A House Still for Sale

Interest in our home has slowed down quite a bit for the month of October.  I became very comfortable in leaving out and spreading sewing projects around the dinning room, allowing the the beds go unmade, letting the laundry pile up, experimenting with very messy baking, and adopting Suz's pet rat Cookie Dough. Suz is moving to Mexico City in a few weeks and convinced me to take the rat by saying:   "well if you don't want her I'll just list her on Craig's List and she may end up as snake food".  

As it turns out we are very happy to have Cookie Dough in our home and have found her to be quite smart and very personable.  William says she is like a live stuffed animal and carries her around the house on his shoulder.  The younger kids aren't gentle enough to hold her but squeal with delight every time we let her out (or escapes) from her cage.  James has decided Cookie Dough's life and thoughts should be blogged.  It is especially entertaining to watch her during family night and we have discovered if we sing loud enough she can't resist to stay in her cage and climbs out to join in our gathering.

So it has brought more joy than trouble to add this little pet to our family - well, that was my thought until yesterday.  The morning started out early, baking bagels at 5:30 am then getting the kids up and bagels delivered before 8:00 am.  To add to the activity it was Clara's birthday and I had also offered to watch a friend's child for the day.  As an early morning birthday celebration I made fruit smoothies and topped with paper umbrellas.  Next we began experimenting with cupcake recipes and dirtied at least half a dozen mixing bowls in the process.  It was fun!  I'm lucky my mom joined us for a birthday lunch because that was when I got the call.  After three weeks of no showings it was arranged for a couple to come through the house later that afternoon.  

My mom got right to the dishes.  I decided it would be best to put the girls right down for a nap and lock the door so they couldn't get into any trouble while we cleaned.  I huddled the boys around me as if to give them some sort of a game plan.  James said "you mean its like the beginning of the 4th quarter and we are down 3 touchdowns" - I answered "exactly"! and then gave them their clean up assignments.  At that point my sister showed up with a balloon bouquet for Clara and it was decided that I would be best helped by her taking the kids to her house.  As I got the girls out of their room I discovered Maryanna had once again detached her closet door.  But there was no time to worry about that - I still had beds to make, bathrooms to clean, and practically every surface in the house to dust.  

I also had another friend over doing some sewing with me.  She was quick to help and with a cloth and window spray was able to erase the many finger (and mouth) prints that so endearingly decorate every window in my house.  To be even more helpful she willingly took little Henry to her home so I could have full focus on cleaning.  I went at it and was sweating and satisfied with the work I had completed.  All that was left to do was load a few baskets of dirty laundry and the rat into my car.  I grabbed the rat's cage only to discover this clever little creature had escaped!  I was too distracted when I moved her that I forgot to put something heavy on top to prevent her from getting out.  

The Realtor would be arriving within 10 minutes - I was instantly in tears.  All my time and energy in cleaning the house would be wasted with a rat on the loose - a great way to scare away buyers.  She could have been anywhere.  The garage door was open to the outside, the door to the laundry room was open to the rest of the house and her cage was halfway between both of them.  I then began thinking of what I would tell Suz, how to explain it to William, and then having to delete "The Adventures of Cookie Dough" blog.  I called Paul but could barely speak through my tears.  He suggested calling Suz for suggestions.  I had a sincere prayer in my heart and just as I was dropping to my knees - right there in my garage, Cookie Dough had peered out between the pile of moving boxes and our 50 gallon water storage drum.  I reached out to grab her but she retreated under the gorilla shelf that stored our Christmas decorations and all my dying supplies.  I had to be quick but gentle.  I said another prayer.  I know this prayer was answered because Cookie Dough immediately walked right out to me and crawled into my hand.  

Perhaps my tears and panic were not so much about the rat on the loose but instead reflected my stress in trying to sell the house.  But this experience with the rat comforted me in knowing that my prayers are heard and answered.  With this knowledge I know if I do my part all things will work together for good and our house will eventually sell.  It may not be as quick as we had hoped but we will be cheerful and enjoy our time left here in UT while at the same time try to develop better house keeping habits.