Turtle of the Day: Two Turtle-Boys

These are my two turtle boys - the Munchkin and his cousin DragonBen. DragonBen is actually inside a turtle shell on a family vacation to Minnesota, but seeing this photo reminded me that our zoo here in Rochester has a similar shell. I will have to find a time to bring The Munchkin over and see what he thinks of it.

The Munchkin was climbing on a Turtle at Barret's Place, a VERY VERY nice playground near my parents house in Pendleton, SC. He keeps asking to go to the playgrounds around here - but their wide open landscapes with nary a tree in sight and metal structures pale in comparison to this great space.

Even when the temperature was up in the 90's, most of the playground was in the shade and comfortable (of course the Munchkin kept gravitating to the sandbox, the only area in full sun most of the time.) I have extreme playground envy now - and cannot even envision a place in my community where we could build something remotely similar.

I am hoping the Munchkin's backyard "playground" - under the shelter of the black walnut and surrounded by mommy's gardens - will keep him content. And with his turtle sandbox underneath the "fort" we've got everything a playground needs, right? Slide, swings, fort, turtle, pirate wheel and periscope. What else could a little boy want?? (Oh - and Daddy wants to add a flagpole for the pirate flag).