The McDermott Family
Welcome to the weblog of Paul & Julie McDermott. We have set this site up so that all of our out-of-state friends and family can keep up with us. We invite you to logon frequently and post your comments to let us know you've been around.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Update for Wednesday, September 30
Auntie Rebecca and Uncle Dave joined the party, along with a very silly Grandma Teresa!
Shortly after Katie's birthday, we learned that her Grandpa Russ died unexpectedly. While she lost her grandpa, she gained a new part of her family - her Grandma Patty, Auntie Cindy, Uncle Jim and cousin Jack:Friday, March 13, 2009
Update for Friday, March 13
Here's a random picture of Katie. I don't recall the occasion, but she looks happy:
Every year, Katie and I join our friend Bridget for $5 mum day at our favorite nursery. We couldn't resist picking up a few pumpkins while we were there:
A little side note: the hat has become her winter standard hat... we don't leave home without it.
Another fine and wonderful day is when Katie gets a new bag of hand-me-downs from our good friend Hayley. Here she is trying all of her favorite pieces on: princess dress, gold shoes and winter gloves.
In October, we all battled the common fall cold. In November, it sent Katie to the hospital for chest x-rays. She had about 5 really wretched days of high fever, and hacking cough. The dino-mask treatment was part of a series of remedies that kept us busy around the clock:
But, she got to eat 'pockasils' in Mommy and Daddy's bed, with Luna. That's a treat:
Our Blue House Pharmacy. Note, there's kids medicine, and grown-up medicine - we were all sick:
The white-board to keep track of everything:
We were mended by December, and ready to play in the snow! Little did we know that we would end up snow-bound in the house for days on end with no way to get our cars out of the driveway! Note the Bob Marley hat:
Katie had the honor of putting the star on our Christmas tree - it was a really fun day!
We gave Katie a little fake tree for her room. She spent the holidays swapping ornaments from the big tree onto hers - and I kept taking my favorites back!
Here Katie and Daddy tried to make a snowman, but with dry, powdery snow, they ended up with a snowghost instead! We improvised facial decoration with broccoli eyes, carrot nose, and cantelope rind mouth. (I think the Bob Marley hat was in the wash that day).
Katie and Daddy make a beautiful gingerbread house each year from a fantastic kit that includes everything they need. It's a great winter day activity:
Why is it that the very best thing to a kid is a big cardboard box? Why do we even bother with the carefully chosen gifts?
Another box - this one from St. Louis I think:
Relaxing with a good book:
Katie and her guests - Morgan and Spencer:
Cool birthday gift - ROMPER STOMPERS, GRRRRR!
Random pictures from this summer:


Swinging from the 'bouy tree' on the beach at Lopez:

The rest of the Halloween gang - Ketchup = Grandma, Mustard = Auntie June, Banana = cousin Cole, Elmo = cousin Aiden, and Bob Marley as herself:
Bob rockin' the portable cassette player - and yeah, I said CASSETTE!
The thinker:

Yes, Katie is obsessed with the computer, especially Skype-ing, but I really took this picture because of the way her legs are folded... those are the bottoms of her feet and her knees are pointed at the ground!

Grandma is a good reader:

Okay, that's it folks. I think I'm about caught up. I'm sure to find a few strays soon - they always pop up after I post. See you someday!
Monday, February 16, 2009
It's hard to call it an Update, when it's this old!
So, here we are at the crossroads. To continue to blog or not is the question. I maintain that this is a great way to share funny pictures and anecdotes, but the gross negligence toward posting seems to have driven away my loyal readers. I'll update today with some terribly old photos, and hope that old is still good enough.
Here is Miss Katie exercising with Grandpaw's weights:

Every kid does this with olives:

Miss K with Grandpaw's iPod:

