These Boots Were Made For Docking!

Since the pictures tell all, I don't really need to tell you how excited Addie was to be in her "Addie & Ella" outfit!  Spring weather visited in the South, before all the rain began, and Addie put together this ensemble all on her own.  I would have to say she selected the perfect outfit to go with those perfect pink cowboy boots!  I would have been all over those boots too at the age of five.  Looks like Addie thinks they are the perfect dock shoes too!  I have a feeling the next look will be a bathing suit with the same cowboy boots!  These boots were made for docking...

 

What Do They Think About "On the Job"?

In case anyone was wondering what Addie and Ella think about while "working" for their moms, the answer lies within the picture.  While they do have fun in front of the lens, numerous wardrobe changes can make for a whiny afternoon.  Admittedly, there are bribes behind the scenes!  At least the girls accept candy (and clothes) as payment and do not demand the greenbacks...YET!

Blame it on the Bunny

At precisely midnight, my five year old came trotting heavy footed into my bedroom.  The sound of fear could be heard even through my earplugs.  Without thought, I took the silencers out of my ears while Addie's face met mine, nose to nose.  "Mom, I am scared" she said.  Her voice sounded panicked.  I imagined if I could hear her heart, it would sound like she just ran a one minute mile.  "What happened, did you have a bad dream?" I asked.  Addie replied with question after question:  How does he get into the house?  Is the door locked downstairs?  Will he come into my room?  Does he talk?  How big is he?  

I pulled back the covers and planned to wait until she fell asleep to carry her back to her room.  After an hour, I carried a very awake child back to her own bed.  There, she grabbed my arm and said, "You can't leave me, the Easter Bunny might be downstairs!"  So, as any mom would do for a frightened child, I climbed into her bed.   Finally, after two hours of trying to sneak out of her bed, I climbed back into my own bed next to my husband who remained naive to all the excitement.  At some point I fell back to sleep.  It felt like it was under a minute before I was woken up with the words "Come on mom, come on!"

The Easter Bunny is mysterious.  There are a lot of unanswered questions about him.  Questions that pop into the mind of a five year old as she tries to sleep.  The Easter Bunny is not as "known" as Santa.  Addie went to sleep on Christmas Eve and never awoke once.  She even convinced herself that she got up to greet Santa and had a snack with him during his visit. Santa feels more familiar, since there are so many stories and movies about what he is like, how he gets the presents under the tree, makes the toys, and even how his laugh sounds.  He is relatable.  He is not a large rabbit who may or may not talk.  As Addie said on Easter morning as she looked at an egg hidden high upon a shelf, "Wow, the Easter Bunny must be tall!"  Yes, he could be tall, but that is all she really knows about him.  There is always fear of the unknown.  The questions faded with the morning light and were not asked again.  I remember as a kid, I really did not want to know all the answers because maybe I would hear an answer I wasn't ready to hear.  Until the sun fully shines on the subject of EB, I will continue to thank him for my sleepless Easter Eve's!  At least there are abundant jelly beans to keep me going!

Rainy Plays

Perhaps you had an upbringing that was unstructured enough to allow for certain freedoms.  When you awoke to the sound of rain dancing on the roof, you began to dance yourself.  Your performance required no rehearsal, as it had been done time and time again.  Reaching back into the coat closet, you found your beloved rain boots and raincoat and no, they were not too small like they would be for most.  Unlike most kids, they were not hand-me-downs.  Your rain boots fit just as well as your new school shoes.  And when you finished putting your raincoat on, on the way to the backdoor, you could barely contain yourself.  The only objection your mom would shout was, "Hey, put your hood up!"  Out the door you flew and the choreography began, with the birds as your chorus.  Spinning and stomping, dancing and and laughing.  You looked up with a great big smile that eagerly caught drop after drop.  Little eyes peered out of neighboring windows, wishing they too were granted such a great freedom.  


