McCoy USA

Maren has secured a job at Monterrey Elementary School in Carlsbad as a second grade teacher! This will mean the end of living off student loans, and the beginning of paying off student loans, woo-hoo! Maren has one more class and the Masters exam standing between her and the Masters Degree, which she hopes to get in the next year or so.

Brian's parents moved down to Carlsbad in July, and have been a big help to us. They are the whole reason Gwen is able to go to preschool, because they stay with Dempsey and Ruby while Brian takes Gwen in and picks her up. Gwen goes to preschool Monday through Thursday 8-2. On her first day of school we were worried because she has never been to day care or anything. She walked in, said, "goodbye Dad." And that was that. She loves school and has had zero problems adjusting. Gwen was in her first primary program in October, and she was the star of the show. She sang the loudest, and even pushed a girl out of the way who made the mistake of standing in front of Gwen to wave at her mom. We are looking into voice lessons so she can use her abilities for good rather than evil (pushing kids around).

Ruby is talking a lot and likes to make us all laugh. She says something in a growly, gravely voice, we crack up and she promptly does it again. Ruby's hair is finally growing out from the chop job Gwen gave her back in September.

Dempsey is a little ball of energy. Though her body is constantly moving, her temperament is pretty even keel. She is a happy kid, although she's got a fiery streak in her. Sometimes she'll just tackle Ruby for no apparent reason, and she's seems quite pleased with herself for doing so. Dempsey is completely mobile. She is crawling around and cruising along the furniture.

Brian is surviving his life as a stay-at-home dad, in a town where to be a man you have to drive a big truck, have big dogs, and hunt big game. I am enjoying his talents as he is perfecting his technique for making ribs and shredded beef burritos. Brian's presence at home is reflecting in our strong daughters. There was a bully at Gwen's school (He pushed a girl into a door jam and she had to get "ditches.") Gwen said that he yelled at her, we asked her what she did after he yelled at her and she said "I hit him." Normally I wouldn't condone such behavior, but if the kid's a bully, I'm glad she defended herself!

Schoolwork has been really really busy. I am in the thick of it right now. The work isn't that hard, there is just a LOT of it.

Gwen is getting anxious for social interaction, it is getting really hard to keep her busy. We've got her on a waiting list for a preschool. We hope that she will get in in January. If she gets in, she would meet twice a week, for about 3 hours each meeting.

Ruby seems like she just started talking this week. Her phrases are becoming somewhat recognizable (solely to the parent ear). She also discovered the wonderful world of tantrums. Her favorite place to throw them is while stories are being read at the Zoo for preschool time, or while stories are being read at preschool time at the library, or during Sacrament meeting at church, or anytime when optimal embarrassment can be achieved.

Gwen and Ruby are starting to play together a little. This mostly consists of screaming and running in circles. I'm guessing they got the idea for this game by watching me after returning home from a trip to the zoo, library, or church.

Brian has had an exciting past couple of weeks. His team won the World Series! And as if that wasn't exciting enough, the McRib has returned!

We had a great Christmas with family, thank you to everyone who put up with the screaming babies (you decide who that refers to). But really, we had so much fun, Gwen love love loved spending time with cousins.

Gwen is just barely starting to speak in complete sentences, the other day at dinner Brian said "I'm not feeling good." And Gwen responded "It's okay daddy, I'll help you feel better." Brian and I looked at each other shocked!

We took Gwen to the dentist a few weeks ago. She really didn't open up for them, but the dentist noticed the gap between her teeth. He said, "She has a _______ (technical term I don't remember), it is the gums growing down between her two front teeth, we'll have to snip that in a few years." I said, "What would happen if it didn't get snipped?" "She would have a gap between her teeth." After all, we wouldn't want her to grow up with a disfiguring defect! (kidding!!!)

Ruby is still a pain in the hindquarters, needing to be carried around everywhere--She's the child mom always hoped I would have (payback). It is funny, because the only person who can make Ruby really giggle is Gwen. It's actually really cute.

