A Peek in My Pantry

You KNOW you have it good when your husband and son take a Friday night to clean up your pantry. Look at it! Isn't it a beaut!! I wish I had remembered to take a "before" shot. Picture all of this, more stuff, chaos on the floor and mouse poop! GAG!! Let's take a moment to examine my lovely pantry and then I'll go into even more detail about how amazingly awesome my husband is!!

Yep, mice prompted this cleaning. Off and on over the last year we've battled those nasties. We've even put a bounty on their heads..$1/mouse. The boys love catching and killing them (read: taking the glue traps out to the trash and "finishing" the job if needed.) Who wouldn't pay $1/mouse to NOT have to carry a trap out??!! Well, in the last few weeks, we've (mostly ME!) noticed "evidence" of their presence in our pantry. We've trapped a few off and on, especially when the weather turns colder, but we never could seem to get them all because they never showed up on the traps, but still left behind their "calling cards". Once, a couple of weeks ago, I went to grab some spices and saw one running along the shelf I was headed toward. We made eye contact! BLECH!!! Personal victory: I didn't scream! But the battle went to the next level, let me tell you! 

So enter my knight in shining armor and his valiant side kick. We spent a couple of hours Friday evening taking food out of the pantry, cleaning boxes, wiping down shelves, finding what the creeps were eating and getting rid of it. Shocker: they didn't eat ANY of the roasted sea weed! :-) But the candied pecans were an obvious hit! When we reached the box with my Lily's chocolate bars in it, I said "Now, if they've gotten into my Lily's candy cane bars, I'm gonna kill them with my bare hands!" Josiah laughed..out loud! He said, "Mom, I think I just heard the mice laughing!" Clearly, he doesn't know how much I value those delicious (expensive!) stevia sweetened chocolate bars...only available during the holidays!! Thankfully, my bluff wasn't called. Lily's chocolate was all safe! 

After scrubbing my shelves and the floor, Michael placed four MORE glue traps (for a total of 8 in our pantry! We're serious, I'm telling you!). Next morning, four mice down! That's gross. I know. But better out than in, right?! Next morning, nothing, but there was poop. So Michael went into strategy mode. He moved the traps so that they mice would have to go full American Ninja Warrior mode to not be step on the traps! He told Josiah "These mice will NOT see 2017!" Gosh, I just love him!! Next morning, BIG mouse gone. 

This morning...all clear and no evidence of activity. Stay tuned, but I think Michael is right and they didn't make it to the new year. That makes it a happy 2017 already!! 

And in case you were wondering....

Trixie and Snowflake were unavailable for comment...hmmmmmm....