Another summer over

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Well, it has been a great few days of activity before he left but now Sergey has returned for school. I sure enjoy having both the boys here when he is home for the summer. He will go to Donetsk for a week and then back to Moscow for school. He is exploring transfering to schools in the states after this year.

We accomplished our "goals", he got his drivers license, SS card, had a job for a few weeks for the first time. Just a "small job" but hey, he learned about working and earning a paycheck, opened a bank account, learned about online banking and balancing a checkbook. Basically, made a lot of steps to being an adult in the United States...and then went back to Russia.

It is always kind of a hard time to send him off, but we know he is getting a great education and even if we were still in Ukraine, he would be many hours away by train. Besides he is talking about going to the University of Washington next year, and that is about as far as Moscow...well, close to it. His first and last requests were for "mom's cooking".

For all of you lucky enough to share children with your SO, especially as they grow up, you know what I mean. You hate to see them go but you are proud of them and know that they have to or everything would just kind of stay the same.

[1HappyGuy 45]

I'm sure it is going to be harder on Alla than anyone else. But the important thing is the completion of his education. Our son is still delaying getting his transcripts from Ukraine to be evaluated. I'm pretty sure he would be at least a junior at the university here. I want him to get out of the community college and start working hard on his education. He just wants to coast and have fun and both his Mom and I are getting tired of it. So, Alla is lucky that Sergey is going back for serious schooling.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I'm sure it is going to be harder on Alla than anyone else. But the important thing is the completion of his education. Our son is still delaying getting his transcripts from Ukraine to be evaluated. I'm pretty sure he would be at least a junior at the university here. I want him to get out of the community college and start working hard on his education. He just wants to coast and have fun and both his Mom and I are getting tired of it. So, Alla is lucky that Sergey is going back for serious schooling.

Yes it is hard on Alla, she likes when both boys are here, of course. I can honestly say, yes, both Sergey and Pasha are serious about education BUT if they weren't she would not tolerate any BS, they WILL get an education until she is satisfied or they are on their own dime, so to speak. It isn't an option. Or at least not presented as one. I get the feeling such has always been the case...both for the boys and for Alla. Her mom swings a pretty mean Hammer & Sickle!

We know we are lucky parents, no doubt. While Alla worries for her son, like mothers do, and so do I, I lose one of my buddies for a while. He did call me and tell me he got there OK. I told him he better call mom also.

Kids can be such great fun and so much enjoyment, make use of it. If you enjoy your kids, it is just the BEST, because they will never let you down, they will always be there.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

i'm thinking we're gonna have a wicked winter. mid aug here, and just a few days ago it was 62 in the morning. that's at least 10 degrees lower than normal. some trees are already losing leaves too.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

i'm thinking we're gonna have a wicked winter. mid aug here, and just a few days ago it was 62 in the morning. that's at least 10 degrees lower than normal. some trees are already losing leaves too.

Global warming is fixed! Our weather is still warm and pleasant and the next two weeks looks the same. But the local home centers have the snowblowers on display already It just seems like that when everyone is heading back to school, summer is over. Around here it is the summer that makes you forget the winter! Then it is back to the reality of being left out of the global warming process. Actually I missed skiing last year and I am looking forward to it this year. We are contemplating getting Sergey back here for New Year's so he can do some skiing. He gets a short break compared to US universities though. We'll see.

[slim 1,525]

Don't forget to send him videos of you and Pasha shooting.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Our weather is still warm and pleasant and the next two weeks looks the same. But the local home centers have the snowblowers on display already

I guess the Christmas stuff will show up at the end of August then.

[Tnic 5]

I guess the Christmas stuff will show up at the end of August then.

Don't laugh! It's already being set up around here.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Don't forget to send him videos of you and Pasha shooting.

Oh Sergey gets to shoot also. He likes skeet shooting. Loves it actually. Sergey is much more interested in "doing something" than Pasha. He is EAGER to "do something". Pasha has to be talked into it (or told he is going to go shooting) and then has a great time. Go figure. So far, neither of the boys are wild about handgun shooting, but I think it will come with time. Handguns are harder to shoot well and can be discourageing for new shooters. Smashing clay targets while they are flying is "an accomplishment" even though it is far easier, really, than shooting tin cans with a handgun. The best encouragement for a shooter is results!

