This Old House......has mice!

As many of you know, we just bought an old home (1919) this summer. It's a fixer upper and needs lots of work but it has good bones and a lot of potential and charm. We'd been looking for a couple of years to find just the right place where the boys could run around and play. We knew we found it when we saw this place with over 6 acres of wooded, rolling hills with creeks and ponds. Every day we've been here I've been falling in love with this peaceful place more and more. However my latest discovery has left me feeling like a bit of a sissy.

Saturday night I was up reading to the boys when I heard Aaron call up to me from downsteairs saying that he needed me "right away". I was thinking to myself, "what is so important that it can't wait?" Well when I got down I soon found out. He was crouched down in the back of the walk-in coat closet holding a baseball bat while calmly informing me that he saw 2 mice. He needed me to baracade the entry so that they didn't run out while he "got" them.

So for the next 10 minutes I watched while my husband cornered and killed the 2 mice with a baseball bat. DISCUSTING I KNOW! The missed swings of course got the attention of the boys and pretty soon they came downstairs to be spectators in the main event. I do not like the idea of little mice being in my house but I also do not like killing things. Jacob (my oldest) could see that I was disturbed by this brutal process.

Well, that wasn't the last we saw of the mice. We found a baby mouse a couple days later and another one the day after that. Yesterday when I was in the office (Aaron was at work) Jacob sounded the alarm and informed me that there was a baby mouse on the stairs. I think he could see that I was nervous and scared to get it by myself because he bravely stepped in my way and said, "Don't worry Mom, I'll get it, you just go bring me the bat." I was shocked! My brave little 6 year old was going to handle this for me, and I was going to let him!

This morning, while I was down in the basement running on the treamill, I noticed another little mouse scurry across the floor in plain sight, GREAT!!! Aaron had already left for work and the kids were still asleep upstairs. I decided to ignore it and continue with my run. Then I noticed that the mouse was defying gravity by climbing up the wall! (Did you know mice can do that?) This worried me a bit more because he went onto a ceiling beam and then I lost sight of him. My mind started racing as I imagined looking up and finding it above me just before he dropped down onto my head or something crazy like that.

So that's it, we have a mouse problem! We put down some sticky traps but that still doesn't make me feel any better. Any ideas on how to get rid of them......for good? I guess until we figure this out I'm going to have to get tougher and not be so squeamish around these little rodents. I guess I can't be a sissy anymore if I want to live in the country. Atleast they are not rats, or rattlesnakes that would freak me out!

"Little Wonders"

The first time I really listened to the lyrics of this song ("Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas), I was driving in the suburban looking in my rear view mirror at my four young children (all 5 years and younger). I had heard the song on the radio before but never really paid attention to the words. It had been a particularly difficult day with the kids and I was just trying to get through running some errands (many of you know how fun this can be when you have four little ones in tow) and I just wanted to get home. Feeling rather frazzled I tuned out the noise from the kids and listened to the calming music in the introduction of this song. As the lyrics started and I listened to the words I thought this song was being written for me. My heart began to soften and a lump formed in my throat. It didn't take long for the tears to well up in my eyes as I thought of my own little wonders and how much I love my children.

I named my Blog site "These Small Hours" because I think that's the real message of this song. Our lives truly are made in small hours and little moments. I go running to this song on my ipod and people on the street probably think I'm a crazy lady when they see me coming toward them running with tears streaming down my face as I listen to this song. It describes my life right now so well, and when I listen to the words it gives me strength and purpose. I cry because it is so hard(getting through the crazineess of raising these small children), but so wonderful at the same time. My heart literally swells within my chest when I think of my precious children and how lucky I am to be their mother. It swells when I think of my wonderful husband who loves me so much and takes such good care of our family. I am blessed beyond measure, my life is rich and full and I pray that in "these small hours" I may live my life without regrets and treasure my own "Little Wonders"

ROB THOMAS LYRICS

"Little Wonders"

Let it go,
Let it roll right off your shoulder

Don't you know

The hardest part is over

Let it in,

Let your clarity define you

In the end

We will only just remember how it feels

Our lives are made

In these small hours

These little wonders,

These twists & turns of fate

Time falls away,

But these small hours,

These small hours still remain

Let it slide,

Let your troubles fall behind you

Let it shine

Until you feel it all around you

And i don't mind

If it's me you need to turn to

We'll get by,

It's the heart that really matters in the end

Our lives are made

In these small hours

These little wonders,

These twists & turns of fate

Time falls away,

But these small hours,

These small hours still remain

All of my regret

Will wash away some how

But i can not forget

The way i feel right now

In these small hours

These little wonders

These twists & turns of fate

These twists & turns of fate

Time falls away but these small hours

These small hours, still remain,

Still remain

These little wonders

These twists & turns of fate

Time falls away

But these small hours

These little wonders still remain