Not making any money form JE's characters. I'm only borrowing. This is a response to Denny's challenge on Perfectly Plum.
Ranger's Veteran's Day
Stephanie pinned the red, white, and blue ribbon to her daughter Madison's ball cap in the back. Her curly dark hair was shiny and soft like her father's all around it.
"Do you remember your lines for today, Maddie?"
The little girl stood tall reciting her part of the poem for the Veteran's Day Program at her school, "For their service as our warriors, they deserve our admiration."
"Perfect," Stephanie kissed her.
Her small forehead wrinkled, "Daddy won't forget to come will he? I made something special for him and Grandpa."
"It's on his calendar, Sweetie. Daddy would never forget."
"OK," she marched out of her bedroom with her camouflage Army cap on her curly head and the ribbons trailing behind from her movements. "Bye, Scooter," petting her grey cat waiting near the door. She had her surprise bag in her hand and Stephanie picked up her backpack to go down to 5 where Ranger would be waiting for them. He, Stephanie, and Madison waited for her school bus together in front of Rangeman.
The little Manoso girl came marching off the elevator tooting her flute and right into her Daddy's strong arms. "Happy Veteran's Day, Daddy," kissing his cheek and producing a small flag from her mystery bag to give him.
"Thank you, Princess." He kissed her back and chuckled at her hat and outfit.
He watched her high stepping right into the control room giving each Rangeman in there a small flag and saluting before she went into Uncle Tank's office.
"She is patriotic, Babe."
Madison had on a navy jumper and under it was a white shirt covered in red stars. She also wore red, white, and blue striped socks cuffed above her blue sneakers. Each one had little gold stars Stephanie painted on the toes. All topped with her camo baseball cap and it's blowing ribbons.
"You'll be a school won't ya?" the little girl asked looking up at her big uncles in the forms of Tank, Bobby, and Lester holding their flags.
'We'll be there," the trio reassured her.
She ran into the kitchen and conference room to hand out her remaining flags before slipping on her jacket in her mother's hand and backpack.
Ranger hit the elevator button to go down to wait on the bus that the three of them did each day.
"Bye, Mommy," Madison kissed Stephanie as the yellow school bus was pulling up to the curb. "Bye, Daddy," kissing Ranger.
In unison her parents told her, "Bye, Maddie."
Before hopping up the steps, she asked, "You won't forget, Daddy?"
"Never, Princess. I'll be there."
They watched the bus go down Haywood with the usual black SUV following behind it.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Very sexy soldier," Stephanie gave her husband a sexy wink walking across the parking lot of Madison's school. Ranger was in his camouflage pants and the matching shirt open over his painted on black T-Shirt, polished black laced-up boots, and his cap with the Army Rangers' emblem on it. Tank, Bobby, and Lester were all dressed the same as their boss. Madison requested it and they complied as they always did for any of her requests. She had them all wrapped around that adorable little pinky finger.
Waiting on the sidewalk was her mother and father. He was wearing the shirt Madison picked out that read 'ARMY' across the chest.
"Hi, Mom. Hi, Daddy," Stephanie kissed her parents. "Ready for Maddie's program?"
"Always for my granddaughter," he said as he shook all the Rangemen's hands before entering the building.
Stephanie took a box from her mother, "Thank you for making cookies, Mom."
"When Maddie asks, Grandma bakes for her parties," Ellen Plum was always available to bake cookies for her granddaughter's school parties which seemed to be about every other week. Who knew that there were 'What's Spring Without Radishes', 'Name Your Car', or 'Elephant Appreciation' holidays.
Stephanie led her husband and their extended family to Madison's second grade room. There were a few other parents and grandparents there in military dress and fatigues. Stephanie and Ellen gave Miss Gardner the cookie boxes for after the presentation.
She had the children line up along the wall with their military guests. Each had a turn introducing who was with them today.
"Madison, who did you bring today?" her teacher asked.
Smiling proudly, she introduced, "This is my Daddy, Carlos, my Uncle Tank, my Uncle Bobby, and my Uncle Lester. They were in the Army Rangers. My Grandpa Frank was in the Army."
"Thank you, Maddie."
"Miss Gardner," the patriotic little girl spoke up, "I know that Billy, Kenzie, and Becky don't have a Veteran's Day Buddy and I have extras," indicating her group of Army men. "Can my uncles be their buddies?" She looked up at Tank, Bobby, and Lester and they nodded their agreement.
The teacher asked the three children standing by her who were alone, "How about it?"
"OK," all three agreed.
