Lincolnite: Lincoln's Online Community

Who Wants a Chunk of My Marrow?

March 17, 2008 at 2:04pm By: Mr. Wilson Posted in 625 Elm Street

It’s official, I’m now a member of the National Marrow Donor Program. My card arrived on Friday.

Here’s hoping medical science makes my stay on the list very short. Not because I don’t want to donate, but because it would be fantastic if the stuff they need could be grown in a lab.

Permalink 2

Speaking in Sentences

March 13, 2008 at 7:30pm By: Mr. Wilson Posted in 625 Elm Street

You know, it’s one thing to have Robbie learning word after word after word. But speaking in sentences? He isn’t that old already, is he? I had heard Robbie utter a few “near sentences” before. Things like “want up” (“pick me up”) and “get off” (“take object A off of object B”). But those weren’t really sentences.

The other morning The Missus went into his room to wake him up. Apparently he had already been awake. When I walked in, The Missus was lifting Robbie from his bed.

“Well aren’t you wide-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning!”, I said.

“Bushy-tailed?” The Missus exclaimed in an questioning tone. She asked Robbie, “Do you have a tail?”

Robbie pursed his lips. “No”, he replied. Then, after thinking for a moment, he added, “Daisy had a tail”.

And there it was. Robbie’s first obvious, unmistakable, real-live sentence. It was a surreal moment as I was struck by the realization that Robbie is on the verge of not just speaking words but manipulating language. In retrospect, he has been manipulating language for many weeks, but in more subtle ways. For example, he has been forming more compound words all on his own, such as “big truck trash” (garbage truck).

I suppose it’s largely a first-time parent thing, but these little “lightbulb moments” of Robbie’s are really a hoot to watch. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Permalink 3

A Rare Taste of Spam

March 11, 2008 at 1:10am By: Mr. Wilson Posted in 625 Elm Street

Tonight when I fired up my laptop a very unusual message awaited me in my e-mail inbox. The subject: VAlxiUM. I was in shock. I didn’t realize until that moment that it had been months since any spam had made its way all the way to my inbox. You read that right. I just checked; I hadn’t had a true spam message in my inbox in all of 2008. Nothing makes you realize how good anti-spam measures have become like the arrival of a rare piece of spam.

Random fact: Spam (the tasty [?!] kind) is made just up the road from us in Fremont.

Permalink 2

Sick Kids are No Fun

March 7, 2008 at 2:18pm By: Mr. Wilson Posted in 625 Elm Street

Boy, Robbie sure had a rough day yesterday. After a promising start, he spent most of the day as a ragdoll on the couch. He didn’t even have the energy to sit up by himself. The worst came around dinner time when his fever peaked at 104.5. Fortunately, it dropped after that, and by 10:30 it was down to 99.5. This morning Robbie seems to be fever-free. He still doesn’t have the energy to walk very far (or even the ability to stand still without wobbling), and he’s only about 50% of his normal self. But he’s doing better.

Now the countdown is on for either The Missus or me to end up just as sick. The Missus already has a cold, so I think I’ll be the lucky recipient of the full shebang. If you enjoy your health, you may want to stay away from me for a few days.

Permalink

You Know There’s a Bug Going Around When…

March 6, 2008 at 2:31pm By: Mr. Wilson Posted in 625 Elm Street

...the entire family is still in bed at 7:30 a.m. I ended up getting up and not feeling half bad. The Missus just has a bad cold. Robbie—who spent almost all of yesterday afternoon and evening in a semi-conscious daze—finally woke up relatively chipper, though his fever is still around 101.

The Wilsons have had a pretty healthy winter, so we can’t really complain. I just hope we’re all in tip-top shape for this weekend’s good weather.

Permalink 2

The Latest Lincoln Soccer News

March 3, 2008 at 3:13pm By: Mr. Wilson Posted in 625 Elm Street

A couple quick soccer-related notes:

First, tonight is a mandatory soccer rules meeting for anybody who wants to officiate varsity high school soccer matches this spring. The meeting is at 7:00pm at East High School. We are always looking for new referees, so if you’ve ever thought about reffing soccer, now’s a good time to get started. If you can’t attend tonight’s meeting, there’s another one tomorrow night at Omaha Westside. If you want to ref at the sub-varsity level, the meeting is not required but I recommend it anyway. As always, if you’re interested in reffing soccer at any level in Lincoln, drop me a note and I’ll help you get started.

Second, all you adult soccer players out there will want to know that a new adult league is on its way to Lincoln. The details aren’t yet set in stone, but the Midwest Amateur Soccer League (MASL) could be up and running as soon as April 1. The first season may have as many as 32 teams, and should feature Division 1 and Division 2 competition. (Lincoln hasn’t had a D1 league in many years.) Where is Lincoln going to get that many teams and that level of competition? League organizers have cast a wide net, and they’ve made some pretty interesting catches. If you’re a soccer player, keep a lookout for more information.

Permalink

Sunday Conversations with Robbie

March 3, 2008 at 3:48am By: Mr. Wilson Posted in 625 Elm Street

I haven’t posted a video of Robbie lately, so here’s an “interview” with Robbie from earlier today:

The interview covers a wide range of topics, including animals, Robbie’s favorite people, and words you really shouldn’t say in a video that grandmas and grandpas will be watching.

Permalink 5