"Anthony, Anthony--Wake up!"

That is how our morning starting bright and early at 6:00 am. Needless to say his eyes popped right open, and he was suddenly just as awake as I was at that point.

This is the story that I will lovingly refer to as "Failed Attempt #462"

The morning was starting off as most every other morning has over the past few weeks with the groggy trek to the bathroom. I am pretty sure I can make that trip without even waking up fully at this point. I have been making these treks so frequently lately, that I really expect no surprises. This morning though was a totally different story.

I was just thinking yesterday, "I wonder if I would go into labor if I was really startled by something?" You see, this time of year when the weather gets very cold and all the fields are harvested, we usually have a couple little field mice attempt to find a new home... They are usually looking for a place they can curl up by the fire, or maybe one that has mittens in their size. My house must appear from the outside that those items are available, but let me assure you-- they are NOT! We haven't figured out exactly how those little creatures get in, and have gone over our house sealing up little tiny holes again and again, hoping beyond hope that this time we have actually found the last whole that they could possibly get in. Usually though, it seems as though they come up through the cupboard under the sink, so we have a little trap there, and usually catch the little creatures before they have a chance to look for mittens in their size. As a result of this, I try to look under the sink as little as possible, but yesterday when I had to put the boxes of trash bags under there I was thinking that maybe if I saw a little mouse in there, it just might be enough to put me over the edge, and get this little bambino out.

This morning I had to opportunity to find out if that would work, because at 6:00 am as I was groggily heading to the bathroom there was chubby mouse licking the leftover garlic butter off the pan from last night!!!!!!!!!! Before I even had the opportunity to think that he should take Jenny Craig up on her special to lose weight and get healthier food options this holiday season, I had a big decision to make... Did I really have to go to the bathroom desperately enough to walk past that mouse on the way to the bathroom? Ultimately the need that awoke me in the first place won out, but I wasted no time getting the necessities out of the way and going to wake up Anthony. I am not sure exactly what I wanted him to do... Possibly get out his tiny, mouse-sized lasso and round up that mouse? Say "Here mousy mousy" and entice him into a trap? I wasn't sure, but I knew something must be done right away.

Anthony is well aware of my feelings and responses when it comes to seeing little creatures (for those of you wondering, I am sure he would be happy to do a less than flattering impression of me!), but when I woke him up this morning, going to lasso a mouse was about the last thing on his mind! However, my big strong hero did get up and HE CAUGHT THE MOUSE!!!! No, it wasn't with his special little lasso, but he is my hero anyway! I can rest in peace again knowing that I will not be surprised again by a little mouse, smelling remarkable like garlic butter.

The moral of this story is if you were wondering if being very startled by something would be enough to send you into labor... it is not. If you need me, I am sure I will be at home, waiting.