Oliver

Robby recently found a turtle in our garage.  Seeing this as a potential learning opportunity, we made a habitat for it and kept it for two days.  My Dad was at our house when we "caught" the turtle and he named it Oliver, after Oliver Twist.

 The girls of course had never seen a turtle so close, to they found it fascinating. 

We filled the plastic tub with leaves, some sand, some cherry tomatoes, and a dish of water.  The girls loved having a pet and ran out to check on it every few hours. 

However, after a few days it seemed cruel to keep the turtle any longer.  It was very hot and even though we put the "habitat" in the shade, I was afraid the turtle was getting too hot.  So, we explained to the girls that it was time to return Oliver to the wild (a.k.a. our backyard).  They understood.  We let them look at Oliver again up close:

 They were still a little shy with him:

They blew good-bye kisses to Oliver:

 Robby carried him to the backyard:

 And set him by a tree:

In a few minutes, Oliver walked away from the tree and across the backyard to the neighbor's yard.  I think he did not want to be trapped in our "habitat" again.

The girls loved having a "pet," even for just a few days.  It was very exciting to them and they mention him all the time.  I still don't think we are ready for a permanent pet, but it was a great learning experience.