Maddie & Willem

We are in the Netherlands at the moment, where people speak Dutch and Frisian and where Hollanders are from. But we are not in Holland!! How confusing. Well, not for Willem, he (i) is Frisian and knows all about it.

We like bikes - it is the best way to get around here. It is all flat and easy going on these bikes that are like limousines. We also like toys, like the wooden ones from Prague. We have other toys too like robots and toupie golf. We also live with a busy bunch of stuffed animals. Willem has orange sunglasses and is a techie nerd who sometimes turns into his superhero alter-ego "Laundry Man" who carries this basket around. Maddie writes stories and is a smart cook and otherwise.

Maddie plays toupie golf with Pinot; you can just make out her nose. She also goes biking with her other best friend, Bert "the Chicken" Kipper who lives with us. Bert quite likes being driven around like that.

Another stuffed friend is Gyrgos. Gyrgos is quite the character - a bit rough about the edges and he's seen the darker side of the moon. He also likes nibbling them cookies that Willem likes to bake. Look at those guilty snouts caught over the plate.

Lately we have been making chicken effigies (those are "look-a-likes") of Bert. These are made from something called "Fimo", which is a lot like clay. Bert was fine with the ballet dancers, but he is not sure about matrix and super chickens.