Caught in the act - reading when the lights were supposed to be off:
Katie Grace Sticker Face:
Occupying herself on a Saturday morning with dry cereal and a book:
Helping Mommy unpack the Costco shopping:
Look who can reach the ceiling!
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery!
Two happy girls:
Picking blackberries on Lopez:
Hay Katie!
Picking flowers at Lopez:
Eating strawberries at the Farmers Market on Lopez:
Playing at the park:
Katie's favorite meal - CLAMS!
Hanging out in the kitchen while Mama makes dinner:
Kickin' it with Grandpaw:
Two happy girls!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Update for Friday, April 4
Here's the tag-team duo of Grandma and Katie playing with arguably the best toy ever invented - the cardboard box:




Which led to this:
Which led to this:
Katie got her first 'fishin rod' from Daddy, a great set of read-along books from Grandpa, and a darling little tea set from Mommy (who didn't really want to give it up):
We also spent an afternoon at one of our favorite children's museum:
Speaking of birthdays, a few weeks later we celebrated the birthday's of Katie's Grandma and Auntie Liz. Note the combined ages of these ladies - we're not saying who owns which years! You'll note that Katie fine-tuned her candle blowing skills on the beautiful cake which she made with Grandma's help:
At the end of March, we took our first family vacation in almost a year - we spent a long weekend at Lopez just relaxing - everyone hunkered down with good books:
What follows is a random collection of photos. We'll begin with a photo montage of what Katie does during a typical morning - eat cereal, wear princess shoes, and ride Luna:


Let's wrap up this post with a photo under debate at our house - Paul says she's having a blast at the local reptile museum - I say it's thinly veiled terror. You decide:
Friday, December 21, 2007
Update for Friday, December 21
So, here's a typical morning scene outside the bathroom door when I'm getting ready for work in the morning. Hilarious!
Stay tuned for Christmas pics soon!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Update for Thursday, December 6
Greetings everyone (the three of you who are still checking-in, Grandpaw, Auntie Tara, & Aunt Linny). It seems that my posting habit is to share a batch of photos right before the next special occasion. So, as Christmas will be upon us in a few days, and without further ado - may I present the sweet little lion:
Halloween is a special holiday at The Blue House. All of us have a surprising dedication to pumpkin picking & carving, not to mention the thrill of a large quantity of candy around the house (why is it that we buy 15 pounds of candy for 5 trick-or-treaters?)
As in years past, we all went out to our favorite local farm and wandered around their fields choosing just the right pumpkins. This year, we invited a few of our friends to join us - here's Katie bringing Spencer Brown and his Mom up to the barn:
We were lucky to arrive early enough to help the farmer feed his baby cows:
Katie & Spencer then hitched a ride down to the farthest reaches of the pumpkin patch (where we're convinced the best pumpkins reside):
The kids (big and little) picked out their pumpkins and then the little kids sat still for a series of funny pictures. I think Katie told a joke to Spencer that fell flat:
Daddy helped Katie put her pumpkins in the wheelbarrow and we headed back to the barn:
Once we got home, Katie went to take a nap, and the rest of us started carving. Here's our friend Bridget scooping guts:
And Auntie Liz with her usual gruesome creation:
Uncle Matt carved so many pumpkins, it had lasting effects on his brain:
Spencer and his Mom created a happy masterpiece:
When Katie awoke, most of our party had disbursed, but Bridget hung around and helped Katie decorate her pumpkin with markers and stickers:
They also had fun talking into the hollowed-out pumpkin, as it makes your voice sound echo-y:
Katie toured the kitchen, looking at all the carved pumpkins. After spending a considerable time reviewing Auntie Liz's work, she declared "it's a face":
So, I apologize for being photo-crazy for this post - I don't usually take great pictures, but the good lighting at the pumpkin patch, and luck with a new camera have made me a bit giddy. Toodle-loo from the pumpkin crew!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Update for Thursday, November 1
Random photo - Katie loves her dogs. Here she is 'taking a cuddle' with Luna:


Julie & Katie were lucky to spend a quick weekend up on Lopez Island with Katie's Grandma Teresa. A nice walk on the beach makes it all worth it:
