There's a Lion In My House

We got back from Hickory about 4 p.m. with enough daylight left for a little exercise. I told Brian to go on a run, and then I'd go on a run. The kids started playing, and I started unpacking. As I was taking the trash out to the backyard, I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. Dark smudges all around the top kitchen windows. Dirt around the baseboards. Nothing that had been there before we left for Hickory.

My heart stopped. I was pretty sure we had been burglarized. As my mind was racing with the possibilities, thankfully, Brian pulled up. I showed him the evidence, and we traced the dirt all the way back to this...

I was honestly relieved to see a perfectly-formed animal paw print on my beautiful new cream chair because that meant a person had not invaded my home- just a rascally varment. That's looking on the positive side, right? 

But on the other hand...A RACCOON WAS LOOSE IN MY HOUSE!!!!!

Let me back up this dramatic story just a bit...

Earlier in the week, we had a wildlife company install a chimney cap on our chimney. Also earlier in the week, while working on breakfast, Luke and I spotted a big, fat, racoon run across our deck and scale our pergola heading straight for the roof. It freaked Luke out, so he asked about a million times that day- "Why is a lion on my house??" Obviously, we had some issues at home. The Friday night before we left for Hickory, we had had dinner at the Forks' house. As soon as we came in the door, I heard a loud rustling sound from the fireplace. But when Brian investigated, he found and heard nothing. 

So two days later when we got back from Hickory to find paw prints and soot marks, we had an idea of what was going on. We immediately called the wildlife company, and of course the guy was in Zebulon at a Christmas party. He said he'd come immediately so I took the kids and headed to the store. On the way there, Luke said, "Mama- is there a lion in my house??" My answer was, "I honestly don't know, Luke". 😱 When I was wondering out loud what the chances were of this happening, Addie very wisely reminded me that we had had bats and raccoons at the old house and mice at the new house. Varments seemed to follow us wherever we go. 

When Alex from Wildlife Control arrived, he and Brian searched the entire house for that raccoon- under the beds, in all the closets and they found nothing. Alex was almost certain he had gone back the way that he had come in- through the flue door. Because did you know that raccoons have thumbs and can pull open a flue door?!?! I sure did not. So that meant the raccoon was trapped somewhere in our chimney.

So Alex rigged this trap...doesn't it look so lovely next to the stockings? A large cage, anchovies, and the threat of an animal capture...just not how I pictured my Christmas Eve Eve looking. 😨

And let's not forget- TOMORROW IS ADDIE'S 5th BIRTHDAY! When we discovered this problem my first thought was annoyance, "Now I can't go for a run b/c I have to deal with this mess." My second thought was, "Well, now I guess I have to sanitize and clean the house all over again when it was all ready for Addie's party and Christmas." And my third thought was, "Oh my gosh, I still have to make Addie's birthday cake." These thoughts put me in a very dark place. It was going to be a very late night, and I was not happy about it.

So Alex left and told us to call him overnight if we had any issues. Well, about 4 a.m. Brian heard a loud noise from downstairs. He was certain there was a raccoon in the trap. There was not. It was the raccoon trying to get out of the chimney once again. He called Alex, turned up the TV volume (that scares them away), and waited. About 5 a.m., I was woken up by a commotion outside. Was Santa and his reindeer on my roof? It was Christmas Eve after all! But sadly no. It was just Alex from Southern Wildlife extending his ladder and shining his headlamp all over my roof trying to capture him a raccoon....

I mean you just can't make these things up.

So when we woke up, we told the kids the dramatic tale of the night before. Alex removed the chimney cap and was 99% positive the raccoon had climbed out the top. But sure enough during this cute little 5-year-old's breakfast celebration, here comes Alex back to remove the trap and check one more time. An unexpected visitor for Addie's birthday party! 

But he left quickly and we blew out some candles and opened some presents and Addie was happy. Besides, we had a exciting day ahead- we were not going to let a pesky raccoon ruin our fun!

So do not worry- Addie had a great birthday and more is to come on that. But I will tell you- that raccoon who came to visit on Christmas Eve about did us in. As long as we live, we will never forget the Christmas there was a lion in our house!