It was hard enough to throw a big multi-family Thanksgiving this year, and then the uninvited guests showed up.  One week before Thanksgiving, I discovered we have mice in the house.

Thanksgiving dinner had usually been a difficult juggle between my husband’s family and my own family.  We tried attending two dinners in one day, and that turned out to be a disaster, with siblings and aunts feeling slighted that we didn’t eat as much the second dinner that day.  Then, we tried alternating years for a few years.  That also was difficult, because each family had some special “reason” we had to throw off that schedule and attend their dinner each particular year.  Finally, I said enough was enough.  I informed everyone we would not be attending anyone else’s parties this year, because I wanted to cook a special dinner for my own family.  My statement got misinterpreted by both families.  They figured if I was going to cook on Thanksgiving, then everyone would just come to my house.  Instead of a quiet special day enjoying my own husband and children, I found myself stressing for an entire month.  That was even before we discovered mice in the house.

I assigned my husband certain jobs – he was to make the yard look nice and neat, put up the Christmas lights, and re-stain the banisters.  My children were all given serious talks about getting their rooms neat and clean and keeping the rest of the house pristine.  I flew into full-on cleaning mode.  Carpets were cleaned, I deep-cleaned the stove, the kitchen, the front room, and the living room and put locks on all the doors for rooms guests would not be allowed to see.

I designed the menu, and redid it many times, remembering a certain niece’s allergies, my mother-in-law’s aversion to vegetables, and my sister’s vegetarian preferences.

Then, one week before Thanksgiving, right when I was heading out to purchase a new tablecloth and an extra table or two, I saw a mouse run across my kitchen floor and disappear under the kitchen sink.  I ran to the kitchen sink and threw open the cabinet door, surprising two more mice rummaging around in the garbage can.  Nothing could be worse for me at this moment in time than mice in the house.

I panicked.  I admit it.  I called my husband at work, in full-on tears.  Everything was ruined, what could we possibly do, I just couldn’t take it anymore.  Bless him, he listened to me, quietly calmed me down and reminded me there are great services out there that get rid of mice.  I should just call Allstate Animal Removal and schedule mouse removal service.

He was right, and Allstate was great, saving my Thanksgiving.  The day came and went, and it took me another week to do the post-party clean up and regain my sanity.  I wish I could say no to family, but I’m afraid next year, we’ll probably just agree to show up and then have to bag out at the last minute because “someone got sick.”  Then, my family will just go see a movie