I've always had a strange affinity for sock monkeys. Move over Elf on the Shelf - we have sock monkey named Pickles that sits and watches everyone from a perch on our Christmas tree. I don't think he tells on us though. I also rescued a blue sock monkey named Marty from the 911 Gives Hope for the Holidays Toy Drive that was (gasp) tagless and slated for the animal shelter. (Say 'sayonara' to your stuffing!) He watches over my office while I take hiatus and I like to imagine that he yells loudly at intruders in his awful monkey voice.

My mom thinks they are creepy but I think they are interesting and fun. Sock monkeys can be very polarizing... I figured they had a history but never took time to look it up. Today, I popped in the office of LaDonne Craig, our Regional Vice President/General Manager because she came back from a business trip and I wanted to see what sweet gift Mama LC brought us!

This little chap caught my eye. DeJesus Luis is his name and sales is his game. Apparently, he was the price of a lost bet, but that's a different story for a different day. On the back of his Certificate of Authenticity laid out a whole story of how the sock monkey came to be. Born and bred in Rockford, Illinois, this little primate boasts a rich history and heritage of many monkeys who came before.

I wouldn't do DeJesus and his family justice by paraphrasing the story of the sock. I'll let you hash out the tail... I mean tale, just as I did.

Midway Village and Museum Center - Rockford, IL
Midway Village and Museum Center - Rockford, IL
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Oh, and dearest Rockford, I love your Peaches and your Monkeys. That sounds weird but it's true.

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