Day 11

Who knew that taking care of your hair while on vacation could be so easy. I mean it has been just fluff and go. I AM LOVIN' THIS!!!

Day 10

Sorry I am just getting around to posting. I decided to go on a business trip with my husband. I must have been high or half drunk. It is the week of trackout and there is no way I could be any busier. Between trying to get report cards done and dealing with two team teachers (and I use the term team loosely) who are world class idiots, I am swamped. However, this is the first time that he has asked me to go on a business trip with him so I figured why not. Not only that but he would go with me if I asked no matter how busy he was plus it is a free trip to Vegas and only an idiot would say no.So anyhow, my hair is doing well and I am liking the less is more approach. Let's see, on Sunday night I thought that the curls around the front could use a little pick me up so I did a reset of that area. First I moisturized the new growth all over my head with shea better. Then I mixed water, conditioner and coconut oil (the real stuff) in a spray bottle. I used the spray bottle to moisten the areas I wanted to redo. I used the purple rods and rolled the front and sides of my head. Now, I did not sit under the dryer this time. I was experimenting and wanted to see how it would turn out. I threw on the sleep cap (good lookin' out Deidre) and went to bed.Well Monday morning when I took the rods out my curls were excellent. I fluffed my curls and headed to work. When I got to work it was compliment city. I was glad because my biggest worry and I know it sounds bad was that I was gonna have to "explain" myself at work. All my students wanted to do was talk about my hair all class. One little boy was like "Mrs. Schnars, you look prettier with curly hair. It is like you were born to have curly hair. Keep it like that. Flat and straight hair is boring." Out of the mouths of babes.

Well, everyone loved my hair but most of all I love it now too.

Day 9

Damn, I have got all kinds of crazy amounts of stuff to do today.  I need to clean my crib, do laundry, lesson plans and report cards, pack.....when does it end!!!So far I have been to the gym, cleaned the family room, done lesson plans and started laundry.  I need either a maid or a personal assistant.I must say, since I have been using natural products on my hair and skin this week I have noticed a dramatic difference.  I can't really explain it but my skin feels different and I feel different.  I have not had any breakouts on my face for the past week and my eczema has not flared up.  When I get outbreaks it is around my eyes and in my head and sometimes on the back of my neck.  Below is a picture of my hair as of this morning.  I have not fluffed it at all.  I woke up, went to the gym and then came in the house and took this picture so that you could see what it looks like after I slept on it and sweat on it.  I know I look scary but remember, I had just finished working out and lifting weights.  I do have a headband on.  Also, there is no make-up no nothing.....

DI

Day 8

So I totally flubbed and didn't make an entry yesterday. Between having a 9am training, football, report cards, napping and Cirque a sista was busy. Anyway, I did finish my hair on Friday along with the book. I took the rods out of my hair on Friday but I did not separate the curls until Saturday. I like it. I learned that it is going to take me a minute to perfect my rolling technique. I forgot to use end papers so it was a little frizzy but to me it made it look more realistic. My hubbie thought I looked SMOKIN' HOT!!! So comment that made me laugh and feel better.


The book was amazing. I enjoyed the little history lesson. It covered everything that social studies and the movie ROOTS left out. Plus there was a lot of just common sense stuff I guess I just never thought about. Good stuff. I recommend that everyone read the book even if you have absolutely no desire to go natural. My husband even picked it up and started reading it.

So for right now with my hair like this I have just been using shea butter and tea tree oil. I use the tea tree oil for my eczema.  I look and smell great :-)

This is what my hair looked like last night once we go back from Cirque.  I had slept on it Friday night and napped on it Saturday afternoon.   All I did was oil with shea butter and fluff with my hands/fingers.

Day 7

Whew!!! That was a doosie!

I am glad that this week is over. Let's see...oh, last night after I posted the entry, my husband and I were on our way to our dance class when I noticed that we were going to be about 30 minutes early. So I said to him, hey, let’s stop at the beauty supply place. I went in and I was looking around for a leave in conditioner, shea butter and some tea tree oil. My husband is so supportive. He was in there trying to hunt down products with me. It was really cute. He was looking at rollers, rods and all the rest. Well, when we were about done this woman comes in with her husband (he was white too) and she had a head full of natural hair (beautiful) and I looked at her and thought to myself - yep, I can do this.

