Another episode of "Important Rules You Didn't Know You Should Make"

[Carrie12345]

It is not okay to catch a chipmunk, put it in a shoe box, and take it into your bedroom.

Yes, this is the most recent rule in our house. To be on the safe side, I will add snakes, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, deer, bobcats, stray cats and dogs, the neighbors' baby, and bears. (We already have a rule on frogs, crickets, and caterpillars.)

[Mrs Mungo]

I've had to remove a toad, several frogs and a wounded baby rabbit (looks like a cat got it, they were superficial though and the rabbit wasn't *that* young) from my home so far this summer.

[Stacia]

:lol:

 

Let me guess what kind of day you had... ;)

[justamouse]

That's awesome.

 

Can they catch me a chipmunk? :D

[Parrothead]

Oh, my!

[*Lulu*]

Yes, we had a rule addition last week:

 

"You may not bring dead birds into the house."

 

Followed quickly by this:

 

"You must come and get Mom BEFORE you touch a dead animal."

 

:ack2:

 

We had to add, "You may not tie your sister's ankle to your bicycle.", and, "You may not hoist your little brother into the tree with the jump rope." a few weeks ago.

 

Hey, at least my kids haven't figured out how to get on the roof......yet. :svengo:

[*Lulu*]

BTW- how exactly DID they catch the chipmunk?

 

I need to know what preemptive steps to take around here!

[Garga]

BTW- how exactly DID they catch the chipmunk?

 

 

That's what I wanna know! Those critters are fast!

[Word Nerd]

"No sneaking turtles into the house and hiding them under the couch."

[Mrs Mungo]

That's what I wanna know! Those critters are fast!

 

Animal loving kids are freaking resourceful! My dd has caught birds and all sorts of things with just a bucket, a stick and a handful of goldfish crackers! She chased the wounded bunny down and caught it with her hands, she didn't even use any kind of trap. It's crazy!

[Once Again]

Don't forget to add lizards to that list.

[Mrs Mungo]

Don't forget to add lizards to that list.

 

I gave up on keeping lizards out of the house when we lived in Hawaii. :D

[FaithManor]

Oh boy! Well, we haven't had to institute too many wildlife guidelines, but we have recently had this addition list:

 

"You may not make rocket fuel while standing next to your mother's lit, vanilla candle."

 

To which I had to hastily add, "Forget vanilla. Scent not withstanding...stay away from any candle with that stuff!"

 

I am going to have a new rule soon. Sources have overheard discussions amongst our 4-H kids about getting their dear 4-H leader, dh, to help them cast little canons in his forge, and then let them mix gunpowder so they can launch marbles across the yard. Only problem, marbles launched from any cannon dh casts with any fuel dh mixes, will be potentially lethal and let's just say that the young men and women of our club are QUITE enthusiastic in all of their scientific endeavors. I can imagine the glealm in dh's eyes when they ask. Thankfully, my spies have pre-empted their assault and I will be able to prevent dh from being dishonorably discharged from 4-H.

 

Wow! As bad as this sounds, I am just soooooooo glad that there are others who have to make strange rules at their houses

 

Faith

[Heather in WI]

It is not okay to catch a chipmunk, put it in a shoe box, and take it into your bedroom.

 

:lol: Oh, you poor thing!

[BlessedMom]

:grouphug: Gotta love the need for new rules, lol. :grouphug:

[Jean in Newcastle]

We raised chipmunks as pets as kids. But that's because pet stores in Japan sell them.

[ktgrok]

Maybe make it "anything with a heartbeat." Just saying...

[wapiti]

PLEASE tell how they caught the chipmonk! There is one in our cabin as I write this. Last weekend, DH first said he thought he saw a mouse, "no, I think it's a rat, and it just went into your closet!" It turned out to be a chipmonk and now it's hiding somewhere behind the stove. I tried to lure it out with sunflower seeds but I didn't have a trap. We tried to shoo it out the open door but it just ran by. It is very fast!!! I'm just glad it's not a mouse, but surely it isn't germ-free, either....

