Being a Grad School Wife

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my husband is about to enter into his 5th (4th? 5th?) year of grad school. I don't usually write about this part of my life, but it is a major part of my life, and I will probably be sharing more of it. It is a very challenging thing to go through as a family especially when there is not much support provided. I think a lot of people probably find it odd that we chose to live apart for now, but they have probably never gone through a PhD program with children. And even if they have, every situation is different.

I will be completely honest and say that my husband and I had no clue what our lives were going to be like when he decided to go to grad school. Mila was about a year old when he applied and we had spent all but a few months of our marriage in school. We figured we could stand to continue on with this lifestyle. Ha! Grad school is nothing like undergrad. My husband is hardly ever home, especially when deadlines are approaching, and when he is (other than sleeping), it's because he can't work in his office that he shares with everyone else in his program. And as much work as he puts in, there is hardly any income. When your spouse is working on a PhD, it is a lonely, lonely world. This semester is going to be critical and the most stressful semester for him. When we first discussed my coming out to DC, it was originally going to be for just the summer so that he would be able to focus on his exams, and so that I could get away. As much as I support his school work, I also need help with the girls. I was in the middle of job hunting when my parents suggested moving out to DC for better jobs and free daycare, and it just felt like the best choice. Finding quality child care with our income was a struggle. Unfortunately, this is not a time where my husband can go out and get a second job for extra income. Grad school is his life right now and I try to do what I can to make sure he succeeds. I am so lucky to have parents who are going to be able to support me in this time so yes, I am going to take the offer. I do have times when I wonder if this really was the best decision. I hate that they haven't seen their dad in two months. But since we lived in such a small apartment, he would probably be camping out at his office as he has done many times, and they wouldn't get the chance to really see him anyway. 

We (I) have gone through some major sacrifices these past four years, and I'm at a point where I really need my family. And I'm so grateful for their support.

If you are in a similar situation, check out The Graduate Wife. I discovered this blog a few years ago and has been a great read. I will actually be contributing a few articles for them along with a few other graduate wives. 

D is for Drum

D is for Drum is listed in the shop. 

Juggling it all

I started working again about four weeks ago and it has definitely been an adjustment. I enjoyed being able to stay home with the girls for 7 months and it is hard to leave them, but it does makes it so much easier having them with my mom. Still, I wish I could spend more time with them, especially since Mila will be starting Kindergarten in two weeks. My schedule varies so we're going to have to work extra hard at getting a routine down.

Despite my crazy schedule I am still embroidering.  In fact I have a billion projects in my head and I really wish I had the time to work on all of them. I thought about putting the shop on hold for a little while until I felt I had more of a schedule down, but it's just one of those things I can't put down. Embroidering is such a stress reliever for me.

The blog hasn't been much of a priority,  but I am working on changing that. These changes the past few months have been a little confusing even for myself.  But I have a few topics in mind that I'd like to add to the blog, so I hope you continue to stop by!

Radio Lamps

A few weeks ago my mom and I were driving home from Target when we noticed a sign for an estate sale, and of course we had to go check it out. There were a lot of cool items and my mom even picked up some awesome old light bulbs, but they had these lamps that really caught my eye. I've never seen anything like them before, and we learned that they were radio lamps.

Nude Lady Radio Lamp

Apparently, radio lamps were popular in the 1920s and 30s. They are low wattage lamps and they would sit on top of the radio. In the evening, it was usually the only source of light while the family sat around the radio to listen to programs.

Charioteer Radio Lamp

After looking these cool things up, I realized the lamps at the estate sale were priced very well. If only they weren't on hold (or I wasn't poor) I would have picked one or two of these wonderful things up.

Philadelphia, pictures galore

So late, but here is an update on our Philadelphia trip. It was a little sad since it was Gabby's last day with us, but it was nice that we made the best of it.

The girls and I (and also Gabby) had never been to Philly, and it's always exciting going to new places. Mila wanted to go to Philly to see the Liberty Bell, but we didn't go in to actually see it. There was a long line and didn't want to miss our tour through Independence Hall. We were able to see it through an outside window though, which was enough for us.

The girls were also fascinated by some other non-historical attractions like acorns and caterpillars. 

Mila wanted to take pictures so the following are hers. I've decided after looking at these that she would make a good spy. There are plenty of random people pictures stored on my camera :) 

I was very happy to see that Mila took a picture of the chandelier in one of the above pictures. And I love looking at these pictures from a kid's perspective.... and a bad one of myself. 

Gabby did some research before the trip and suggested Smith Memorial Playground. They all had lots of fun and we all highly recommend it if you find yourself in Philadelphia for whatever reason. I was super hot and tired, but the house is gorgeous and I couldn't help but imagine how I would have it set up if it was my own. 

And lastly, Mila's traffic picture coming back to the DC area....