So imagine my shock, disgust, and the length of my backward jump when I ran across this:

Eeeeekkkkk!!!!!!

OK, so admittedly it doesn’t look nearly as realistic in a close-up picture, but trust me, from five feet and four inches up, it looks pretty dang real.

This little beauty is from my sons’ cheap plastic animal collection and for some reason, it seems to keep turning up. Everywhere. The plastic giraffe and elephant that were in the same bag? Haven’t seen hide nor hair of them for months. But the mouse … it just keeps appearing, like an annoying/scary neighbor who won’t stop knocking at the door.

The dumb thing has even been vacuumed up with my Rainbow, causing my heart to leap into my mouth as I dumped the creature out of the water, thinking for a nano-second that it was a drowned rodent. I shudder at the memory.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that my sons are leaving it out in places I’m sure to find it as they secretly watch my panicked discovery. However, as there is no way they’d be able to contain their giggling without me hearing them, I know that’s not the case. It’s just purely coincidence.

So why don’t I just toss the dumb thing? Good question. I thought when I threw the Rainbow water outside and saw it fall onto the ground (as mentioned above) that it would be enough out of the way that I’d never see it again.

But no.

Somehow the creepy little thing found its way back into the house, no doubt rescued by Logan, who is fascinated with toads and all other stereotypical little-boy creatures. When I found it this last time, I decided to let it live, at least as long as I could get a picture out of it for my blog.

The problem? Now I can’t find it anymore.

Next time that sucker gives me a near-stroke, it’s going deep in the trash can where not even Logan can find it again.

Good riddance.

Have you ever been startled by any of your kids’ freakishly realistic toys?