Entry into the contest was a submission on how adoption had touched your life. As a mother myself of 3 adopted children who were also the inspiration for the creation of Kazowe Shoes I was eager to hear of others experiences, thoughts and views on the topic.

I was not disappointed!

Our winning submission is by a Mother of 3 children, two of whom are adopted First Nations daughters. This family allowed the serendipitous nature of life to open up for them a wonderful new experience from what was planned. I nodded with understanding when Ann expresses how adoption brings into your life more then just the child.  It can also bring different combinations of a new culture, birth families, travel families, and communities. All, if embraced can add layers of enrichment and joy to your lives.

I will let you read our winners story for yourself. I thought it captured the essence of adoption perfectly. That it can be a deeply enriching experience of parenthood, which for those who choose this route will find life changing.

The original prize for the contest was a pair of boots of the winner’s choice but  with Ann having two daughters we decided to send Ann a pair of boots for each girl. 

Merry Christmas!

Here is Ann’s Story;

Hi Gail,

I loved your website, the products shown and the story of how you came to be in business and be a family!  Like many other adoptive families, its clear you love adoption stories – I love hearing them and sharing them, too.  It’s a quiet night on the home front with my husband traveling.  And so I thought I’d enter the contest so I can rise above present circumstances of life a little, perhaps win a pair of boots, but at least remember how good life is despite its struggles.

“Life has a funny way of grounding us in reality while still giving much room to have dreams.  Like many couples, newly in love, we talked of marriage and family fairly early on in our relationship.  For us, the plan was “first two biological children, then two adopted.”  On hindsight, I’m not sure why that formula, but as two (fairly) young idealists, it seemed good. 

Fast forward two years past a wedding, I was suddenly with health problems that precludeda safe pregnancy.  Despite being on a single salary supporting a Master’s student, we decided to switch up plans and put money toward an adoption.  We really wanted a First Nations baby – preferably a daughter.  Told that such adoptions rarely happen, we anxiously waited for a call about a child.  It was in this time that we learned that my husband was surprisingly infertile.  That was an unexpected twist in plans! 

Thankfully, we soon had our beautiful Sto:lo daughter in arms – amazed that just what we’d wanted had happened!  A year later we applied to adopt again.  We really wanted another First Nations child, but what were the chances?  The ‘one in a million’ (so we were told) chance of having a biological child ended up happening in the meantime.  Our daughter had a brother!  When he was 6 months old, I was asked:  ”Do you feel your family is now complete?”  Knowing I had more than I could ever have hoped, I sheepishly answered, “No . . . I feel like there’s still someone missing.  I’d like her to be a little First Nations girl.”  Two months later, we were holding her!  

Adoption has surprised me at many turns.  What perhaps started as a general desire to do good has led to some deep change (which parenthood arguably does anyway).   As a Caucasian women, part of Canada’s majority, my eyes have been opened.  I’ve had to see the depths of my ignorance – how could I grow up and never really know much of my Aboriginal neighbours?  How could I presume to raise their daughters?  The questions, while humbling, are life-giving, too.  They’ve even led us to move where we can grow in community with First Nations people, deeply blessed by their hospitality, friendship and generous spirit – particularly that of my girls’ birth families.  We have a long way to grow, but its been a good start – an unexpected curve in our life journey.

How can we measure the gift our daughters are to us, our families and close friends?  We can’t, but comments such as this one give us some indication: “Now that I have two First Nations granddaughters, I see them in faces all around me.  At the doctor’s office, at the check-out.  I love it.  I never realized First Nations people were so present here.”  Not only has it helped us to see their beauty and appreciate their culture in new, meaningful ways.  It’s simply helped us see them.  ”They” are no longer so unknown. 

I have also been pained to realize that in society’s triangle of power, with women often at the bottom of the triangle, it is First Nations women who are typically at the very bottom.  While I can provide, protect and empower my daughters to an extent, I can’t change this reality that is Canada at present.  This hurts.  It helps me see my white dominance in ways I could never have seen.  I hope it continues to change me.

Overall, in growing up as a family, there is perhaps less we can control and anticipate.  On the other hand, there is perhaps more to love (a network of birth families, a new culture, new places that become home), more to surprise us (where did this amazing talent come from?), more to help us marvel, perhaps, as we wonder how this unit, “Us,” came to be. 