Then one day, there were no rain boots at the back of a closet.  There were no requests for a new rain coat. Rainy day dances turned into rainy day doldrums.  When you were asked to put the garbage out in the rain and you finally did, you looked down so not to get a drop on your face.  You grew up.


Addie and Ella would like to say, let your little one go out for some rainy play.  It may seem like a big deal to you, but it is an even bigger deal to the one holding rain boots.  Freedoms like these create lasting memories.  The ones we could only be so lucky to have, to travel to on a rainy day.

A Little Story about the Real Addie and Ella

When Addie and Ella hear a new package has arrived containing samples of clothing bearing their name, shrieks and giggle abound!  "Open it, open it" they say while bouncing around.  Once they finally stand still long enough to actually try something on, collectively they run away as fast as they know how when they spy the lens of the camera pointing their way.  As Addie once said, "I only like seeing my pictures in magazines.  I don't like doing the modeling part".   This quotation comes from the girl who also coined "When I grow up, I don't want to work because it takes too long".   The pictures that are finally captured do tell the story of two girls who actually like having their picture taken more than they realize.  From their mom's own lens, the one within watching the beautiful chaos of trying to capture a five year old and a three year old, something else is being captured.  Addie and Ella have no idea, as it is not something they can put into words.  A beautiful, caring, pure friendship is forming.  Naturally.  Like the one their own mothers share.  Undirected hugs and kisses take place in between shots that become shots, hands are held, laughter pours out like rain from the sky on a sunny day.  Whispers are heard like a faint wind.  They chat with each other, just like their moms do.  When a beautiful friendship is shared, it is even more beautiful and touching to see your children develop that same bond.  Addie and Ella are more than just two names united on a label, they are united in heart and spirit.  

Smarty Mom: Meghan Hampton

Smarty Mom: Meghan Hampton

Click link above for the full article located at Charlotte Smarty Pants.  Here is an excerpt:

You have a clothing line called Addie & Ella? Where did you and your Partner (Mai-Lis Bahr) find inspiration for creating this line, how did you get started and where can we buy these AWESOME pieces? 
We really started it with an idea to help moms out with droolers. We both had kids who drooled so much and their clothes were always soaked down to their chest. We thought if there was a way to have removable collars that looked like they were part of the outfit but kind of acted like a bib then our mommy woe would be fixed. We had a few samples made and next thing we knew we were dealing with manufacturing plants on other continents. Our line has grown so much from then. It has been a steep learning curve with some bumps, but along the way but it has had a tremendous response. We are really proud of it. I am blessed with the most amazing partner. I can honestly say, we are still going strong because of her. We will be in Shower Me With Love with our Spring/ Summer collection and over 50 boutiques primarily throughout the Southeast.

You used “Cottie & Cake” as the charity division associated with your clothing line? Tell us about it. 
We really wanted our company to give back in some capacity but we were not sure which charity we wanted to partner with. After spending 10 weeks in the NICU at The Levine Children’s Hospital, it felt so natural to find a way to give back to them. During our stay, I had the most amazing nurses and they took such pride in dressing the babies and making sure that their isolettes looked a cheerful as possible. We decided to use fabrics from our collections to create soft and colorful blankets to help brighten the unit for babies and their loved ones. We have 1,400 being shipped in the next few months. Scottie’s primary nurse lived by the motto that “when you look good, you feel good”. It is our hope that we can make as many babies look good so they can feel good on their road to recovery.

Tell us about the Charity event you are organizing centered around the NICU and how can our readers get involved?
“In the NIC of Time” is the first local charity event to raise money specifically for the Neonatal Intensive Care at Levine Children’s Hospital. They do such amazing work everyday and truly make miracles happen. There are 7 of us working to make this event come to life along with two incredible event planners from Carolina’s Healthcare Foundation. This is the first of what we hope will be a yearly event. It is going to be an amazing event with great entertainment at the Duke Mansion on June 2nd. If anyone has been touched by NICU experience or just wants to get involved, they can contact Sheri Joseph, see contact info below.

Stay tuned... an interview with the real Addie & Ella coming soon!