I Need a Manual

First time parents usually get some form of the "What to Expect" book when they find out a baby is on the way. Everyone offers their advice and their experiences when the baby arrives. It can be overwhelming for a new mom. You don't want to mess up. After the first child, things become easier. You're now an experienced parent. I have four kids. I am supposed to fall in this category. I know that "each child is different," but some are more different than others. I need a manual and a mentor and a prayer and a therapist.

I've needed a good 3 days to recover from Asher's latest incident. I have blogged before about the need for safety at our house and anywhere Asher goes. This is the story. I was getting Ash ready for therapy. He was dressed; I wasn't. He was playing with my phone and I walked into the living room. I didn't hear him making his sounds. I checked all of the doors- locked. I checked the gate on the stairs- still there. I checked all of his spots- behind the couch, on top of the dryer, in the tent, behind my clothes in the closet-not there. I'm screaming his name. He can't answer me, but I wanted a sound.

By this time, I'm panicked. All of a sudden, I see our outside cat inside the house. She's standing right beside the window that she jumped through. The window was up and the screen was out. I take off running around the front of the house to the back. Fortunately, there wasn't a meter reader or anyone in my driveway because I was completely naked. Cringe. 😣

I didn't see him, so I run and grab a housecoat. I run to the back of the house and there he is- climbing into the clubhouse. He was so happy. He was squealing and I was crying. I carried this 45 lb ragdoll to my truck. He didn't want to go. I put him in his carseat and left the door open. I got myself dressed.

My heart raced all the way to therapy. I cried on and off all day thinking about what could have happened. This kid is getting smarter and I'm afraid I can't keep up with him. Just when I think I have it under control, he surprises me. Asher is not listed in my parenting manual. I think he's writing his own.

**BTW- the windows are better secured and we are adding locks to the top of our doors. We do have a skylight. I'm sure he's already planning his escape.