CODE RED at the Derting House!

I’m going to start my story by saying: Squeak is safe! I repeat, Squeak is safe! Also, no hamsters were harmed in the telling of this story…

So, after we learned that our daughter’s beloved hamster, Squeak, was missing from his cage, we spent two hours of our Friday night TEARING. OUR. HOUSE. APART! And to be perfectly honest, we weren’t just looking for a frightened hamster-in-hiding, we were searching for…how do I put this gently…hamster remnants??? Okay, so that may not have been “gently” but come on, we have three cats!

Of course while we were searching every corner of the house with a hysterical 9 year-old girl, we had to constantly remind her that this was a “rescue mission, NOT a recovery mission” (even though we had serious doubts).

Things I learned:

Don’t underestimate the bond between a nine-year-old girl and her hamster.

We have eight flashlights in the house, but only one that actually works.

My kids are slobs! I found a dirty bowl in a toy box, an empty Coke can in a drawer, miscellaneous missing socks virtually everywhere, candy wrappers in the couches, and more dust bunnies than I care to recall. Ever! (Okay, that last part may be my fault, but I’ll let them take the fall anyway.)

Our cats are lazy because that tiny little hamster made it down a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and into the laundry room right next to their food dishes.

ALL of us were searching, but dad gets to be the hero since HE was the one who ultimately found the cowering hamster. (Even though he wouldn’t actually touch the thing.)

Mom is the one left to clean up the search party’s mess.


But in the end, the crisis was averted, the cage was checked and re-checked before bedtime, and Squeak was safe and sound.


The aftermath…

Last night, when my husband put our daughter to bed, she wanted to sing him a song. It went a little something like this: “I love Squeak and Daddy so much…blah blah blah.” Whatever!

And then of course my husband continues to milk this for all it’s worth when he says: “You know, people throw around the word hero a lot these days and most of the time it’s not appropriate…but this time, it really is.”

Geez, give me a break!

Comments

Sherry said…
blah blah blah.. whatver hahah nice.

glad squeaks was found safe and sound! :)
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is fabulous!!! Yippee that Squeak was found, haha! You should have made the Hero clean up the mess :D
Jessica said…
That is the funniest thing!! LOL. I actually had that happen years ago. Those little things are hard to find! :)
Glad that it remained a rescue mission and that Squeak was safe and sound.
Tammara Webber said…
"...but this time, it really is." LMAO, way to go Dad!
Cara said…
My hamster escaped from it's cage once, it must be in their genes. I'm glad your cats were lazy that day!

Also, anyone else reminded of Jay talking about being a 'hero'? Just re-read TBF, so it's still on my mind!

Have a great day!
Cara
Unknown said…
LOL great story!
Jan von Harz said…
Thanks for the story, my first laugh of the day.
Meredith said…
I agree with Emma--you should make the hero clean up the mess! So glad Squeak was safe.
Little Ms J said…
Sounds to me like Squeak is quite the little bad ass. My friend lost her hamster in the house one time. Unfortunately, we found him in a bucket of disinfectant. Her mom was spring cleaning. Not a pretty sight.
MannaB said…
This happened to me as well! Mine managed to find a small hole in the wall (another story) and decided to live in the walls of the house for two days...I would lay in my bed at night and listen to her chewing and scratching and try to guess where she was in the wall. Eventually she came out to eat the small bowl of food I put in front of the hole. She was spitting out drywall for about two weeks afterward.
Awesomeness! PURE awesomeness!