My husband is now in charge of the laundry!

Saturday was an exciting day in Paper Mom’s house.  It started like every other day, with a load of laundry.  (I can’t wait for the day that one of those extra big top loaders arrives…) anyway, hi, ho, hi, ho off to the basement I go.  We have a laundry chute so the clothes fly down to the basement from upstairs and often land outside of the basket onto the floor.  It is usually a mess of lights and darks down there, not where I chose to bring our guests.  Well, while picking up a pair of pajama bottoms (my pink polka dot ones) I found an animal.  At that moment, he sort of looked like he was waking up.  I froze, I screamed and then I ran.  The kids ran up with me and we all had to catch our breath in the kitchen.  This was followed by panic and questions… what was it? What do we do? Can it get up here?   I wanted to barricade the door but resisted.  I text my husband – who advised me to call the vet and ask where we could find a trap to capture an animal we haven’t yet identified.  They advised me that it sounded like the description of a opossum and I should call animal control.  My husband replies “quick go pick up the basement” which was quite witty as he knows me so well…. But there was no chance of me returning to that space!

Animal control arrives, a big, big van with big letters, cages, speakers.  The darn thing took up the whole driveway.  Yet this little sweet petite officer emerges.  She is as big as my nine year old.  I actually said, “You’re  going down there by yourself?”  Lucky for me, she really was sweet and wasn’t offended.  She captured the little critter in no time.  It was an opossum!  A baby opossum, which Little Miss Animal Control advises  if I have to have an animal, an opossum is the one I want and oh yeah, when there is one little baby there are probably 4 or 5 little babies.  The World’s Greatest Husband has looked and looked but hasn’t found a thing.  I’ve given up laundry…. No seriously – GIVEN UP!  It is his new job until I feel like a big girl again.

Interestingly enough the Officer educated the kids quite a bit.  She spoke of finding a moose, fischer cats and lots of raccoons in our town.  When I questioned the raccoon and the fear of rabies she proudly stated,  “I am vaccinated”… this puzzled me…. vaccinated or not…. I don’t want the darn thing to take a BITE out of me!!!!!!  I often speak of a career shift, I can absolutely say with complete confidence… it won’t be an animal control officer.