Of Mice and Moving

I started off the day feeling very inspired. I was going to get lots of things done. I woke up about an hour before Tanner and showered (even shaving my legs), blow-dryed my hair, put on makeup and got dressed. Just as I was finishing, I heard Tanner start to stir and hurried down the stairs. I had volunteered to bring a recipe to MOPS this morning -- dump cake was the plan -- and I wanted to quickly put it together and pop it in the oven before I went in to get Tanner. As I skipped down the steps, I was unprepared for what I saw waiting for me in the kitchen -- a furry mouse scurrying along my countertop and out of sight. EEEK!! I let out a scream and rushed back upstairs. Forget the cake. I got Tanner out of his crib and hid out with him in his room until Jon got home from the gym.

Here's the thing about mice. We live right next to a very large field. I know it's so so cold outside and they just want to come in and get warm and find something to eat. I feel a little bit sorry for them, actually. Earlier this winter, I had left one of Tanner's mittens on the counter and the next morning I found it lying near the toaster -- I'm sure a little mouse just wanted something warm to snuggle up in. But then they leave their little droppings everywhere -- gross. And when I actually SEE them, it's just too much for me to handle. Jon is our resident mouse-catcher. He has probably caught 6 or 7 of them since the beginning of winter. If a mouse is smart enough to dodge the trap set out for him one night, he is affectionately dubbed "ninja mouse" for a day, and usually caught the next night. By now you are probably thinking our house is gross and dirty. I promise it's not. It is a brand new home and I do my best to keep it very tidy -- rarely even leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Still, after seeing that mouse this morning, I think our house is gross and dirty and I can't wait to move. Oh my gosh -- I can hear the mouse in our trash can right now -- I literally want to crawl out of my skin -- YUCK!! There isn't even anything in there except for coffee grounds!

Our official moving day is this Friday. I'm super excited, but feeling a little bit overwhelmed. We have a bit of painting that we want to finish up before we move in -- the rest we'll finish after the move. And I really need to get over there and CLEAN before we move all of our things in. I'm really not looking forward to going through everything (for the third time this year) and organizing it all, putting it away, etc. That's the hardest part. And this time, I'll have a baby to watch through it all! I keep telling myself not to stress out about it. I'll do a little bit at a time during Tanner's naps -- if it takes me three weeks to get everything put where I want it then so be it. I guess I'm not in a hurry for anything.

We didn't end up making it to MOPS this morning -- not because of the mouse, though. Tanner had a fever yesterday and after he was up for a while today it seemed like he still wasn't feeling very well. I don't think it's the flu -- he's not vomiting or anything. He just has a runny nose and he's drooling like CRAZY, which makes me wonder if he's getting his first tooth. Poor little guy. At first I was frustrated -- remember all of my plans to get things done? But maybe this is God telling me that we need to just take a moment and STOP today, enjoying lots of books and cuddles instead of flying by the seat of our pants to make it to all of our planned activities. As I made phone calls to let people know we wouldn't make it to MOPS or playgroup, I was so thankful that I actually had people to CALL -- people that would miss me if I wasn't there. It made me feel good, especially remembering how lonely I felt when I first moved here almost a year ago.

Trying to find joy in the little things today. Hope you can find something to be joyful about in the midst of your busy day!