Matthew Perkins

Tidy Teddy Visits Paris, Rome, and London.

Published on November 26, 2025November 26, 2025 by Matthew PerkinsLeave a comment

Recently, Tidy Teddy went on a trip to Paris, France, Rome, Italy, and London, England, with Sarah Kate Porter, the daughter of Dr. Porter. Sarah Kate is studying abroad in Europe for college, and wanted to bring Tidy Teddy along for this adventure.

Sarah Kate and Tidy Teddy started their trip by going to Paris on the train. They spent the train ride studying for her exams.

Paris is the capital city of the country of France. Nearly 50 million people visit Paris every year on vacation!

When they got to Paris, they went to visit The Louvre museum. The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, and home to some of the most famous paintings and sculptures ever made.

Inside the Louvre, Sarah Kate and Tidy Teddy got to see all sorts of different pieces of art, including the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, a famous Italian artist and inventor, in the early 1500s. It is considered the most famous painting in the world.

Next, Sarah Kate and Tidy Teddy visited a famous place called St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Rome is the capital city of the country of Italy. St. Peter’s Basilica has one of the largest domes in the world and is the main church for most of the Pope’s major ceremonies.

To end their trip, Sarah Kate and Tidy Teddy went to London. London is the capital of the United Kingdom, and home to many famous landmarks. While in London, they went to see Big Ben. Big Ben is the big clock tower at the Palace of Westminster. The Palace of Westminster is where the Parliament of the United Kingdom meets to make laws and run the government of their country.

Tidy Teddy Goes to New England

Published on November 26, 2025November 26, 2025 by Matthew PerkinsLeave a comment

Tidy Teddy traveled with Mrs. Hoffman, Ms. England’s class’ Book’em reader, to New England. He visited two states, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

In Massachusetts, Tidy Teddy traveled to the city of Boston. He saw the Paul Revere Monument, which shows the statue of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Paul Revere’s midnight ride was a secret alert on April 18, 1775, when he rode his horse to warn American colonists that British soldiers were marching to Lexington and Concord. The ride was a key event leading up to the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, helping the colonists prepare.

Next, he visited the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor. The USS Constitution is a very special ship in the United States Navy. It’s made of wood and has three masts. President George Washington named it after the Constitution of the United States of America. This makes it the oldest warship in the world that is still floating and active! The Constitution is most famous for its actions during the War of 1812 against Great Britain. During this war, it captured many trading ships and defeated five British warships.

Next, Tidy Teddy went to the Boston Public Library. Founded in 1848, the Boston Public Library is the third-largest library in the United States, with over 24 million items in it! More than six million people visit the library every year.

Finally, Tidy Teddy went to Newport, Rhode Island, to visit The Breakers, a “cottage” built by Cornelius Vanderbilt. Cornelius Vanderbilt also founded Vanderbilt University here in Nashville, and spent his summers at The Breakers with his family.

Tidy Teddy Takes Thailand

Published on February 4, 2024 by Matthew PerkinsLeave a comment

Hello Ms. England’s Class!

Tidy Teddy joined us on a big trip to Thailand, which is in Southeast Asia. We had a great time and even got to ride an elephant!

Teddy took an elephant ride and a jacuzzi this morning before saying goodbye. Although he doesn’t get out of the suitcase very often, he’s become quite travel-weary.

While we were packing up this morning to head to our next Thai destination, Khao Lak, he decided to retire on this island. I think he’ll be comfortable here.

Much love and Happy New Year!
Cathy and Ken

Tidy Teddy’s Cruise Adventures

Published on January 17, 2024 by Matthew PerkinsLeave a comment

Tidy Teddy and I set sail on the Nieuw Statendam, a Holland America Cruise Line ship. This ship is 975 feet long and 114 feet wide. We set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for a 7-day adventure.

The next day (New Year’s Eve), we arrived at our first stop – Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. The Bahamas are a group of 700 islands, but people only live on 30 of them. At Half Moon Cay, we rode horses on the beach (and in the water!) and relaxed on the beach.

After a day at sea, we arrived in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. We climbed the famous Dunn River Falls, a 140-foot-high and 600-foot-long waterfall located near Ocho Rios. The waterfall flows right into the Caribbean Sea.

Our next stop was in Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island. The Cayman Islands are famous for beautiful beaches and great shopping. We spent the day snorkeling and meeting stingrays up close.

The last stop on our trip was Cozumel, Mexico. Mexico is a country south of the United States in Central America. In Cozumel, we took a ferry to the mainland and explored the ancient Mayan Ruins at Tulum. The Mayan people were a group of people who date back to 1800 B.C.! There are many ancient Mayan sites in Central America, but Tulum is the only one built on the coast near the sea.

When we weren’t visiting a new country, we were doing lots of fun things on the ship. One day, we got to meet the captain of the ship. He told us about how big our ship was and how it stays afloat in the water.