The gift of being a multi-racial family has exceeded our expectations in so many ways!  Even on a tight income, when we felt a little hard-pressed saving toward an adoption (wondering what birth family would ever choose us?!), we were blessed.  When we brought home our first daughter, we were given an older car.  When we brought home our second, along came a mini-van!  As we approach needing a new vehicle, perhaps we should try for another child!  Truthfully, our days are filled with these three blessings (as are our nights!).  They’re not exactly what we’d dreamed of, and yet they far exceed our young, naive, hopes.  We are blessed beyond expectation.”

I don’t have word count on my computer – I’m thinking I’m about maxed out for words!  But incidentally, as a bonus, my older sister (mother of four boys) decided that she really wanted a daughter when we brought home ours.  Along with my best friend, who struggled with infertility for many years, she adopted a little girl from China.  I now have two beautiful little Chinese girls in my tight circle.  Even if I wasn’t an adoptive mom, this would have been such a blessing!

Thanks for taking the time to read a little of our story.  Hard to condense so many years and so many joys and struggles into a so many words.  We could all go off on so many different angles on what a gift (joys and struggles) our children are – whether adopted or not!  

Thanks for the opportunity to share,
Ann

Fall Style with Kazowe Rider Boot Collection

The days are getting shorter, the air is dipping in temperature from our sweltering summer high and the leaves are falling. This is my favorite time of year. I love fall, I always have. I have always preferred cozy to skimpy, layers to sheer, and harvest picking to spring planting. I guess that is why when I started this company, my first collection of children  footwear was for the fall/winter season.

Our Kazowe Rider boot is our signature collection. We will carry this style for years to come as the style and look gain enjoyment and recognition. The boot is different and it looks different.  I am often asked if the sock is attached.  Yes it is. The concept is a wool “sock” that allows the upper boot to be flexible and soft.  It allows for tights, leggings and pants to be worn inside showing off the funky details of the soft wool.  In this picture it is a warm autumn day so our model is wearing her legging higher up on the leg, which is no problem since the fabric is a soft wool that is not abrasive to the skin. I have seen many kids even wearing these boots with shorts.  That is a major difference with these boots, the wool fabric is soft, it is light and it is durable. It does not stretch out in shape, or fall down. You can roll the fabric down if you wish, but it will not loose its shape.

The Rider boot compliments an outfit by being both stylish and practical.  As a practical Mom myself I know kids footwear needs to provide support and balance for growing feet but I also love seeing my girls having a little style.  The look is different but then again so are our kids. Check out our Kazowe Rider boot  collection for yourself.

Thanks for visiting our Kazowe Blog,

Warmest Regards,                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Gail  (head kobbler)

Hello Shoe lovers!!

Fans of Kazowe Shoes and Dolphin Tale

Well, my two girls and two of their friends put on their Kazowe Rider boots this past Saturday and we all headed downtown Toronto to see the pre-screening of the new movie Dolphin Tale.  After scrambling to find parking that was not 4 blocks from our destination, buying exorbitantly expensive popcorn and drinks (the prices are almost criminal) searching for 5 seats that were relatively close to one another (upon entering the theater 5 in a row was immediately ruled out) we settled in to watch our favorite dolphin.  As mentioned in my previous post, my family first encountered Winter (the dolphin without a tail) in Florida a few years ago while on vacation in Clear water. We visited the  Clear Water Marine Aquarium and spent a wonderful day learning about their work and the aquatic animals. Winter was one of the dolphins there and Katie was so taken with this experience that she used her birthday party to raise funds to help winter. We asked two of the guests from that party to join us for the movie since it was through their generosity that Katie’s wish was possible.

The movie stars Harry Connick Jr. Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, and Morgan Freedman as well as Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehisdorff as the two 11 year old hero’s of the film.  I am not going to write a synopsis of the movie, you can Google Dolphin tale and read any number of paid critic reviews. What I am going to write about is how this movie made me feel. It is obvious that the movie is going to be a feel good movie. A movie for the whole family. A movie that will make you laugh and cry. That is pretty obvious so lets not repeat the obvious.

