My First Compliment From A Stranger

I have to admit that I've been reading all about Sisterlocks, any chance I get.  I always seem to be reading about people who say they are always getting compliments and questions about their hair.  That has had me wondering about what my hair looks like to others.  I love my hair, so I don't really care what others think.  But, still I wonder...

The other day I was shopping in Target and this guy says "Are those Sisterlocks?"  When I replied he held up two thumbs and said "They're looking good."  That put a smile on my face after a long tiring day.


Okay....back to work.  Just had to share.

Little Brown Child

I love children.  I really do.  If I could (and if I had the money) I would have a few of them. I have a little girl and she is the apple of my eye.

I saw a little chocolate child today. A little girl around three or four years of age. She was just too cute.  She had on yellow pajamas (with the feet)-a bit odd as it was raining outside and she was in an office building....She sat with her dad outside of my office and was repeating everything he said.   I think she was drawing or writing on paper.  Her smile is infectious and her hair was in a small afro. Toooo cute. Her mom and dad are  teenagers, probably around 17 years old. I couldn't have imagined having a child so young, but teenagers are doing it everyday. Many of my students have children, and at least one young lady has two.

Life is interesting.

My Hot Water Smells Like Bacon...and other things.

I'm trying to blog regularly, but life, a new job, and my busy baby keep me away from my computer most days when I get home...

The other day my niece warmed up some hot water in my mom's microwave.  She then said..."My hot water smells like bacon."  It was hilarious.  Her water actually didn't smell like bacon. The microwave does, however, smell like bacon because my mom cooks bacon in it every day for breakfast.  Funny.

I had my second retightening this past Saturday.  My locks are a little over two months old.  In fact, they are two months and one day.  My hair is growing (and itching) like crazy.  I'm definitely noticing some changes.  At my first retightening my consultant did the retight and then banded and washed my hair.  Note to everyone...Carols Daughter shampoo is NOT the business if you have locks...it left some residue on my hair and scalp that had to be washed out (scrubbed is a better word for it).  It was crazy.  Anyways.  My consultant said that my locks were looking great, no slippage or anything.

I mentioned to her that I have had crazy itching.  She suggested tea tree oil.

For my second retight, I washed my hair the night before and she said I did an excellent job at braiding and banding.  Braiding and banding took like two forevers.  But I'm glad I did a good job.  I did have some slippage this time, around the edges and in the back where my texture is looser.  She said that I now have a thin patch that wasn't there at my first retight.  I'm a little concerned about that and I've been trying to think about what I did differently during the second month.  Hmmm...I was patting my head (okay, banging on my head with my hands) a whole heck of a lot because I was trying to avoid scratching.  Maybe that was it.  Maybe it was the oil she used, plus the witch hazel, plus the banging.  Or it could have been the bcp's I started a week or so ago (but have since stopped-a whole 'nother story).  Who knows.  I'm just hoping it doesn't continue to be a problem.

I absolutely love my hair.  It was going every which way after the retight, but it has settled down.  I even have balls on the ends of a few locks.  Hurray.

Hubby is giving baby a bath and she is babbling non-stop.  It is so cute.  Today when we got home I said "C'mon baby, let's take off your shoes."  She looked up at me, and then reached down and started pulling her shoe ties (velcro).  The she sat down and continued, as if she was going to take her shoes off herself.  She constantly amazes me and I love her to pieces.

My head is itching like crazy, still, and the baby is walking, for real.

It's funny how things happen sometimes.  When I last wrote, my darling thirteen month old child had taken a few steps here and there.  In fact, she had walked across the living room (maybe 8 steps or so).  My husband and I were thrilled.  Let me tell you what happened next...

The next day, her daycare went to a fun kids pizza spot.  Apparently, my little walker decided to go all out.  According to the daycare ladies, they got to the pizza spot, my child got down, and was WALKING ALL OVER THE PLACE!  She even climbed the slide and slid down over and over again.  She even knew how to get up on the slide and put her legs over to slide down.  At this point I have to tell you that it was her first time on a slide.  Ever.   They said she walked around all day, even went walking towards the door when it was time to leave.  Of course I stood staring at my child in amazement.  I wish I had been there.....  And then she had the nerve to want me to carry her.  I guess she was tired from all that walking...

She is fourteen months old today.  She has been walking around when she wants to, but it seems she prefers leading me around by my finger.  It is amazing to see her learn new things. She catches on quickly.  In fact, today she figured out how to unlock my phone.  I guess I'd better not leave it lying around, she might start deleting stuff.

