MrsAwesome yes a "gap" year enforced or unenforced can be quite a change of pace. I took a gap year because I was retaking 2 A levels and it was lonely and miserable...until May..when everyone came back and my exams were over, so you have really only two months. Could she learn a new skill - language - craft, musical instrument, or be in charge of the younger sibling's homework, or do some decorating for you, sorting, classifying? But it can take a while to adjust. My friend had to kick her son out of bed at one point and send him off to be a barista in a wine bar, which sorted the social side very quickly. (he was a mathematician with quite fixed interests in his gap)
Tapas very much end of an era, and of course the regrets, thinking about the past etc, even if it is a relief on another level.
Kitten interview [good]
Marmite I think that means uni is quite fun for them, and home suddenly a bit bland. A good way round. And then a dose of blandness can be good after too much adventurousness..
ds1 has now taken to ringing us quite often with updates on exams etc, quite minute details about what he wrote etc. Curiouser and Curioser, I think like me he likes chatting on the phone and finds it much easier when body language is removed. He will be bored when he comes home though for any length of time. I had a nap in his room as I could hear the dog more easily from there, and the boxroom is the nicest room in the house, like some cosy nook, I can now see why he doesn't want to leave it except for meals when he stays here. His previous room was very much more palatial but ds2 has it now, and spread A level stuff everywhere and photographic equipment.
puppy doing well, very vigorous bitey but beginning to learn the art of mooching around if we time it right. Still very hard work tho - be warned!