My first solo retightening

I hope I get faster as I practice locking!!! (Laughing) It took me four 'sessions' and way too many hours to do this my first time. My poor, sweet daughter.

Session 1: (One DVD long) - front section done
Session 2: (Approx 3 hours) - working at my locktician house with a help on a few locks and some mentoring - most of one back side section done
Session 3: (Another DVD) - both side back sections and part of middle section done
Session 4: (Yes, we watch allot of movies!) - FINISHED!! But poor Naomi was crying big tears rolling down her cheeks. Poor darling! I kept asking her how she was doing but couldn't see her face from the back. I couldn't get her to tell me if it hurt, she was just tired, frustrated, mad/sad at having to do this all the time, or what. So, I guess it was probably a combination of all of them.

The next retightening I have scheduled with my locktician. Hallelujah!

I think part of the slowness in this last one, aside from my inexperience, is that I really worked hard on separating. By the time I got to the back, it had been a week since I started the front and I did not re-separate before continuing. So each row and each loc took extra time.

But we are already starting to see a difference in length! So in between wanting to cut it off "like a boy" and wishing she had her "own" hair again (sigh! part of the purpose of locs is so she does have her "own" hair), Naomi is excited to have long hair! We'll get there, and Mom will get better too. :-)

Surviving the Sisterlocks training class

Naomi's Mom speaks:

When I mentioned I was going to take a four-day training class to learn to do the Sisterlocks myself, I was often asked -- how can it take four days to learn? I must admit I wondered that myself but I was sure that it must. They've been around long enough to know.

WOW! I've now been filled to the overflowing with information on hair type and texture and how to analyze it, health and safety considerations, locking techniques, problem solving, running a professional business, product knowledge, and styling tips. I"M EXHAUSTED!!!!

Also, in my naivety I though I could walk out of the class and start whipping through Naomi's re-tightenings. I've already run to my consultant in a panic begging to be squeezed into her schedule. We've worked it out so I'm going to start at home on my own - let's see how far we get (I was pretty okay with it until she said "and if you can lock Naomi's hair you can lock anybody's hair!") - and then go to her house to complete the retightening with her available as an overseer and mentor (with some time allowed in case she has to save my sanity and finish up for me).

The Sisterlocks Training Class:

Listening and learning ...

Our patient models!!!! Mine is front and center -- I'm gonna just have to name her too as we've spent some quality time together!

Practice, practice, practice ... we had to finish 50 locks each night. I don't know about the rest of them, but for me that was about a 4 hour process! And then on the last day we had TIME TRIALS!!!!!! Yikes!

And even more intimidating - but ever so valuable - we had to practice on a live human being. Thanks so much Martell for being sooo patient!

The May 2009 Sistas of the Sisterlocks sisterhood ... forever locked together by our experience.

P.S. If you're having trouble picking me out, just let me know and I'll give ya-all a hint!

Day to Day

Most days Naomi sleeps with her hair loose. Morning hair is tousled and wild, but a scarf or wrap leaves it too flat (and doesn't allow her hair to breath).

Braiding up for swimming -- these are box braids and then tied back into loose pigtails. It looks lumpy and clunky and make her self-conscious, but once in the pool she takes out the two ties and after her hair is soaked it hangs down nicely. But it is not attractive enough a style to leave in and too time consuming to be a workable solution for summer when she swims every day, so we're looking at other options.