I'm three weeks (tomorrow) into my Sisterlock journey.  The itching is still driving me crazy, witch hazel doesn't seem to help and I hate the way Sea Breeze smells.  My consultant said to put NOTHING on my hair, so I'm all paranoid about getting it wet in any way.

I will admit to having lock envy.  I know that all locks are different.  I like my hair, but I'm wondering if it is going to be full like I had envisioned it.  It is kind of flat.  I'm also trying to avoid manipulating it for the first 60 days or so (consultant's orders).  Perhaps I'm just used to looking at my afro.  I will also admit to wondering about the number of locks in my head.  I know how many I'm hoping to have, I guess I'm afraid to count and dislike the number that I come up with.

I know...I need to post some pictures.    That is in the plans over the next few days.

She is walking...well...almost.

My daughter is 13 months and 4 weeks, she will be fourteen months old a week from today.  Yes, I am a mommy that counts her child's age in months.  Last night she decided that she wanted to do some walking on her own.  For the past 4-6 months or so she has been walking around holding my hands and fingers. This past Saturday she took four or five steps out of the blue. She just turned around, and started walking over to my niece.  Of course we all got excited and that startled her.

Last night she took four steps on her own into her room, took a few more steps in the hallway, and then she walked across the living room from her dad to me.  It was great.  I am so amazed by her. 

She has been doing it little by little.  I'm hoping to see more walking on her own in the next few days.  It is so exciting.  I love being a mommy.

Have a blessed day.

Hands in my pockets...most irritating

I'm highly irritated.  Okay, so I'm pissed.  I may ramble...thanks for letting me vent.

Today was a good day.  I got some stuff done, though not as much as I should have.  I had a really good omelet at a cafe in town.  I watched one of my favorite shows on TV (I LOVE my DVR...don't know what I did before I had one).  All was well until I went shopping with one of my sisters.  We were shopping for baby shower gifts for my niece's baby shower, which is tomorrow.  Everything about the shopping trip was cool...until my sister started making comments like "What are you getting?"  "Why are you putting that back, isn't it only like $3.99?"  "Aren't you gonna get all that stuff?"  Mind you, I had a bunch of stuff in the basket already.  I love my niece dearly, but cannot afford to spend a small fortune on her.  She and her boyfriend are down to one income because she has been on bed-rest for most of her pregnancy.  I'm sorry for that, but it's not up to me to purchase everything that they need.  I'm giving them a bassinet (like new), a new boppy pillow, gave them a bunch of baby stuff already, and will continue to pass stuff along.

At the cashier, I paid for my stuff (also got a few cute dresses for my thirteen month old daughter).  I put one baby item to the side because I was spending more than I had intended.  My sister started saying things like "Well I'm gonna get all this stuff for her because I know they need it."  and "They only have one income."  and "It's gonna be hard for them with only one income." and "I bought all this stuff for them because they need everything they can get, they only have one income."  After all of that I was thinking..."man, I'm gonna leave her a** here..."

If I had a dollar for each of the times she said "only one income," I wouldn't need my next paycheck.  One thing that made me even more irritated is that she made some snide comment to her 12 year old daughter (my niece), who then looked at me with a frown.  I wanted to say "Will you pull your hands from my pockets?" 

You see....for some reason my sister is fixated on the fact that I have two incomes and she only has one.  Well, I'm married.  She isn't.  She married a man she knew for 3 months (yes, she met him-didn't like him at first, started dating him, and married him in secret literally 2 months later) and no one was surprised at the divorce which happened a few years later.  She single, and complains about having one income.  Go figure.

My husband and I are able to make ends meet, sometimes barely.  My sister doesn't know our income situation, nor does she know what bills and expenses we have to pay.  Yet she thinks that she knows what I should spend on baby clothes or anything else?  Seriously?  She has often commented before that she "wishes she had two incomes."  If I mention something about not having enough money for something, she'll say "Well, you have two incomes."  Like that makes everything I say null and void. Give me a stinkin' break.  She complains about having only one income, but is always buying shoes and clothes and jewelry.  Give me two stinkin' breaks.

How can two people grow up in the same household, and them one of them turn into some selfish, self righteous, opinionated-think she knows everything type of individual?  It's like whatever she has done is the gospel and if others aren't doing it that way, they are stupid or whatever.  She talks badly about other people and the choices they have made, like she never made any of the same or similar poor choices.  And she is teaching her daughter the same bad habits.  It's one thing to want nice things and appreciate nice things, and to purchase nice things for your daughter.  It is another thing altogether to raise your daughter to be an uppity little snot with a smart mouth who thinks she is better than everyone else.  This twelve year old girl looks down on her cousin (another sister's child) because she doesn't have all the same things (material wealth) or the same knowledge (life skills).  In fact, she makes rude comments and treats her cousin poorly.  How much do you want to bet it is because her mother talked a lot of mess about her cousins mother (another sister of mine-I have 5)? It is a shame, a dog-gone shame.  And the child thinks she's grown.  She isn't.

