the room with our little lady stuck to it. Why he saved it to show me, is a mystery that can only be explained by a caveman gene. I sat there for a long time sad and apologizing. DH finally picked it up and sent her down the garbage compactor.

DS1 was aware of the traps and that they are now gone. He would get excited every time we caught a little bug or spider, have I mentioned before but for some reason we have a slight problem with ladybugs in our house, another harmless presence I've done nothing about, but in the spring they tend to attack one of our windows that face the park, but even today I found one on the plant in my office. I don't have the heart to tell him that we caught her. I can't answer any questions about where she went. I wanted to take her across the street to the park, but DH was convinced if I tried to pry her off she'd lose limbs.

I know, pathetic, this is what I have become.