Mice Are Not Nice - A Sequel

The gauntlet has been thrown. This. Is. War.

Every Friday, after my preschool kiddos leave at noon, I get the room ready for Monday morning by changing the helper chart, the letter of the week poster, and the weekly Bible verse poster, all of which requires me to get in a wooden cabinet that sits against the back wall of my classroom. This is also the location for our Circle Time. I sit on a little chair about 6 inches away from the cabinet when the kids are at Circle Time. I keep my stereo and cds on top of the cabinet. I get in the cabinet daily for such things as birthday pencils, dry erase markers, and stickers.

Inside the cabinet. Well, half of it.
Looks innocent enough....

I opened the cabinet door today and caught a whiff of - mouse pee.

GAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Looked a little closer and saw the inside of the cabinet was liberally sprinkled with mouse poo. HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT EARLIER WHEN I WAS GETTING OUT A BIRTHDAY POEM?!

Smarties detritus

The first thing I noticed (after noticing the poo) was a bag of Smarties, which had only been in the cabinet for a week, with a hole chewed in it (stupid mouse - the bag was OPEN). Smartie wrappers and Smartie mess everywhere. 

Little mousie nibbles on Smarties.

Armed with latex gloves, paper towels, spray cleaner and bleach spray, I began taking everything out of the cabinet, shaking it over a blanket of paper towels to flush out loose poo, and then cleaning each item with the spray cleaner, followed by a liberal dose of bleach water.

It. Was. Disgusting.

It's a good thing I have no idea what'
these remotes go to.

Candy mess was EVERYWHERE, as was poo. And mousie pee, which is less visible but very vile smelling.

The little rodent wasn't happy with just Smarties. Oh, no, he also found a couple suckers that he took out of a box and carried about a foot away (isn't that a mile in mouse distance?), making a sticky mess. He also found a mini Tootsie Pop and opened THAT and worked on the sucker.

The little sonofabitch didn't make
it to the tootsie roll center
of the tootsie pop.

And then, the worst discovery of all. My penguin was violated.

He looks so sad.

Suckers stuck to his feet and one to his ass (not pictured). Poo not only on his feet (that IS pictured) but on his shoulder as well. HIS SHOULDER! THE MOUSE CLIMBED UP ON HIM AND POOPED ON HIS PENGUIN SHOULDER! And right before "P" week!

Two hours later, the cabinet was empty, the shelves washed and sprayed with bleach water. The candy and anything he peed on was thrown away. My poor, pitiful penguin got a shower in bleach water and was set out to dry. 

So, Mr. Mouse. Be forewarned that it was ONE thing for you and your friends and family members to get into the craft closet and make a mess there. But you have DESECRATED MY PENGUIN! Not to mention what you did to my Smarties, remotes, All About Me poster and ladybug beanbag.

My only consolation is that I know that SOMEWHERE in that building, there is a fat mouse in a diabetic coma, suffering from severe tooth decay.

Nonetheless, GAME ON, MOUSE! GAME ON.