In which we go to RI...

Kidder and I spent a bit of time in Rhode Island before school started up again, just enjoying the sun and salty air and doing a bit of customary adventuring.

  We walked down to the light house and passes some mighty big houses....

We watched the water at Watch Hill...

And Kidder took a ride on the oldest still operating Flying Horses carousel in the country and was sad his short little otter arms couldn't quite reach the golden ring.

Kidder Matthews goes on a long distance movie date...

Due to the fact my husband is deployed, going on dates is tricky. Skype is such a blessing, but sometimes a change of setting other than my bedroom is nice. My husband and I had both been eagerly waiting for The Dark Knight Rises to come out (like waiting years!) and before we knew we were going to be dealing with a deployment we talked about seeing it together when it finally arrived. But since he is in the Middle East and I am in the New England we had to get creative. Friday at 7pm his time and noon my time we went on a movie date to see the latest Batman movie "together." And of course Kidder came along, cause he just loves a good outing (and because if I was going to look foolish sitting alone in a theater I might as well go all out and bring a stuffed otter with me).

 Yup. I smuggled a purse full of popcorn and an otter into the theater and then took pictures. Triple violation? Kidder and I find rules to be lame.

The experience of the "date" was better than the actual movie (sort of a let down). Deployment creativity is fun, but I'm glad there is only 4 more months until real dates!

In which Kidder camps...

While our Airman is deployed (2 months down, 4 to go!!) Kidder and I have been doing our best to carry on in his absence and enjoy ourselves. This week we took part in a 40 person family camping trip at a State Park/Beach. Most of the time Kidder hung out in the tent, as east coast beaches aren't exactly love otter friendly. Overall, it was a very nice and enjoyable week in the outdoors.

The major issue of the trip was the first 2 days when "the deluge" came- our campsite flooded with approximately 6-8 inches of water. But a little down pouring rain didn't stop Kidder or I. He went for a nice boating trip (in our campsite-turned-pond) on my baby cousins pirate ship during the storm.

Later this month Kidder and I will be visiting a private beach for a week which will hopefully be drier and will definitely involve less children trying to kid(der)nap the little lover otter. Stay tuned for pictures of Kidder working on his tan.

Flashback: In which Kidder aids in the taking of a college final...

Sometimes, in college, final exam time comes around and you're baffled. Not because you are a bad student. No, you have a 4.0 and you're baffled. The end of the semester arrives and you cannot figure out what you learned, or how the parts you remember apply to the course which you thought you were taking (typically literature courses teach...literature. But no, not always. Sometimes they just...teach...whatever).

There is only one remedy to this situation. His name is Kidder Matthews, love otter extraordinaire and excellent test taking companion.

American Literature II: Final Exam, May 2012.

Proof: final grade? 98.

In which Kidder sits around SeaTac Airport for a good long while...

It is very lonely when one's husband has to deploy and one -a newlywed wife- has to keep entertained (and not crying) at an airport for many hours before her plane comes in. In my experience, I recommend bringing a love yotter. Also, a 430 page book to read is helpful.

Kidder Matthews at SeaTac International Airport, Washington. June 4th, 2012.

Once Upon a Time There Was a Kidder Matthews...

Indeed. Once upon a time their was a Kidder Matthews. And he was a love otter.

I bet that makes little or no sense to anyone but my husband and I, so let me explain.

Once, back in July of 2011, I was called a baby sea otter by 3 very strange young men. It was about 11:30 pm and we were swimming in a very cold and dark pool. I didn't last long. Somehow getting out a shivery mess earned me the name of Baby Sea Otter, and insults such as "why don't you go eat some clams on your belly!" were hurled at me. Somehow the nickname stuck and one of those 3 weirdos continues to call me it.

February of 2012 myself and my now mother-in-law and 2 sisters-in-law went to visit our JoJo. Our JoJo is in the Air Force and he lives all the way in Washington state while the rest of us dwell on the east coast. (JoJo is also the weirdo who continued to call me Baby Sea Otter, after that fateful late night fourth of July party in his pool before the Air Force dragged him away.)

On Monday, February 20th that very same JoJo proposed and made me his fiancee. But this is but a minor detail in the big story of what exactly is a love otter. Later on in the same week the 5 of us to a trip to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington. There we spent the majority of our visit being entertained by a delightful group of sea otters- the comedians of the sea- who were, of course, eating clams. On their bellies. Typical.

Before leaving JoJo sisters had us make a stop at the gift shop. All of a sudden JoJo pulls something of the shelf and thrusts it towards me with the words of "I AM BUYING THIS FOR YOU."

It was a stuffed baby sea otter. He became mine. And so began the life of Kidder Matthews, our love otter. And such a love otter (sometimes pronounced yotter) he is.

Still make no sense? Probably. Let me confuse you more by saying that I named my love otter after a successful real estate business company that has incredibly orange signs all over the state of Washington.

 

Since the beginning of his times with us, Kidder has been quite the wander. He has made several trips back and forth from Washington state; he's great on planes. He has driven all over CT. Sometimes he accompanies me places in my purse or camera bag, but his main hobby is being available for cuddling when my husband (oh, minor detail, JoJo and I got married May 26th!) is not around (currently he is deployed in Qatar for 6 months).

Kidder will never pass up an adventure. So we take him on all of ours. And now we share all of that ...specialness...with you. Welcome.

Kidder (and Bella&JoJo) go to Seattle, June 2nd 2012

View of downtown from Kerry Park