Kyle M. Schei
Mortgage Consultant | GFG Mortgage | gfgmortgage.com
Office: 425.374.5062 | Mobile: 425.359.1740 | Fax: 425.609.0067
Friday, October 26, 2007
The Travel 'Stache
Kyle M. Schei
Thursday, June 07, 2007
"My Kids are Cuter than Your Kids"
You've seen the bumper sticker.When I read that on the back of somebody's car my first reaction is "oh, you're THAT person. I wouldn't relate with you. In fact, you already annoy me." Then I have this fleeting thought of "we should compare kids."
I'm certain that while you're reading this you are thinking the same. You're thinking, "no, mine are cuter than yours".
They probably are. But then their kids are cuter than yours and the next kids are cuter than theirs, etc. ...
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
"Directness" is a virtue.
Just yesturday I attended our LA Fitness club after having our membership on hold for some time... okay, you got me. 9 months I've been away. In any case, I believe I attended only for the purpose of exercising, not my body, but my confrontational skills.
Jesseca, a good friend, had been over the day prior and had explained to me the lack of care that her 6 month old daughter, Regan, had received in KidsClub on Monday while Jesseca had attended a pilates class. Following the class, Jesseca the Sleuth, observed from the far windows into th
e daycare area and witnessed her daughter in the "big kids area" surrounded by older children while the closest caregiver was not less than 10-15 ft away. Not a big deal, right? But as Jesseca observed further, not one caregiver looked Regan's way for a decent 5-10 minutes to check on her well-being! Being a new mother of an "orally fixated" creature (my second child, 10 month old William) I can appreciate the desire to have "around the clock care" when Will is within 100 yards of anything that fits inside of a toilet paper tube! (We have 2 Heimlich incidents to date - he's ahead of my oldest by 2 incidents). I was, in the least, curious about this incident and therefore decided I would allow my children to stand in the line of fire while I accomplished a very large mission: "Do these people deserve my money or should I let loose the monster that I am, shrug my shoulders, and give my business to some other trophy Mom establishment in Mill Creek?"...
Yesturday I attended a Yoga class and today I attended a Kickboxing class.
Result Data:
The kids lived. The kids enjoyed themselves. But the data was manipulated. I walked in the first day and explained to the caregivers that my friend had been "incredibly displeased" with the care her 6 month old had received the day before and that I needed their assurance that my son would not choke to death and that my daughter would not wet in her "big girl underwear". They were extremely cooperative, if not wonderful! Katie wants to go back tomorrow and William, although he can't speak yet, shows great promise! Not to mention the sanity on Mom's end...
Yoga, I love. Kickboxing, kicks your @#$... and yes, I will be back tomorrow morning. And then again next week. Assertiveness is a virtue - it will even get you in shape. I can already feel the muscles tearing and repairing... tearing and repairing...
Jesseca, a good friend, had been over the day prior and had explained to me the lack of care that her 6 month old daughter, Regan, had received in KidsClub on Monday while Jesseca had attended a pilates class. Following the class, Jesseca the Sleuth, observed from the far windows into th
e daycare area and witnessed her daughter in the "big kids area" surrounded by older children while the closest caregiver was not less than 10-15 ft away. Not a big deal, right? But as Jesseca observed further, not one caregiver looked Regan's way for a decent 5-10 minutes to check on her well-being! Being a new mother of an "orally fixated" creature (my second child, 10 month old William) I can appreciate the desire to have "around the clock care" when Will is within 100 yards of anything that fits inside of a toilet paper tube! (We have 2 Heimlich incidents to date - he's ahead of my oldest by 2 incidents). I was, in the least, curious about this incident and therefore decided I would allow my children to stand in the line of fire while I accomplished a very large mission: "Do these people deserve my money or should I let loose the monster that I am, shrug my shoulders, and give my business to some other trophy Mom establishment in Mill Creek?"...
Yesturday I attended a Yoga class and today I attended a Kickboxing class.
Result Data:
The kids lived. The kids enjoyed themselves. But the data was manipulated. I walked in the first day and explained to the caregivers that my friend had been "incredibly displeased" with the care her 6 month old had received the day before and that I needed their assurance that my son would not choke to death and that my daughter would not wet in her "big girl underwear". They were extremely cooperative, if not wonderful! Katie wants to go back tomorrow and William, although he can't speak yet, shows great promise! Not to mention the sanity on Mom's end...
