It's War!!!!!

The mice are back!!!!!!
Now I am not usually a mean person - not really animal loving but certainly not a hater either - and I am usually a caring, sharing kinda girl too but the mice have got to go!!!!!

Now I wouldn't have a problem if they set up their homes down in our garage but oh no they have moved into the one room my family have let me have.

I wouldn't even be so bothered if they hid out behind the sofa and kept quiet, only throwing parties when I was away (I give them most days and much of the night - all I ask for is a couple of hours a few times a week), but no ... I was down there last week and could hear chewing.... not little mousey nibbling but gnawing that sounded like a HUGE rat. Now I am not ruling out a huge rat but good luck to him the place is full of mice!

I am not entirely sure what he could be gnawing on but there are heaps of options ...... cardstock in a rainbow of colours, pretty papers that were too good to use (but now might be too holey to use), oddments of wool left over from jerseys that might be good for kids crafts one day, fabrics bought for garments that the kids are too big to wear now or for clothes for me that I was too big to wear (but things have changed a little so I might have to revisit that :-)), my generous serviette collection (very good for making cards and things from when they are not ripped to shreads), Guiding memorabilia from my years as a girl, Guiding ideas for me to use now as a leader, ribbons, buttons, rubber stamps (now thats a challenge I could set them - I have a box of stamps that I never use they could start with but I wouldn't want them to get the taste for it so we wont go there!), lots of books and patterns and papers of various descriptions and my stamp collection (nearly 30 years of sorting, soaking and display).

So you can see how horrified I am that they are back - I had an issue a year or two ago and I managed to kill 17 within a couple of weeks but I am hoping things are not that bad down there yet. I know it is getting colder and they are just trying to survive but go out into the garage or get behind the sofa and be quiet! {In case you can't remember last time , the mice stole two mouse traps that I still have never found!}

I have managed to get two so far - after hearing the GNAWING I remembered the poison half used from last time and I laid some into an old tin foil plate next to the mouse trap that had been set (but some rodent had pinched the bait and I had not rebaited it). I also put down a sticky mouse trap (fromteh $2 shop - I'm begining to think you get what you pay for).

The next morning I was so excited - one brave little mouse had crept along, seen the sticky trap, thought "you silly fool" and side stepped it getting him temptingly close to the piosoned bait. "Aha" he said to himself "that looks much tastier than all the paper I've been nibbling on" and hedecided to have a taste. He stepped onto the edge of the tin foil plate which tipped at his weight throwing all the bait into the air and scattering it all over the floor. In his fright he jumped up and landed on the unbaited mouse trap - setting it off and trapping one of his legs which is where I found him the next day.

Now I have just discovered two more today - one jumped from the rubbish bag where he had been gnawing a hole - I am just hoping that it wasn't the first mouse who I had thought was dead but really he was a great actor and had mastered the art of playing dead. And the other mouse - hopefully not also pursuing acting is lying dead, not too far away from the poison (unfortunately I had already sealed the rubbishbag [with the mouse holes in it] and taken it to the gate so he is still lying where he fell for me to deal to another day, or maybe later when the thought of a mouse lying there, dead, on my floor might get too much to bear!)


If you are still reading this, you are either bored, you are avoiding work (Get back to work Bevan), avoiding the kids cos it's the holidays (go see what your kids are doing Kelly and Keryn - they will be getting up to mischief) or you are my Mum - Hi Mum!

PS If you have any good mouse trap tips please let me know - baits, strategies (yes perhaps I am giving those rodents a little too much credit)

I am a winner

My Bunny card from my last post won a competition on my friendly Stampin' Up! demos blog - woohoo. So a new stamp set is all mine - new sets (and especially free sets) are all great!

I also won the door prize at a friends Stampin' Up! demonstration last night - woohoo - when I get a moment to myself I will be having some fun...in the meantime ...

I am preparing for a Pippin sleepover - Pirate themed - next weekend - totally stupidly though I double booked myself - I was meant to be going away with the girls to card make at the beach - boy am I bummed - and I have some making up to do I think. I know where I'd rather be.......