[justasque]

I gave up on keeping lizards out of the house when we lived in Hawaii. :D

 

We encouraged them to stay when we lived in Florida. More lizards = fewer bugs.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Maybe make it "anything with a heartbeat." Just saying...

 

As far as I know, spiders don't have heartbeats. . .

[QueenCat]

:grouphug: Gotta love the need for new rules, lol. :grouphug:

 

:iagree:100% :lol:

[Jamee]

We raised chipmunks as pets as kids. But that's because pet stores in Japan sell them.

 

Thank GOODNESS my kids haven't discovered this yet. Maybe they're no longer sold. The boys just get excited with all the stag beatles in the stores this time of year and wonder why people pay for them when you get them out of the woods.:tongue_smilie:

 

My boys are bug fanatics. The rules here are no bugs in the house and NO playing with spiders, gechi-gechis or centepedes. (i'll let you be the one to google "Japanese house centepede")

[black_midori]

Hmm... comparable to chipmunks, we did institute a "no REALLY catching gophers" when my then-6yo managed to catch one in the front yard with a box and 2 buddies (one of which was his 4yo bro). We quickly added "if a wild animal bites you, come see an adult right away".... <rolleyes> I had to do extensive online and telephone research regarding the likelihood of rabies in gophers - GOOD NEWS for anyone interested... they are very unlikely to have rabies! :)

 

I find it astonishing that they can do things like that - I work for weeks and week with traps & poisons and holes & cats & other to try and catch gophers and they manage with a box and a dream?? sigh.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Hmm... comparable to chipmunks, we did institute a "no REALLY catching gophers" when my then-6yo managed to catch one in the front yard with a box and 2 buddies (one of which was his 4yo bro). We quickly added "if a wild animal bites you, come see an adult right away".... <rolleyes> I had to do extensive online and telephone research regarding the likelihood of rabies in gophers - GOOD NEWS for anyone interested... they are very unlikely to have rabies! :)

 

I find it astonishing that they can do things like that - I work for weeks and week with traps & poisons and holes & cats & other to try and catch gophers and they manage with a box and a dream?? sigh.

:lol:

[Diana B]

Thank GOODNESS my kids haven't discovered this yet. Maybe they're no longer sold. The boys just get excited with all the stag beatles in the stores this time of year and wonder why people pay for them when you get them out of the woods.:tongue_smilie:

 

My boys are bug fanatics. The rules here are no bugs in the house and NO playing with spiders, gechi-gechis or centepedes. (i'll let you be the one to google "Japanese house centepede")

 

Ack! Why did you tell me to google that???

[KidsHappen]

Animal loving kids are freaking resourceful! My dd has caught birds and all sorts of things with just a bucket, a stick and a handful of goldfish crackers! She chased the wounded bunny down and caught it with her hands, she didn't even use any kind of trap. It's crazy!

 

Moms can be pretty resourceful when it comes to getting the critters out of the house as well. I can not tell you how many mice, snakes, bug and various other critters I have had to capture and release because we are a no kill household (I swear my kids were born with PETA memberships). :tongue_smilie:

 

PS - I did call animal control to get the ground hog under my refrigerator though because I was 9 months pregnant and not quite as agile as normal.

[KidsHappen]

Kids can come up with reasons for rules faster than you can think to make them and the older ones help the youngers come up with new endevours that don't already have rules. Ask me how I know. ;)

[wapiti]

Hmm... comparable to chipmunks, we did institute a "no REALLY catching gophers" when my then-6yo managed to catch one in the front yard with a box and 2 buddies (one of which was his 4yo bro). We quickly added "if a wild animal bites you, come see an adult right away".... <rolleyes> I had to do extensive online and telephone research regarding the likelihood of rabies in gophers - GOOD NEWS for anyone interested... they are very unlikely to have rabies! :)

 

I find it astonishing that they can do things like that - I work for weeks and week with traps & poisons and holes & cats & other to try and catch gophers and they manage with a box and a dream?? sigh.

 

There are areas around here where prairie dogs are infected with Bubonic Plague.

[Dawn in OH]

I made a rule, but haven't had anyone test it yet: Nothing alive or dead is to enter our home without my permission.

