Not a Creature Was Stirring, Not Even A Mouse....

'Cause we killed it.

We saw "The Nutcracker" this weekend for the first time. If you aren't familiar with the story, at the beginning, the Nutcrackers have a battle with the evil Mouse King and his minions. That's what it's been like at our house lately, only instead of Nutcrackers we've had humans and doggies, all on the hunt. And instead of an outright battle, our mice have been utilizing guerilla tactics.

A few weeks ago I read the PETA book "Making Kind Choices". They suggested that when you have a mouse in the house you should buy live traps. Then you should catch the entire little mouse family and take them all out together and release them into a field. While I think this may be the more admirable thing to do, I just don't have the patience.

Feel a little bad about it actually. I know our mice aren't really evil. They're just coming in to get warm, and I kind of like mice when they stay outside. They're fuzzy and soft, and their little movements are so delicate and sweet. But I just can't deal with them being in the house. They make little messes and I hear them scurrying around at night when I'm up late and the house is quiet--gives me the creepy crawlies. I need them out NOW.

So, we pulled out all the stops--little springy traps with peanut butter for bait--and tonight we caught one.

Luckily, Sweet Husband is also Smart Husband. He whisked the remains outside before I could see them. I think--in a way that does not need to be spoken even--he knows that if I had to see the little mouse body we'd have to get some live traps, regardless of how much longer that would take to get rid of our tiny invaders.

It's just easier for both of us this way.