So DD2 Maddie went off island-hopping around Greece for 3 weeks at some God-forsaken hour this morning and DD1 Helena left a few hours later to go inter-railing in Europe for a month.  DD2 was accompanied only by her bessie Katie but Helena is with 4 others, a mix of boys and girls.  As you can imagine, I’m much more comfortable with H’s set-up than Maddie’s. How much attention are two single, unaccompanied, bikini-clad girls going to attract compared to five 17/18 year olds with bulky back-packs?  I’m stressing just thinking about it…….

Obviously the others are around so the house isn’t empty by any means but it’s still the first time any of them won’t have been around for any length of time and certainly the first time, any of them have been granted this degree of independence. I suppose it’s getting me psyched-up ready for when H goes off to Uni at the end of September – A Level results permitting of course.  Engineering Mathematics in Bristol University, she wants to do.  As a Mum with a German degree whose last Maths exam was back in the late ’70s, I find it hard to see the attraction myself. Still – each to his own………..

If anyone’s reading this, by the way, who might be interested in sponsoring Helena on her course, then feel free to contact me.  Various sources told her how easy it would be for a girl to get sponsorship in her field but nada, nothing………

Island-hopping Maddie had been planning on applying for Medicine when she goes back to school in September but a week’s work-experience in The University Hospital of Wales seems to have put her off the idea.  Neurology and Surgery went down well but very little else apparently. So it seems she’s probably going to go for Natural Sciences now as it will involve studying more of the subjects that she’s really interested in.  Will keep you informed………

Am focusing on a few months ahead so that I don’t need to think about the here and now and the fact that my 2 ‘babies’ aren’t here (reaches for the Kleenex) …………. but the newest baby is still very much around and keeping us busier than you could imagine…..

KathrynC