Living in the Milwaukee area presents its own set of challenges. There are wonderful things to be said about the area, no question. Miller Park only minutes away, a fantastic children's museum, brewery tours that crown a "Bung Queen" at the end, and so much more. When we first found out we would be moving here, I was nervous because I was unfamiliar with Milwaukee, but I have grown to love it more and more.
But.
There are also dangers to living here. Not to be taken lightly or shrugged off, residents need to be aware of a very real and very specific threat that is lurking in the seemingly peaceful streets of Suburbia. Stalking, searching, ready to pounce.
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Don't let that charming disposition fool you, folks. There I was, minding my own business one morning, when this ferocious beast came bursting out of my son's room with a mighty "ROAR!!!" Wasting no time, he began to stalk through the room, sniffing and hunting. Before I even knew what had happened, the lion jumped up on his hind legs and stole an apple from my unsuspecting fruit bowl. I swear, I was this close to him.
I'm lucky to be alive.
On yet another occasion, I was playing outside with Thomas when I heard our front door slam. I turned to see that same lion come bounding out of our front door and it was headed directly toward me. Fumbling with my phone, I tried to call 911 or animal control or the zoo emergency hotline, but I wound up with my video camera open instead, so I went with it and recorded the evidence of the beast.
Terrifying, isn't it? If I hadn't stopped him, I'm certain he would have crossed the street to terrorize another innocent family. As it was, I was able to convince him to come back to my house with me by promising to give him a snack and letting him watch Frozen.
(You should have seen the looks we were getting from people as they drove their cars past our street. Hilarious.)
Parenting Micah does sometimes feel like trying to tame a lion. He is emotional and explosive, passionate and strong. If you've ever seen footage on the nature channel of a lion pounced and ready to strike at his prey, that is the exact look Micah gets in his eyes when he is holding a lightsaber and suddenly gets the bright idea in his head to go whack his brother over the head with it, just to see what happens.
Try telling a lion to go take a potty break when his favorite cartoon is on.
He doesn't back down, refuses to be intimated, and can be a real beast to negotiate with. Trying to teach a lion when it is okay to roar and when he needs to be still is incredibly hard. I want to encourage his strength, but show him how to channel it into healthy activities at the proper time. He struggles with self-control and emotional outbursts, but we have already seen improvement in this area since he made a new friend at school that he has committed his loyalty to. He protects and values her.
Oh, my little lion. You are already so fierce. It is going to be absolutely incredible to watch Micah grow into a man and to see the fortitude develop that God has already placed in him as a small boy. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with, make no mistake.
