The turtle and the girl

Owls are out. Turtles are in.

Ever since Alivia received a turtle puppet Memorial Day weekend, owls have been passe and turtles are hot with our little zoologist. The turtle puppet travels with us, and treks up the stairs twice a day to nap and get tucked in for bed with Alivia.

As if the turtle needed any boost for her affections, a replica was spotted in a mail-order catalog about six weeks ago, making her turtle famous. She loves it even more since its stardom was discovered. And it's now referred to as "my famous turtle."

Earlier this summer we discovered a local nursery which has an impressive garden pond with large goldfish and swimming turtles. A visit here is a treat for Alivia. It's only luck that, first, she has yet to fall into the pond while kneeling down to get a closer look, and second, that the nursery's staff hasn't asked us to please discontinue our visits until we're prepared to make further purchases. Turtle-watching customers don't pay the bills.

Tonight, while visiting a local family fun day which featured a small petting zoo, she actually got to touch a turtle. Making its way through the grass, eating its dinner, roaming free, the turtle was fair game for her. She was thrilled. It was a moment when you see your child not even be able to believe her own eyes.

She touched, admired and longed to be near it. I'm convinced had we told her she could pick it up and bring it home with her, she'd be sleeping with her head on its shell right now.

I'm sure tomorrow she'll tell me she's a turtle and I'll have to pretend as though she is (again). She may swim like a turtle in the wading pool or crawl around the living room expecting me to comment on the turtle we have in the house. I'll probably be asked to call her by her turtle name "Tullabelle Turtle." Turtles are, after all, at the top of Alivia's "it" list.