Butterflies and sunbeams

Today my friend Janelle brought over a bagful of vegetables from her parents' garden. I was grateful because our garden went to the birds (and the deer and the squash beetles) this year. I just couldn't keep up with it...like at all. 

Have I mentioned we've been sick?

Anyway, today we got fresh vegetables from the garden. I knew they were coming because Janelle had texted to ask if she could share. And the little kids knew she'd brought them because they are the ones who answered the door. But my big kids didn't know where they came from. 

"Yum," Rachel said, looking at the juicy tomatoes and thick cucumber slices. "Whose garden did these come from?"

"Janelle's," Alexander answered. 

"Well, technically they're from her parents' garden," I said. 

"Ah, our neighbour-in-laws," Rachel quickly (and wittily) responded. 

*****

Antibiotics are a modern miracle. Phoebe hasn't had a fever all day! She loves her medicine flavour (bubble gum) while Alexander tolerates his (citrus) and is counting down the days until his course is finished (he's nearly there). The pharmacy was nice and gave us differently shaped bottles for them. I don't know if that was on purpose or by accident, but it's nice to not get them confused since they've each got their own special concoction in there. 

Those two seem to be getting better now, thank goodness. 

Zoë went to swim practice this morning and has been relatively fine. She's still sniffly, but fine. 

Benjamin did not go to swim practice. He slept and slept and slept. I finally woke him up at 11:30 am, just to see if he could be woken up, you know? Like, I knew he was alive...but was he able to wake up was the question? He could.

"How are you feeling, buddy?" I asked, gently shaking him awake.

"Ugh..." he moaned, sitting up. "Better than yesterday, honestly, but I don't think I can go to swim practice..."

"Good thing," I said. "Because it's 11:30."

"What? How?!" he asked. 

"You had a good sleep," I said. 

He's feeling much better today. 

So that leaves Rachel and Andrew to feel better...

*****

We (those of us who were feeling ambulatory) went for a little walk after dinner and I stopped to watch the butterflies in my garden...for the first time this year. It's been a whirlwind of a summer between swimming and sickness.

I usually have more flowers out, but my zinnias—which have been voluntarily growing since I planted them when we first moved in—simply didn't come up this year. I'll have to get some fresh seeds for next year, I guess. And, I mean, neglecting the garden a little less might also be helpful.

The purpose of our walk—retrieving a backpack from a neighbour—ended up being pointless because they forgot to set it out before they left to go out to dinner. So we went on a second walk before bedtime to pick up the backpack and were treated to this lovely little sunset:

Fingers crossed we will all start feeling better in the next couple of days...