 

I didn't want to fail to leave any critter off the list.

[2squared]

Last year my then-3yo was bit by a wild weasel he was "playing" with. Luckily the 8yo & 6yo had the resourcefulness to divide and conquer - one to keep the weasel semi-trapped and the other to get me. I, being a very lucky mom, killed the weasel with a baseball bat and immediately drove it 2 hours to the nearest university for all the standard rabies tests. My pregnant crazed hormones had me in tears most of the way. But, thanks to my oldest two dc, my 3yo avoided a nasty round of rabies shots.

 

Today my 7yo proudly brought a complete molted snake skin into the house to show me. Why can't they keep their treasures outside?

[2squared]

I made a rule, but haven't had anyone test it yet: Nothing alive or dead is to enter our home without my permission.

 

I didn't want to fail to leave any critter off the list.

 

Love the rule! :lol: It's absolutely perfect for my clan. Would it include molted snake skins or mouse eyeballs (both of which my 7yo has brought to show me in the past two weeks). I think I would have to add body parts to the rule

[Dawn in OH]

Love the rule! :lol: It's absolutely perfect for my clan. Would it include molted snake skins or mouse eyeballs (both of which my 7yo has brought to show me in the past two weeks). I think I would have to add body parts to the rule

 

That didn't occur to me. Tomorrow I will update the rule. Thank you!

[mamalbh]

"Do not twirl, spin or throw garter snakes, they don't like it"

 

My girls have an unnatural obsession with garters and I see them doing strange things to them, they thought they'd like it.:confused:

[Jean in Newcastle]

"Do not twirl, spin or throw garter snakes, they don't like it"

 

My girls have an unnatural obsession with garters and I see them doing strange things to them, they thought they'd like it.:confused:

 

I had a garter snake thrown at me when I was in middle school. I didn't like it either!

[Jamee]

Moms can be pretty resourceful when it comes to getting the critters out of the house as well. I can not tell you how many mice, snakes, bug and various other critters I have had to capture and release because we are a no kill household (I swear my kids were born with PETA memberships). :tongue_smilie:

 

Our house is no-kill too, but I will not be the one to get rid of the critters. If the boys don't come fast enough to get rid of a bug, I will dispose of it in a manner I see fit.:D (and killing of said bugs is usually involved.) For centipedes, I recommend bagless vacuums and a dumpster; I have friends though who had designated centipede tongs or scissors.

 

Oh and dead animals, we had to institute a no dissection rule there. The boys found a dead snake a few years ago and proceeded to dissect. yeah.

[HistoryMom]

My oldest decided that he'd show us how unreasonably numerous our rules are by writing them all down on the big white board in the dining room. 30 rules later, he's insisting we call him The Boardmaster and is adding on ones that he thinks we missed. These ones are his:

 

32) Don't stick anything up your nose. Including your fingers.

36) Don't ask questions you know the answer to.

37) In the name of all that is good, leave the poor dogs alone!!

[Virg]

My oldest decided that he'd show us how unreasonably numerous our rules are by writing them all down on the big white board in the dining room. 30 rules later, he's insisting we call him The Boardmaster and is adding on ones that he thinks we missed. These ones are his:

 

32) Don't stick anything up your nose. Including your fingers.

36) Don't ask questions you know the answer to.

37) In the name of all that is good, leave the poor dogs alone!!

:lol::lol::lol:

[Saujana]

[quote=black_midori;28

 

I find it astonishing that they can do things like that - I work for weeks and week with traps & poisons and holes & cats & other to try and catch gophers and they manage with a box and a dream?? sigh.

 

looks like they are getting themselves some summer jobs?

;)

[Hedgehog]

I made a rule, but haven't had anyone test it yet: Nothing alive or dead is to enter our home without my permission.

 

I didn't want to fail to leave any critter off the list.

 

:lol: sounds like a good catch-all!!

[LaxMom]

Ack! Why did you tell me to google that???

