Research

Since I had kept our destination a secret from Wilson until we were actually on our way, he hadn't had any opportunity to research Bath or Bristol. Accordingly, even before we went to our room, he picked up a load of leaflets about the local attractions. 

I expect he'll be up all night with them. 

With the room lights on.

Reading interesting bits out loud to me.

While I vainly try to get some sleep...

Bath time!

We're all now safely home from our Winter Holiday. Wilson is a little bit sad to return to normal life, though I think he's happy to be sleeping in his own tumble dryer again.

He thanked the bees for their sterling work in keeping the blog going during our absence, and I have to say there was a little bit of unpleasantness when Billi announced that she and Polly had enjoyed blogging so much that they wanted to carry on doing it, giving the blog a more bee-related bias.

Anyway, they and W sorted it out between themselves without anyone getting stung, so now I can start telling you about our holiday in Bath. 

W told me later that he couldn't decide whether or not to give them the bottle of Roman Baths Souvenir Royal Jelly he'd brought back for them.

In today's picture you can see Wilson arriving at the hotel in the tiny village of Lympley Stoke, just outside Bath.

i'm back again

hello everyone again, it's polly-b again. i'm feeling much better again today, thanks for asking. yesterday billi did this blog and she forgot to put in any full stops or commas so i will put some at the end of this mESSAGE AND YOU CAN STICK THEM IN WHERE YOU LIKE.

POLLY? THE WRITING HAS GONE ALL FUNNY AGAIN, HOW DO I STOP IT?

billib here

greetings everybody this is billi-b today

polly isnt feeling very well today so i will do this for her not that i intend making a habit of it you understand

todays free gift decoration is a bit special apparently its called a bauble and i have no idea what that is it looks like a bit of cardboard to me

it's polly-b again, hello dear

hello everyone, this is polly-b once more with another xmas tree decoration from wilSON. IT IS ANOTHER ANTEATER PICTURE TO CUT OUT ETC LIKE BEFORE.

BILLI DEAR, WHY HAS MY WRITING GONE FUNNY LIKE THIS?

hello? hello? 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2?

hello everyone, this is polly-b again. hello. 

today i have got a lovely xmas decoration which wilson designed for you and i'm going to try to send it to you. it is a festive picture of an anteater which you are supposed to print and cut out and hang on your xmas tree. it all sounds like a lot of work to me, but what do i know?

billi, dear, how do i send a picture? oh yes i remember now.

busy bees blogging

hello everyone. i am polly-b and this is my friend and wife billi-b and we will be running this nice blog until wilson and his new dad come home from their holiday.

billi and i are both bees and we live with wilson and his new dad and our adopted children johnson major and johnson minor. also loads of other people live here too. ssssswsdfkgjpoiadr

unfortunately both johnsons are being quite naughty. they are over excited and keep jumping up and down on the keyboard.

johnson — do stop doing that. cccccccdddddeekkldfn;a now.

We're All Going on a Winter Holiday!

I tried to convince Wilson to take only one suitcase, but I eventually relented and let him take a separate 'emergencies' bag, which I suspect is full of Cheesy Wotsits and Ant-Based Snacks, but it's not very big.

Once all the packing was in the car everyone gathered in the front room to wave us off.

As we drove away I whispered the name of our destination to W, who immediately started to panic! He calmed down once I explained, but his reaction might be a clue to you of where we are going.

Otherwise, you'll just have to wait until we get back and we show you the photos!

In the meantime the bees Polly-B and Billi-B will take care of you on the blog (they're both very excited!) and Wilson and I will see you in a few days…

Packing for a holiday

This morning I told Wilson that we'd be going on holiday Saturday, but our destination is still a mystery to him — all he knows is that he won't need his passport.

He also doesn't know how long we're going for, and I think he's rather overestimated how much packing to take with him.

I shall have to have a word…

Computer Training Course

When we go on our holiday shortly, I have insisted that Wilson should leave his iPad at home so he can relax completely without constantly checking his email and Twitter accounts.

However, so that he is not completely out of touch with his friends, he is teaching Polly and Billi the Bees how to use his iMac to Blog on his behalf during his absence.

W says they are both quick learners and are taking in everything he tells them… the most important thing, apparently, being that they shouldn't let either of the Johnson Brothers anywhere near the computer!

Oh Xmas Tree, Oh Xmas Tree...