Ranger and Frank moved over so his three friends could stand behind a child. He saw the tears Stephanie was wiping from her eyes. They didn't question why Maddie asked Tank, Bobby, and Lester to come with them, but knew she had her reasons. His chest was puffed out that much more. Their little girl was so much like her mother in her kindness to others.
"Let's get started," Miss Gardner ushered the children into the hallway.
Stephanie noticed the big grin on Ranger's face. Maddie had that effect on him constantly.
The door opened with the teacher stepping inside her classroom, "Welcome Everyone to Room 108's Veteran's Day Celebration. The children know how important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes we have in our lives and the ones we do not know." She pushed a button on a small boom box and a simple tune began to play that everyone would recognize.
First in the door were Maddie and her friend Billy who actually lives in the next block carefully carrying the American flag as they marched. Two boys right behind them were tapping on drums. They were singing 'Yankee Doodle' as they marched. All the children were dressed in red, white, and blue outfits of some type. With the utmost care, Ranger's daughter and her friend together placed the flag in it's the stand. The children circled around the flag and began reciting the 'Pledge of Allegiance'. Once they were finished, Miss Gardner played a recording of 'The Star Spangled Banner' which everyone sang. Maddie even took her cap off and placed it over her heart. Each child stood tall and straight as they proudly sang.
When the song was over, each child lined up facing their Veteran's Day Buddy.
"The children are going to recite a poem for our champions here today titled 'They Did Their Share' written by Joanna Fuchs.
Billy took a step forward beginning the poem smiling at Tank, "On Veteran's Day we honor soldiers who protect our nation." He stepped back.
It was Maddie's turn next stepping forward giving her Daddy and Grandpa big dimples as she said clearly, "For their service as our warriors, they deserve our admiration."
All fourteen students took a turn to say their lines. When the recital was finished, they all took a bow with their guests clapping.
Miss Gardner stood between the two lines, "Thank you for sharing a part of your Veteran's Day with us. Every one of us appreciates your dedication to our country so we may have our freedom. I want to express my thanks to the parents for the toothbrushes, soap, hand sanitizer, socks, and all the personal items the children brought in which we used in care packages the school shipped to our servicemen. We are ending our program today with the singing of 'God Bless America'. There are cookies and lemonade for a snack, so please enjoy, if you are able to stay and spend some time with us. Each child has a special surprise for their special Veteran's Day Buddy. Thank you again for coming."
As they sang the last song, Stephanie was wrapped in her husband's arm. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore.
"Here, Daddy, this is for you," Maddie brought something out of her cubbie and gave to Ranger. It was the river rock that he, Stephanie, and their daughter went hiking for in the State Park. Actually, Maddie got a few. It was painted white with two interlocking stars. One red and the other blue with tiny white dots. Under the smaller star were her initials 'MAM' for Madison Alise Manoso and under the bigger one 'RCM' which someone had elegantly written with the date.
"I love it, Maddie. It's going right on my desk."
Her Grandfather's was painted with a red, white, and blue heart with her and his initials and the date.
Frank was hugging his precious granddaughter, "Thank you, Precious. This goes right beside my remote so I see it everyday."
"I love you, Grandpa."
Tank, Bobby, and Lester were presented with the painted rocks that Billy, Kenzie, and Becky had painted. Each equally proud of their gift.
"Daddy, that's a sugar cookie," Madison told Ranger taking a bite of one of his mother-in-law's cookies with patriotic sprinkles on it. "It doesn't have any woodsy stuff in it."
Stephanie could help but giggle at their daughter's idea of her husband's diet.
"Maddie," Ranger gave her a smile with the 'oh not so serious' eyebrow, "it's a special day so I'm having something special to eat. To make it an even more special Veteran's Day, how about I take my favorite girls to Pino's for pizza."
"Yes!" she shrieked and jumped in her father's arms. "Boy, Daddy, you are celebrating today. A cookie and pizza. That's a party!"
"Yes it is, Princess." Ranger was dedicated to his country that he loved, but today holding his daughter in one arm and his other wrapped around his wife made him aware everything he did that his country asked of him wasn't only so everyone could have freedom, but so he could have them and the life they lived.
"Daddy, can we get a couple of extra pizzas tonight and take them to the old
Army guys' house so they know someone thought of them today."
"That is a wonderful idea, Maddie. I love you."
Maddie's young arms were hugging her father's neck, "I love you, Daddy. You're my hero."
***** Happy Veteran's Day! *****
They Did Their Share
On Veteran's Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.
Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it's been many years;
In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.
Some came back; some didn't.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.
No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.
Let every veteran be honored;
Don't let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can't repay.
We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let's say "thank you" to every wearer.
By Joanna Fuchs