While I realize that the title of today’s post sounds a bit like a horror movie, that’s exactly what I meant for it to sound like.  Listen friends.  With all of the ho ho ho and shiny wrapping and Christmas bows…I get it that Christmas is upon us.  But.  In the real world,  at our house, that means problems can STILL arise.  Because apparently with the weather dipping down into chilly, frigid temps…well.  This must mean that those pesty little rodents are wanting to drop in (UNWELCOMED) and warm up their stinkin’ little paws.

You see, dear readers, I’ve had my share of mice problems.  Today’s title is similar to those Friday the 13th movies, where Jason never dies.  Strangely, he always comes back to life.  Well.  I thought Jerry the mouse was DEAD in February when he met my beautiful and amazing MOUSE TRAP.  It took his life.  BUT.  He’s baaaaack.

(For clarification, the picture above is NOT my mouse, a.k.a. Jerry.  He’s a famous Pinterest mouse.  I just felt the need to use visuals.  And because I do NOT have a picture YET of our current mouse in our house.)

Let me back up a bit.  It all started last February.  When we discovered that we had a “little visitor”.  I really should post the “BOOKS” that I wrote on my Facebook page back in February.  I wrote about my ordeal with Jerry and his mice family.  It was plain awful.  There may have been four or five LOOOOONG posts.  But I keep it real, friends.  I share my problems with the world.  Because I like to be transparent, I guess.  Or because it just makes me feel better because many others will post about their own stories and offer their sympathies for me.  Because WHO HASN’T BEEN THERE WITH MICE ISSUES??  (And by all means, please feel free to comment or share about YOUR mouse stories.  Friends.  We stand tall.  United.  Together.  Mouse Haters UNITE.)

Anyway.  I knew that I’d probably be going another round with the mice this winter, but for the love of LIFE.  In DECEMBER?  I was hoping to get through the holidays and perhaps duke it out with Jerry and his mouse friends say around…February.  Or March.  (Wishful thinking, folks.  Wishful thinking, I know.)

It all started again, on Friday morning.  I was up early to work on publishing my post Fun Friday Favorites: Jodi K’s, wonderful candles, and sweet family moments.  I KNEW I heard something.  You see, it was early in the morning and the house was filled with slumbering people.  BUT.  I heard a door almost open.  Or whatever.  I got up, checked on the sleeping loved ones and took note in my head:  Keep eyes PEELED OPEN for any critters.  Something is going on…

I felt like raising the security alert level in our home to “Elevated”.  Now, had I SEEN Jerry the mouse or any of HIS ‘friends’, the level would have gone to “High” or perhaps “Severe” (depending on how many I saw and their size).

With an “elevated” status of alert in our home, I become a little more aware of every creak.  But I continued typing away because bloggers need to get their work done.  So, I typed away.  AND THEN.

I saw a scurry of a flash out of the corner of my eye.  It went from the love seat to under the t.v./entertainment stand.  Oh.  Those darn mice.  They are just sooooo fast.  So fast that they make one question herself:  “Did I REALLY see something scurry across the floor?  Was I just SEEING things…?  Maybe it’s too early in the morning and my eyes are just playing tricks on me.  Where’s my coffee?  I need to wake up here.”  Those were the thoughts racing through my mind.

Like any decent homeowner would do, I got up and once again investigated.  Peered around the t.v. stand.  Kicked at the wall in hopes of scaring the mouse.  (All while standing on tip toes.  Because standing on tip toes makes one feel SAFER, I guess…?)

Long story short, I saw nothing.  Went back to writing.  Published my blog for the day.  Then, as I walked through our computer room/toy room, I heard…noises coming from under a side table.  Noises that were behind the baskets of toys.  Well.  I bravely kicked those baskets, in hopes of luring that darn mouse out of hiding.  But that brazen little guy.  He just kept chewing on something.  Like nothing bothered him!  Oh, disgusting, I KNOW!  I was so irritated by Jerry at this point that I kicked at the baskets and shoved them around ferociously, but the only thing that happened was…the noise stopped.

So.  Six traps later (I may overreact a bit.), I’m READY.  There will be NO Christmas mice around here, friends.  Nope.  I WILL GET HIM.  Or them…

In other weekend news, we had a nice weekend of basketball.

Nate and his team played awesome!! They won…by quite a bit 🙂

And this is what Maxim did while big brother played basketball. He looked at his (or I should say, Daddy’s) deer magazine.

And Elfie was remembering the Reason for the Season…

Elfie was enjoying the camel ride to Baby Jesus’ manager

After church on Sunday, Nate went to a friend’s house.  So, Maxim and I colored deer pictures.  And bear pictures.  And bobcat pictures.  (Can you tell that he LOVES wildlife?)

Maxim was so proud of all the coloring sheets he did on Sunday while Nate was at a friend’s house.  Big brother was so sweet and “ohhh-ed” and “ahhhh-ed” over the artwork.

It was all fun and games and coloring, but… as Willie Nelson once sang…”You were always on my mind”.  Jerry, my dear mouse.  All weekend long, you were on our minds.  The boys and I eagerly checked the traps EACH morning.  Only to be disappointed.  Jerry…You are on my mind.  And I WILL get you.  It will be a Holly Jolly Christmas because we will NOT have a mouse in our house.