The Unpolished Stephanie - March Madness

March Madness: A Survival Report

I’ve been a little quiet lately, and if I’m being honest, it’s because I’ve been trying to find my breath.

You know how it goes. March starts, it’s your birthday month, the sun is finally peeking out, and you think, “This is it. This is going to be a great month.” And then, slowly, the calendar starts to fill in.

Suddenly, you’re looking at a schedule that includes twins starting soccer (three times a week), an older daughter in soccer and dance (four times a week), a husband with his own Jiu-Jitsu training, and the Astros games starting back up. Somewhere in the middle of all those boxes on the calendar, the "you" part of the schedule just… disappeared.

The View from My Front Room

If you walked into my house right now, you’d see it. My dinner table has become a permanent home for never-ending laundry—folded, but never quite making it to the drawers. Somewhere underneath those piles is a Harry Potter puzzle waiting to be glued. My formal dining room? It’s been officially redesigned by my kids into a makeshift playroom for forts, Hot Wheels, and a graveyard of McDonald’s toys.

Even my 10-year-old lab has joined the madness. She figured out how to open the lift-top trash can, so now the indoor trash lives in the garage. Her new hobby is "pre-washing" the dishes by pulling them out of the sink to lick them on the kitchen floor.

It’s messy. It’s loud. And some days, it’s just a lot.

The 10:00 PM Target Deliveries

Here's a typical Monday. It’s Pajama Day at school, and you realized at 9:55 PM that nobody has clean PJs that actually fit and match. Thank God for Target coming through at the last minute. You’re packing lunches and realize you’re exactly one oatmeal cream pie short, and you just find yourself whispering a prayer that the kid who misses out won't notice or care.

Then the workday starts. You’re logging into meetings, staring at data analytics, scanning through emails and keeping up with the constant ping of Class Dojo messages and family group chats. Then comes the "lunch hour" scramble—which isn't for eating, but for hunting down soccer uniforms, cleats, and shin guards so you can get three kids ready to go the second the clock hits 5:00.

By the time I’m sitting on the sidelines, threatening my kids that they’ll have to sit in the car if they don't listen to the coach, I’m usually thinking about an email I forgot to send. Then it’s a coin toss between Sonic or McDonald's for dinner, followed by the bedtime battle of "one more snack" and "I need more water" until everyone finally falls asleep.

That is my March Madness.

The "Fantasy" vs. The Reality

I wanted the twins to have the chance to play a sport. I thought it would be fun. In my head, I had this beautiful "idealized" version of how this season would look—full of happy memories and family bonding.

But the reality is that I often just feel overstimulated. Between the games, the practices, and Matt being away for school field trips and competitions, I found myself hitting a wall. I thought I would love being a "busy mom," and while I do love my work, and love being a mom... I’ve realized that what I’m actually craving are pockets of peace. Just an hour of silence to feel like a person again.

I’m going to be very honest with you: I haven’t been okay this month. I’ve felt down in the dumps. I’ve felt like I wasn't enough because I didn't want to go to soccer practice. I wanted to be alone. I started telling myself that "good moms" love the busyness, and I wondered if my own chemical makeup was just wired differently. Why does it look so easy for everyone else?

When Your Body Forces a Reset

I think we mothers feel like we need a "valid" reason to be tired or sad. Apparently, my body decided to give me four. Between the allergies and the stress, I ended up with an eye infection, a sinus infection, a double ear infection, and strep throat. All at once.

My doctor told me that this was my body’s way of saying: "Hello, we are exhausted. And if you don't slow down we're going to shut it down." I’m writing this tonight because I wanted to put the weight of my heart onto the page. I’ve missed the podcast so much, but I only record when I feel like my "free-spirited" self—and that girl has been hiding under a pile of blankets, bills, and brain fog lately. Instead, I’ve been staying up way too late painting and listening to audiobooks, just trying to decompress.

I just want you to know that if you are feeling overwhelmed, under-inspired, or just plain tired even when it's a "special event," you aren't failing. You’re just juggling a lot. The weight of working, running a home and raising humans is heavy, and it’s okay to feel that weight.

I don’t have any advice for you. I haven't figured it out yet. I just want you to know that you are important, and you’re doing a great job.

If you’re down in the dumps today, text me. We don't have to talk about schedules or "fixing" things. We can just talk about ice cream, books, or reality TV.

I see you. You're doing better than you think.

- Stephanie