I look at that and I pray that the Lord guides me in teaching my daughter not to judge people too harshly because you never know about their exact situation.  I pray that I instill in her positive values that will help her to be a well rounded, loveable, caring young lady who has lots of friends and a positive outlook on life while being determined and goal oriented.

I'm a person who avoids conflict.  I don't like conflict.  I seldom get angry.  I don't curse.  But today, I wanted to do all those things. 

She is my sister, and I love her, but dammit, she needs to pull her hands out of my pockets.  We might have to come to verbal fisticuffs (argument) if she doesn't stop her self-righteous b.s. 

My husband doesn't know why I hold my tongue. 

Sometimes I don't know either.

This Itchiness is driving me nuts...

It has been a week since my Sisterlocks were installed.  I absolutely LOVE the whole-jump out of bed, shake my hair and go-thing I've got going on.  It is the greatest.  No more rinsing my hair in the shower and applying products, combing/detangling/picking for ever, then going. This feeling of freedom is a new thing, a powerful thing.  I wanna run out and buy a whole knew wardrobe to go with my new hair...

The itchiness...not so great.  I ran out and got some Witch Hazel (I didn't know they still sold it) and some Sea Breeze.  We will see which one works better.  My consultant recommends the Witch Hazel because the alcohol content in Sea Breeze is high.

What have you other Sisterlockers done to fight the itchies?  My consultant says to stay away from water for the time being (to avoid slippage), and I am following her instructions. 

My goal right now is to avoid scratching my scalp.  I keep catching myself in mid-reach. 

What is a sister to do?

Soooooo exciting!

My little girl  is 13 months old, soon to be fourteen.  She isn't walking on her own yet, although she has been walking around holding hands (well, holding onto my fingers) for months.  This past Saturday we were at a picnic given by some friends.  My little one was, of course, all over the place. She likes to run (she isn't even walking on her own yet but she likes to run, go figure!).  At one point she was standing next to a lounge chair, walking and holding on the side.  She let go of the chair, took two steps, realized what she was doing-and grabbed the chair again.  All I could do was stare in amazement.  It is fun watching her learn new things.

Yesterday she took three steps on her own.  Woooooowwwwwwww.  Cooooooool.

Each and every day is full of surprises.  I know that when she starts walking she is going to really be a handful  She is just sooooooo busy.  It's fun.  It is also very tiring. 

I love being a mommy.

All Sisterlocked and Ready to Go!

I am now an official member of the Sisterlocks family!

My consultant, Willa Stevenson, is great.  She powered through and finished in two days.  On day one she worked from 8am to just after 6.  On day 2 she worked from 8 am until we finished, around 5.  So it took around 19 hours total, including breaks.

I LOVE the finished product.  I think they look great.  I am very pleased.

My sister commented..."They look like little braids."  They do, but I know that they are so much more.  I am excited to start my journey.  I look forward to watching my little babies grow and mature.

My husband said my hair looks pretty good, he likes it.  

I wonder how long it will take my hair to lock....we shall see...

Now if I can figure out how to add pictures to this blog things will be even better.

On My Way-Sisterlocks Install-Day 1

Whew, what a day!  Today was day one of what will be a two day install.  I was good....I didn't look at my hair all that closely until I got home.  I finally took a good look and I am so excited (I know, I keep using that word).  I'm loving my parting.  It looks sooooo cool.  Okay, I'm ecstatic, optimistic, uhmmmmmm.....all of the above.  My consultant is great and I'm going to enjoy working with her.

Today she finished the right side and the back.  Tomorrow she will finish the top and left hand side.  I put on a scarf for the drive home (didn't want to scare the others on the road...lol).  At home I changed scarves and told my husband that he couldn't see until it was all finished.  He was like  "okay."  So tomorrow will be the reveal.

I will take pictures tomorrow morning....if I remember.  I'm hoping my baby girl stays sleep all night tonight.  (says prayer).

Tomorrow is day 2.  I can't wait.  My head is only half done and already I'm thinking of the possibilities.

Sisterlocks Consultations

I ultimately decided that I wanted to work with a certified consultant who had been doing Sisterlocks for a number of years (at least 5).  I wanted someone who would be meticulous, caring, open to questions, and wouldn't mind my nitpicking.  I ask lots of questions.

