Let me start by saying this: I am a Cubbie. I have always been a Cubbie. I will always be a Cubbie. When I go to Great American Ballpark this weekend I will be decked out in Cubbie blue. I will have on my hat, my much loved sweatshirt and my Derrek Lee t-shirt. When "Take me out to the Ballgame" is played I will root, root, root for the Cubbies.

Addie is a Cubbie as well. Not because of her name or because of the city of her birth - simply because I say so. She's never worn a stitch of Reds clothing. My family knows that it would be a waste of their money to purchase anything related to the Reds.

But I may be weakening the rules.

It's important to have hometown pride. One of the reasons that I have always loved the Cubs so much is that my hometown once hosted the minor league Cubs. We went to Wahconah Park several times to eat popcorn and cheer on the club (oh my goodness, did I see my boyfriend Greg Maddux there in '86?? Oh how I wish I could remember). And then, in grade school, my father, who lived in the suburbs of Chicago, brought us our first major league ball game - The Cubs at Wrigley. The deal was sealed. I was a Cubbie.

It's with that memory that I realize that Addie will make her own choice. The first game she ever saw? The Cubs vs. The Reds - at Great American Ballpark. Her second game? The Reds for GG's 75th birthday.

And yesterday, we took part in a hometown tradition - The Opening Day Parade. It was loud and entertaining and crowded. It celebrated the opening of the Reds season. The streets were lined and sitting by us were children of all ages, parents, grandparents. There were people on balconies, in folding chairs, in office chairs, in wheelchairs.

And Addie sat and clapped and waved and cheered. Later she told me her favorite parts were the princesses (Miss Ohio) and the kitties (the SPCA float). But as an eyewitness I can attest that she also loved the floats, the horses, the dancers and the marching bands.

And it will be her choice if she decides that she loves the Reds a little bit too.