Eleven times table

I seem to have found myself tagged in the mother of all memes.  Now, I'm not sure what I've done to deserve this but whatever it was, it must have been bad.

This particular challenge involves *takes deep breath* telling you good folk 11 things about myself, answering 11 questions, thinking of 11 more and then tagging 11 other bloggers *exhales sharply*.

Image credit

Maths was never my strong point at school but even I know that's *counts on fingers* a lot of things to do.  But it doesn't end there.  I have been tagged by two sadistic lovely bloggers - Here Come The Girls and Chelsea Mamma.  So that's double the amount of questions to answer.  I'll still only be thinking of 11 questions for 11 other bloggers (thank goodness, otherwise my brain may just explode!). 

And, of course, with any good meme there comes some rules.  For this one, they are:

• You must post these rules
• Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog
• Answer the questions the “tagger” listed for you in her post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
• Choose 11 people to tag and link to them in the post
• Let each blogger know that you have tagged them 

As much as I now just want to throw the duvet over my head and hope that it'll all turn out to be a bad dream, I think the best thing to do is to meet this challenge head-on.  You will not defeat me.  Bring it on! 

First of all, though, I'm going to be a little rebel and break the rules.   I'm not going to tell you 11 things about myself.  How shocking of me!  I hope I don't get hexed or anything for this but I figure that answering 22 questions about myself will be quite enough personal sharing for one day...

I should probably tackle Chelsea Mamma's questions first, considering that she tagged me first *shakes fist angrily*.  Here they are:

1. Apart from being a mummy, what is (or was) your chosen career?

Technically, my chosen career was being a journalist.  I wanted to be one ever since I was nine-years-old and because I loved to write.  Fast forward so many years and I achieved what I set out to do; I became a broadcast journalist.  For various reasons I eventually decided to move into the realm of PR, which is what I do now.

2. Where is the most exotic place you have ever visited?

Florida.  My husband took me for the very first time in 2004.   It was my first time abroad (France doesn't really count, after all).  It really was magical.

3. What piece of advice would you give to a teenage you, if you got the chance?

Keep doing what you're doing.  I had a fantastic time in my teens once I hit the age of 16.

4. How old were you when you had your first baby?

In my twenties.  That's all you need to know.

5. What is your signature dish?

Corned beef hash.   It's my fail-safe dish.  But I'm not telling you my secret ingredient...

6. What do you wish you had done before having children?

Probably travelling.  I spent so long going from one academic course to another and then into a job, that I didn't get round to it.  Now I have children, I can't see myself doing any backpacking any time soon.

7. What is your most embarrassing mummy moment?

Just last week I went off to work wearing some lovely new clothes.  They would have looked even better if I'd remembered to cut the tags off them first...(!) 

8. What are your favourite activities to do with the children?

Playing 'who can stay the quiet the longest'.  Otherwise, we love getting the Play Doh out or heading off to the local soft play centre.

9. What is your claim to fame (if you have one)?

I once had my very own stalker.  He sent me chocolates, flowers and eventually invited me to a Bryan Adams concert!

10. Which children's TV show is your (not the kids) favourite?

Show Me Show Me.  You gotta love those groovy move-meisters, Chris and Pui.

11. If you had a day to yourself, what would you do? 

A day...to myself??    'Tis the stuff of legend and myth!    I daren't dream of such a thing!

Done!  Bosh!  Have some of that!  Now onto the questions set by Here Come The Girls: 

1. What would your superhero name and power be? 

I'm not sure about a super power but I am fairly handy at downing a pint of lager.  Not so handy at keeping it down though.

2. What is the most embarrassing thing you've ever done? 

Well, there was label-gate, which I described in one of my earlier questions.  And, on the same day while on my way home, I tried to ride the escalator at the rail station up to the train platforms.  I couldn't understand why I wasn't getting anywhere until I eventually realised I was trying to go up the down escalator - doh!  These aren't the most embarrassing things I've ever done but certainly the most recent.

3. What do you wish for your children? 

I wish they are happy, healthy and will always look out for each other.

4. What qualities do you hope your children will inherit from you? 

My patience, creativity (I like to think I have some!) and, for my daughter, my wardrobe.

5. What do you hope they won't inherit? 

My eyesight.   I am long-sighted with an astigmatism in both eyes and have had glasses since I was three or four-years-old.  I hated growing up wearing glasses and still hate being seen in them even now.  It all harks back to being picked on at school for being a 'speccy four eyes'.  I really hope Sophia and Dexter inherit perfect 20/20 vision from their dad.

6. What would you do differently about your time as a parent? 

I don't really feel qualified to answer this just yet.  I've only been a parent for a few years, there are many more to come and, no doubt, tons of opportunities to mess up and feel guilty about.

7. What was the best advice you received on becoming a parent? 

Trust your instincts.

8. What was the hardest thing about becoming a parent? 

Feeling guilty all the time; guilty in case they're not being stimulated enough; guilty about sitting them down while Cbeebies is on; guilty because they're ill and so it continues.  It's like there's a whole new level of guilt reserved especially for parents. 

9. Who would play you in your life story?  Why? 

This one is easy.   It would be Winona Ryder because we could be twins (or so I've been told).  My nickname at university was 'Winona'.

10. Who would play your onscreen partner? 

Matthew Perry.  Just the right mix of laugh-out-loud humour, cuddliness and good looks.

11. What music would be on the soundtrack? 

I'm so out of the loop when it comes to music nowadays.  Is Steps still going?

Whoop whoop - all done!  Now, here are my questions...

• What's your favourite animal? 
• What's the best compliment you've ever received?
• What's the best thing about being a parent?
• What's frustrates you the most about your children?
• If you found a magic lamp, Aladdin-style, what one thing would you wish for?
• Friends or Frasier?
• If you could step into another blogger's shoes for the day, who would it be and why?
• What's the most romantic thing your other half has done for you?
• Describe your perfect day
• Do you want fries with that? 

Now, I know I've only got 10 bullet points there but technically, technically, question number seven can be counted as two questions because it's got two parts to it.  So there's my eleven.  Right there.  Have some of that.

And here are the 11 unsuspecting victims bloggers I'm tagging to continue this hell of a meme:

• From Fun to Mum 
• Romanian Mum in London
• Tricky Customer 
• Adventures of a Middle-Aged Matron
• The Life and Times of the Working Mum
• An Essex Wife
• Lisa Gusto
• A Modern Mother
• Two point Four Children
• Seasider in the City
• Rollercoaster Mum

I apologise profusely to you all but, if I've had to do it, I'm sharing the pain!

And if anyone's tempted to tag me again, I'll be coming round to yours to sort you out *hides under duvet until this beast of a meme goes away for good*