Sergey also likes to fish and is a damn good fisherman, usually catching more fish than both of us combined! He is really the guy that suggests doing stuff. He will say "hey, there is a place to play billiards, can we go there? " Sure "Pasha, want to go play billiards?" NO. "Pasha, Poydem! we are going to play billiards" Then he goes and has fun and says "Let's do that again" Different personalities.

Oh well, great fun.

[slim 1,525]

Do they have a shooting team at his university?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Do they have a shooting team at his university?

Not that I am aware of. His university is a very serious university. They have, in my opinion, a brutal education. maybe it is good. He got a "93" on one of his final exams and he was ordered to retake the exam or he would get a "0"!!!! The instructor felt he did not do as well as he should! This extended his school year by 3 days. They will just "not accept" something, even when you receive a good grade...he had an "A" but not a "high enough A" in the instructor's opinion. He was told to study over the weekend and come back Monday. He got a 101 on the retake...2 "extra credit" questions were offered. Something leads me to believe they do not have a shooting team.

When he is here for the summer, one of the things he has done (though less this year because of his job) was to sit in on summer classes at Alla's university. Then he meets up with other students to play soccer after classes. They are mostly foreign students so they are into soccer. He also plays sports at school with other students, but it is not formal, just pick up games of soccer or "capture the flag" with snowballs instead of paint balls. He brought back a baseball glove and some balls and an "American football". I also made him a present of one of those hunting caps with the built in lights in the visor for reading at night, with 4 boys in a room it can get to be a problem to have the lights on. He thought it was the craziest thing he ever saw! America! You gotta love this country! Lights built into hats and FOUR kinds of cheese at Subway! What could be better?

We were going shooting on Thursday evenings since our skeet club is open until 10 during the summer on Thursday and they have lights for night shooting. They also have a great snack bar, so it was "shooting and eating Gamburger night"

Anyway, Alla cleaned up his room and made up his bed and now it doesn't look "lived in" and she is not so happy. I said "WOW, Sergey's room looks all clean and neat again" She said "Yes, but I would rather have the mess and Sergey here" (that means something coming from her!) It seems as she becomes more accustomed to life here, he seems farther away. She really wants him to go to school here, at least in the US somewhere, after this year. We will see.

Edited August 22, 2010 by Gary and Alla

[slim 1,525]

He will probably get a better education there. Serious is good in college. Here, "good enough" seems to be the standard.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

He will probably get a better education there. Serious is good in college. Here, "good enough" seems to be the standard.

I am not complaining, yes it is a good education. When he tells us about this, Alla will say "Well, next time study more before the FIRST exam and you won't have to do it twice!" No sympathy!

Alla was shocked at the college education here. They have email for all their instructors (Vooooooowhat??!!!) And the instructors tell them "If you are not going to be in class, just email me before and let me know" Vooooooooowhat????????!!!!!!!!!!! In Russia/Ukraine and the USSR you did NOT skip classes, they will toss you out and send you to trade school so you can be a plumber or one of those guys that cleans the room where they kill pigs, at y'know, that place where they kill pigs for pork!

[slim 1,525]

the college education here. They have email for all their instructors (Vooooooowhat??!!!) And the instructors tell them "If you are not going to be in class, just email me before and let me know" Vooooooooowhat????????!!!!!!!!!!!

What shocked me is when they don't even do any instruction anymore. Everything is a "team assignment" that gets emailed in.

What a scam!

[1HappyGuy 45]

Alla was shocked at the college education here. They have email for all their instructors (Vooooooowhat??!!!) And the instructors tell them "If you are not going to be in class, just email me before and let me know" Vooooooooowhat????????!!!!!!!!!!! In Russia/Ukraine and the USSR you did NOT skip classes, they will toss you out and send you to trade school so you can be a plumber or one of those guys that cleans the room where they kill pigs, at y'know, that place where they kill pigs for pork!

We could sure use some of that tough education here. It's no wonder we are falling behind the rest of the world. Can you imagine what the professors here would do if they had to justify their educational methods in order to keep their jobs? My wife has two friends in Kiev that are teachers. They are evaluated each year to keep their jobs and then this past year everyone got a cut in pay. The pay is really low too. Some of these classes that students sign up for hoping to get this well known professor are taught by a graduate student. But the university doesn't give you a discount for not having this professor in the classroom. What a joke.

Tell Sergey to get as much good quality education there before trying to get into a school here. He will be years ahead.

At least with the trade schools, they will have a skill instead of learning to become leeches of society.