Yoga, I love. Kickboxing, kicks your @#$... and yes, I will be back tomorrow morning. And then again next week. Assertiveness is a virtue - it will even get you in shape. I can already feel the muscles tearing and repairing... tearing and repairing...
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Two Weeks in the Tri-Cities...
I grew up here. Born at Kadlec, lived in Kennewick, and lastly, attended Kamiakin High School prior to taking off for the Great Northwest and attending Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Ever since I can remember, my parents would pile us in the car and we would make the 5 hour trek across the mountains to my grandparents house in Bellevue, WA. When everyone sat complaining about the rain outside, I remember feeling refreshed, comfortable, cozy even! I knew in my heart of hearts that I would land myself on the west side of the mountains sometime in my life, I just wasn't sure when...
As soon as high school was done, I made the break. Bellingham was quaint, cozy and beautiful. There was, and is, no place like it. I fell in love there, walked downtown with Kyle while sipping hot cocoa on our first of many dates and decided, at a later date, to get married there as well.
Today is October 17th, 2006, and I have been out of the Tri-Cities for 9+ years now. Kyle and I have moved south from Bellingham and live within about 20 minutes of downtown Seattle, Katie and William - as far as I can tell - enjoy the refreshing rain and beautiful greenery that they've been born into, and I get to sip hot coffee everyone morning while looking out my window at the lush western washington 'tropics', sometimes surprisingly cloudless blue skies, the abundance of greenery, and last but not least, I get to anticipate the 10 minute drive to view the beautiful San Juan Islands... take my dogs to the beach... ride a ferry across the Puget Sound... or walk downtown Seattle and experience the diversity that only comes with a larger city.
Today I am here in Kennewick in the midst of my two week stay while my parents travel Switzerland together. I have driven my younger sister, Hannah, to school every morning and watched her volleyball games/practices most week nights. I have seen parts of this town that I have not seen since high school - neighborhoods, high school friends' houses, stores and shops. Yes, my mother and father comment on the ease it would mean for Kyle and I to just move over here and have them within a stone's throw... more date nights, kids closer to their grandparents, less phone calls and more time together, etc.
Though all this sounds wonderful to me, it can't quite compete with the connection my heart has to Western Washington. I don't believe I'll ever leave that place - I don't think I'll ever end up back where my roots are... yet I've heard that from others and have been increasingly surprised to see whose 'back' whenever I speak to my Mom during one of our many phone conversations or visit the sagebrush city myself. Here I feel too exposed, unearthed, vulnerable, maybe even too emotional... there I feel cozy, secure, independant and like an adult. All these factors cause me to anxiously await my return to the Seattle area everytime I come over. I enjoy my time here and I love the time spent with my family and the priority it is for me to be here for lengthy visits won't change yet my desire to make it my permanent home has not increased...
Sorry Mom. I really think you, Dad and Hannah should consider a move over to the rainy side of the state! Just think, you'd be closer to the grandkids, Kyle and I could have more date nights, there'd be more time together and less time on the phone... just consider it.
I love each of you dearly.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Minivan Mom after all...
We took the plunge. Held our breathe, covered our ears for fear of the ridicule we just may encounter, and swallowed all pride...
We bought a 2001 Honda Odyssey. We will, unfortunately, be selling the 1999 Subaru Outback we have grown to love and appreciate. Yet when weighing the pros and cons of buying a larger vehicle we discovered it was well within our personal ministry desires to have the capacity to 'haul' people. And we weren't going to do it at 16-20 mpg for an SUV that seemed to 'better fit' our personalities. So we went for the only minivan I have ever been willing to look at. The Honda Odyssey. Yes, I'm proud to say this 7 seater beast will do 27 mpg on the highway while doing about 22 around town. That's better than the Subaru has ever done!
We will be handing over the cash and picking the van up this coming Wednesday. My first long haul will be this weekend as I drive over Snoqualmie Pass with my Mom and the kids to visit them in the Tri-Cities. Actually, I will be 'babysitting' my younger sister, Hannah, while my parents begrudgingly hop a flight to Switzerland for 2 weeks. During that time I will HAUL Hannah, Katie, Will and myself to and from school, volleyball practice, volleyball games, the store, etc. I'm sure it will be a luxurious ride - everything that I've ever dreamed in a MINIVAN.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)