Brian is doing well too. He is still sporting a beard, he complained of it being itchy the other day and was contemplating shaving it. We are trying to get an insulin pump for him, let's all hope and pray we can get it because they are supposed to help in blood sugar control, and also he wouldn't have to poke himself so much!

Maren sent us a report which I either A: lost or B: never received. I'm sticking with 'never received' theory, but at my advanced age who really knows.

Ruby joined our family on Pioneer Day July 24, 2006. That is also the day I officially quit my job as a medical biller for my brother-in-law's practice. I am in school full time for my Masters degree, looking forward to the day they hand me that diploma, so you can all refer to me as Master Folsom.

Brian has recently had an eye surgery for cataracts in his left eye. It has improved his vision considerably. His vision in his left eye without correction is as good as his right eye with correction, it is quite phenomenal. We are not sure why the doctors didn't suggest this surgery earlier. We are working on scheduling the surgery for his right eye.

Gwen will be two in a couple of weeks. And accordingly, she is into everything. It's almost a guarantee that if something is left within her arm's reach, it will be reached, opened, explored, and moved somewhere. She is starting to put phrases together and sing along with songs. She repeats almost everything we say--good thing I quit my nasty swearing habit! She is always on the go, literally, she is always wanting to go. Lately she'll put her shoes on, grab my shoes and put them on me, grab my hand, lead me towards the door and say "okay, go!" She does this about 5 times a day it seems. And I should mention, she loves Ruby. Most of the time she doesn't pay much attention to her, but when she does, it always lovingly.

Ruby is a little firecracker. She has a cry like a screeching eagle. She cries a lot more than Gwen did, she likes to be held a lot, and requires a lot more attention than Gwen did. I can relate to her, I know what its like to have a perfect sister! She is starting to sleep pretty well during the night, lately (the past week or so), I've only had to get up once during the night with her.

Mom and Dad came out to see the baby, and Kristin came shortly after. We had a lot of fun, even in boring old Carlsbad, Gwen LOVED playing with her Grandparents and Aunt Kristin. We would like to come out east this Winter for Christmas, but we are super poor college students now, so its still iffy. If anyone ever wants to come see us, our door is always open!

It's a girl!!! We don't know what we are going to name her yet, probably Dentonette, or Dentyne. Two girls, two years apart, we are saving up now for the extra bathroom we'll have to install in about 13 years.

I will be going back to school in the fall to get my Masters in Education with Post-BA Licensure. There is a branch of New Mexico State University here in Carlsbad. It will take me two years to get through, after I'm done, I will be licensed to teach elementary school. When your family is spread across 6 different states all over the country, you need a LOT of vacation time. I'm really not that intimidated by the workload (after having been to BYU), but I will have two more small but very loud distractions that I didn't have when I went to BYU. So this could be interesting.

Gwen's two favorite things right now are water and shoes. She loves to drink water, play with water, chew on ice cubes, etc. What's terrifying is her shoe fetish. She has a box full of shoes in her bedroom (sizes she will grow into), and she will sit in there and try them on. She puts on my shoes and Brian's shoes and walks around the kitchen. The scariest, is when we go to the store, and walk by the shoe section, she cries and yells "sshhoe, sshhoe" until we try some on her.

Brian is doing well, he spends a lot of time obsessing over the yard, mowing, edging, pruning. He has planted three tiny palm trees in the front yard. He likes to rub his northern-dwelling brothers' nose in it that we have palm trees.

Gwen just turned 1, and whoa is she big stuff. She had a birthday party where she had a good time stealing all the other kids' cake. She is walking now, and she says a few words, the most frequent word used is "ball." She'll have entire conversations using just that word, "ball, ball ball, ball ball--ball ball ball . . . . ball!" She likes to get into mischief. She'll go over to the dog's water dish, look over at us and smile, and then splash around in it. She recently had a doctor's appointment, she is 95th percentile for height, and 75th percentile for weight and head size.

I am going to start a new work schedule. I will work 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the office, and then I will do some work at home. I'm pretty excited, it'll give me more time with Gwen, and enable Brian to get a part-time job.