The Jungbauer Family Website

Lucky 13

I remember when I was 13. I still have the scar on my shin to show it. I tripped over a tent stake when the circus came to town. I remember my dad trying to convince me to stick my hand inside the circus elephant's mouth. (Why?) I sprained my ankle while vacationing at "Heil's Haven" on Lake Wawasee and had my first ER experience at KCH. Ahhh, what memories.

Now my life IS a circus, the stakes are higher and I'm still wondering why I put my hands in........... BUT I LIVE where I vacation which is just a stone's throw away from my beloved childhood memories at Heil's Haven so I can work at KCH!!! (I really had no idea where I was going when I started to write this but it's amazing where I ended up!) I never would have dreamed that my 13th year would have such an impact on my life.

I never really thought that I would be the mother of a teenager either. I know it's the obvious result after the celebration of 13 birthdays, but it's like thinking of yourself as old --- it's just not something you can fathom!

Well, the inevitable did happen: I did become the mother of a teenager --- and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Friday I drove the girls in to school. I dropped Rachel off first as usual. As I waved good-bye to Rachel, I called Sarah's friend Kaila on my cell phone. Sarah gave me the "What are you doing, Mom?" look.

"Kaila, this is Sarah's mom. Could you do me a favor and pick up Sarah's homework today?"

("Mom! What are you doing? Are we going somewhere? Are we going shopping? Are we going to Fort Wayne?")

"Is Sarah sick today?"

"No Kaila, Sarah is not sick. She and I are going to Chicago for Sarah's birthday."

("REALLY?!?!?! Oh my gosh!!! Are we really going to Chicago? Are you serious? That is SOOOO COOL! I'm going shopping in Chicago! I'm skipping school!!! I can't believe it!!!")

(Tears well up in both our eyes......)

So Sarah and I headed to the Windy City.

We went to Schaumburg first. We covered every inch of the Woodfield Mall and then a bunch of stores on the strip. (Good thing Dad wasn't with us because we didn't even have time to think about going into Dick's Sporting Goods.)

We headed back into downtown Chicago around dinnertime. Sarah got to practice some map reading and navigation skills. She turned out to be a great co-pilot.

By the time we got checked into our hotel, it was after 8 pm. (Another good thing Dad wasn't with us because otherwise we would have had to go to bed - and without dinner.) Instead, we headed out onto the town and found an Italian bistro for a light late-night dinner followed by a stroll down the Magnificent Mile. By the time we headed back into our hotel room, Sarah was begging for a piggyback ride and flip-flopped into bed. She was so tired that she fell asleep watching her favorite TV show.

Did you notice anything peculiar? Strange? Totally out of character?

Not only did Sarah shop 'til she dropped, (a RARE occurrence) but we were so busy shopping on Friday that I did not even take one photo!

The next morning, Sarah was awake well before noon! She fueled up with room service and then we headed out for another day of power shopping.

Another inevitable moment. (She knew I had to get her picture eventually.)

Gotta rest. Shopping is hard work.

(We stopped at The American Girl - but only to get something for Rachel.)

Loaded . . . . with smiles.

Flip-flopped and shopped out.

It was a quiet but dangerous drive home. Sarah got whiplash doing head-bobs!

When we got home Saturday evening, Steve and Rachel were patiently waiting for us. They, too, had been shopping and had almost everything ready for the family party on Sunday! Rachel (with only a little help from Daddy) prepared Sarah's traditional birthday dinner of poppyseed chicken.

Here is the Birthday Girl patiently waiting for the party to begin --- and modeling one of her new outfits from our shopping spree.

The traditional "bread photo." (I tried just baking plain loaves of bread once. It only works when they're 11. Otherwise, my girls insist that I make numbers with the bread. Fortunately, they're happy with the big numbers and I don't have to make breadstick numbers anytmore.)

Sarah's buddy Jeff. Wherever Sarah is, Jeff is. Superglue can't begin to compete with this bond. (Jeff will come in real handy once Sarah starts to date.)

Cousins

Sarah received a special gold coin necklace from Gramma Jane. It is a 3-dollar gold piece from 1855 that belonged to Great Gramma Stands. Sarah begged to wear it to school the next day. I think my little girl is turning into a wonderful young lady. So far, I like having a teenager.

Postscript
After Sarah's traditonal birthday feast of poppyseed chicken, noodles, peas, "number bread" and salad with poppyseed dressing, I was called out to deliver a baby. When I returned home about midnight, the party was over and the house was all clean again. I guess I need to leave more often --- and praise my wonderful hubby more often too!

Posted by Erin at May 1, 2005 10:44 PM EST