Ron Sock-o

If you know my husband, you know he is an avid and ever-faithful Cubs fan.  And about this time every year, as the snow starts melting, the temperature starts rising, and the football season has ended, he starts gearing up for another hopeful year of Cubs baseball.  Today, the weather is as nice as it's been since last fall, upper 50s.  Another thing you might know about my husband is his love (or obsession) with grilling.  So tonight, after he comes and speaks to my 10th graders about sales (ala Death of a Salesman), we will grill, maybe open a window or two, and maybe sneak the Cruz-Man out for some fresh air.  

There is one more thing that goes hand-in-hand with grilling and Cubs baseball.  Ron Santo, aka, the voice of the Cubs.  Listening to Ron Santo's commentary on the back deck with Beau speaks summer to me.  Beau is a big fan of Ron and has been known to run home in the middle of a night out to grab a book on the Cubs just to provide some substantial evidence to a hater as to why Ron deserves a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  This winter, Ron passed away after a long battle with diabetes.  Listening to the Cubs just won't be the same.

Beau has always tormented my family (and myself) by threatening to name our son, Ron, in honor of Ron Santo.  First, it started with our cat.  For the first few months of Jade's life, Beau referred to her as 'Santo.'  Then, when we found out we were having a boy, I was not surprised when Beau attempted to persuade me into the namesake again.  Still to this day, I'm not sure if he was joking or not...

So instead of our son being named after the Cubs legend, we have named Cruz's favorite stuffed animal Ron 'Sock-o.'  It will be a staple around our household and a way to teach Cruz about his daddy's favorite Cub.