Martinsville, Virginia

October 26, 2014

Dear Class,

This weekend my dad, Mr. England, Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Perkins’ dad, Dr. Perkins, went to Martinsville Motor Speedway to see the Goody’s 500. Tidy Teddy first went to the Goody’s suite, where he met Richard Petty, one of the most famous race car drivers ever! After that, he visited the garages where NASCAR teams get their cars ready for the race. We even met Ms. England’s favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.!

Tidy Teddy got to go out on the track and see all of the cars up close. The most exciting part of the weekend was when Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race! Tidy Teddy got to go to victory lane and celebrate with the whole team. It was a very special weekend.

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Spain

Hola, Clase de Ms. England!!

On June 21, I flew to Spain with my mom and Tidy Teddy. We didn’t get there until June 22! It was a long flight! We flew into Madrid and immediately went to the Museo Nacional del Prado (the Prado Museum). We couldn’t take pictures inside, so I took a picture of Tidy Teddy with the museum map…which was in Spanish!

The next day, we drove 6 hours south to the Costa del Sol and found our hotel in Benahavis. It was beautiful!! Tidy Teddy liked to hang out at the pool a lot while we were there. He always remembered to wear sunscreen, though!

We spent a couple of days driving around looking at Southern Spain. A lot of villages were made up of buildings and houses that were all white and built on hills. Very pretty but very hard to walk through…lots of ups and downs!

One day we went to a beach that had black sand! This sand was very hot, and we had to run to the water to cool our feet! Tidy Teddy gathered some of the sand for Mrs. Thomas since she collects sand from around the world.

We spent a whole day in Granada, Spain which is famous for the Alhambra, which is a palace and fortress complex built in the 1300’s. Sultans, kings, and queens lived here! The picture of Tidy Teddy and me together was taken in the room where Christopher Columbus asked Ferdinand and Isabella to give him money for his voyage in 1492. In another room, called The Hall of Two Sisters, the designs on the wall inspired M.C. Escher in his mathematics work and future artwork!

With only a few days left in Spain, Tidy Teddy, my mom, and I went to a few other towns to see lots of interesting things! We saw windmills, castles, and bullrings. Even though bullfighting is a very historically popular activity in Spain, we did not go to see a bullfight. Tidy Teddy did hang out with ToroLoco (Crazy Bull) for a little bit, though!

It was a fun and exciting trip, and I was very glad that Tidy Teddy was able to go with me!

Adios!

Ms. Stamper

Cape Town, South Africa

January 15, 2011

Dear Ms. England’s Class,

Tidy Teddy just wanted to check in from Africa.  He just went on a car trip from Cape Town down to the Cape of Good Hope.  On the way there, he stopped at a place called Boulder Beach which is home to a colony of African penguins.  He tried to make friends with the penguins, but they were quite shy.  I don’t think they have seen very many bears.

He then went to the Cape of Good Hope, where he climbed to the top of the peak, where he could see views of where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.  It was quite high up there, and Tiddy Teddy was a little scared of heights I think.  So, then I brought him back down to the car where he could see the baboons playing.  (I do not have pictures of Teddy with the baboons, but can send you some of just the baboons if you would like).

Teddy has been having a wonderful time in Cape Town and doesn’t want to leave.  But, I think he may miss his friends at school.  Plus, Cape Town is a little too hot for a bear.

He (and his travel guide) can’t wait to see you again and to tell you all about his trip!

Your Friend,

Kristin

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