What I will say, is the amazing inspiration Winter is for human amputee’s. For war veterans, and children with missing limbs, Winter becomes a mirror image of the courage it takes to adjust, accept and ultimately thrive in spite of her handicap. Because I know the original story, I already knew the gift that this little dolphin was bringing everyday to those who live with a physical handicap. But what the movie does is extend the story of the gift of winters healing to a little boy who is suffering emotionally. It expands on the gift of healing for other amputee’s to those who struggle emotionally without any outward sign of their despair. Winter lost her tail, but she also lost her family, and her ocean home. She was just a baby (3 months old) when she was rescued so perhaps dolphins also have the gift of resiliency when faced with adversity. I watch our newly adopted son, who just came home this past Christmas 1 month before his 5th birthday who also has physical and emotional challenges to heal, on top of  leaving his birth country and culture. I marvel at his resiliency and his ability to learn to adapt to his new environment. Everyday he amazes me. This little dolphin named Winter will also amaze and inspire you.

There are layers of insight and depth to this movie that will speak to us all on different levels depending upon our experiences in life and I have already read a few reviews on line that take the standard approach of surface glossing the story and labeling it as just another soppy family film.  Well I am a sucker for feel good movies and movies with happy endings. I get the whole film is art, film is a way to communicate the human experience and explore a characters arch of identity and sometimes ultimate redemption. But like everyone else, I live in the real world and it is messy enough on it’s own so I choose to believe that leaving a theater feeling uplifted and genuinely happy actually connects me back with humanity. 

Kazowe Shoes gives Dolphin Tale a 5 star rating and two thumbs up!!

Returning home from our vacation and folding into the rhythm of life, the months passed until it was time for our oldest daughters birthday. We have a tradition in our family for our kids birthdays where they choose an animal or cause to raise money for instead of receiving gifts. So when I asked who she would like to help this year, without hesitation she said Winter. The aquarium’s motto is to Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Release but without a tail to swim Winter would not survive in her ocean home. We knew they were trying to raise money to build a bigger home at the aquarium for winter so this was the perfect project for her party. The party was a huge success and all the kids  learned of a special dolphin that needed their help.

Fast forward a few years, and as I am walking through our family room I quickly catch a glimpse of a movie trailer on the television. I hear “dolphin, missing tail, prosthetic tail”….wait, I know this dolphin! As it happens Warner Bros. decided to make a movie of winters struggle, challenges, recovery and ultimately inspiration for others who have missing and prosthetic limbs. I called to the kids “come quickly, you won’t believe this!” With great applause we were all so excited to see winters story come to the big screen and reach even more people with her amazing tale. (Sorry I couldn’t resist the pun). The opening date for the movie is Sept. 23rd 2011 so I marked the date on the calendar and expected to be the first in line to watch this movie!

Wait it doesn’t end here!

A few days later I arrived home to find a large package waiting for me with a return address of Warner Bros Entertainment. Could it be?? Excitedly I ripped open the package to find two bags of promotional items for the movie. There were 2 Dolphin Tale t-shirts, caps, pencils, erasers, stickers, and activity books as well as complementary tickets to see the movie. We were also invited to see the pre-screening of the movie on Sat. Sept. 17th. Smart marketing campaign to tap into the donor base of the aquarium! We love winter and our kids and guests will be wearing our Kazowe Shoes to see and support winter in her film debut of Dolphin Tale!  Check back with us when I write a review of the movie!

We have added a new colour (Pink!)  to our signature Rider Boot collection for fall 2011!  It is a new colour and a sleek clean look to the already very popular Rider boot design!  Same great quality and unique style! Be the first of your friends and neighbours to have the new look and colour!

What’s New at Kazo Shoes?

Well our name for one. The company has grown (just like your little one’s feet) from Kazo Shoes to Kazowe Shoes. The name Kazo was created from the the first two letters of my children names. Since the company was inspired by my kids, I thought I would have some fun with the spelling of their names to create a unique company name.

Then on Dec.4th 2010 we welcomed our 3rd child, a son adopted from China into our hearts and home. He was almost 5 years old at the time of his adoption which is a very different experience from welcoming a baby into the family! His arrival marked a new direction for our family as well as in the name of the company. With this addition, it only seemed natural to change the company name so all three of my children would be reflected in the brand. Now by adding the letters w & e  to the end of the name, Kazo Shoes proudly becomes Kazowe Shoes.

So how do you pronounce the name?

We pronounce the name (k -a -zo -wee) but most often it gets pronounced (kay – zo – wee).

However you prefer to pronounce the name is fine with us! Either way Kazowe Shoes will continue to bring you unique, funky all leather designs for great savvy looks!

Warmest Regards,

Gail Carruthers