This morning, I opened my eyes at 4:45 am. Yes, of course I went back to sleep. But finally, I gave in and crawled out of bed at 5:00 am. Why, you ask? Because I am smack dab in the middle of my own personal "March Madness."

You see, 2009 was humming along nicely. Sure, I had the typical "Mom" things to deal with - laundry, cooking, driving, attending meetings - a volunteer gig here or there. But it was well-spaced out. I had time in-between most of these things. Enough time to breathe, that is.

Suddenly, it's mid-March and those great and powerful forces have collided. I have too much to do in too little time. I won't list everything because I guarantee that there are many of you whose list would dwarf mine. I get that.

My point is that my to-do list is waking me up, pre-dawn. Instead of dreaming of warm beaches, I'm trying to figure out what to cook tomorrow night that can be eaten (neatly) in a car on the way from play practice to the college night meeting. And can I get the key to the school refrigerator before or after I drop off the smelly dog for grooming? And top it off with wishing the economy would boom so that my college senior could quickly find a job after graduation. Sigh.

The thing is, I know I'll get it all done...somehow, and probably not well, but it'll be finished. I should sleep when I can't do anything about my list. But that's not how I operate. Sleep deprivation seems to be the way I roll. Yawn....Note to self: Fill out NCAA brackets before Thursday!

This past weekend, I chaperoned a choir trip to Disney World. Although the thought of warm weather was enticing, mine is not typically the first hand up when it comes to chaperone duties. I love kids, but I’m best at dealing with them one or two at a time. I’m the mom that doesn’t mind stuffing envelopes instead of doing playground duty or going to the pumpkin farm. Hide me in an office instead of on the bus with the kids. Truth be told, I’m not good with drama from other people’s kids.

But this was a different situation. It was a choir of all girls – 14 of them in all, including my daughter. They seemed like really nice kids, between the ages of 15 and 18. Then again, I’ll totally admit that I was cautiously optimistic at best. You never know with kids – especially girls. Will they be mean? Will they obsess over their hair? Will they fight with each other? Will they run around outside our hotel rooms all night long? Will they ostracize each other so that the quiet ones end up hanging with the chaperones?

Miracles of miracles, none of that happened. They were really nice. Sure, there were a few latecomers every day and I don’t even want to tell you how messy their hotel rooms became. (God bless the housekeeping service. They earned their paycheck this weekend.) But I have to say, this was the perfect trip to chaperone. There was virtually no drama.

You know what that means? The next trip I chaperone will be awful, just awful. I'm counting on it.

I can’t believe it’s been five years since Milwaukee last roared. And although the Brew City tends to growl fairly regularly, I’m pretty excited to hear it again in a big way.

Tonight is the beginning of the Harley Davidson 105^th Anniversary Celebration. No, I don’t own or ride a Harley. In fact, I’m not even a Harley enthusiast. (Although, I apparently turn into one every five years when the Hogs roll into town.)

Five years ago, when Harley Davidson celebrated its 100^th anniversary, my then-11 year old daughter and I wanted to be part of the action. Not owning a Harley or even knowing anyone who did, we were almost out of ideas when inspiration struck. Let’s welcome those bad boys (and girls) to our town.

On a sunny afternoon, just before the festivities began, we headed over to a footbridge that spanned Highway 45. We, along with a few other kids and parents, stood on that footbridge and waved to the riders as they rolled into town. I have to tell you, it was a blast! They honked, they waved and they showed their appreciation to us for welcoming them to our fair city. It was pretty cool. In fact, I think my daughter had to drag me off that bridge.

Alas, today my daughter is old enough to drive alongside the Hogs. Sigh. Where did the time go?