Today Wilson, with help and advice from the Bees, decorated the tree — and it looks lovely! 

Polly and Billi both counselled W that Monochromatic was the way to go for a sophisticated, 2014 look, so all the lights and decorations are white or silver, and the finished effect is very glittery and shimmery.

Polly summed it up, saying, 'It looks like a great big Xmas Diamond twinkling in the corner!' and they both assured Wilson that he would have 'A totes amazeballs Xmas!'

The lights must go up!

Today, despite the bitter cold and drizzle, Wilson started fixing up the outside Xmas Lights. 

We were both chilled to the bone when we finally came in so we had a big mug of hot chocolate with squirty cream and marshmallows together while we warmed up. 

Tomorrow I hope we'll be doing the Xmas Tree.

Indoors.

In front of a big fire! 

Wilson starts work on the decorations...

Given his love of climbing and of ladders, I quite thought Wilson would start with the lights on the side of the house, or perhaps the Xmas Tree, but instead he decorated the door wreath and the bay trees. 

I have made it quite clear that it is his job to go outside to turn off the lights at night, whatever the weather.

Xmas lights

Tomorrow will be 1 December, the date on which Wilson traditionally puts up the Xmas Decorations, and he's been in 'The Museum' (AKA Garden Shed) all day looking for some special plug he needs to work the outdoor lights. 

It's chaotic out there, but I know he won't quit until he finds it!

Wikipedia

To pass the time until he can start putting up the Xmas Decorations, Wilson is drafting a letter of complaint to Wikipedia. He takes exception to Tamanduas, of which he is one, being described by them as the 'Common or Lesser Anteater.'

'We are neither "common" nor "lesser", New Dad — and I shall tell them so in no uncertain terms!'

This is exactly like the time he complained to an on-line dictionary for claiming that Vermilingua, his family name, means 'Worm Tongue.' 

He'll get no satisfaction and just make himself cross…

FREE ADVENT CALENDAR pt 2

Here is the second, and final, component of your Free Advent Calendar! 

Wilson says you should download it, print it out and glue it behind yesterday's sheet. When the glue is dry you can hang it on the wall ready for 1st December. Or the fridge door. Or anywhere else — that's how versatile it is.

He advises that 'You should close your eyes when working on today's sheet, or risk spoiling the surprise,' adding that 'Perhaps a friend could help make sure you don't stick todays sheet upside-down. If you've got any friends. And take care not to glue your claws together…'

Good luck with that!

FREE ADVENT CALENDAR pt 1

So, here it is! The thing you've been waiting for! Your FREE ADVENT CALENDAR!

Here is the front of the calendar for you to print out. Once it's printed Wilson says you should cut round the solid black lines of the doors so you can open them on the appropriate day.

IMPORTANT: W advises that you should open, download and print tomorrow's image with your eyes closed, so as not to spoil the surprise when you look behind the little doors.

Sounds like good advice! 

A new photo of Colin arrives!

Another photo of Colin has arrived, and this time Ms Jenny has (wisely) not written a first-person message on the front!

As he pinned it up on his notice board, Wilson remarked that Colin really seems to be settling down and integrating with Baby William's family.

Also on the notice board you can see the Advent Calendar that W intends to send to you all tomorrow. 

Please try to contain your excitement!

Free Xmas Decoration/Craft Project for You!

Today being exactly one month from Xmas Day, Wilson has started thinking about Xmas, and has designed what he describes as 'This charming, faux-rosewood and pine decorative Rocking Anteater' for your Xmas Delight.

He says that you should print it out, cut out the printed bit very carefully (with the assistance of a grown-up if necessary) then fold it in half. Then you can allegedly stand it on your mantel-piece or hang if from your Xmas Tree, should you wish to do so.

Let's face it, nothing says 'Xmas' quite like a wobbling cardboard cutout of an anteater…

Winter Holidays

I had promised Wilson a nice walk in the woods yesterday, but the constant torrential rain was so bad that I let him off and instead took him out for dinner at the newly-refurbished pub just outside the village. 

We had a lovely meal and a super dessert (home-made rhubarb crumble) and over a glass of wine I told W that we would be going on holiday before Xmas… with one condition.

I would organise it myself, and he wouldn't know where we were going until we set off. Also, I asked him to leave his iPad at home so he could really relax. 

'New Dad, that's two conditions!' he observed.

I conceded that he was correct, and he said 'Alright! We're going on holiday — Woot!'