Mercedes Kid's Marathon

She tells me each year she may not run next year, but I am glad when she does.   For some reason, it has ended up being a Daddy Ruby day each year, and I will take any of these days I can get.   We stopped at Walmart on the way to pick up a poncho, which mad the race much more enjoyable for both me and her.   We actually got there early this year with enough time to check out the EXPO prior to the race.   She seemed terrified of the 5K that she would have if she kept doing this past 5th grade, but the one mile is good for her.   There are a lot of "scary" places at the Boutwell auditorium, but I took her to the upstairs restrooms (always less busy), but hers apparently had minimal lighting, with the only good light periodically flashing.   Haha, she came up to me with those big brown eyes wide telling me she did not like that bathroom.   We walked around and picked up some free stuff, then made our way out to the race.   

Ponchos on for both of us, we felt bad for the many many kids that were just getting soaking wet out there.   She made it to the start line, gave me a little smile and left me for her race.   This year she was easy to spot from my common picture taking spot.  She saw me, and this year I saw her, and got a fun video of her running by.   I also saw Brandon Brown from scouts and his family in the rain.   After the race, we went back into the EXPO once more for her to grab her free Coca-Cola.  

On our way home, as is tradition, we used her free kids meal at Jim n Nicks BBQ.   I think her mile was in 12 minutes and 35 seconds, but she said she was a little slow this year due to the rain, and that is understandable.   Our waiter brought us TWO BASKETS of the cheese biscuits.   They had some other fun pictures you could get at the EXPO, but she is shy with that kind of stuff, reminds me alot of myself.   I guess that is all the running she will do until next year, but I hope she wants to sign up again, cause these days are special, and a treasure for me.   Haha...I just asked Ruby what she remembered, and she corrected that it was not 13 minutes, but 12:35 as I now have accurate above.   She next gave me those big wide brown eyes about the bathroom, I told her I already captured it above, and she corrected Coca-Cola, as I originally did not have the "-".   And she said she will do it again next year!