Ribbons for Everyone

Last week, my daughter had to go out of town for the day. She needed me to babysit my five grandchildren. So I called my clients for the day and rescheduled and headed over. She was going to be gone all day and I knew that I could not leave my dogs out for ten hours nor could I leave them in for ten hours, so I planned a little field trip for the kids and I. It was an ambitious goal, but true to form I approached it with my usual "where there is a will there is a way". When I got to her house I packed lunches, snacks and hydration's. My daughter left, I loaded up the girls in the double stroller and the boys and I were on foot.
When I drove to their house I calculated the mileage at 2 1/2 miles each direction which meant our little adventure would mean that we would be walking 5 miles in all.
The carrot on the end of the stick was when we got to my house we would have our sack lunches and run in the sprinkler. My grandchildren are easily amused.
We stopped at the corner of Taft and First Street to admire the new transformer box near the baseball fields. The girls got out of the stroller and we walked around each side and discussed the design. Then we loaded back up and proceeded on our great adventure.
At the bottom of the First Street hill, Davey took a turn in the stroller and Eliana got to walk. As Caleb and Zayne ran up the sidewalk, tightrope balancing on the concrete embankment, Eliana was right behind them, doing her best to keep up with her big brothers. I see a life long pattern in the making.
At the top, Eliana took her place in the stroller and Davey joined the foot traffic.
We took 4Th Street east and took a break at the west 4Th street park where we had snacks and beverages.
Occasionally, Caleb would say, "I wonder if they are going to put it in the newspaper about our big challenge" or "I want my principle to know that we did this."
We finally arrived at my house and I was able to let the dogs out.
We ate our lunch, played in the sprinkler, cleaned up and rejoined the journey.
Spirits started to waiver and I would encourage the with, "If you complete this challenge, you will have full bragging rights" I am sure if they comprehended what that meant, it would not have had the sustaining affect. But like little troopers, they just kept going.
The last mile we had to break more frequently.
We finally made the turn from 1st Street onto Tyler. At this point I put the girls on foot and we jogged up the hill around the corner and down their culdisack. It was a real finish line experience.
When we got to their house, strangely enough there were no arguments about nap time. And oh how they napped. We could have built a log cabin with all the logs they sawed.
Eventually, they woke, and eventually their Daddy got home and as I was leaving to come home, Davey piped up "I wonder what my trophy is going to look like". now you can bet that put a smile on my face.
I came home and went to bed early that evening.
A day or so later I told my sister Kelly the story of our great adventure. She immediately went to Party America and purchased some Olympic style medals. Red, white, and blue ribbons with a gold medal inscribed in big letters "WINNER". She dropped them off on my porch.
The following Sunday, I went over and we had an award ceremony.
"Mommy and Daddy, this last week five kids met a huge challenge." I said with the utmost seriousness. The room immediately got quiet and all were listening. I continued, "Caleb LeRoux, will you please step forward", Caleb stepped forward with a proud and please look on his face, " Congratulation on meeting your challenge, you walked five miles in four and half hours" I place the metal around his neck and shook his hand.
"Zayne LeRoux, will you please step forward" which he did "Congratulations for meeting your challenge and walking five miles in four and a half hours" I placed the medal around his neck and shook his hand.
"Davey Le Roux, will you please step forward, congratulations on meeting your challenge, you walked five miles in four and a half hours." I placed the metal around his neck and shook his hand.
"Eliana LeRoux will you please step forward" She stepped forward with the same seriousness as her big brothers did and accepted her metal and shook my hand and the Gabriella piped in "Grammy, I want to step forward" the room broke into laughter.
"Gabriella LeRoux will you please step forward" and so she did.
They were all so proud of their metals. Then I looked down in the sack and there was one more medal, with a gleeful surprise I shouted, "there is one in here for me".