I looked at the names on the Sisterlocks website and decided to Google them to see if anyone popped up.  Three names popped up and I called the first on the list.  When I first reached her, she was driving and we got disconnected.  I called back and left two messages over the course of a week.  She never called me back.

The second consultant I called was very pleasant and I scheduled a meeting with her.  She was very nice, showed me the video, discussed my hair type, put test locks in my hair.  I wasn't comfortable with some of the comments she made about the video.  The Sisterlocks video is an older video, but in showing me the video the consultant complained about it instead of using it to explain more about the Sisterlocks installation process.  She put the test locks (2 rows of 3 each-two different sizes) on the right side of my head, right above my ear, and then took them back out when I asked about their location and if she was going to leave them in.  She mentioned that the Sisterlocks home office "didn't like her."  She also stated that she usually installs medium and large locks.  I got the feeling that I would wind up with medium or large locks if I were to choose her.  I wanted small (but not micro). I decided that she was not the one for me.  Her price was very reasonable, but I was looking for someone I connected with, felt comfortable with.  After all, I will be working with this person for years to come. 

The third consultant I contacted was very nice.  When I initially called her, she was out of town.  I called her again and was able to schedule a meeting with her on the same day as the first consultation which was great because I was in the area.  I walked into her work space and was instantly put at ease.  Incense, calming colors, soothing music, nice decor, professional set-up.  She showed me the video, stopped the video periodically to point out the hair styles, talk about the comments and suggestions in the video, and even showed me beginning and current pictures of some of the women in the video.  I liked that she was very thorough in the information she presented.  I liked that she answered my questions and seemed very knowledgeable about my hair type and about the process of locking in general.  I felt very comfortable in her presence and knew that I wouldn't mind working with this person over the next few years.  We set my installation date and I left to go tell my husband all about it.

I told him about both meetings and the difference in prices.  He said "Well, you are comfortable with the second consultant, go with her."  Her price was higher, but I also feel that you get what you pay for.  I read a blog one day that talked about the fact that Sisterlocks is a permanent undertaking and that if the foundation wasn't good, then the end result might not be good either.

I called my consultant to confirm, and I am constantly looking at my test locks, touching them,  waiting anxiously for the day of my installation to arrive.  Installation date is August 17-18, 2010.  I am so excited.  I can't wait.

New Style

I am soooooo exited.  I recently decided to change my hairstyle.  I have worn my hair "natural" for a while.  Natural....as in how it grows from my head.  Natural....as in the hair that God gave me.  For years I permed it, pressed it, texturized it...all in search of something different.  I have had every cut I could think of, only colored it once.  I've braided it, wrapped it, worn a freeze (early 90's style fingerwave-don't laugh, it was really cute).  After a texturizer in 2008 that didn't turn out the way I wanted, I decided that I was done with the chemicals and would let my hair grow as nature had intended.  And grow it did.  After a bad haircut six months into my journey, I went to a barber who cut all my hair off.  It was shorter than I had intended (she cut off maybe 4 inches of hair), but it was cute.

Years ago I saw a woman at an event who had the cutest dread locks.  They were super small and were cut into a really cute bob.  I asked her about her hair and she told me she had Sisterlocks.  At the time I was rocking a perm and didn't think the Sisterlocks style was for me (but then again, I thought only styles I could create with a perm were for me).  As I began to grow my hair out after my last texturizer, I revisited the idea of Sisterlocks.  I have been researching on and off for the past two years (about as long as I've been growing out my natural hair). I decided to take the plunge after months of deliberation.  Did I want to lock my hair?  Would I like it?  Would it look good?  What would my husband say?  It is important to note that my husband has dreds.  He has long dreds that he has been wearing since around 2001 or so.  He didn't know what Sisterlocks were when I mentioned wanting them.  He is okay with whatever style I choose, although I know for a fact that he prefers long hair.

I didn't need his "OK," but wanted his support on my journey.  My next step is to find a consultant.

Children are our future. Really?

You know, I try to believe that children are our future. I know they are. Truly. It is disheartening to look at the students I have, at their lack of caring about their education, about their poor attitudes and lack of desire to learn. It’s sad.

I think to myself, I will do all I can to teach these kids. Am I losing the battle? With some students I am...but the ones who want to learn, who come every day inspite of the obstacles they face in their neighborhoods where they live...I hope I am reaching them.

I can only hope.

But when I look at the clowns, the ones who disrupt class every day and stop others from learning, I think....these children are my future? Really?????