No kidding! And, also, did your Google search bring up (after the images, of course) the "House Centepedes are Your Friends!" Facebook group? I suddenly find myself having PLENTY of friends. :ack2:

[Jamee]

No kidding! And, also, did your Google search bring up (after the images, of course) the "House Centepedes are Your Friends!" Facebook group? I suddenly find myself having PLENTY of friends. :ack2:

 

 

These guys are scarier than they look and we found one outside our door shortly after we moved in. DH went and caught it and threw it away not realizing they jump! There are some freaky things here.

[melissel]

You know, when I first started reading this thread, I was feeling a bit sad that my kids are not so resourceful. By the end, I was feeling grateful!!! :eek:

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[LaxMom]

These guys are scarier than they look and we found one outside our door shortly after we moved in. DH went and caught it and threw it away not realizing they jump! There are some freaky things here.

 

Jump? :blink:

[DarlaS]

 

PS - I did call animal control to get the ground hog under my refrigerator though because I was 9 months pregnant and not quite as agile as normal.

 

That must have been an interesting phone call! :lol:

[Carrie12345]

BTW- how exactly DID they catch the chipmunk?

 

I need to know what preemptive steps to take around here!

 

I didn't witness the crime, and the convicts' stories don't completely line up, but it appears this was a bare-handed munknapping. Amazingly, not a single scratch, bite, or tick to be found on them.

 

It's as if I have Dolittles.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

You know, when I first started reading this thread, I was feeling a bit sad that my kids are not so resourceful. By the end, I was feeling grateful!!! :eek:

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

 

Same here! My kids are such quiet kids compared to those mentioned here!

 

ETA:

on the other hand, I had some houserules that I never thought I would need, too! Like "drawers are meant to be closed", to which my son eagerly answered: "wow!!! You can close them????"

[RoughCollie]

PS - I did call animal control to get the ground hog under my refrigerator though because I was 9 months pregnant and not quite as agile as normal.

 

If a ground hog came in my house, I'd let him have the place.

 

I had a "pet" shrew once. He came in our house at 10 pm every night for 6 months, stayed a couple of hours, and made a lot of noise for such a little thing.

 

Every spring, summer, and early fall chipmunks would come in, too. They would run all over the place. Cute little things. One lived in a hole under a rock near the front door, or his progeny did, because he/it/they lived there for 14 years.

 

This happened because I left the slider open for the dog. He was a Rough Collie and he didn't mind other animals being around at all.

 

Wheaten Terriers were bred to hunt and kill vermin, so I doubt (hope) mice won't last long here. We see them in the house in the winter. I am our office Mouse Alert Alarm System because I'm scared to death of them.

 

I pretended for many years that I wasn't afraid of bugs, snakes, lizards, spiders, mice, other rodents ... so my boys wouldn't get the idea they could scare me for fun. Now that they are older, they take care of these problems for me, and just laugh themselves silly when I get scared. I don't think they'd throw any of these creatures at me now.

Edited June 7, 2011 by RoughCollie

[beaners]

Regarding the Japanese house centipedes, they look like silverfish. But apparently I've been calling two different kinds of creatures silverfish. One is actually silvery. The other one has lots of little legs. They look like the second one on steroids.

 

I caught chipmunks all the time as a child, but I knew better than to take them into the house. I'd wait for them to run into an empty section of gutter laying on the ground, then I'd pick it up. I once trapped a baby copperhead snake (not knowing what it was) in a large clear plastic container. I was so sad that it got too hot and died, but I think my mother nearly had a heart attack when my stepfather told it what it was. We had a rabid raccoon last year, and the neighbor mentioned that he's seen some groundhogs/woodchucks stumbling around the same way.

 

I might escape unscathed with my oldest, but my 2 year old is already asking me if she can catch the robins and squirrels in our yard. She's also developed the "fun" habit of calling me excitedly whenever she sees an ant or a stinkbug.

[Jamee]

I always thought silverfish were tiny things, like an inch or so at most? The centipedes are four or five inches in the body and then all those disgusting legs. ewwwww

[chiguirre]

My kids have a healthy fear of wild animals because we've studied rabies. I explained that if they could catch an animal, it's almost certainly sick or hurt and will INFECT them. So far, so good, we've only had insects in the house, and I don't really mind pillbugs and caterpillars.