13 Days of HE double hockey sticks :)

WARNING THERE ARE PICTURES CONTAINING A DEAD RAT AND BLOOD.

DO NOT GO DOWN TO PICTURES IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE.

13th days ago I started seeing black small rice pellets in the laundry room and living room. I saw this for a few days then I told Zack I think we have a mouse in our house.

I was talking to my brother Todd and he told me you for sure have one. He told me no worries Michelle I had them crawling over me when I was over seas. (He had a roommate that had food in the tent. He killed 10 mice in one night)

So I will spare you of all the scary details of the last 13 days. We will highlight some good ones.

I AM 100% GIRLY GIRLY when it comes to RATS and MICE.

Area where we knew the mice/rat had been:

window in our room

my night stand

our bathroom

living room

swap cooler

kitchen

on my chair in family room

*One night I got up to go to the bathroom and heard noise in bath tub. I bravely went to the tub nothing in there, looked up and it was over me on the shower curtain rod. (SCARY)

*climbing on our living room curtains

*the first two nights of having the traps out it would eat everything and never get trapped.

*coming out of the swap

*The only time I have taken shoes off is when I am sleeping.

Friday night Zack said he had one room left at the Hotel if I wanted to go. I had not been sleeping at all. Either had out kids. One night we had Ty and Lori in bed with us. It was crazy. Saturday to Sunday there were not rooms (which is good for Zack)

So the kids and I stayed at home. I had lost it Saturday when Zack said we did not get it. I was feeling like he would.

At the soccer field yesterday Ty and I found a quarter heads up. I told him pick it up it is good luck. "This means buddy we are getting that rat." With our quarter and the 13th day (my birthday is on the 13th :) ) I was not letting another day go by. I also told Zack and Ty (they have had this thing with getting an xbox 360) that if we caught the rodent they could get an xbox 360.

Zack and I were up with Bryn. She had a fever so I was getting some Motrin. Then I got the broom in my hand and started looking in the living room. I found him crawling on the blinds in the front window. I gave Zack the broom and took Bryn. Ty was awake in his room I got him up and he held Bryn while Zack and I were trying to get it.

It got away once again. We saw it go into the office though. So Zack and I made an 8 inch wall of traps and sticky traps. We were going to get him this time. (we had done this before but nothing) This was at 4:00 - 4:30am.

By the end we had all 3 kids up. We got Ty and Bryn back in bed. Zack was holding Lori in the brown chair. He told me to go get some sleep. (FYI - our kids have had bad colds for the last week)

About 20 mins after I went to bed I heard a noise then Zack pushing the chair down and Zack telling Lori stay here do not move. The light went on and Zack yelled "We get an xbox 360!" so I knew we got it. Ty and I jumped out of bed (with shoes on of course)

WE GOT IT!!!

It is late now and I am still jumpy and scared. Even though I know it's gone. What if there are others and more to come. I think it will take me awhile to feel comfortable again.

We think we got it from our neighbor. The one on the side of us is moving Wednesday and the ones behind soon. Both have been original owners and never cleaned their garage until 2 weeks ago.

I need to just say Zack has been so patience and calm with the kids and I during all of this.

Zack you are GREAT!!! Thank You!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

WARNING PICTURES ARE COMING............

FINALLY!!!! Yes it is a RAT not a mouse. I cannot believe we caught it with a small trap. It was freaking out so Zack shot it with the bb gun. The bottom picture of blood is what we found when Zack moved it. We also had to smashed it between to sticky traps.

Ty is helping Zack clean up.
This is the bag where the RAT is and all the sticky traps. We spent a lot but worth every penny, on traps. You name it I bought it. (not poison though)
Here are some of our war traps. We would have this set up at the beginning of the hallway.
This is our homemade sticky trap we taped on the swifter. If you look in the top left corner Zack caught it and it fell off. (This has been the longest worst 13 days of my life)
We had seen the rat come out of the swap one night. So Zack took the cover off and put sticky traps inside.
This picture is for Shelly Zack's sister. She wanted pictures of what Zack was making.
Our cousin told Zack if you get a good shot to shoot it with a bb gun or air soft gun. We have both so Zack got them ready. (Ty thought it was cool to get the guns out)