Well, today, I only had to work until noon. After work I went to the gym and got my sweat on. Then I went back to the beauty supply (I am not addicted I just wasn't sure last night which rollers I wanted so I needed to do more research) and got the rods and the flex rods. When I got home the book I mentioned "The Truth About Black Hair" was waiting for me. I was super excited. I was like that is going to make for excellent reading while under the dryer. So I rushed inside showered, washed and deep conditioned my hair and proceeded to roll it up. Let me just say this was a TIME CONSUMING PROCESS! I guess I am just out of practice because I use to do this every week back in da day. My arms were on FIRE! It took me like 45 minutes and I don't have a lot of hair. I guess after a few weeks it will take less time.

So here I am under the dryer. I read the introduction to the book (again) and the first chapter. Now I am processing all of that information and decided to take a minute and do my entry for today. Let me just say that there are two things from the little that I have read that is poignant to me. The first is "People say that we should love ourselves and be proud of ourselves? Do they mean that we should love all of ourselves except our hair? Is hair somehow separate from the self that God gave us and not deserving of love?" Process that! I know I still am. The second one is a quote from Bob Marley "You running and you running and you running away...You running and you running and you running away...But you can't run away from yourself." Yeah, chew on dat!

Well, I am gonna get back to my book. I still have like 40 more minutes to sit under the dryer. I will let you know how my hair comes out and how I feel about the whole book.

Day 6

One more day to go and then it's the WEEKEND BABY!!!!
I have no idea why I am so tired.  Oh wait, it may have to do with the fact that I woke up at 4am.  Why? I have no idea.  Then I just couldn't get comfortable.  Maybe I need one of those tempur-pedic sleep mattresses.  I heard that they make for an excellent nights sleep.

In the famous word of Betty Wright in No Pain No Gain "anything worth having at all is worth working for and waiting for."  On days like today I wish that this crap on my head was all "my hair".  I am telling you, it was a soggy mess out there and needless to say by the time I walked from the car to the building my head could be classfied as a federal disaster area by FEMA.  See, today I woke up and kinda finger fluffed my hair and used a long black scarf as a headband and tied it around my head and let the rest of the scarf hang long.  Now, let me just tell you, the last time I had a creamy crack application was on August 1st.  I have the type of hair that grows super duper fast since I eat right and excersie often.  Since I looked so terrible I decided to tie the scarf around my head and knot (bun) it in the back.  You know how they do (I don't know what that is called).  This is the first time I have done anything afro-centric with my hair at this job.  I did get some odd looks but it wasn't from the students.  Many of my students commented on how pretty I looked and asked how I did it because they wanted to go home and try it.  It made me feel good.  So maybe I was worried about them for nothing.

The weekend is coming so I am going to deep wash/condition and flex rod my head.  I am so looking forward to it.  Can I post pictures here?

Day 5

I woke up in a suck butt kinda mood but it is hump day so that is to be expected right? Work got on my last nerve today. I am so ready for a vacation.

Today NC was a rainy mess. I CANNOT wait until this whole transition situation is over. My head was looking a HAM.  I did workout today and let's just say the blow out I got on Saturday is a complete memory.  But it's all good, I am going to do flex rod sets from here on out.

I feel so fortunate to have my mom and Deidre on this walk with me.  I know for a fact they are not going to let me fall.  Anyhow, I guess I didn't realize how much of a spiritual and emotional journey this was going to be. Well, I mean I knew there was going to be some inner turmoil but I guess I just didn't realize how much I was going to have to get to know myself, my real self. As I mentioned before I am a teacher but what I failed to mention is I am THE ONLY black adult at the school and there are only 3 black children in the whole school (2 girls & 1 boy). One of the little girls has her natural hair and she looks so freakin cute. I told her today to never ever change her hair for anyone for any reason. She looked at me with those big brown eyes and smiled. I was like "I am serious". I hope that she listens to me. I wish that someone would have told me that.

I have so many what-ifs in my head. You know like what if I would have never got that relaxer after I took my braids out 8-9 years ago? What if my mom would have been firm in her NO when I asked to get a relaxer when I started high school?  She said no like the first 300 times but I guess she just gave up when I asked on that 301st time.

I could sit her all day and "what if" myself into depression but I won't. I am not going to lie, it is hard not to dwell on the past. However, as some wise person once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." and I do not want that to happen-again (who said that anyway???). I am just praying for internal strength to get through this journey and all of the while I am really going to get to know my real self and try and understand why I thought black wasn't beautiful the way God gave it to me.