This is the first day of my sister locks.  My hair has grown, still thick and now I have considerable length.  I'm really bad with taking picts of myself because I'm always on the other side of the camera.

9 months sisterlocked

My loving hubby and my 18 month sisterlocks

Hair update

Been a long time coming, but life stops for no one and I've been moving!! This is my grandson and a side view of my hair at 17 months sld.

Another sideview of me driving us into San Diego.  Oh, we moved from Ohio to California this summer...2years sisterlocked.

My wonderful children and their locks... 2 years almost for everyone! woot. I still maintain everyones hair.  I retighten my daughter's hair.  The boys just get washed, separated, and the lint picked out.

Here I am 27 months sisterlocked... I think this may have been a braid out with my soft spike rollers.  I also like to use the pipe cleaners, which gives me spiral curls for days (or until I wash it). 

My First year reflections...

I know I have to better with this blogging! Just so busy lately, finished my masters in April, now working on my Ph.D. whew!  I've been loving my hair journey.  I've been DIYing it off and on since December.  Time restraints and fiancially, I figured I can do it my self and see my loctician regularly to make sure I'm not combining my head into one big lock! Burning Spear NOT!  My children's hair continues to develop as well.  I retighten Mimi's on a regular schedule, but the boys I let free form and I just wash, pick the lint out and make sure they are not meshing their locks together.  I have some of my back locks that have sealed.  The front ones are still either curly q's or soft fuzz.  That is from those different textures on the same head.  I combined two sets due to some thinning as the locks progressed.  They seem fine now.  My DH keeps asking me if I'm going to continue this tightening process, as though its just a phase I'm going through! lol  Yes, I plan to continue retightening and enjoy my hair every step of the way.  Well enough procrastination I have statistics homework to go wallow and grieve in! Till next time....

Bad blogger, bad blogger!

8 months

8 months sls

just washed, 8 months

9 months, sls

9 mths. sls

9 mths. sls

9 months sls

my 4 yr. olds locks! He's been locked 6 months

9 months. sls

11 months sls, wearing my soft spike curls

THIRD RETIGHTENING

Okay due to unextenuating circumstances, I was unable to make it to my retightening for December.  Instead of pouting about the whole situation and becoming desperate, I took on the task of DIYing it! Yep, I did my whole head by myself.  It was stressful but rewarding.  I don't know how long it actually took me, I did it off and on over a day and a half.  I combined a few, and had to undo them.  One in the front actually had a knot in it, and I had to pick it a loose.  My consultant will probably have to reinstall it for me.  Prayfully I can make it to her to check my work.  I was nervous, but I actually did a good job.  I always completed retightening my DH's and Mimi's, which are both coming along nicely.  My hair is so thick! It's been almost four months, my curly q's are now starting to bud.  My length is starting to drop some along my neck, and my hair that falls across my forehead occasionally is longer as well.  Hopefully I can upload some pictures soon!

2nd Retightening

Okay, I did something loopy with the digital so bare with me on the pictures.  I had my 2nd retightening last night.  The woman is super, she once again completed my hair in exactly 2 hours! Love it.  It feels a little bit tighter than the first tightening but it looks wonderful, I have no complaints.  I see she combined two small ones I had one in the nape of my hair, and one at my temple. They needed it.  I will watch to see how they do over time.  My ends are not closed but the hair is starting to wrap around itself.  I'm doing a good job of washing and separating.  I lost my loc loops somewhere in the living room! I think they must have been thrown away because we have torn this front room apart, and they are not here. 

I retightened Mimi's hair again too. We are both experiencing shrinkage and curly q's.  Also I notice her braidlocks are drawing up so that the braid pattern isn't as distinct as when intially installed.  Still have to tighten my DH's hair. He manipulates his all day long! He is definitely a braidlock candidate... Other than that sitll spritzing with water and tying at night, banding and braiding.  News flash my hair does not hold curl! ugh... My consultant told me to invest in a mousse to use before attempting to braidlock and roll.  Plus she told me to use sponge rollers, as if! I stopped those contraptions so long ago, I would rather try something else.  Well thanks for listening I will try to update pictures real soon!
My Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., is partnering with Lionsgate Entertainment, so if you can go see the movie Precious!!!!!

Adjusting to Weather changes and Hair hmmms...

Well, I'm in between my week 7 and 8 and the weather is getting cold out! ugh, 37 degrees at night, and 50ish during the day.  My sisterlocks are hanging in there. I see some growth in the back as usual and its starting to do its own thing overall.  I used my wrap a locs the first month and was pleased.  The curls lasted at least 2 days.  Now, the curl only lasted 1 day, hmmm...

Anywho, I get so frustrated with my sisters who are afraid to let their natural hair texture show and/or are afraid of short hair.  Does it really make you feel that others will look at you in a negative way if your hair is not flowing or straight?  I'm glad that I broke out of this mindset before I even was able to dive too deeply down that hole.  My mother is who I have to thank for that.  She refused to let me and my twin get a curl, although we begged like there was money on the table! My aunt was in beauty school and was dishing jeri curls out in the kitchen like lottery tickets! (Sorry Dink) And we were so miserable that we were not in that number.  Years later we thanked our mother for saving us from the dripping misery and stench that came with that latest fad. 
I will share with you my 2 years of dreaded relaxer woes in another post, of course against the warning of my omniscient mother...

I pray that others will find our journey motivational and aspire to find themselves from the inside out and not worry so much on altering the outside to be happy...