Idiot Squad

It is a shame when there are students who just don’t seem to care about failing. I’ll call them...the Idiot Squad. These are students who come to school but don’t do any work. They sit in class and don’t listen. They talk all the time, even after repeated warnings. Consequences have no meaning for them. When called on their behavior, they act like idiots-denying what I had seen with my own eyes.

As a teacher, there is only so much I can do with students like these, those who simply don’t care. It makes me angry that these kids will not have the skills they need to succeed in the world of tomorrow. Some of them, like a teenaged girl I have, won’t do a thing. She watches as her mom and dad, both school drop outs, leech off of her grandmother who works hard to provide a roof over the heads of 2 grown individuals and their 11 kids. This young lady figures her parents were drop outs, so she will be as well.

I want to not care what happens to these students. But I find myself caring too much. Their lack of interest in education makes me angry.

And then...the parents of the students who have the worst behavior call for a conference. They then sit there and ask me what they should do about their kids horrible behavior. This behavior didn’t crop up all of a sudden, so they should have nipped it in the bud years ago when it started.

So I look at the idiot squad and mentally shake my head. These particular kids have no future if they don’t change their behavior.

So sad....little idiots. I can’t call them stupid. But I want to.

What the Hell???

I teach 8th graders. I have to wonder, what the hell are these kids learning at home? I mean, really.

On a daily basis here is a standard conversation:

Me: Where is your homework?
Student: I forgot it.
Me: You must want to flunk my class. You must not want to culminate.
Student: No, I wanna pass your class and I want to culminate.
Me: There is no way you can pass my class if you don’t do your work.

And yet the same students still refuse to do any work. Go figure.

Here is an example of how they write:

i am an eighth grader.i go to middle school i have lots of friends.lol.

No capitalization, no commas, no spaces. It’s bad. It’s like everything they learn goes in one ear and out the other.

No wonder I’m so tired every day when I leave school.

Calgon....take me away.

I like you...

One of my students, a teenage girl, told me today...

“Miss.... I like you, but in a strange way. You’re strict, but in a good way because you, like order and you push us to do our best.”

That made me feel good. It’s not like I particularly care whether or not the students like me. I care more about whether or not they are learning what I am trying to teach. It is nice to hear that my efforts aren’t wasted. I keep telling my students that there is a method to my madness...

I'm Not Understanding

You know, as a teacher I'm always trying to understand the motivation behind my students' desire to learn or lack thereof.  Even after 10 years of teaching, I still haven't figured it out.  Students are different every year.  Perhaps I'll never have it figured out.  Oh well.

Some students come to school every day prepared to learn.  They've done their homework, they have all of their materials, they are ready.  Others "forget" their homework (translated: they didn't do it), have only a pencil that breaks so they can't use it, or don't have their books or other supplies. 

I know that kids will be kids, but come on!  I have eighth grade students this year.  Some of them are absolutely clueless.  Some of them just don't care about education.  Some of them have flunked all through middle school and are on the fast track to fail in the 8th grade.  Perhaps it's because there are no consequences for them.  They get bad grades and there are no consequences at home.  The school can only do so much.  First semester grades will determine their participation in 8th grade activities at the end of the year.  Second semester grades will determine whether or not they culminate.  At the end of the year, from what I've heard, a bunch of parents come to school crying and asking if there is something they can do so their child can culminate (never mind the fact that notes and phone calls have been made all school year, let alone progress reports every five weeks).

Perhaps I'm working too hard.  I certainly seem to care more than my students do.  I guess it is just my nature....

I definitely need to work smarter, not harder.

Having One Does Not Make You an Expert

As a new mommy, it irritates me when someone who only has one child talks like they know everything.  While I'm sure you know the gospel according to your child, every child is different and you should take that into account when commenting on something I share.  It urks me to no end when I say something about my baby and a person I know "tells" me that the particular behavior I commented on happens with all babies.

Having one child does not make you an expert.  Sure, you can share your experiences, but don't talk to me like you know everything.  Case in point.  I am choosing to breast feed my child for the first year (if I can manage-I'm doing good because she is almost six months old and is exclusively on breast milk).  My sister (who only breastfed her daughter for 3 months before deciding that pumping was too much of a hassle) keeps telling me that I need to give my child some food because "she won't go to sleep because she is still hungry."  WRONG.  My child is something of a night owl like her father.  You don't know everything.

My mom keeps asking me when I am going to give my daughter formula.  I'm not.  Not if I can help it and I'm doing pretty good so far. 

There's more.  But I've gotta go help a friend.

Peace.