Mouse returns

The cats were a little too interested in the living room table this morning.  I knew it must be a mouse. Then we saw it. Cute little thing. Abi's in love. We've been having a lot of talks about not getting close, but that it won't come to get her, and that the cats are trying to eat it (well, mostly play) and that's why it runs and hides.
At one point Abi and I watched from a safe distance (on the couch) as the mouse walked into the middle of the open room (I've been trying to clear up kid-clutter to make mouse-catching easier) with two cats following it. Mouse stopped. They stopped and just sat there looking. Mouse ran and George was in pursuit. Caught it, tossed it. Played for a while. Mouse rolled over and played dead with its belly up, and when George stopped to look the mouse took off again!
I can't help but think of Mrs. Brisby and her husband.  I'm sure the mouse has good reason to be here... I'm sure there's a few stray cheerios hiding under the couch.  Even though I just cleaned everything under the couch. You know, cleared the living room, shifted all the furniture so I could move the couch across the room and vacuum and wash the floor. Left a mousetrap behind the couch. You know, mouse-proofed. All for naught since I found the trap sprung, the peanut butter gone, and no mouse.
I would like to emphasize who did all this: Me.
So when Robin asked why I didn't catch the mouse while it played dead (for a whole 10 seconds), I informed him who will be cleaning the living room and catching the mouse with 2 cats, a dog, and a toddler in hot pursuit.
I'll let you know how that works out for him. Especially since he'll be doing his first full cleaning of the living room this week.  I'll definitely want to find the camera for this! :P

ETA: Photos from when I walked down the stairs for some water, picked up Abi's fleece from where she tossed it, and found mouse on my way back up. Somehow missed it on the brown tiles when I picked up sweater. Lucky I didn't step on it! Now the little guy is outside. Unlikely to survive - but I didn't kill it. Who knows, maybe the Rats of Nimh will rescue it. Darn cute critters.
Robin's still on cleanup duty!